I bought a 1961 Cadillac Eldorado GM factory custom off craigslist

Awesome thread Nads! Thanks for posting all the info on your journey, looking forward to more, thanks.

 

Wow-congratulations.

 

nice score... subscribed


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Great find!!! Good for you. Have fun with that beautiful piece of automotive history.

 

Agreed, they end abruptly, they were continued into the production Eldorados of 1962.

I haven't decided what I'm gonna do with her, all I know is that she's a smooth comfy driver.

 

Thanks for the pointers.

 

very cool Nads, what a score.....

 

I'd fix the top, lower it, throw it in D and drive! Neat find!

 

ENOUGH !!!!

Get back on the ElCoholic ,

 

Wow, such an optical illusion. It completely looks like it was 2-tone.

 

I think it looks two-toned because the low accent lighting is right next to the car. I think it's hitting the lower round part then falling off fast due to the curvature of the body panel. I could be wrong, but it could be.

If you look at the rear lower section you can see how the light is less even.

Josh

 

Great find!

 

Here's a picture of the car from I really don't know when but that's the National Cherry Queen sitting in the back, note the parade boot is on and the original US Royal tires are still on it.

 

That (un-named auction TV) AZ based group will be trying their damnedest to have this one roll through the gate. H U G E numbers, Nads. Who was that FNG telling you to cut this up? Man, that is one blind to history individual.

 

what? no pics of Walter Hagans balls?

 

Exactly. I swear, that car show pic looks like a 2-tone job. Regardless, it's an amazing piece of machinery...

I'll trade you a broke ass 58 lincoln capri, a 61 olds hardtop and a decent 65 ford truck for it.
ha ha.

 

Nice!

 

very cool car, I think it found a great home!

 

Nads, I just posted this on another Caddy thread.
I know you aren't new to this and have probably seen this, but wanted to share it again.
Restoring old single stage paint.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ge-paints.html

 

Amazing!

Go Nads.

Rich

 

Hagan might have used personal golf balls? Or maybe they could be dated somehow. So yes, please post the golf ball pic.

 

I thought this was a cool find before, but now you have gone and done it. The National Cherry Queen. That is what puts it over the top.

 

VERY VERY cool, Nadeem --- Congrats!!


Malcolm

 

Incredible find! It deserves a full resto. Fully restored, it could "go off" at Barrett-Jackson if a couple of big $ guys like Pratt both really want it.

Is the Bing Crosby car accounted for?

Is the original color a factory/production GM color or custom? Hopefully GM can provide a paint code for you.

I'd be scared shitless to send out one-off chrome pieces for replating.

Here's a photo of Hagen at a charity golf event in Detroit 1941 with Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth.

July 29, 1941 - Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club, outside Detroit, Michigan. Ty won, 3-2. Cobb 86, Babe 89. 2,500 spectators. Proceeds to United Services Organizations.
For this final, deciding 'rubber match', Babe and Ty were joined by Walter Hagen and Mysterious John Montague.
L-R: John Montague, Babe, Ty, Walter Hagen.

 

Neat story. Good luck with it.

 

'SO 50110' signifies 'shop order'. I believe this was an 'accounting system' GM used with show / concept cars to track associated costs / work orders. While a concept car may have 1 'XP-xxx' designation, some had numerous 'SO' numbers, representing changes to the car over different shows/time.

As a compiler on this sort of junk, I absolutely HATE that the number here begins with '5'!
GM used a 4-digit system starting in the 1xxx range then moving thru at least 26xx... then switched to a 5-digit system starting with '90xxx'. I have 50-some SO numbers on my list, and your car is the only '5xxxx' car. Not that that's overly significant, but in trying to decipher GM's internal workings, this is yet another monkey wrench.

I see no 'room' on the list for your car to have had an XP number (tho I cannot guarantee that). There are 2 other (at least) period mild showcar customs, a '59 Bonneville convert & Mitchell's '60 Electra 225, both of which also have SO numbers but don't seem to fall on the XP list. BTW- both of those cars also survive.

Cadillac did have a code 97 RPO color for '61 : Aspen Gold. That doesn't necessarily mean that this car isn't a custom hued gold- one would have to match it to a correct RPO Aspen Gold to confirm.

 

WQ59B,

Out of curiosity, did Bill Mitchel's '67 Eldo (that was sold off eBay recently) have a SO number?

Josh

 

I have no info on that one.

From what I've seen, GM was not 100% consistent with either tagging parts on these specials, affixing data plates, or even being vaguely chronological with their numbering system. Add to that that documentation/information on the 'mild customs' like Nad's '61 is harder to come by than the full-blood XP cars (like the '56 Eldorado Brougham Town Car).

Obviously there was less involved in taking an assembly-line car and modifying it/ re-trimming it, than scratch-building something unique. It's logical that the paper trail & accounting is much less, too.

 

what a great find great pics well done

 

Wow that is the Holy Grail Of the 61-62 Cads. Very Cool!