1955 Cadillac Eldorado Sport Convertible

Price: - Item location: Portland, Oregon, United States

Description:

1955 Cadillac Eldorado

Here is a somewhat rare and very honest Cadillac Eldorado with abundant flaws and loads of character. It was purchased to be driven and enjoyed, and so it has. Over the years, not much time has been devoted to chasing down a multitude of electronic or vacuum operated gremlins, but the basics of this car are solid as a gold bar. It drives smoothly and powerfully, is strong and tight, its brawny engine sounds wonderful, and it is now and always has been, rust free (except for a dime sized scab of surface rust on the driver's door above the chrome molding. See last photo)

What is known and what is not: This isn't a fully documented car. The owner knows it came from California, because he bought it from the man who brought it up to Oregon, but nothing is known of its previous history beyond the name of the original buyer, whose name remains on the personalized brass plaque that Cadillac dealers affixed to the center of the dash. (See photos) That buyer's name was Walter H. Chase, but he and any subsequent owners haven't left a trail of receipts or paperwork to help illuminate things. On the plus side, we do have 37 years of current ownership, which establishes a history of its own.

Let's get this out of the way before we continue: Somewhere along the way, someone who owned the car, either original buyer or another, had the famous but often troublesome dual quad carburetors swapped over for a simpler four-barrel Rochester carb. There is no trace of those factory carbs, but their absence hasn't exactly hobbled this Eldorado. She still goes very largely and briskly.

The current owner purchased the car in 1980 and it has been in his possession since that date. Some years ago he color-changed the worn out factory finish to a rich Centauri single-stage black. The top and interior were replaced but remain white and beige as specified on the data plate. The interior seating is not leather, but a high grade vinyl, redone very skillfully and matching exactly the design of the original seats. Air Conditioning was available but it was an expensive option and this car, like most of the convertible Eldos, never had it.

Other work performed includes a complete brake job down to the hoses, new shocks, a custom and truly melodious dual exhaust system, and very recently, a professionally rebuilt Hydra-Matic 4 speed transmission, which performs flawlessly. Interesting to note that, as designed by Cadillac, there is no Park on the shift plate. To park, you shift into reverse and set the emergency brake.

The list of what doesn't work on this car is, alas, fairly extensive, and most it wasn't working when the current owner acquired the Eldo all those decades back. The power windows do operate, but the window channels are loose and should be replaced. The power front seat motor is said to be missing a piece of linkage, but might otherwise be operable. The radio is there, but always silent. The clock ran out of time. The heater doesn't heat, nor the fan blow. The wipers have no vacuum, the windshield spray doesn't, but the unique glass container and motor under the hood are intact. There's also an Autronic Eye box factory mounted to the inner fender, but curiously, no indication of a sentinel ever being mounted on the dash top, and this dash is original to the car. The turn indicators don't light up, but the good news is the headlights, taillights and brake lights all shine brightly.

Cosmetically, the black exterior finish looks impressive at a distance but it's starting to go away. It has small scratches and chips all over it and some bubbling due to poor prep (not rust) is evident on the trunk lid. Think repaint if you want something more than a driver. The dash chrome is pitted, and there's plenty of it, both chrome and pits. The fiberglass tonneau has long been MIA. It was never even seen by the current owner. There's a crack at the top of the driver's side window glass, but all the rest of the glass is apparently original and in good shape. The trunk is cavernous and nicely carpeted, but its missing the sound-deadening panels, sports a non-original tire and has no jacking equipment.

The rear bumper is factory magnesium and was nicely rechromed by the current owner, who also went to a lot of trouble to replace one of the rear fin's chrome trim. The front bumper is complete and looks nice but has a few blems that keep it at driver level.

The stylish Sabre wheels are exclusive to the Eldorado. These are gold, a color not available in 1955, and are thought to be taken from a 1956 car. The top is 30 years old but is still weather tight. The hydraulic system that raises and lowers it is in good working order, as demonstrated on the available video. The seats are renewed in vinyl, beautifully crafted and have their whole life still ahead of them.

This Eldorado has been driven and enjoyed, with a strong engine and mechanicals. The sound burbling from the custom dual exhaust has been described as "magic." The ride is plush, this car has integrity, and the current owner doesn't hesitate to drive it all summer day with the top down. There's no record of a rebuilt engine and the true mileage is unknown. The odometer indicates XXXX miles and the tightness of the motor and the oil pressure (40 lbs at idle, approaching 60 lbs at higher rpm), indicate a possible rebuild, or if not, that 100K miles may have been reached only once.

The Numbers: We were unable to find the VIN stamp on the pad at the front right hand cylinder head and suspect it may have been machined off during past engine work. However, the stamped number on the front right frame is present. It reads 556273857 and matches the VIN on the clear Oregon Vehicle Certificate of Title. The data plate riveted to the right side of the firewall tells us that this car is Body number FW 2607, and that its Trim was 95 (Beige leather), its Paint 96 (Copper Metallic), its Top Code 1 (White), and accessory code E stands for tinted E-Z Eye glass.

The Cadillac Eldorado, America's mighty luxury car. President Eisenhower rode in a new for 53 model in his inaugural parade. It's tail fins grew bladed in 1955 and they kept growing to ridiculous lengths until they died out in the early 60s. Limited production. Only 3950 Eldorados made that year. A Milestone automobile. This bigger-than-life Eldorado affords the opportunity of ownership at an obtainable price. $52,000, or the next highest bid.

Send us your email address and we'll forward many more photos and links to several short videos of this car in action. Inquiries and further questions welcome. Shipping arranged nationwide or internationally.

Vehicle Details:

Make: Cadillac
Model: Eldorado
Type: Convertible
Year: 1955
Mileage: 106,000
VIN: 556273857
Color: Black
Engine size: 331
Number of cylinders: 8
Transmission: Auto
Interior color: Beige
Options: Convertible
Vehicle Title: Clear

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