1966 Cadillac Eldorado - Matt Garrett

1966 Cadillac Eldorado, 429CID/340HP, TH400 variable pitch, 3:21 controlled diff. 2250 total Eldorados were produced for the final RWD low production years of the Eldorados 1953-1966. If you have followed my past 66 Eldorados, you know that these are one of my favorite models and a model that I open up my wallet to buy the best examples the world has to offer. If you think 66 Eldorados are 20-30K cars, you are right. Just not the examples I deal with. These are the top examples there are and I have done years of leg work to locate them and then after that, sometimes near a decade to acquire them.

This particular Eldorado is going to be one of the most striking and cosmetically pleasing cars to anyone/any venue that has ever come about in a 66. Not to mention it is one of the best overall 66 Eldorados I have ever encounter too! Even since 66. It is a VERY original low mile car that has been kept well since new. It is also a one owner car. The car has had a garaged life and when purchased by us here, that price might be close to what some of the most expensive restored 66 Eldorados have been paid for being this was such a nice original. However what you see here now on the paint is not original nor are the seats. It is an overdone car now, meaning in the area of paint/body and interior, it is about 10 times better than it ever was new. It is what people expect to be "original" today so it was done with that in mind. When the word original is slung so much these days and I actually show people what true original is on cars of this age, they start to understand what they really want vs just a word you can use to pass off poor quality of yesterday that has even more patina on that poor quality today. What is original on this car?? Everything less the paint and seats and top only. Now don't get me wrong, the seats are original... and YES, the black piping is a very rare option and this car came with it making it one of possibly 20 or so cars ever done this way! However the front two buckets and rear seat sections were sent to Jenkins Interior... If you know old cadillacs, that needs no introduction. $12,000.00 later this is what you get just for the seats. Stunning perfection. The rest of the interior remains original!

On the paint, the car was taken apart RIGHT and stripped to metal, metal worked where NO filler was used... All chrome, all trim, hood, deck lid, fenders and all, and repainted RIGHT. $24,000.00 later this is what you get just on the paint and not counting one cent for the labor in taking the car apart and putting it back together. That was done in house and is not accounted for. The final product is stunning perfection that has a far straighter less flawed body line vs the day it was made and paint 100x better in quality vs the stuff that was shot on the line in 66. So we have 36K put in the car right there to the trades. This also does not count for the very expensive wire wheels and 1.6" white wall tires + 1000s and 1000s in many other mechanical items that were done during the comprehensive cosmetic metamorphosis. (yes the original poverty caps are with the car too of course) I usually don't talk money on what work went into cars, but I am trying to get the point across that this car was not short cutted in any manner and the top craftsmen in the country are involved with the the work mentioned. We wanted to achieve the most impressive 66 Eldorado to date. This car may have done it... I will let you decide.

Because this car is not a "frame off', the original integrity of this car remains very high and intact. Mechanically it is excellent as these cars were made in that department when new. All items work including the AC/heater and transducer ran climate control. If you know 66s, then that should speak volumes to you. Beyond cosmetics, the car drives right and does everything right. This is not a car that was just slapped together as so many restorations are. I dare even used the word restoration on this car, as it is not that. It is an original nice car that was made much better. If you have spent the last 30 years dealing with car, you will learn a frame off car is not the way to go when you start with a good car to begin with. And this car has always been good! Now it is better than good.

What is really the best aspect of this car is its sheer overall package. Not only is it excellent in every manner, top it off with its sheer jaw dropping beauty. Its color combo along with the mega rare interior this car has having the white buckets with headrests and even more rare piping, puts it in a category that the most painstaking purist perfection competition that may come its way could not hold a candle to side by side. Meaning a car appreciative crowd will stand on that car to look at this one as this one is simply gorgeous. It has taken some big awards at shows including the people's choice at a large show just this month 6/2011. That award means the crowd liked this car the best and can be one of the most honest awards a car can receive as there are no politics involved with the judging. This is one of the best 66 Eldorados on the planet period. To take it a step beyond, it is a people pleasing car that will simply do nothing but get more valuable with time, and during that time put more smiles on people's faces... A winning combination at its best.

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