The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice custom Cadillac calls it “Super rare and cool!” and warns prospective buyers of the male persuasion to “get your wife’s approval before you message me.” Let’s see if this pimped-out ride lives up to that description and its price.
The largest human coprolite (fossilized dookie) on record is the Lloyds Bank coprolite, unearthed in 1972 and presently on display at the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, England. Measuring in at a stout 8 inches long and a gait-altering 2 inches in girth, it must have been a substantial relief for the 9th-century Viking that begat it to have passed so tremendous a turd.
Now, I’m not making a direct comparison between a petrified poop and the 1998 Chevrolet Metro we looked at yesterday. I only bring it up to prove the point that, given enough time, darn-near anything can become valuable.
Both the comments and the voting defied the efforts of the Metro’s seller, who touted the car’s partial restoration and current eye-pleasing presentation. Despite that spiel, you all found the Metro in need of more time to find its place in the history books and to justify its $7,995 asking price. The result was the little car circling the drain in a massive 96% “No Dice” loss.
Super Fly
The first half of the 1970s was a golden age for the movies. In 1972 alone, cinema-goers were treated to such now-classics as ‘The Godfather,’ ‘The French Connection,’ ‘Cabaret,’ and the blaxploitation blockbuster, ‘Super Fly.’ One of a number of action films with predominantly African-American casts, the Ron O’Neal-starring Super Fly didn’t just thrill audiences with its story of urban grit full of hookers and blow; it also introduced them to a style of custom car that immediately became associated with the film. The Super Fly car was a 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado modified with garish, over-the-top trim, a landau roof, and a trunk-mounted faux spare tire, all created by the legendary car crafter, Les Dunham. Alongside the statuesque O’Neal, it was prominently featured in the movie’s promotional artwork.
The 1970 Cadillac Eldorado we’re looking at today is not a movie car, but it was built as an homage to the Super Fly Caddy. Lacking some of the more brash details, such as the bumper-splitting grille, it’s still an effective piece of throwback art. Or, alternatively, a daily driver, should you be a hard-working pimp who wants to show off their success.
A Caddy that’s not lacking
A lot is going on with this Caddy, and from every angle, there seems to be some ostentation, a bit of which might be part of the Super Fly look, and some might be just Caddy in the ’70s trying to make the car stand out. Some of the most notable aspects are the long hood/short deck styling, which is de rigueur for a personal coupe of this era. The vinyl-covered landau roof accentuates that, and yes, the covering extends across the tops of the doors. Yowzers!
Ahead of the old-school cap is an opening sunroof panel, a feature notably rare in cars of this era. That opens to an interior upholstered in tan leather, with factory-finished faux wood on the dash, and a pair of red fuzzy dice added after that, hanging from the rear-view mirror.
Overall, the car looks to be in satisfactory, if not exactly museum-quality, condition. All the chrome—and there’s a lot of it—appears to still bring the bling, and the wide whitewall tires are clean and classy.
No replacement for displacement
Naturally, underneath all the adornment, this is a Cadillac Eldorado and that means it’s FWD with a wrap-around drivetrain shared with Oldsmobile’s Toronado and a beam axle rear end. In 1970 Cadillac introduced a massive 500 cubic inch displacement (8.2 liter) OHV V8 that served as an Eldorado exclusive. Making 400 (gross) horsepower and a pavement-scrunching 550 pound-feet of torque, that engine drinks fuel like a sailor on leave, A three-speed automatic, nestled in the V8’s armpit was the only transmission offered.
According to the several ads the seller has posted across the Craigslist-sphere, this Eldo has enjoyed numerous mechanical updates and upgrades. Aside from an obvious aluminum radiator visible in an under-hood photo in the ad, those aren’t detailed or shown. The ad does make the claim that the car “runs and drives great,” and is “used regularly.” The title is clean, and the mileage is listed as a meager 76,000.
Stickin’ it to The Man
As noted, the seller is banking on exposure to sell this unique Eldorado. They have it listed not just in Jacksonville, Florida, where the car currently resides, but also on the Craigslists in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and who knows where else. Inconsistently, they have also set different prices on all of those, with one listing asking an obviously unserious $123,456 for the car. Other ads ask $20K, while the lowest seems to be the $19,000 of the Jacksonville listing.
The thing is, this seller has been attempting to unload this Caddy for almost an entire year if the Web’s tracking of its presence is to be believed. I guess that in these uncertain economic times, it’s hard being a pimp. What’s your take on this Super Fly Caddy and that $19,000 asking? Does that make you want to become an urban legend? Or is that just exploitative?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Jacksonville, Florida, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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