Guido the Killer Pimp Rides Again! '76 Coupe Deville PICS

Ok it's not a wagon but thought you 70's buffs might like to see this.

Fun afternoon! My friend Mitch from work asked me to do some work on his car. He followed me home so I could drop off my Cutlass, and then I got to drive his new Hemi 300C to his Dad's house....fun car to drive for a Chrysler...lots of power and nice seats, but I kinda felt like a gangster..and man the windows are short and the doors are tall!!

At his Dad's house I picked up his sweet '76 Caddy Coupe DeVille and took it back home with me. I'm going to have the car the next three weeks, doing some work on the side.

Really Fun Car! Feels totally different than my 79 Buick to drive, I was surprised. You sit up high and the dash is low, and the glass is really tall too. Very bright in there. The steering column mounts low in the dash, and the wheel, even with the tilt and telescope, sits low on your chest. It's odd, almost an SUV feeling.

Man that hood is HUGE too, and looks so looong from the driver's seat. Really a fun car, brings new meaning to the term "floaty ride". But I felt like Guido from Risky Business driving it. Ha! 500 cubic inches of emissions-choked 70's V8 majesty under the hood. It has power, but not like an LT1 or even the 403 in my 79...my guess is do to the weight. The car feels SO heavy. Only 87K original miles, steering is tight, doors don't rattle, feels...like a Cadillac. Yards of red leather inside and those huge chrome 70's bumpers. It's SOOO smooth...and is longer than the '79 Buick. This is a LARGE car.

I drove it over to pick up my son Eddie from school. Walked inside and told Eddie I had a surprise in the parking lot and to guess which car was mine. It took him all of 3-seconds to find it in the school parking lot full of Camrys and Accords. I kinda stands out. Ha! He loved it, but was somewhat dissapointed to see an 80's vintage Jensen tape player on not an 8-track like in my other friends 76 Seville.

Took Eddie and Tucker to meet Misty for dinner in the Caddy. That car is a little goofy in town, it's so big and ponderous, but on the highway with the windows down that car is in it's element. I had to catch myself, the car wants to go 80. Amazing for something from the 70's.

I had to restrain myself when I pulled into the Chili's parking lot and saw my wife Misty standing there...the look on her face was priceless as I beeped the horn and the kids and I waved at her....I SO wanted to tell her I traded the Cutlass for the Caddy...just to see her reaction....but I was afraid she'd deck me.... Kicking myself now, should have done it.

ANYWAY I've got to do brake pads on it, they're squealing, and I also have to do the passenger side exhaust manifold (scary..PLEASE don't let any bolts break!). It's cracked, and until it warms up sounds like a truck. Amazingly I called John's Salvage down in Seguin and they had a 76 Caddy manifold sitting on the shelf. Amazing! Running down there Saturday morning to pick it up and will get some COOL salvage yard pics for you all. John's is AWESOME.

The last thing I may farm out. The car has a slow transmission leak. I'm not doing that....will hand that off. Some other small things, the power antenna is goofy and the truck lock cover emblem is missing. Hopefully will find that in Seguin. Also the cruise control is not working. I looked and the module is mounted on the firewall behind the engine...weird. Will see....

Such fun! Nabbed some pics of this beast just before sunset.. Will be fun to play with.

Enjoy the pics!














http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpHITx7yRio

 

WOW!
She's clean. Last of the really BIG Caddys.....
Even the bumper fillers are still in good shape, and those are notorious for falling apart.

 

NICE!!!!! one of the last great amertcan floot boats.
You might check out the vacuum line that goes the brake switch for the cruse comtrol or the vac brake switch it self. GM was a little diferent with there cruse control back then. they vacuum instead of eletrical to disingage the cruse when apllying the brakes. Hope this helps

I had a '73 sedan deville once, flooted like a butterfly drank like a salor. i swear when you floored it you could watch the speedo clime and the fuel gauge drop. that 472 really drank, but when the 4 bbl was open what a sound.

 

Real nice!
I could use that!:2_thumbs_up_-_anima
My wife would drive that!:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

You neighbors must alway wonder what you are going to show up at home with next. I love big boats and that barkalounger ride.

Very cool but not so good as a daily driver. Like candy bars all parking spaces have been downsized. I don't think I could squeeze it into my garage either.

 

Yep I'm having fun with it. I thought my 79 Electra was big. This sucker is HUGE. Fun stuff!

-Mike

 

Wow, Mike! That is one fine Caddy! Wonderful condition!

Must have been garaged it's entire life...the interior is showroom, except for that unfortunate "upgrade" in the radio department.

I doubt the dash had to be cut to install that thing, so I'd ask your friend if they happen to still have the original, and add that to your list of chores.

Good luck with the manifold bolts. I will say a prayer for you!

Thanks for showing us this beauty! :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

David

 

Thanks for sharing this beauty.. Not a wagon but lots of members here that really like 70's GM style..
Looking forward to see the yard pics.

 

My best friend in high school had a '66 Chevelle SS 396 and a '36 Ford coupe, when we were juniors his Mom bought a brand new '76 Cadillac that was the twin to that car.

His family was uber-loaded and his mom would give him the credit card for car parts or whatever and the keys to the Caddy whenever he wanted.
We used that car to go boneyards and speed shops all over town, spent a lot of time slumming at Big Boy in the curb service spots too.

 

I had a '76 Fleetwood Brougham De'Elegance in high school. What a ride! Do you have the economy lamps that light up orange/yellow and green right above the speedo? It was in the black strip with all the warning lamps.

 

Last year for the behemoths.77 saw GM downsize all their full size lines.
Top gear destroyed on on their show in episode three.
http://fullvideotv.com/2010/12/watch-top-gear-us-s01e03-flying-coupe-deville/

 

WOW, that is nice and clean!

I clicked to view, to then get a..." You must complete a survey to view content", and I'd have to give my email addy etc, etc, no thanks

 

My favorite 1976 Cadillac

Just after I graduated from High School one of my friends ordered a new 1976 Coupe De Ville and frankly never seen a more beautiful coupe De Ville since. The Coupe was all white with no vinyl roof just a smooth top. So this all white coupe was ordered with a wider white wall than standard and I can't tell you the white wall size but not a gangster type wide style. Then the interior was all red leather and it was a chick magnet. The guy was a drunk and took a hill wide open and wrecked it on the other side of the hill when he came back down from going airborne. This guy was loaded and he could almost afford to wreck the vehicle. Needless to say I stayed clear of this guy after the act of stupidity. I drove the coupe one time when I was thrown the keys to go on a liquor run. The coupe had 2.300 miles on it and years later I still remeber how nice it was and always had a desire to repurchase the same vehicle if one came around. Since 1976 I have only seen one other with the configuration. Still is one of my favorite years in the coupe style.

 

Got Manifold off Friday. Very anti-climactic. No broken bolts. Did not even need Liquid Wrench. My hands were not even dirty! All the bolts were easy to reach too...amazing. This car has NO rust anywhere....God Bless Texas.

The manifold was broken clean through though. Came off in two pieces, ha! It also has a valve on the bottom of it..I think these were to make it warm up faster??....and I took it off as well.

Also, while I was under there unbolting the exhaust pipe, I took a look at the transmission and the pan itself is soaking wet. I think all it needs is a new pan gasket. Will pick up a filter kit sometime this weekend and knock that out too.
Got the new brake rotors, pads and seals. Isn't it great to walk into the local parts store and they have all the parts for a 35-year-old car on the shelf, in stock. I will never drive foreign cars...

I also got a set of exhaust manifold gaskets....and was somewhat surprised when I took the manifold off to find it has no gaskets on it... So do I use the gaskets I bought or just bolt the manifold I'm getting tomorrow on naked...the way Caddy did in 1976??

Such fun!

-Mike

 

Well there's your problem...