Chris, the little "lights" on top of each front fender are fiber optic lamp monitors. They monitor the headlights and parking lamps. There is a small unit over the back window that monitors the tail and brake lamps. It is conveniently visible in the rear view mirror. If you think this car is big, you obviously have never been around a 1976 Cadillac. I owned a '77 Coupe DeVille back in the day and they were awesome vehicles that were surprisingly right for the times.
A woman showed up to the shop I work at today driving one of these. Completely unrestored and original, in maroon. She told me that they bought it new in 1977 and it's always been their daily car.
Big Web I had a 1978 Sedan de Ville and a 1979 Coupe de Ville, both very reliable and comfortable. My son was to have my Mother’s 1970 Coupe de Ville but my Dad had allowed it to sit outside on earth, not on blocks, and it had suck to the frame in mud. After we used a tractor to pull it out of the soil, I was able to push a pencil through the frame, a very sad ending to an otherwise perfect specimen. The brocade and leather were still in perfect condition and the last time I drove it it was like new; and my son drove it on the farm airstrip at age 10, was thrilled....her car was turquoise (can’t recall the correct name). My 1965 Fleetwood Brougham was a true land yacht: 425 V8, no pollution control, 90mph on dead-straight Northern MN roads. I bought it from my folks. Dad and I overhauled the engine, I had the heads planed to true them, and I drove that car through some undergrad years and all through Pharmacy school. In fact, I joined the Pharmacy fraternity that had a house partly because of the parking lot - I lived at my parents’ home, 20 miles away. I always left my keys because it was moved around frequently, ostensibly so other members could get to their Mustangs, Opals, Camaros, etc., but I wouldn’t have been upset had it been taken for some test drives. My regret was having to sell it after graduation when I took over an independent Pharmacy in a remote Northern town and felt I needed a newer vehicle for reliability and other reasons. My brother bought it for a song, used it in college, then sold it to a local who painted it black, covering the original sand color. Its fate is unknown to me.....sure would like to have it today
Fabulous! I love it and love the color - in and out. Too bad automakers have steered away from big cars in interesting tones of paint. Now, we have shades. Black, white, gray, silver... on an suv or cuv. Blah. I will never buy anything other than a sedan or coupe. Guess that dooms me to buying preowned. Fine with me! Love your Caddy and thanks for posting! Keep em coming!
So YOU'RE the guy who hung those things so poorly the doors would sag and you needed to have your body shop adjust those big doors eh? J/K. I know that happened from use and the weight of the door. Thank you. You guys really built some quality cars back then. Not like the junk today. I had a 1977 Sedan DeVille D'Elegance back in college. Triple burgundy. My fraternity brothers used to call it the "pimp mobile" LOL! I believe that was built in the Linden plant as well. I've driven by it many times.
@@retroguy9494 I just hung the door while it rested on a jig to hold in place. Installed 12 screws but left 4 loose ( 2 in each hinge.) The next guy after the jig was removed would line it up with a hammer and chisel. There was a girl after him that would torque the remaining bolts I left loose. In the body shop it was just an empty shell but those 2 doors carried a lot of weight after the glass, window motors, door pads window and trim,
You gotta stop slamming the trunks! All it takes is a gentle click to close it then it’ll pull the trunk lid closed. Keep slamming them like I’ve seen you do on two different Cadillacs and you’ll strip the gears in the pull-down motor.
The 425 is NOT Detroit Muscle. More like obese & out of shape, but highly reliable. It only put out 195 HP stock. Ditch the cat, get an intake that actually lets the motor breath, and put stronger valve springs, and you can get maybe 250 HP.
In 1978 the Cadillac 425 ci engine made 180 hp with a 4 barrel carb and 190 hp with electronic fuel injection. This car probably got 0 to 60 times of about 1 minute.
From an era when you could get more interior colors than just grey and black! The 1995 to 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora was one of the last cars to have such an assortment of interior colors! I also have a 1975 Buick Riviera in Verde Mist (Dark Green) with white vinyl interior and moss green carpeting.
@@BryanX64 I drove one of these my last 2 years of college. Actually, the mileage isn't really that bad. It gets better mileage than a new full size SUV actually!
Although the square Cadillacs were very decent cars, the "small" 1977 and newer Cadillacs were real rattletraps, compared to the 1976 and earlier "big" Caddy... I still remember how everyone said "what's this world coming to !" when GM downsized their full-size cars😜
That's the problem with these younger guys trying to sell these old luxury cars made before they were born. They have no clue they were built to be handled with little to no effort.
These 1977-78 DeVilles were not land yachts. They were vastly downsized along with all the full sized GM cars for the 1977 model year. You want a land yacht, check out the 1976 DeVille. Maybe you're too young & then to you, this car is ginormous? It's all relative, but call it right.
So true. My parents gave me their 1977 Coupe De Ville when I turned 16 in '79. My uncle had a 1976 Coupe De Ville and his was like a Battlestar! I do miss mine though.
You probably owned a 76. Don't let the "downsizing" talk fool you. The 77-79s are still massive. I own a 77 and ran into a young guy with a 76. When lined up the 76 was only slightly bigger. It's mostly just more square. 77-79s are definitely still land yachts. Boaty as hell.
@@atlguy00 These young guys have no clue. They should have an older man show and sell these classic cars. I cringe every time one of these young guys does this in these videos. Common sense would let you know the automatic pull down means you DON'T have to slam the deck lid!
I have one identical to that right down to the same hubcaps and options. My great uncle bought it new it has 23.000 actual miles. it's always been garage kept and I inherited it and it is still in the garage I don't drive it
Bru- my dad bought mom a San Remo convertible back around that time... I was just a kid, but apparently it was THEE SHIT back then. It sure was sharp- it was that rootbeer brown with tan leather and a tan canvas top. Had the Caddy wire wheels, too. I haven't seen another "in person", like it since then.
That's the problem with these younger guys. They have no clue how to operate the functions on these luxury cars that are older than them. If they know what the features are at ALL!
@@Cityoftrees1911 I have a '94 Fleetwood Brougham too! My major issue is the immigrants who pump gas not knowing the gas fill is behind the back license plate. I usually have to get out and watch them because they will put their foot on the bumper or do some other disrespectful idiotic thing.
@@Cityoftrees1911 I'm in the New York metro area. And my family has been here since 1650. They are mostly from the middle east or Asia. THEY are on MY soil!
The only problem with these cars was that the interior tended to fall apart if you used it as a daily driver ... and those engines were known for losing a rod, I can't remember which cylinder.
Some of the older cars had just a lap belt. I used to have a 1970 Cadillac Deville convertible with just a lap belt and no shoulder belt. Saw on a bumper sticker once "No air bags, we die like real men" LOL
He did it quite gently actually. I have a 77 Coupe and the doors are like half the cars weight. You really need to slam the doors otherwise they'll just bounce back.
@@davidmuskett9919 I had my fingers shut in the trunk of my dads 83 with the auto shutter; they didnt make them that safe then. all out love all caddys from the begining to 1989 fleetwod.
I actually LOVED the 1980 Cadillacs. I had an uncle who had an '80 Fleetwood Brougham and I think it was a D'Elegance. Black with grey interior. Those car engines were bullet proof. It was the '81 which had the cylinder deactivation. He had one of those too. It was the first Cadillac I ever drove when I turned 17. I had one myself back in '89. The underpowered 4.1 started in '82 and went through '87 ('85 on the Fleetwood Brougham). I have one of those too. An '84 Coupe DeVille.
@@CAPRICELOVER Ohhhhh I LOVE those '72 Eldorados! I love the front ends on them in particular combined with the coffin nosed hood. I had an uncle who had a '73 Eldorado which I also loved. But I didn't like the design as much as I did the '72's.
Rip the vacuum hosed crap and rip or replace the garbage 1978 cat and you have 220 easy go further and put a more aggressive cam and and carb and there's 250 right there. Truck like torque is a bonus.
Just so you know, folks, these were not good cars. My dad bought a 1978 Oldsmobile and kept it for 25 years. 25 years of endless work to keep it going. All the luxury features broke almost immediately. Most of the window motors were broken. The speedometer cable broke within three years. Endless trips to auto part stores, pouring through the service manual, trips to shops, gobs of receipts, innumeral water pumps. If you want problems, go back to these good old days. Get a nice Toyota Camry. Unless you like spending time and money and not getting home without the regular aid of tow trucks.
David Bouffard We had a ‘59, base model, Cadillac, bought new. Folks kept it for 12 yrs. One resonator was the only repair. Garaged the whole time. All it needed was regular fluid changes and tuneups. Looked and even smelled new. I passed my driving test in it, including parallel parking, which was easy because the huge fins served as guides to where the corners of the tail were. It was well cared for and option free, so maybe that’s why things didn’t break.
You couldn't be more wrong about the '78 in this vid those drivetrains in these are bulletproof 500k mile or more motors if simple maintenance is performed on schedule. Your folks must of had a lemon.
That is not Detroit Muscle. My 4 cyl. Accord puts out the same hp. It was a miserably detuned old tech pushrod V8. I grew up with these. They were nothing special. Very weak engines.
