Click here for the latest pictures of the Biarritz with the Touring Coupe!
My 1985 Eldorado Biarritz
If you haven't done so already, check
out my '76 Restoration
for some info about me and my projects!
Or if you like, the 1985 Eldorado Touring
Coupe and the 403 Engine Swap
Please be patient, the pictures are worth the wait!
I've found so few sites detailing the 79-85 Eldorado, I figured I just had to make one. This is my daily driver. I always have to be careful where I park it! Despite it's HT4100 engine, she's still going strong with 122,000 miles on the clock. For those who haven't heard about the perils of the HT4100 engine, it was one of Cadillac's engines introduced in '82, consisting of an aluminum block with cast iron heads. The engines were notorious for going bad with 100,000 miles or less. A friend of mine asked a shop teacher if he had ever heard of the HT4100, the teacher replied, "We used to have a shed full of 'em." The 130hp is nothing to write home about either. Such a shame for such a beautiful car. In my opinion, one of Cadillac's best designs.
Here's a shot of the interior in all its glory. The box on the top left of the dash is my digital tach I whipped up. I actually find it useful for shifting with the accelerator, that way I don't put too much stress on the engine. Getting use to the feel and shift of the accelerator on a 4100 is a challenge. It even becomes fatiguing on long trips, but once the cruise is set, she's a dream. Of course, I can't forget my talking radar detector, or my digital compass. I gotta have my gadgets! Don't worry, no permanent modifications were made to the car! To really make the place look like a cockpit at night, I replaced the light that illuminates the fuel gauge with an orange one, the speedo with a light blue, and the mpg plate lights up red. It's not really that noticeable (read tacky), but i figured the slight colored tint was appropriate. It turns a simple looking dash into something exciting :)
That dash mat looks a little out of place in this pict, but it really blends in with the car and many people don't notice it at all. On a cold winter day, I returned to my car after school to find a crack in the top center of my dash. Rather than put up with that unsightly crack, I purchased a dashmat that matches perfectly. I also installed an 8-track player under that center console, and when i put the console in my trunk, the player hides under the front seat, and the wires go under the floor mat. This is the second Eldorado I've owned that came with a factory cassette player that doesn't work.
I just love the taillights! ........Here's a shot of my '85
and my friend Alex's previous 1984 Eldorado (Ursula). His could
have used a paint job though. His had 90 some thousand miles,
featured the digital speedo and fuel gauge, had the Bose Sound
system, and had a moonroof. Electric adjustable mirrors too! We
had a lot of fun cruising Friday nights with the Eldo's. Anyway,
he decided it was time to sell the car and get something with
a little more power, that way he wouldn't be stuck with a 4100
paperweight when the time came. I found an ad in the paper for
a 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado and we spent the next weekend tracking
it down. Well, I think he got a lot for his money, $700. He was
now a 17 year-old owner of two front-wheel drive sister cars.
He spent some time cleaning up the toro and we had some fun smoking
the front wheels! To make a long story short, he sold his Eldo
to someone at school (and made a profit!), and then a few weeks
later, he sold the toro to an out of town friend of mine. After
being used to the '84, Alex decided he wanted more luxury than
the '69 could offer, and who could blame him.
Click on the Toro for a shot of the dashboard-
I still remember car shopping before I got my '85. I came across a white 1984 Eldorado Biarritz. The car was immaculate and always well kept. It was loaded with options too, and had very low miles. It even featured the locking rear license plate for gas, and the automatic tinting rearview mirror. It was a little out of my price range though! Of course, that was before my real Cadillac obsession-
Surprisingly, the fuel economy is really great for a V8. Average highway economy is around 25mpg. In the city, depending on how you drive, it's not unusual to get about 17. I used to think that 14 or 15mpg was poor economy. Just wait till I finish my '76! Single digits baby!
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Eldorado Biarritz Touring Coupe 1979-85 79-85
