I have an elderly Neighbor who in 1970 Bought a Brand New Cadillac Coupe. Silver with black vinyl Top with Black interior. The Car has been Garaged since New & in Remarkable Condition. The Car has about 150.000 miles & my neighbor takes such good care of the car & has only done normal maintenance for over half a Century. I always know when my neighbor is going out as i hear that Big Block engine roar to Life.
My Dad had a '70 Fleetwood Brougham. It was midnight blue with a dark and medium blue interior. It was a great car. It ran good for a long time. The air shocks were connected to a manual fill valve, but I got the automatic level system working, and reconnected them. The yellow cap on the compressor is a Schrader valve where you can fill the reservoir tank with a tire fill hose in case the compressor quits working. I was a bit disappointed when he decided to sell it. I think that it was one of the best cars he had ever owned. In addition to the 375 HP, this engine produced 525 ft/lb of torque. Massive torque! Just a very few pounds shy of 5000 lb, this is a huge car. The engine would propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds and the quarter mile time was 16 seconds, which is not bad for such a huge car. The AC is quite good at keeping the car cold, even when my Dad drove it to Palm Springs in the Summer. The Rochester Quadrajet carburetor that these cars came with are OK, but not great. They did have mechanical problems, especially with the filter stripping out of the top of the carb. A few companies made "Fix-Kits" for this problem. I'd probably see what Edelbrock has to replace it. The engines and transmissions are just about bullet proof. This is a wonderful car that is so comfortable, and well up to a road trip.
Wait a STOCK over 50 year old big ass Cadillac can do 0-60 in only 8 secs?? That’s really impressive considering how you still see many brand new cars around 8 secs if not slower…
@@Alex-qy8ur 1970 was the peak horsepower and torque for Cadillac. I got the specifications from a 1970 review of the car. I believe their test results after driving my Dad's car, and driving my Mom''s 1970 Sedan Deville that had the same engine. Both cars were fast considering how big they were. After 1970 the engines were changed by GM to comply with Smog regulations, including a lower compression ratio, which lowered the horsepower and torque. Later, when my Dad sold his car, he bought a 1975 Cadillac Sedan Deville. The engine size was 500 cubic inches, but the power ratings were lower. The horsepower was rated at 190 @ 3600rpm and the torque was 360 ft/lbs at 2000 rpm. That car weighed 5200 pounds. The 0-60 mph time from one source was 13 seconds, and the 1/4 mile time was 19 seconds. After driving his car, I think that these times may be a bit optimistic. The lower power was due to the stricter pollution control standards.
@@garylangley4502 I never knew before the smog shit completely fucked up the 70’s n early 80’s car industry they could be that quick considering it’s almost 55 years old and that damn heavy…
I remember my uncle Bob bringing one of these over on Thanksgiving day and taking my cousins out on their paper routes. I was sitting in back handing them copies of the News and Free Press. It was raining and to this day the thing that stands out the most was the wiper control in the door. My uncle was a designer at Cadillac from the 50s to the 80s and always had the latest Cadillac model.
One thing I remember fondly of my uncle's 1969 Gold/Gold Sedan de Ville was how spacious the back seat was. The car would lay a healthy patch of rubber from the start, but that dang thing was a land yacht. On weekend get-a-ways with the a/c on, the front passenger would have to speak LOUDLY for the rear passengers to hear. Also, it seemed the trunk had an infinite amount of capacity. That era of luxury was about space. This era of luxury focuses more on electronics and performance.
Interesting. I drove a 1970 Sedan de Ville Brougham the summer before and during my senior year (1982-83). I loved packing that car with friends and heading to the beach.
1969 and 1970 - the Cadillacs that looked like Cadillacs. Adam, I've always loved this era of Cadillacs but I didn't realize how much the interiors had been downgraded until my favorite Uncle and Aunt from New Jersey came to visit in their 1968 Fleetwood Brougham. Omg - that rear compartment was indeed a living room on wheels! The seating was overstuffed, like fine furniture and the trim details were high-quality materials with excellent fit and finish. The 1970 Fleetwood has the presence, but not all the substance of earlier Cadillacs. Thank you, Adam.
When I was a teen, in the late 80's, I had a 1975 Brougham ... Fully loaded with every luxury feature including the rear foot rests and the massive 500c.i. V8 ... Loved that car, although it was a bear to find a parking spot for it when me and my friends would venture into center city Philly LOL
my mother had a 1969 Fleetwood brougham, white on white with red Leather, got it in 1971,after I blew the engine in our 1964 sedan deville , not happy!! the 1969 was the best Fleetwood, besides the 1968. this CADILLAC was fabulous!! and stupid fast!! and the sound system was to die for!! will never forget it.... cheers
Yes the Stereos on that era Cadillac were fantastic! They had 4 speakers that were 'cross fire' from each other and gave amazing sound. It was actually Cadillac that first brought AM-FM Steteos to cats in '66. ( yes, TBird and Lincoln had a Stereo tape player available first in '66)
Such a wonderful car. My uncle drove up with one one Sunday morning and I was smitten. I didn’t yet have my license and he still let me drive it around the neighborhood. Like driving a cloud. So much effortless power. And the first car I had ever been in with footrests. Amazing. To a kid, the auto seek radio was pretty neat. In 1970 Cadillac was using the softest leather or so much softer than the vinyl I was used to. The car was a beast, a monster, a leviathan. And I will never forget it.
I had two 1970 Cads. I bought used in the early 90's. I had the convertible, and a coupe. They looked great but the quality just wasn't there in the convertible it rattled a lot. The hardtop was really a much nicer car. I love the looks of these! Great and informative video as always!
We just went and looked at an old Cadillac. Has the light bar above the dash, weird L shaped wiper control, and incredible door panel work with casket like door handles.
Thanks for this Video ………… I loved the shot of 1971 Fleetwood in the beginning of this video ………. I think the 71 Cadillac was over the top for 71 along with the Oldsmobile 98 series. Thanks Adam
Hey Adam, I really love the 1970 Fleetwood Brougham!!! Back in the day my friends parents had a midnight blue one with a black vinyl top & black interior!!! I thought that it was a very prestigious car!!! Thanks for showcasing this beauty!!! 👍👍🙂
While the exterior of this Caddy definitely shouts massive and the grill is menacing, the overall perception of rich luxury and quality components on the interior (other than the seats) was most definitely a notch below the Lincolns of the time. Cadillacs were once considered the world’s #1 luxury brand that all others would be measured against. Unfortunately, that reputation was lost a long time ago.
I agree. Todays Cadillacs are POS. I know someone is going to chime in and tell me how great their CT whatever is and they have a 20Xx with over 200 k miles and only did oil changes and routine maintenance etc BS they’re poorly made pos with lousy electronics that fail and are over all junk !
I own a 1970 Fleetwood Brougham now, my pride and joy, a correct replica of my father's first Cadillac. Color is Code 93 Lucerne Aqua, interior is 028S turquoise, black vinyl roof, everything on the car is correct to data plate. And everything works. I had the engine rebuilt during the year of the flu since all of the car shows were cancelled. Transmission was rebuilt, HVAC, everything is new but still correct. The body is flawless, bumpers to be rechromed this winter. Riding on all new Detroit Springs and Diamond Back Classic tires. The machine of a dream.
Cost cutting very apparent here. They had lost so much by this point. Beautiful well crafted interiors, vent windows front and rear, fold down tables on the Fleetwood Brougham, and starting in 1971 they were noticeably worse than this. The start of GM’s decline from all the beautiful , well made cars they built in the 60’s. Damn shame!
This video brought back memories of my 1970 Cadillac, which was a Miller-Meteor hearse. It was white with black crinkle top. I loved that car. I'm not sure why I got rid of it, but I regret now, of course. All it really needed was a center carrier bearing. Anyway, I enjoyed this video, as I do all of yours.
I always loved Cadillac's column shifters of the late '60s and '70s, for the way that they're curved unlike any other GM brand. And check out how that shift lever mounting 'boss' is oriented nearly straight-up at 12:00 on the shift collar, @4:00. But what happened to the indicator for Park???
I do like the 1970 Cadillacs, especially the front and rear ends. I did not like the 69 tail lights. The 70 front grille though looked like it was further forward at the top , which was a bit strange. I really liked the dash. Nice and clean if not a little more Caprice Ike. I did not like the wiper control on the door. That was “bitsy”. The 472 V8 was excellent.
The many daydreaming pictures I can think of seeing that cool, classic thing converted into a super fantastic lowrider is _so_ subsequentially a dope visual. I'd definitely would want to own me a car like that.
That ticking sound was heard commonly on my '83 Caprice Classic 305 v8's quadrajet carburetor. It had a white plastic throttle position sensor and a blue plastic mixture sensor and I always was told these sensors caused that noise.
My friend was out partying in his dad's, early 80s. Got it stuck on railroad tracks, rural Indiana. 1 in the morning or so. Freight train sent it to another dimension 😳
The AC compressor running even while you're using the heat in the winter Knox the humidity out of the inside of the car so your windows don't sweat. Before they started making cars that did this you had to carry a towel with you in the car because when you ran the heater while it was raining you couldn't see out the windows because of all the water that would form on the inside of the windows. You would have to keep wiping the water off to Windows and even wring your towel out.
These cars somehow remind me of 2 newly divorced uncles who always had new Cadillacs of the late '60s to early '70s era. The quality was really starting to slip by then, most noticeably in the interior.
I had one exactly like this one. I loved it but agree that it was a cheaper finish inside than 67-68 & even 69. My top rotted unmercifully under the vinyl roof and at the rear window it turned to Swiss cheese. One thing I will say is that the back door (see 6:00) was HUGE. Look at how long that door is and the entire rear window retracted into the door. That was an amazing part of this car.
1970 is my most favorite year of Cadillac. A handsome blend of the 1960’s “creased pant” from the B-pillar back and boldly imposing 1070’s luxury excess from the B-pillar forward. In June 1970 we visited my grandparents in Washington DC. On a trip to Williamsburg to see the historical sites, we first made a stop at the Williamsburg Cadillac dealer where my grandad had pre-arranged the purchase of a ‘70 Sedan deVille. He wrote a check for MSRP and we literally drove it off the showroom floor. Buying a Cadillac was a sign of wealth, status, and success and paying MSRP doubled those characteristics, at least in his mind. My dad was dumbfounded that anyone would ever buy a car without a protracted negotiation. It was a fun day.
My friend Derby's Dad had a 72 when we were in middle school in 81. It was a really dark gray with tinted windows. Smooooth ride! I thought that it looked like a limo at night.
I owned a 1970 Fleetwood and agree about the seemingly leisurely throttle tip-in especially compared to a 1964 429 that I also owned, but the effortless acceleration from about 30-80 was impressive.
My Fleetwood was a bit older - a 1957 which actually had a longer wheelbase and weighed 5600 lbs according to a grain elevator scale (certified). With only 390 cubic inches it gave up some displacement, but had three two barrel Rochesters. I bought it from a doctor’s widow in 1972 and finally sold it in 2007 after trips all over the country; the trunk held 13 suitcases and a dreadnought guitar case!
@@muziklvr7776 Correct,I was given a '57 Fleetwood for my HS ('89) graduation gift by my Dad it was in good shape not great but the original 365 V8 was pulled out before my dad bought it in '82 and had a 390 from a '63 Caddy under the hood.......Sadly due to life events I had to sell her in 2015.
@@JOEYP1970 Nice ride, the 390 probably helped a bit in the power range and those 390's are fantastic engines. Was the '63 4 speed dual coupling transmission installed or did the 390 bolt straight to the '57 dual coupling transmission?
In 1970, Cadillac and Lincoln were the the epitome of wealth and style. Mercedes were relatively unknown and BMW had not entered the US market. I remember regularly visiting a Mercedes store- literally a storefront in a small village center, that displayed three cars. I was astounded that the 280SL was priced two times higher than both Lincoln and Cadillac at around $15,000. This when I first fell in love with Mercedes
My uncle and aunt had always owned Cadillacs. They were fairly prosperous farmers. One summer, they came for a visit, and my mother anxiously said, "Don't mention anything about MONEY while they're here. They've gone broke. They've had to trade their Cadillac on a pitiful little economy car!" I looked outside, and they were driving a brand new Mercedes. lol.
@@bramlintrent1145 It's ok, I never thought of a Mercedes as a luxury car until the late 80's. Tho only exception to that was the Mercedes 600, which was a pretty incredible car at any price.
Japanese engineering far surpassed German engineering decades ago! I would drive a Lexus any day over any Mercedes.... Lexus has the best long term dependability in the world!
I think Bill Mitchell was away when this car was designed. I understand beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this car lost its wide stance by comparison with the 1965-68 years. Seemingly awkward upright and you look at the car you know cost cutting was involved. Thank you Adam once again for the video. I appreciate your work !
I get where you're coming from but those 1969-70 headlights, with the "horns" instead of the previously stacked headlights from 1965-68, will always be my favourite Deville front. The front lost a lot of presence in 1971.
Haha! My Grandparents lived across the street growing up (they were family-oriented, and liked having the family close by), and my Grandfather had almost exactly the same car....a '69 Fleetwood Brougham in a color I can only think is Rampur Green....it looked black, but it wasn't. I think it was the darkest green like "midnight blue" is the darkest blue. That car DEMANDED respect, just like my Grandfather! Before I was in Kindergarten, he'd take me on errands almost daily, usually to the grocery store to get items for my Grandmother. Damn, that car was incredible. I'm a little kid with this cavernous rear all to myself, along with the reading lights in the C-pillars, the huge padded cloth seats, and best of all, the foot rests! My younger sister remembers the car because she could play on the floor while it was in motion. HAH! Best memory that I oddly forgot about. I thought it was some imagination from the past, but then I thought, yes it could have happened....it was different times! The Fleetwood stalled at the top of our street, and it had to be towed. Grandpa road in the cab of one of those sling wreckers (I think that is where that style made a strong impression) to a Sunoco station that still exists today along with cool rotating sign...fun how seemily I was impressed! so easily I RODE IN THE BACK OF THE CADILLAC AT A 20 DEGREE ANGLE (or whatever)! I remember being a little scared, BUT I trusted my Grandfather and did what he told me. It was less than a five minute drive. I'm guessing I told my Mother of my adventure, so I am sure she found out if he didn't say anything, and in the Seventies, it was just different. Hah, this would be child abuse in 2024!!! Back then, it was just all in a day's adventure, and I am better for it! Incidentally, he had a '65 that he gifted to my Aunt when she returned to college to pursue a Master's Degree. The look of the '65 was and is the pinnacle for me, and I didn't think the front of the '69 and '70 was somber and dignified enough, while the one-year only taillight design of the '69's the least attractive for many years before and after.. I can see my relatives' '65 in my mind's eye parked on my Aunt and Uncle's street, and I found a picture of it in the family album. The photo shows the trunk, and it has the "V" under the crest. So I believe it was a Sedan Deville, or possibly a Calais. I always thought it was a Sedan DeVille. Alas, two of my cousins were out in it to get school supplies, and the older one of 16 crashed it into a tree. My Grandfather was furious, and I think he blamed the younger one for causing a distraction. It was totalled....😞 The pain of that thought. Those cars were amazing and I'd love one today.
My parents owned a 70 Coupé DeVille for 11 years. I learned to drive on it. Let me tell ya, that 375HP 472 was thirsty! I remember several tanks where I computed the gas mileage at 6MPG. No, I didn't mean to type 16.. I also recall the feeling of that cloth and the wood grain dash like it was yesterday. I really think the fake wood looked pretty ok - I think it does on the car in this video, too. Not sure why you're picking on it so much. The wood on the '74? -now that's truly terrible!!! Last, that Caddy would smoke the right rear like it was corncob pipe!! -don't tell my dad ..
My first new Cadillac was a 1970 Coupe de Ville, the 70 is may favorite Cadillac I have been driving them since 1970, I have 3 now but the 70 will always be my favorite car of all time, I owned 2 Fleetwoods, 79 and an 83, the 83 was my 2nd favorite, even though it had the HT4100 I still liked it, I never had any trouble with the engine, but i did keep ti well maintained, I drove it 12 years from 1983 to 1995
I've owned at least 4 of these in fact my first Cadillac was a Fleetwood, spotted up with bondo patches. Lol. But boy oh boy as Time went by, I got hold of 3 or 4 more. Jeff Fort owned a Black one with Red interior, and you're talking about a beauty, a beauty it was. These cars are land yachts. A joy to drive especially the triple Black.
Back in the Day, very few owned the Fleetwood Brougham. People such as Stock Exchange Executives & Mob Leaders owned them. They really made a statement! My favorite feature in these Caddys was the "Twilight Sentinel" auto headlight control. It had a unique name that reminded you that you were driving a Cadillac. $7,500 was a lot of money for a car in 1970, but according to the "Dollartimes Inflation Calculator", that translates to $59,000 in today's dollars. In reality you can't even get a well equipped CT5 for that price today.
The "wood" in my 70 Cadillac is not plastic. Very little plastic in the car. Its photo embossed metal sheet. It had all degraded so I replaced it with teak veneer from my yacht. I am happy with the look. This was about peak GM and Cadillac. All downhill from 1970.
I had a 1970 Coupe de Ville with black leather interior. That car had amazing presence. I wish I still had it with the mighty 472 cubic inch 375 HP V8. The car drove beautifully, and handled very well for its size. Styling on that car is timeless. Last of the big tail fins.
When I was a kid bagging groceries at a local market in Pasadena California in the 1970s, two wealthy sisters would visit the market in their 1970 Fleetwood weekly. As I remember the car was very impressive finished in dark burgundy paint with black top and interior. They also had a uniformed chauffeur which added to the impressive appearance of the car.
The 69/70 twins were majestic, handsome cars. However I’d take the 69 over the 70 due to its far-cooler grill and faceted ruby taillights. I don’t like the side marker strip on that 70 rear taillight at all, which was an unneeded fix due to losing the beautiful previous lens. I love the 69… my mom’s boss had one and I marveled at it as a kid.
This year fleetwood was what started me owning these big cars.. Bought from original owner in 86’ish. She said was to big for here. She had a coupe in the garage. Her and her husband said they went to the fleetwood shop in Detroit and had the chrome shrouds put around the grille with a flying lady. Was unreal, the quietest car!!! The way it should be. Thank you
A neighbor always bought one or two year old Fleetwoods. He traded his 1965 for a 1970, and he did not like it at all. He had no gripe with the mechanics of the car, but he deplored the deterioration of the quality of the materials, especially the interior. Bob had for years been the owner/manager of the leading department store in town, so he knew how to voice an opinion!
The dad of my best friend in high school had one on these. Sitting in the backseat was like sitting in a bucket because the front seat backs, and the door cards, were so so tall! And the seats themselves were not very padded.
WOW! As always, top quality presentation, information, and editing. I suspect these qualities are hard-wired in your personality, which is just fine with these vids. Thank you.
My ‘69 (bought in ‘74) was optioned with full leather and posi-traction. I could never get that sense of power, even with premium at .99 cents a gallon, you could actually see the gas needle move lower. The joke was 8 gallons per mile, not 8 mpg. It survived until 1980 and the gas crisis. Great memories as my first car.
Funny how one's opinion shifts through the years. Always loved the 65-70 Cadillacs and the Fleetwood Brougham (66-70) in particular. My original allegiance was to the 66 with its almost severe styling, but I've come around to (looks of) the modern formal 69-70. The 67-68 are appreciated too, but something of a near miss - maybe the dratic sweep didn't quite match the roofline (?) Unfortunately though there were mechanical improvements, as noted, Cadillac had taken out interior content certainly by 69, and they just don't match the opulence of the original iteration. Still, imposing and impressive. My experience with a Fleetwood was of the next gen, and while it was obviously an older hand me down by the time I was in it, it still made a statement. But the interior had gotten cheaper still, - really a 98 Regency was better done and the Imperial with basically an English Chesterfield inside was in another class enitely. And to me, those foot rests were just simply stupid.
‘66 Cadillac was the high point for luxurious interior, imo. You are right about the ‘67/‘68s missing the mark. The extreme angle of the front mad no visual sense to me, and the roofline, especially on the coupes, was hideous. If I were to vote on the ugliest Cadillac design, it would be the ‘66s/‘67s, followed closely by the ‘71s/‘72s.
Econ mode for the A/C didn't exist since gas was cheap at about 20 cents a gallon. Back then GM used Frigidaire A/C components that were 6-cylinder compressors and incorporated a thermally activated expansion valve to maintain evaporator temperature to prevent freeze up. This meant that the compressor was always engaged when the selector was in the A/C position. Later years used a 4-cylinder radial compressor with a pressure switch to regulate evaporator temperature. Supposedly this was to improve fuel economy by cycling the A/C compressor clutch. Another interesting thing is that all GM cars shared the same cruise control hardware. It was not electronic like we have today but rather electromechanical and extremely clever in design.
I agree with you, Adam -- these are very stately cars. They were, though, starting to get noticeably cheaper door and instrument panels. And they got worse before they got better in '77.
I had a 69 Fleetwood Brougham.....loved it. The woodgrain was more convincing for 69. The steering wheel for 69 had the one year only Rim Blow horn. I felt 69 was nicer than its sister for 1970. Bothe years were coming in with 375 H.P.
When I was a kid, we had neighbors who had a triple black Fleetwood Brougham that was either a '69 or '70 model. What's wild, these folks lived here in Atlanta GA on the corner of "Eldorado" Dr and "Street DeVille."
It's too bad there aren't cars like this now. I'm as old as this car is and when I was a kid I got to ride in big Detroit iron like this. Plus when I got to high school most of my friends drove big cars from the 70s. I was a townie kid, not a preppy who drove BMWs and Saabs. These cars were tough and had ice cold air conditioning. If you ever spent a summer in the Ohio Valley you understand the value of that. It could freeze you out on a 95 degree day. So much better and easier to live with than the overpriced and unreliable SUVs Cadillac is building now.
My grandpa was a big Cadillac guy. He traded in a 64 for one of these then traded it for a 72 Fleetwood and had that till 1980. It was his last cause he didn't like the direction Cadillac was going
Hey, Adam, “large and in charge” was certainly one way to describe that grille; ‘frightening’, would be my description. I well remember these back when, and they literally frightened me!
My brother in law's dad owned a Cheveron station back in the 60s-70s. He would get a new Cadillac every 2 years. He would usually get The Coop DeVille, the last caddy he bought was a beautiful bronze 1973 Fleetwood Brougham.
Adam, did I hear you say, "....not so beautiful" ????? About this gorgeous Cadillac??? Please go home, don't go play with your cars today; lay down, and rest! If you've never driven one of the 1969-70 models, then you will never know just how wonderful Cadillacs really drove in those days. A good friend of mine in High School (1975-1979), had a Chateau Mauve, 1970 Fleetwood Brougham (55,000 miles) and I had a Cerulean Blue Firemist, 1972 Sedan de Ville (28,700 miles). It was our "Saturday treat" to go across town to Sewell Village Cadillac in the wealthy section of Dallas (University Park) and get parts or service for our cars. His Brougham drove leagues ahead of my Sedan de Ville. It was so much more stately and formal. It was my favorite body style that embodied everything a Cadillac should look like and drive.😊
LOVE LOVE LOVE they styling on the 1969-70 Coupe and Sedan Deville without the vinyl roof. There was that character line down the center of the hood that extended to the roof. Then the back glass also had that cool kink, along with the character line in the trunk. Just one of those really cool details that you lost with a vinyl top and on the Fleetwood Brougham. The styling was pretty wild on the 69-70 cars vs any of the later 70's cars IMO. And yes the dash was ugly on these cars, the fake wood looks like you skinned a brindle pit bull.
I remember a video from Jay Leno where he talked about some of these load levelling suspensions. He said him and his buddies used to sit on the back of one’s on the street and ride it up and down till the battery went flat lol
The 1970 Sixty-Special Brougham was an exceptionally good car. This is a beautiful example. Granted the real wood interior trim was gone, and the build quality began to suffer. The gaps between the hood and fenders or doors told the story, however the rest of the car more than made up for it. Nobody had anything that rode as well at any price. And, it was one of the last years, for decades, that a Cadillac had a really powerful V-8. Fill 'er up with some high-octane (93+) and she will fly (however, best get things adjusted for lead-free fuel or add your own)! These cars and their big brothers, the series Seventy-Five's were adored by funeral homes and many of them that surface today, are just out of funeral service. We had one we used as a lead-car or clergy-car for years. This example looks like a SPO to me because it is highly optioned---------a rarity in funeral service. The old-timers were too cheap to buy something with Cruise-Control or a Tilt & Telescopic steering wheel. These were also a darling of the dealerships and tended to fly out the door. I recall that turquoise and white were very popular colors. The turquoise Damask cloth was very elegant. I would love the opportunity to drive one of these again.
This is how I imagine the face of America at every embassy around the world. A lot of embassies did seem to have imposing 1969-70 Fleetwoods or Fleetwood 75s to shuttle VIPs around various third world countries.
You failed to mention that those pull straps were worthless, and would break so frequently, that Cadillac released a technical bulletin with an attempted fix. You could bring your Cadillac into any dealership, and they would try to reinforce the strap with additional mounting screws for free.
A long long time ago one of my friends had this exact car except gold/bronze in color. I had a '72 Buick Skylark which looked rather small in comparison 🙃Mind you this was The Netherlands, both cars were considered huge anyway. He used to drive it all over Europe towing a sizeable boat. Absolutely beautiful car.
I owned TWO of these models. Pay particular attention to the length of the rear door at 6:00. I’ve never owned or seen a vehicle with a longer door in my life. After this car, I purchased a 73 imperial lebaron and even it did not have as long a rear door and window as this vehicle. I would tend to agree that the finish on these years was fairly cheap. But I will say I’ve never in my whole life seen a car door so huge and that alone is worth the price of admission.
My first car was a '70 Coupe DeVille hardtop. 472 had torque all day. It was gold/gold brocade/black top with A/C. I still miss that tank.But not the 27 gallon gas tank. And you neglected to mention that the car was so wide it was possible to lay down in the back seat! 😉
While material quality had begun to slip, Cadillac still had excellent looks and ride quality in 1970. Despite the shortcomings, I'd still take the Cadillac over the harsher riding Imperial or the bad carb equipped Lincoln.
I grew up in a 3 bedroom tract home in California. My mother's three brothers each drove Cadillacs as they were partners in a successful business. Her oldest brother always had a dark blue Fleetwood. When he came to visit that austere and beautiful behemoth barely fit in the driveway and stood out like a sore thumb!
I have this car in triple white and have owned it for 13 years! It’s never ever been in the shop for anything but oil changes. Awesome vehicle!
My Cadillac loving Uncle had a 1969 Fleetwood, basically the same car. It was possibly the smoothest, best riding car I was ever in.
I have an elderly Neighbor who in 1970 Bought a Brand New Cadillac Coupe. Silver with black vinyl Top with Black interior. The Car has been Garaged since New & in Remarkable Condition. The Car has about 150.000 miles & my neighbor takes such good care of the car & has only done normal maintenance for over half a Century. I always know when my neighbor is going out as i hear that Big Block engine roar to Life.
My Dad had a '70 Fleetwood Brougham. It was midnight blue with a dark and medium blue interior. It was a great car. It ran good for a long time. The air shocks were connected to a manual fill valve, but I got the automatic level system working, and reconnected them. The yellow cap on the compressor is a Schrader valve where you can fill the reservoir tank with a tire fill hose in case the compressor quits working. I was a bit disappointed when he decided to sell it. I think that it was one of the best cars he had ever owned. In addition to the 375 HP, this engine produced 525 ft/lb of torque. Massive torque! Just a very few pounds shy of 5000 lb, this is a huge car. The engine would propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds and the quarter mile time was 16 seconds, which is not bad for such a huge car. The AC is quite good at keeping the car cold, even when my Dad drove it to Palm Springs in the Summer. The Rochester Quadrajet carburetor that these cars came with are OK, but not great. They did have mechanical problems, especially with the filter stripping out of the top of the carb. A few companies made "Fix-Kits" for this problem. I'd probably see what Edelbrock has to replace it. The engines and transmissions are just about bullet proof. This is a wonderful car that is so comfortable, and well up to a road trip.
Wait a STOCK over 50 year old big ass Cadillac can do 0-60 in only 8 secs?? That’s really impressive considering how you still see many brand new cars around 8 secs if not slower…
@@Alex-qy8ur 1970 was the peak horsepower and torque for Cadillac. I got the specifications from a 1970 review of the car. I believe their test results after driving my Dad's car, and driving my Mom''s 1970 Sedan Deville that had the same engine. Both cars were fast considering how big they were. After 1970 the engines were changed by GM to comply with Smog regulations, including a lower compression ratio, which lowered the horsepower and torque. Later, when my Dad sold his car, he bought a 1975 Cadillac Sedan Deville. The engine size was 500 cubic inches, but the power ratings were lower. The horsepower was rated at 190 @ 3600rpm and the torque was 360 ft/lbs at 2000 rpm. That car weighed 5200 pounds. The 0-60 mph time from one source was 13 seconds, and the 1/4 mile time was 19 seconds. After driving his car, I think that these times may be a bit optimistic. The lower power was due to the stricter pollution control standards.
@@garylangley4502 I never knew before the smog shit completely fucked up the 70’s n early 80’s car industry they could be that quick considering it’s almost 55 years old and that damn heavy…
My stepdad had one of these. It was like driving around in a living room.
Great analogy
I remember my uncle Bob bringing one of these over on Thanksgiving day and taking my cousins out on their paper routes. I was sitting in back handing them copies of the News and Free Press. It was raining and to this day the thing that stands out the most was the wiper control in the door. My uncle was a designer at Cadillac from the 50s to the 80s and always had the latest Cadillac model.
One thing I remember fondly of my uncle's 1969 Gold/Gold Sedan de Ville was how spacious the back seat was. The car would lay a healthy patch of rubber from the start, but that dang thing was a land yacht. On weekend get-a-ways with the a/c on, the front passenger would have to speak LOUDLY for the rear passengers to hear. Also, it seemed the trunk had an infinite amount of capacity. That era of luxury was about space. This era of luxury focuses more on electronics and performance.
The video game generation. Monkees love to play with buttons.
Ahhh, was that with the gold brocade upholstery?
A high school friend of mine drove this in our senior year (1979-80). Driving around in that was quite different than in my 1966 VW Beetle.
haha i would say so
What a contrast. I would pay money to drive them back to back!
@@ront769 I would pay to drive the Caddy. Someone would have to pay me to drive the Beetle!
@@DavidPysnik Agreed!
Interesting. I drove a 1970 Sedan de Ville Brougham the summer before and during my senior year (1982-83). I loved packing that car with friends and heading to the beach.
1969 and 1970 - the Cadillacs that looked like Cadillacs. Adam, I've always loved this era of Cadillacs but I didn't realize how much the interiors had been downgraded until my favorite Uncle and Aunt from New Jersey came to visit in their 1968 Fleetwood Brougham. Omg - that rear compartment was indeed a living room on wheels! The seating was overstuffed, like fine furniture and the trim details were high-quality materials with excellent fit and finish. The 1970 Fleetwood has the presence, but not all the substance of earlier Cadillacs. Thank you, Adam.
This channel now has almost 100K subscribers. Well done.
When I was a teen, in the late 80's, I had a 1975 Brougham ... Fully loaded with every luxury feature including the rear foot rests and the massive 500c.i. V8 ... Loved that car, although it was a bear to find a parking spot for it when me and my friends would venture into center city Philly LOL
my mother had a 1969 Fleetwood brougham, white on white with red Leather, got it in 1971,after I blew the engine in our 1964 sedan deville , not happy!!
the 1969 was the best Fleetwood, besides the 1968. this CADILLAC was fabulous!! and stupid fast!! and the sound system was to die for!! will never forget it....
cheers
Yes the Stereos on that era Cadillac were fantastic! They had 4 speakers that were 'cross fire' from each other and gave amazing sound.
It was actually Cadillac that first brought AM-FM Steteos to cats in '66. ( yes, TBird and Lincoln had a Stereo tape player available first in '66)
Later Cadillacs had very little guts for their massive engines. Thanks to the EPA pests.
Such a wonderful car. My uncle drove up with one one Sunday morning and I was smitten. I didn’t yet have my license and he still let me drive it around the neighborhood. Like driving a cloud. So much effortless power. And the first car I had ever been in with footrests. Amazing. To a kid, the auto seek radio was pretty neat. In 1970 Cadillac was using the softest leather or so much softer than the vinyl I was used to. The car was a beast, a monster, a leviathan. And I will never forget it.
I had two 1970 Cads. I bought used in the early 90's. I had the convertible, and a coupe. They looked great but the quality just wasn't there in the convertible it rattled a lot. The hardtop was really a much nicer car. I love the looks of these!
Great and informative video as always!
We just went and looked at an old Cadillac. Has the light bar above the dash, weird L shaped wiper control, and incredible door panel work with casket like door handles.
That would be a 1975 or 1976, if an Eldorado it could also be these years and 1977 or ‘78 as well.
@@randyfitz8310 it had these really cool metal work on the front fender flares.
@@randyfitz8310 also the grill continues below the bumper.
Great Caddie Adam!
You said it, Adam. Larger and in charge. Very imposing and good looking car
Thanks for this Video ………… I loved the shot of 1971 Fleetwood in the beginning of this video ………. I think the 71 Cadillac was over the top for 71 along with the Oldsmobile 98 series. Thanks Adam
Love these I had one.back in 1985 I paid $600.00 love this body style also had a Sedan De Ville and Coupe De Ville
1965 to 1968 Fleetwood Broughams were my favorite Fleetwood Broughams.
Hey Adam, I really love the 1970 Fleetwood Brougham!!! Back in the day my friends parents had a midnight blue one with a black vinyl top & black interior!!! I thought that it was a very prestigious car!!! Thanks for showcasing this beauty!!! 👍👍🙂
While the exterior of this Caddy definitely shouts massive and the grill is menacing, the overall perception of rich luxury and quality components on the interior (other than the seats) was most definitely a notch below the Lincolns of the time. Cadillacs were once considered the world’s #1 luxury brand that all others would be measured against. Unfortunately, that reputation was lost a long time ago.
I agree. Todays Cadillacs are POS. I know someone is going to chime in and tell me how great their CT whatever is and they have a 20Xx with over 200 k miles and only did oil changes and routine maintenance etc BS they’re poorly made pos with lousy electronics that fail and are over all junk !
UNFORTUNATELY should have been in all caps
The 1970 Cadillac Sedan and Coupe was the best and smoothest drive ever. I owned a 70’ Coupe I wish I had today.
I own a 1970 Fleetwood Brougham now, my pride and joy, a correct replica of my father's first Cadillac. Color is Code 93 Lucerne Aqua, interior is 028S turquoise, black vinyl roof, everything on the car is correct to data plate. And everything works. I had the engine rebuilt during the year of the flu since all of the car shows were cancelled. Transmission was rebuilt, HVAC, everything is new but still correct. The body is flawless, bumpers to be rechromed this winter. Riding on all new Detroit Springs and Diamond Back Classic tires. The machine of a dream.
That’s a very striking color combination. Best of luck with the rest of the resto
Cost cutting very apparent here. They had lost so much by this point. Beautiful well crafted interiors, vent windows front and rear, fold down tables on the Fleetwood Brougham, and starting in 1971 they were noticeably worse than this. The start of GM’s decline from all the beautiful , well made cars they built in the 60’s. Damn shame!
These are the kind of Cadillacs that Elvis and I like!!😊😊
This video brought back memories of my 1970 Cadillac, which was a Miller-Meteor hearse. It was white with black crinkle top. I loved that car. I'm not sure why I got rid of it, but I regret now, of course. All it really needed was a center carrier bearing. Anyway, I enjoyed this video, as I do all of yours.
I owned a 1970 Eldorado.... that was a really nice car, I have an 88 Brougham now...
I always loved Cadillac's column shifters of the late '60s and '70s, for the way that they're curved unlike any other GM brand. And check out how that shift lever mounting 'boss' is oriented nearly straight-up at 12:00 on the shift collar, @4:00.
But what happened to the indicator for Park???
Yep, the first time I saw one of those '69 shifters I thought someone had bent it!
I loved cruising with my friend in his folk's '69 Cadillac Fleetwood . Great car.
I do like the 1970 Cadillacs, especially the front and rear ends. I did not like the 69 tail lights. The 70 front grille though looked like it was further forward at the top , which was a bit strange. I really liked the dash. Nice and clean if not a little more Caprice
Ike. I did not like the wiper control on the door. That was “bitsy”. The 472 V8 was excellent.
The many daydreaming pictures I can think of seeing that cool, classic thing converted into a super fantastic lowrider is _so_ subsequentially a dope visual. I'd definitely would want to own me a car like that.
That ticking sound was heard commonly on my '83 Caprice Classic 305 v8's quadrajet carburetor. It had a white plastic throttle position sensor and a blue plastic mixture sensor and I always was told these sensors caused that noise.
My friend was out partying in his dad's, early 80s. Got it stuck on railroad tracks, rural Indiana. 1 in the morning or so. Freight train sent it to another dimension 😳
Clickedy Clack~Cadillac...ain't comin back
Great memories in these, my friends parents had a ‘69 and ‘70, absolute clouds!
Nottingham Green Firemist Sedan DeVille with white interior. Powerful and smooth acceleration. Woot!
The AC compressor running even while you're using the heat in the winter Knox the humidity out of the inside of the car so your windows don't sweat. Before they started making cars that did this you had to carry a towel with you in the car because when you ran the heater while it was raining you couldn't see out the windows because of all the water that would form on the inside of the windows. You would have to keep wiping the water off to Windows and even wring your towel out.
These cars somehow remind me of 2 newly divorced uncles who always had new Cadillacs of the late '60s to early '70s era. The quality was really starting to slip by then, most noticeably in the interior.
I had one exactly like this one. I loved it but agree that it was a cheaper finish inside than 67-68 & even 69. My top rotted unmercifully under the vinyl roof and at the rear window it turned to Swiss cheese. One thing I will say is that the back door (see 6:00) was HUGE. Look at how long that door is and the entire rear window retracted into the door. That was an amazing part of this car.
1970 is my most favorite year of Cadillac. A handsome blend of the 1960’s “creased pant” from the B-pillar back and boldly imposing 1070’s luxury excess from the B-pillar forward. In June 1970 we visited my grandparents in Washington DC. On a trip to Williamsburg to see the historical sites, we first made a stop at the Williamsburg Cadillac dealer where my grandad had pre-arranged the purchase of a ‘70 Sedan deVille. He wrote a check for MSRP and we literally drove it off the showroom floor. Buying a Cadillac was a sign of wealth, status, and success and paying MSRP doubled those characteristics, at least in his mind. My dad was dumbfounded that anyone would ever buy a car without a protracted negotiation. It was a fun day.
Thanks for sharing
My friend Derby's Dad had a 72 when we were in middle school in 81. It was a really dark gray with tinted windows. Smooooth ride! I thought that it looked like a limo at night.
the fake wood was so classic 70s, it was even put on snowmobiles like the scorpion stinger lol
My grandfather had a '76 Fleetwood. Personalized plates with his initials.
MOB1
In Chicago
In the 70s
No one ever cut him off in traffic
Sweet
I owned a 1970 Fleetwood and agree about the seemingly leisurely throttle tip-in especially compared to a 1964 429 that I also owned, but the effortless acceleration from about 30-80 was impressive.
My parents had a '70 Sedan DeVille. Dark green, black vinyl top, camel leather. My favorite year for Cadillac.
Adam, That what we call a REAL Cadillac unlike those silly XT5s 😉
My Fleetwood was a bit older - a 1957 which actually had a longer wheelbase and weighed 5600 lbs according to a grain elevator scale (certified). With only 390 cubic inches it gave up some displacement, but had three two barrel Rochesters. I bought it from a doctor’s widow in 1972 and finally sold it in 2007 after trips all over the country; the trunk held 13 suitcases and a dreadnought guitar case!
Never figured that tri-power was a Caddy thing…
1957 came with a 365 engine. 390 came out for the '59 models.
@@muziklvr7776 Correct,I was given a '57 Fleetwood for my HS ('89) graduation gift by my Dad it was in good shape not great but the original 365 V8 was pulled out before my dad bought it in '82 and had a 390 from a '63 Caddy under the hood.......Sadly due to life events I had to sell her in 2015.
@@JOEYP1970 Nice ride, the 390 probably helped a bit in the power range and those 390's are fantastic engines. Was the '63 4 speed dual coupling transmission installed or did the 390 bolt straight to the '57 dual coupling transmission?
@@muziklvr7776 With me not being mechanically inclined so much I am not sure lol....
This thing has ELVIS written all over it! Love it!!
In 1970, Cadillac and Lincoln were the the epitome of wealth and style. Mercedes were relatively unknown and BMW had not entered the US market. I remember regularly visiting a Mercedes store- literally a storefront in a small village center, that displayed three cars. I was astounded that the 280SL was priced two times higher than both Lincoln and Cadillac at around $15,000. This when I first fell in love with Mercedes
My uncle and aunt had always owned Cadillacs. They were fairly prosperous farmers. One summer, they came for a visit, and my mother anxiously said, "Don't mention anything about MONEY while they're here. They've gone broke. They've had to trade their Cadillac on a pitiful little economy car!" I looked outside, and they were driving a brand new Mercedes. lol.
@@bramlintrent1145 It's ok, I never thought of a Mercedes as a luxury car until the late 80's. Tho only exception to that was the Mercedes 600, which was a pretty incredible car at any price.
Japanese engineering far surpassed German engineering decades ago! I would drive a Lexus any day over any Mercedes.... Lexus has the best long term dependability in the world!
I think Bill Mitchell was away when this car was designed. I understand beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this car lost its wide stance by comparison with the 1965-68 years. Seemingly awkward upright and you look at the car you know cost cutting was involved. Thank you Adam once again for the video. I appreciate your work !
Amazingly, Bill Mitchell largely dictated the styling of the 69-70 Cadillacs. A story for another day!
I get where you're coming from but those 1969-70 headlights, with the "horns" instead of the previously stacked headlights from 1965-68, will always be my favourite Deville front. The front lost a lot of presence in 1971.
Haha! My Grandparents lived across the street growing up (they were family-oriented, and liked having the family close by), and my Grandfather had almost exactly the same car....a '69 Fleetwood Brougham in a color I can only think is Rampur Green....it looked black, but it wasn't. I think it was the darkest green like "midnight blue" is the darkest blue. That car DEMANDED respect, just like my Grandfather! Before I was in Kindergarten, he'd take me on errands almost daily, usually to the grocery store to get items for my Grandmother. Damn, that car was incredible. I'm a little kid with this cavernous rear all to myself, along with the reading lights in the C-pillars, the huge padded cloth seats, and best of all, the foot rests! My younger sister remembers the car because she could play on the floor while it was in motion. HAH! Best memory that I oddly forgot about. I thought it was some imagination from the past, but then I thought, yes it could have happened....it was different times! The Fleetwood stalled at the top of our street, and it had to be towed. Grandpa road in the cab of one of those sling wreckers (I think that is where that style made a strong impression) to a Sunoco station that still exists today along with cool rotating sign...fun how seemily I was impressed! so easily I RODE IN THE BACK OF THE CADILLAC AT A 20 DEGREE ANGLE (or whatever)! I remember being a little scared, BUT I trusted my Grandfather and did what he told me. It was less than a five minute drive. I'm guessing I told my Mother of my adventure, so I am sure she found out if he didn't say anything, and in the Seventies, it was just different. Hah, this would be child abuse in 2024!!! Back then, it was just all in a day's adventure, and I am better for it! Incidentally, he had a '65 that he gifted to my Aunt when she returned to college to pursue a Master's Degree. The look of the '65 was and is the pinnacle for me, and I didn't think the front of the '69 and '70 was somber and dignified enough, while the one-year only taillight design of the '69's the least attractive for many years before and after.. I can see my relatives' '65 in my mind's eye parked on my Aunt and Uncle's street, and I found a picture of it in the family album. The photo shows the trunk, and it has the "V" under the crest. So I believe it was a Sedan Deville, or possibly a Calais. I always thought it was a Sedan DeVille. Alas, two of my cousins were out in it to get school supplies, and the older one of 16 crashed it into a tree. My Grandfather was furious, and I think he blamed the younger one for causing a distraction. It was totalled....😞 The pain of that thought. Those cars were amazing and I'd love one today.
My parents owned a 70 Coupé DeVille for 11 years. I learned to drive on it. Let me tell ya, that 375HP 472 was thirsty! I remember several tanks where I computed the gas mileage at 6MPG. No, I didn't mean to type 16.. I also recall the feeling of that cloth and the wood grain dash like it was yesterday. I really think the fake wood looked pretty ok - I think it does on the car in this video, too. Not sure why you're picking on it so much. The wood on the '74? -now that's truly terrible!!! Last, that Caddy would smoke the right rear like it was corncob pipe!! -don't tell my dad ..
My first new Cadillac was a 1970 Coupe de Ville, the 70 is may favorite Cadillac I have been driving them since 1970, I have 3 now but the 70 will always be my favorite car of all time, I owned 2 Fleetwoods, 79 and an 83, the 83 was my 2nd favorite, even though it had the HT4100 I still liked it, I never had any trouble with the engine, but i did keep ti well maintained, I drove it 12 years from 1983 to 1995
I've owned at least 4 of these in fact my first Cadillac was a Fleetwood, spotted up with bondo patches. Lol. But boy oh boy as Time went by, I got hold of 3 or 4 more. Jeff Fort owned a Black one with Red interior, and you're talking about a beauty, a beauty it was. These cars are land yachts. A joy to drive especially the triple Black.
Back in the Day, very few owned the Fleetwood Brougham. People such as Stock Exchange Executives & Mob Leaders owned them. They really made a statement! My favorite feature in these Caddys was the "Twilight Sentinel" auto headlight control. It had a unique name that reminded you that you were driving a Cadillac. $7,500 was a lot of money for a car in 1970, but according to the "Dollartimes Inflation Calculator", that translates to $59,000 in today's dollars. In reality you can't even get a well equipped CT5 for that price today.
By coincidence I saw a 1970 Cadillac in black yesterday in my community
The "wood" in my 70 Cadillac is not plastic. Very little plastic in the car. Its photo embossed metal sheet. It had all degraded so I replaced it with teak veneer from my yacht. I am happy with the look. This was about peak GM and Cadillac. All downhill from 1970.
I had a 1970 Coupe de Ville with black leather interior. That car had amazing presence. I wish I still had it with the mighty 472 cubic inch 375 HP V8. The car drove beautifully, and handled very well for its size. Styling on that car is timeless. Last of the big tail fins.
When I was a kid bagging groceries at a local market in Pasadena California in the 1970s, two wealthy sisters would visit the market in their 1970 Fleetwood weekly. As I remember the car was very impressive finished in dark burgundy paint with black top and interior. They also had a uniformed chauffeur which added to the impressive appearance of the car.
The 69/70 twins were majestic, handsome cars. However I’d take the 69 over the 70 due to its far-cooler grill and faceted ruby taillights. I don’t like the side marker strip on that 70 rear taillight at all, which was an unneeded fix due to losing the beautiful previous lens. I love the 69… my mom’s boss had one and I marveled at it as a kid.
This year fleetwood was what started me owning these big cars.. Bought from original owner in 86’ish. She said was to big for here. She had a coupe in the garage. Her and her husband said they went to the fleetwood shop in Detroit and had the chrome shrouds put around the grille with a flying lady.
Was unreal, the quietest car!!!
The way it should be.
Thank you
A neighbor always bought one or two year old Fleetwoods. He traded his 1965 for a 1970, and he did not like it at all. He had no gripe with the mechanics of the car, but he deplored the deterioration of the quality of the materials, especially the interior. Bob had for years been the owner/manager of the leading department store in town, so he knew how to voice an opinion!
The dad of my best friend in high school had one on these. Sitting in the backseat was like sitting in a bucket because the front seat backs, and the door cards, were so so tall! And the seats themselves were not very padded.
WOW! As always, top quality presentation, information, and editing. I suspect these qualities are hard-wired in your personality, which is just fine with these vids. Thank you.
Coleman Young and his staff called them Bro-Hams. Definitely the executive/ pimp car back in the day. 40 years later that name is still used.
Used to have the same car ,, Caddie in black ,, just a wonderful car
Had one, loved it!
My ‘69 (bought in ‘74) was optioned with full leather and posi-traction. I could never get that sense of power, even with premium at .99 cents a gallon, you could actually see the gas needle move lower. The joke was 8 gallons per mile, not 8 mpg. It survived until 1980 and the gas crisis. Great memories as my first car.
Funny how one's opinion shifts through the years. Always loved the 65-70 Cadillacs and the Fleetwood Brougham (66-70) in particular. My original allegiance was to the 66 with its almost severe styling, but I've come around to (looks of) the modern formal 69-70. The 67-68 are appreciated too, but something of a near miss - maybe the dratic sweep didn't quite match the roofline (?) Unfortunately though there were mechanical improvements, as noted, Cadillac had taken out interior content certainly by 69, and they just don't match the opulence of the original iteration. Still, imposing and impressive. My experience with a Fleetwood was of the next gen, and while it was obviously an older hand me down by the time I was in it, it still made a statement. But the interior had gotten cheaper still, - really a 98 Regency was better done and the Imperial with basically an English Chesterfield inside was in another class enitely. And to me, those foot rests were just simply stupid.
‘66 Cadillac was the high point for luxurious interior, imo. You are right about the ‘67/‘68s missing the mark. The extreme angle of the front mad no visual sense to me, and the roofline, especially on the coupes, was hideous. If I were to vote on the ugliest Cadillac design, it would be the ‘66s/‘67s, followed closely by the ‘71s/‘72s.
Econ mode for the A/C didn't exist since gas was cheap at about 20 cents a gallon. Back then GM used Frigidaire A/C components that were 6-cylinder compressors and incorporated a thermally activated expansion valve to maintain evaporator temperature to prevent freeze up. This meant that the compressor was always engaged when the selector was in the A/C position. Later years used a 4-cylinder radial compressor with a pressure switch to regulate evaporator temperature. Supposedly this was to improve fuel economy by cycling the A/C compressor clutch. Another interesting thing is that all GM cars shared the same cruise control hardware. It was not electronic like we have today but rather electromechanical and extremely clever in design.
Always my favorite year Caddy.
This is a great car!
What a beautiful car ! I want this car !❤
I agree with you, Adam -- these are very stately cars. They were, though, starting to get noticeably cheaper door and instrument panels. And they got worse before they got better in '77.
The triple black Cadillac Fleetwood. The only way to go. Although, I personal like the 72 over the 70.
I had a 69 Fleetwood Brougham.....loved it. The woodgrain was more convincing for 69. The steering wheel for 69 had the one year only Rim Blow horn. I felt 69 was nicer than its sister for
1970. Bothe years were coming in with 375 H.P.
When I was a kid, we had neighbors who had a triple black Fleetwood Brougham that was either a '69 or '70 model. What's wild, these folks lived here in Atlanta GA on the corner of "Eldorado" Dr and "Street DeVille."
Such a Beautiful Luxury Car, Adam😊🤲
It's too bad there aren't cars like this now. I'm as old as this car is and when I was a kid I got to ride in big Detroit iron like this. Plus when I got to high school most of my friends drove big cars from the 70s. I was a townie kid, not a preppy who drove BMWs and Saabs. These cars were tough and had ice cold air conditioning. If you ever spent a summer in the Ohio Valley you understand the value of that. It could freeze you out on a 95 degree day. So much better and easier to live with than the overpriced and unreliable SUVs Cadillac is building now.
65-66 the pinnacle of Cadillac luxury!
Reminds me of a Gangsa Ride! 👍👍
Those horizontal speedos added a lot to the character of the cars of that era.
My grandpa was a big Cadillac guy. He traded in a 64 for one of these then traded it for a 72 Fleetwood and had that till 1980. It was his last cause he didn't like the direction Cadillac was going
Hey, Adam, “large and in charge” was certainly one way to describe that grille; ‘frightening’, would be my description. I well remember these back when, and they literally frightened me!
Awesome vehicle.
My brother in law's dad owned a Cheveron station back in the 60s-70s. He would get a new Cadillac every 2 years. He would usually get The Coop DeVille, the last caddy he bought was a beautiful bronze 1973 Fleetwood Brougham.
Adam, did I hear you say, "....not so beautiful" ????? About this gorgeous Cadillac??? Please go home, don't go play with your cars today; lay down, and rest! If you've never driven one of the 1969-70 models, then you will never know just how wonderful Cadillacs really drove in those days. A good friend of mine in High School (1975-1979), had a Chateau Mauve, 1970 Fleetwood Brougham (55,000 miles) and I had a Cerulean Blue Firemist, 1972 Sedan de Ville (28,700 miles). It was our "Saturday treat" to go across town to Sewell Village Cadillac in the wealthy section of Dallas (University Park) and get parts or service for our cars. His Brougham drove leagues ahead of my Sedan de Ville. It was so much more stately and formal. It was my favorite body style that embodied everything a Cadillac should look like and drive.😊
LOVE LOVE LOVE they styling on the 1969-70 Coupe and Sedan Deville without the vinyl roof. There was that character line down the center of the hood that extended to the roof. Then the back glass also had that cool kink, along with the character line in the trunk. Just one of those really cool details that you lost with a vinyl top and on the Fleetwood Brougham. The styling was pretty wild on the 69-70 cars vs any of the later 70's cars IMO. And yes the dash was ugly on these cars, the fake wood looks like you skinned a brindle pit bull.
I remember a video from Jay Leno where he talked about some of these load levelling suspensions. He said him and his buddies used to sit on the back of one’s on the street and ride it up and down till the battery went flat lol
The 1970 Sixty-Special Brougham was an exceptionally good car. This is a beautiful example. Granted the real wood interior trim was gone, and the build quality began to suffer. The gaps between the hood and fenders or doors told the story, however the rest of the car more than made up for it.
Nobody had anything that rode as well at any price. And, it was one of the last years, for decades, that a Cadillac had a really powerful V-8. Fill 'er up with some high-octane (93+) and she will fly (however, best get things adjusted for lead-free fuel or add your own)! These cars and their big brothers, the series Seventy-Five's were adored by funeral homes and many of them that surface today, are just out of funeral service. We had one we used as a lead-car or clergy-car for years. This example looks like a SPO to me because it is highly optioned---------a rarity in funeral service. The old-timers were too cheap to buy something with Cruise-Control or a Tilt & Telescopic steering wheel. These were also a darling of the dealerships and tended to fly out the door. I recall that turquoise and white were very popular colors. The turquoise Damask cloth was very elegant. I would love the opportunity to drive one of these again.
This is how I imagine the face of America at every embassy around the world. A lot of embassies did seem to have imposing 1969-70 Fleetwoods or Fleetwood 75s to shuttle VIPs around various third world countries.
You failed to mention that those pull straps were worthless, and would break so frequently, that Cadillac released a technical bulletin with an attempted fix. You could bring your Cadillac into any dealership, and they would try to reinforce the strap with additional mounting screws for free.
A long long time ago one of my friends had this exact car except gold/bronze in color. I had a '72 Buick Skylark which looked rather small in comparison 🙃Mind you this was The Netherlands, both cars were considered huge anyway. He used to drive it all over Europe towing a sizeable boat. Absolutely beautiful car.
I owned TWO of these models. Pay particular attention to the length of the rear door at 6:00. I’ve never owned or seen a vehicle with a longer door in my life. After this car, I purchased a 73 imperial lebaron and even it did not have as long a rear door and window as this vehicle. I would tend to agree that the finish on these years was fairly cheap. But I will say I’ve never in my whole life seen a car door so huge and that alone is worth the price of admission.
i like 1970 and 1971 fleetwoods.
Before the EPA clipped Cadillac's wings.
My first car was a '70 Coupe DeVille hardtop. 472 had torque all day. It was gold/gold brocade/black top with A/C. I still miss that tank.But not the 27 gallon gas tank. And you neglected to mention that the car was so wide it was possible to lay down in the back seat! 😉
27 gallon gas tank????
Seriously, that was a nice looking car despite the fake wood.
While material quality had begun to slip, Cadillac still had excellent looks and ride quality in 1970. Despite the shortcomings, I'd still take the Cadillac over the harsher riding Imperial or the bad carb equipped Lincoln.
I grew up in a 3 bedroom tract home in California. My mother's three brothers each drove Cadillacs as they were partners in a successful business. Her oldest brother always had a dark blue
Fleetwood. When he came to visit that
austere and beautiful behemoth barely fit in the driveway and stood out like a sore thumb!