Before they got ugly

[Camino LS6]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2830537771.html

[G. David Felt]

That baby is in one beautiful shape. I did not know they had Cadillac branded CB's as an option. Sweet Ride!

[67impss]

In retrospect the only thing that I don't like about this car are those glaring chrome A/C vents.This car based on the X body (Nova) was nothing like a Nova or the clones. It had FI IRS a stretched wb and all the lux that Caddy could throw at it. Balthazar had posted a pix of a Benz interior of that period and it looked like a VW of the same period sans the woven vinyl .

With this kind of a car or wanting a "serious buyer" you'd have thought that they would delete those blurred images and re shoot the car though

[Camino LS6]

True.

The pics are lousy.

But even I (sedan hater, and not a Caddy fan) like the car itself.

[ocnblu]

I hope those trophies are not attached to the roof with like Gorilla Glue or something.

Pretty car no doubt. I'd rock it like a pony.

Looking at the interior trim and the seats, it is amazing how far interior fit and finish have improved since then.

[§carlet §wordfish]

Before they got interesting, IMO. In lovely condition, but I'd still rather have a bustleback.

What the bright trim around the door edges standard?

Edited February 22, 2012 by §carlet §wordfish

[67impss]

Door edge guards may or not have been options on a Caddy were on Chevys

[balthazar]

[67impss ~[/b] >>"This car based on the X body (Nova) was nothing like a Nova or the clones."<<

Not X-Body, K-Body.

>>"It had FI IRS a stretched wb and all the lux that Caddy could throw at it."<<

Solid rear axle.

[redfish ~[/b] >>"What the bright trim around the door edges standard?"<<

No- door edge guards were optional equipment.

• • •

This is the car that set mercedes back on its heels.

Cadillac really nailed the stance & body on this car, IMO. It's well planted, wheels/tires fill the wheelwells nicely, body has a similar sectional radius as the current Rolls- looks expensive. I also always liked the front-rear taper in the body.

There's a forlorn Elegante near me- has the buckets/console interior and the black/silver paint. Without the vinyl top- those were pretty sharp (and still are when in good shape).

Edited February 22, 2012 by balthazar

[67impss]

[67impss ~[/b] >>"This car based on the X body (Nova) was nothing like a Nova or the clones."<<

Not X-Body, K-Body.

>>"It had FI IRS a stretched wb and all the lux that Caddy could throw at it."<<

Solid rear axle.

[redfish ~[/b] >>"What the bright trim around the door edges standard?"<<

No- door edge guards were optional equipment.

• • •

This is the car that set mercedes back on its heels.

Cadillac really nailed the stance & body on this car, IMO. It's well planted, wheels/tires fill the wheelwells nicely, body has a similar sectional radius as the current Rolls- looks expensive. I also always liked the front-rear taper in the body.

There's a forlorn Elegante near me- has the buckets/console interior and the black/silver paint. Without the vinyl top- those were pretty sharp (and still are when in good shape).

Please excuse my aged brain I'll blame it on some timers again

Point 1 correct solid rear axle but rear coils with air lift unlike the X's leaf springs& add rear disc brakes 2 years latter

While given a K frame designation it was hugely based on X even had the front half of the Nova's roof stamping and didn't change the axle bolt circle till next year.

[balthazar]

The engineering phase of the Seville BEGAN with the X-frame, but the production car is no X-frame/X-Body. The engineering costs alone pushed the Seville's intended base price up by 75%. It's (unintentionally) disingenuous to refer to the production Seville as 'heavily a Nova'.

Half a roof stamping.... c'mon. My '59 shares the entire greenhouse with all other GMs makes and the car is still less than 10% shared with other Divisions.

[regfootball]

CB radio ?

[Camino LS6]

Before they got interesting, IMO. In lovely condition, but I'd still rather have a bustleback.

To each his own. I have always found the bustlebacks to be disgusting.

This car is elegant, tasteful, and well-proportioned - it's a proto-CTS.

[Robert Hall]

Nice...don't see these very often in any condition...there are a couple ragged ones I see bombing around occasionally but that's about it. Always liked the proportions of these cars...too bad they didn't do an Eldorado 2dr version..

[G. David Felt]

Can anyone comment on the Cadillac badged CB radio? Did caddy actually have this as an option?

[67impss]

Well moms 77 Caprice estate sans wood had one, they were offered corporate wide and badged appropriately

[Robert Hall]

Everything had CB radios as optional in the late '70s....IIRC, my Dad's '79 Lincoln Continental had one..

[balthazar]

Can anyone comment on the Cadillac badged CB radio? Did caddy actually have this as an option?

Yes- I see the exact same unit in the '78 sales brochure as an option (across the board)- brushed aluminum plate & crest included. This one allowed you to change the channels with the hand unit instead of on the head unit- had a digital channel readout on the mike. Cadillac also had a rather utilitarian Delco-tagged unit that was just a standard mike. Cadillac had 6 different sound system options that year.

Edited February 23, 2012 by balthazar

[balthazar]

...too bad they didn't do an Eldorado 2dr version..

'Eldorado 2-dr Seville' ???

Unless you're talking about '56-60 (and I know that you are not), that's rather mixed-up.

A 2-dr Seville would be as much an 'Eldorado' as it would a Camaro.

[Robert Hall]

...too bad they didn't do an Eldorado 2dr version..

'Eldorado 2-dr Seville' ???

Unless you're talking about '56-60 (and I know that you are not), that's rather mixed-up.

A 2-dr Seville would be as much an 'Eldorado' as it would a Camaro.

You are being too literal...not badged as a Seville, but a 2dr coupe variation badged as an Eldorado. After all, the Seville and Eldorado were essentially 4dr and 2dr versions of the same car (with styling variations, but the same dirty bits, common dashboards,etc) for 3 generations...('79/80-85, 86-91,'92-98/02).

What if Cadillac had downsized the Eldo in '75-76 to use the Seville platform? Picture a 2dr coupe version w/ a crisp roofline w/ Eldo cues like the quarter window shape, narrow vertical taillights, etc...

I've seen some custom built 2dr coupe and convertible 1st gen Sevilles but they were all amateur hour with short 4dr doors...the nicest conversion was the San Remo convertible, I remember one a magazine years ago..

http://autocollections.com/index.cfm?id=3229&action=details&tab=sold

Edited February 23, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

The entire thread is in regard to a Gen1 Seville. You addressed the Gen1 Seville and asked for a 2-dr version called an 'Eldorado', when there already was a co-existing 2-dr Eldorado... that was 100% different from the Seville. What they later became is irrelevant here.

You should've just said a 'Seville 2-dr' to be clear.

Edited February 23, 2012 by balthazar

[bobo]

Nice. Visually, there's a couple of things off. The taillights are from the '78 or '79 model, as the '76 and '77 did not have the chrome emblems. The "FUEL INJECTION" badge is too low below Seville badge on the side of the car.

I mentioned this before, my parents had a '79 Seville Diesel. Interior trim bits would pop off. The first two diesel engines died before an Olds V8 gas engine (like the stock Seville engine, except carbureted) was put in it.

[G. David Felt]

Can anyone comment on the Cadillac badged CB radio? Did caddy actually have this as an option?

Yes- I see the exact same unit in the '78 sales brochure as an option (across the board)- brushed aluminum plate & crest included. This one allowed you to change the channels with the hand unit instead of on the head unit- had a digital channel readout on the mike. Cadillac also had a rather utilitarian Delco-tagged unit that was just a standard mike. Cadillac had 6 different sound system options that year.

Thank you Balthazar, this is very cool indeed to know. Guess Smokey and the Bandit had a major impact on Auto's that I did not know about at the time. Wish my parents had gotten the CB with the 76 Old Delta 88 Station wagon.

I remember all the trips down to visit relatives during the summer in Huntington beach CA and ridding in the rear facing 3rd seat was awesome to watch all the truckers.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

The Seville is still a great car even if they did put or change labels and tail lights. I remember helping my dad do many swaps on the GM Diesel engines and the infamous 4/6/8 V8's that did not work then due to the electronics not being ready to truly manage this approach.

Glad to see some things have come back with proper computer management.

[Robert Hall]

The entire thread is in regard to a Gen1 Seville. You addressed the Gen1 Seville and asked for a 2-dr version called an 'Eldorado', when there already was a co-existing 2-dr Eldorado... that was 100% different from the Seville. What they later became is irrelevant here.

You should've just said a 'Seville 2-dr' to be clear.

Forget it...I shouldn't even have mentioned my idea. I know there was the existing Eldo....what I mentioned was a 'what if' scenario.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[§carlet §wordfish]

I get what you're saying Moltar, but personally I'm glad they didn't do it that way.

[Robert Hall]

I get what you're saying Moltar, but personally I'm glad they didn't do it that way.

Yeah, who knows how it would have turned out....that generation of Seville is a great looking car IMO, can only imagine how a coupe would have looked...with a side window treatment like the '79-85 Eldo and styling cues like the peaked fenders and narrow vertical tailights, could have been interesting...

[balthazar]

[§carlet §wordfish]

Yeah, who knows how it would have turned out....that generation of Seville is a great looking car IMO, can only imagine how a coupe would have looked...with a side window treatment like the '79-85 Eldo and styling cues like the peaked fenders and narrow vertical tailights, could have been interesting...

Well then it wouldn't have looked anything like the Seville...

[balthazar]