Cadillac Stories

Today’s Cadillac Story comes from Bruce from Shaky Christchurch, New Zealand

I had wanted a Cadillac for forty years, and finally had the means to buy one in 2003. While looking for a ’58 Fleetwood and surfing sites, I spotted this ’78 on EBay, and ”had” to have it.

The car got lost twice during shipping out to New Zealand, so took about 6 months to arrive. Christmas eve 2004, we opened the container and found redbacks and webs everywhere, shut the doors, and called the fumigators. Bought from a seller in Nevada, on a few long distance photos, I’m thinking ‘what have I done’. But all was ok and just a sunburnt exterior and cracked vinyl top. My son took 4 days to make the hood respectable, and I spent similar time on the top, with ‘no more gaps’ and silver paint which exactly matches the original color.

Well, 6 years now and she’s yet to see polish or interior cleaning. Starts first time and never misses a beat. Only gets taken out on club days or the occasional wedding. An absolute head-turning attention grabber everywhere she goes.

The only thing I’ve had to attend to was a welch plug that leaked and a new fuel pump. The mileage increased now from 95000 to 98000.
I call her the ‘Long Cool Woman’, as in the Hollies song, ” Just one look, I was a bad mess, the long cool woman had it all…..’

The silver pin striping was shot, so I’ve had it redone in mulberry and cream to match the badge coloring. With a little added flourish, you know, to say it’s mine.

The Hillcrest origin intrigues me and I’d love to hear from anyone with any knowledge either of the car’s Bel Air history, or anything on Hillcrest themselves. You never know, someone may recognize it in the photo. bruceej@ihug.co.nz

We get immense enjoyment out of this car, well beyond expectation. Somehow has also escaped damage through our now, 8000 plus earthquakes.

Thanks Bruce for sending in the pictures and for sharing your Cadillac story. If you want to see your Cadillac here and share your story click on the share your story. Include as much details as you wish. No story is too long, our readers love details.

Our friend Earle has a new baby. Here is his email and you can see the excitement he has to add this to his collection.
We managed to get the new addition to the fleet home this week. Have learned that it is a Hess & Eisenhardt built Park Hill model six door funeral home limo. It is a 1985 Fleetwood Brougham stretch and is the last of the full size rear wheel drive Caddies. All other models in ’85 are front wheel drive, and in ’86 every model was FWD.

This vehicle is 21.3 feet long, is, as far as I can determine about a 8.5 on a scale of 10. There are minor bumper dings both front and rear (21.3 feet long, remember?) and the hood either needs painting or buffing and there is one dime size rock chip on left rear quarter that needs attention. Everything except the power antennae works – I have the same problem with the Flower Car, must be somewhat common.

I plan to take it in to get the mechanicals checked and if all is good, then have the body shop see about the hood and chip. I think I’ll call the minor bumper dings “age appropriate patina.”

Look forward to turning a few heads with this beauty when it is returned to it’s former glory. I have decided to name it “Black Velvet II”.

As I am told the car was purchased new and used exclusively by a funeral home in Doylestown PA. It was taken from regular service fifteen years ago but kept garaged and maintained for occasional use. In 2010 it was sold or traded and found it’s way to a dealership in Cherry Hill NJ where it was purchased by the first owner after coming out of service, in Columbia PA. He made some age related repairs, new battery, a/c condenser, belts. I found the car advertised on eBay and after three days of research and internal struggle between pros and cons I took the Buy It Now option and became the second owner since it was taken out of service. My brother and I made the round trip to PA and the car now resides in southern NH where I plan to freshen it up, attend to a few details and show it along with my 1978 McLain Flower Car.

The stretch was done by Hess & Eisenhardt also known as Sayers & Scovill (S&S) from Cincinnati OH. Through a number of acquisitions and mergers the S&S name still builds coach-built cars on Cadillac chassis’s under the name of Accubuilt.

This vehicle is a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham stretch six door family limousine built for the funeral home industry. The 1985 Brougham is the last of the full size Caddies with rear wheel drive. All other models in ’85 were front wheel drive and in 1986 all models were fwd. The car has 28 thousand miles and rides and drives like a new automobile. The exterior is all black with a black vinyl, textured roof. The interior is blue leather throughout and in excellent condition. Every option on the car with the single exception of the power antenna works. Once I have the the all clear from the shop and know that everything is as good as it looks, I plan to take it to local shows, any Professional Car Society (PCS) shows I can make and use it for the fun and head turning ability I am sure it will bring to the table.

1978 Hillcrest Fleetwood Limo

Earles 1985 Cadillac Limo