Over the Top and 70s Chic: Little Known Details About the 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Learn more about one of the most over-the-top interiors ever put on a production car: the 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman.
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A friend owned a Talisman that he exhibited in a number of car shows. A large, heavy car, it seemed nimble in traffic and had plenty of power. Once you got used to the size, it was easy to drive, and felt like being in a dream. On the highway it drove like it was on rails. These were very special, rare automobiles. My friend's Talisman was sold to a neighbor who still owns it, but the meticulous care ended when it changed hands.
That's sad, impressive story.
On rails, on the highway, but... Like I mentionned in my previous comment, I learned to drive on my father's new 74 Buick Electra, a car on a similar chassis with a slightly shorter 127 inches wheelbase, very comfortable but 5300 lbs, very softly sprung, vague mushy steering and archaic tires, problem was my dad had the notion that driving on strait highways was not the right way to make a good driver so every saturday morning I took my lesson and would drive on the rural 20 miles 2 ways twisty road following a river mostly boarded by small farms, the road full of curves and iriguation trenches often on both sides... Some weeks went well, some less, to say the car was a handfull would be an understatement... It was a great way to learn how to cope with a large car size, comfortable but with appauling handling, to finish we'd go in our city where I would practice parallel parking, good thing parking spaces were larger at that time, it wasn't easy but I loved cars and driving, he bought me my first car at 18, a new 78 Volswagen Sciroco, much smaller and nimble but a 4 cylinder 78 HP engine, no performance, no comfort but it was new, I started driving with 2 automotive opposites, but for long distances, I preferred the comfort of large cars, but on curvy roads, going fast was a definite no-no!
@@marclevesque3147 Of all of the land yacht vehicles my grandparents or parents had, during my youth from late 70’s thru early 80’s, one stood above the rest for this “appalling handling” but, wasn’t really even a land yacht… that one was a ‘79 Dodge Aspen 4dr sedan that had thee most insane feather sensitive steering imaginable!!! Barely sneeze & that damned car would suddenly be like 3 lanes over, if there were 3 lanes of space; had that infamous 318 cid v8.
@@seanbatiz6620 That's so funny, the required driving school I attended to get my driving license had Plymouths Volare in 78, a midsize car at the time, in the city it was quite peppy and only required a pinky to steer, I remember it was very mushy and not very precise, not a car for the drunk drivers at the time...
@@marclevesque3147 Driving a school bus is easier. Lots of mirrors which give good visibility of everything around you, but don't even attempt putting it in reverse without a spotter. I think it's crazy that they still don't have backup cameras as standard equipment. They put so much effort into making them safe but won't add a $300 camera to a $110,000 vehicle.
I grew up in my mom's 1973 Eldorado, fully optioned, and it is impossible to convey the quiet, immense, bank vault-like quality of these early '70s Cadillacs. They were everywhere and were a sign of success and the American dream of post WWll. I do remember them being quite gaudy and over the top with rather strange combinations of colors and interior appointments. Owning one meant that you had worked hard, saved your money and checked all the boxes to ensure that you and your loved ones were riding in style, safety and luxury. The big engined models between 1971 and 1974 were quiet, stable and quite quick when you pressed the accelerator and induced the "kick down" passing mode - the whole car would subtly rise slightly in the front, the rear would squat slightly and....."hey, get the hell out of the way - COMING THROUGH!" Road trips in these vehicles were relaxing and effortless, consuming hundreds, if not thousands of miles and gallons of gas. Thanks for bringing back these unique memories associated with the grand sedans of this era!
."hey, get the hell out of the way - COMING THROUGH!" ...yeah because the braking was marginal.
@@oi32df brakes don't matter when you're riding in 2 1/2 tons of fun - I never noticed any issues with the brakes at all
Personally I wish they were still making cars like this I remember the Pontiac Parisienne had the same kind of gliding ride
@@oi32df quite wrong with that statement
@paulhunter9613 here we go,Another armchair mechanic is going to tell us what GM did wrong,and what he'd do to correct it... Yawn!!! Just enjoy the car
People who had driven cars in the 60s and today's young people alike scoff at the horsepower of those engines, but people like me who grew up in the 80s appreciated the torque it took to move those huge boats from a stand still, with very high rear gear ratios to boot. Those engines did it with zero fuss, like you were taking off on a smooth runway.
I don't care for the 74 front end styling either and feel 75-76 was where Cadillac peaked for the styling of their sedans. They hit a home run again with the 77.
Yes on the power..say they traded their 76 Fleetwood Brougham for an 82 Fleetwood Brougham with the 4100 or the diesel, they'd definitely want the 76 back, especially if their driving involved lots of on-ramps and mountainous interstate driving...
I used to own a 73 coupe. Charcoal exterior with black interior. Engine had block heater. Smoothest engine I've ever own, 472. My favorite car hands down. Didnt care about the 12 mpg. Miss the big boats.
12 mpg was doing pretty good. 8 mpg in city cycle was not uncommon. Especially the 500. I heard people getting as low as 6 in the winter.
I love those interiors.
I owned a 1975 Sedan Deville back in the early 1990's. Driving that thing was like driving you're living room.
Adam, 49 years have not diminished how MMMarvelous this Cadillac Fleetwood looks. 🤩🤩I will take it over an Escalade truck or one of those horrible XT cross-unders any day.😉😉
The “colonnade” styling on these actually recalls the greenhouse of the original 1938 Sixty Special. It introduced the use of thin polished glass frames to increase glass area and achieved a much more elegant greenhouse appearance. Cadillac let that signature feature die away in the 50s but resurrected it for this and subsequent generations of Fleetwoods.
You are so correct.
Absolutely! The press release for the all new 1971 models emphasised Cadillac's returning to classic styling elegance of the 1930's when Cadillac was the "Standard of the World" with its magnificent V8, V12, V16 engines and beautiful coachwork. The Fleetwood Brougham was big enough to have its own zip code, in my opinion!
Thank you Adam for these memories. I remember picking up our new 74 Coup de Ville - the exterior was Cranberry Firemist with a white vinyl half top and an extraordinary white leather interior. I can't believe I still remember the color 50 years later! It cost just a bit over $6K which was way expensive. It rode like a dream. I do remember seeing the Talisman in dark blue with the dark blue interior and it just made your knees buckle, They were the top of the heap at the time.
As as 8th grader, I remember when the square headlights arrived in the fall of ‘74 (75 model year) for the cads, 98, electra, bonneville.
I thought and still do equate the square lights with the arrival of the modern age of automotive design.
Good god look at those seats... Listen, we've all seen comfortable, veloury, soft and plushy seats, but good god, those look even *more* comfortable. Its ridiculous how soft they look. Like softer and plushier than any sofa ive ever sat on. They genuinely look like velour covered, orange clouds.
They might be softer than velour covered, orange clouds.
I was in HIGH SCHOOL, sophmore,sophomore, buddy Rick O'Neal, and I were Cadillac freaks...as we're our parents, we would go to Suttle Motors in N.N. Va, every year when the ew modles arrived, and we were in awe at the Talisman. A personnel limoesque car. The Commodore Blue Talisman with its white top was a real flagship. My high school buddy Tom Pruett, drove a 69 Fleetwood Limo, to school, his first of several....as he also ca.e from a Caddy Family. I had after the school days, had 2 66,Sedan de Villes, one a hardtop sedan, one formal sedan, yes, there were 2 styles from 1965 to 1970, in both Calais and Deville trim. My 69 Fleetwood Brougham was my favorite though. Later in life had a 61,series 62 4 window Sedan, the epitimy of Basic
Transportation. In the 90s, with 51k on the odometer,and the original T-3 headlights, only paid 700.00 fo that one. Enjoyed all of them as I do .y 88
rare Eldorado,4.5L. It is a great ride, e environment though they were a sales failure due to their size. Mine is loaded, and am blessed that it's not a Biritz. Those seats.....the only loose cushion vehicle I owned was a Waxberry metallic 81 Regency
Çoupe, with the Y-code 307. So much better than Cadillacs, than, 4100. Cadillac would adapt the 5.0 Olds motor in 1985. Thanks for listening to my rant. I love your expertise.
I’ve really come to expect and thoroughly enjoy these weekend uploads, Adam. That 70’s interior just shouts “Pimpmobile”! As to the grill, I’m 69-years old and don’t think I’ve ever seen an egg crate grill I’ve found attractive. They are just too uninspiring and cheap looking. Thank you, Adam. 👍👍👍
My words exactly: "Pimpmobile", or perhaps the "Pimp decor option". That is a nice color combination though
And you get a new one every f ing year.
I have a 2018 Cadillac XT5, small, fast and powerful, Love it. But back in '81-'83 my good friend's grandfather had mid '70's Cadillac Eldorado, Joe got to drive that anytime and anywhere in our high school years. I'll still never forget how big and smooth and powerful it was.
Your Mechanical/Technical knowledge on these cars is phenominal, as always. A few tweeks here and there and you make the car perform better than from factory. I´ve always thought that some people have a natural empathy for how to drive/ treat a car,; which in essence is just an inanimate metal box and others just drive them with little care . You´re in the 1st catogory , for sure. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these cars from that era.
This is what I call a "real" Cadillac. I was a kid when these were new and I remember just how big and awesome they were. They were something to behold. Now Cadillacs and Lincolns are more or less just rebadged Chevy and Ford SUVs with not much additional content but with a huge price increase. You just can't beat Old School.
Back in the mid 80's I had a 1975 Eldorado Convertible .I had a friend who was into quadrajets go through the carb like you did , bumped the timing and put on the 2 1/2" duals . Woke the motor up a lot , but I didn't forget suspention tweaks . Gas Magnums all around and Moog trailer tow rear springs and a set of 255 70 T/A radials . Sacrificed a little of the floaty ride for major handling improvement . It surprised more than a few sporty Geman cars on twisty back roads , overall a much better car than most people think it is .
What a great video I had a 1976 Talisman with only 30,000 miles on it it was owned by one of the Harlem Globetrotters I bought it in Michigan I was the second owner I wish I still had it. I ended up selling it to somebody in California what I paid for that car and sold it for I thought I did well now I look at what that is worth. I think they made about 1300 just under in 1976
I do love these 1971 - ‘76 (through 1978 for Eldorado) Cadillacs, the Fleetwood Brougham being the most elegant and the Talisman as the foremost in luxury! Thank you for sharing this find and giving such a fine narrative.
@Randy Fitz I agree about the 1971-1976 generation of the Fleetwood Brougham. They started my fascination with Cadillacs in the first place.
I replaced the bumper fillers on my 1984 Buick LeSabre 6 door. I bet I had them on and off at least six or seven times front and back trimming and adjusting before I was happy with their fitment.
My ‘73 Fleetwood at age 17 (I was almost living in the car as a teenager and a car full of friends driving with a 40 mile commute to work) I was paying $70 a week in gas back in 1979. A week! I would watch the gas Needle move when I drove the car. But the Memories. Root beer Brown with a Cream top and Soft Brown Leather interior seat bottom was over stuffed. I made many people mad owning this car that I paid for with my hard earned money working 3 years for a caterer. When I seen it for sale driven by a couple in their late 70’s from Naples Florida. Brought it back here to Massachusetts to their summer home. It turned out to be my dads uncles car. Even had that Alarm system. Every option but Astro Roof. I put a set of Radial Tires white wall of course. And what a difference in the handling. I always get the air cleaner cover upside down to hear the roar under the hood. That just made me spend more money on gas. Equipped it with a CB radio and Public Address through the MIC. It wa s a party car.
@gene978 It sounds like the color combination was Burnt Sienna Metallic (order code=68) with Light Beige vinyl roof (order code=S) and Antique Dark Saddle leather upholstery (order code=085), $169.00 option (in 1973 dollars). As a 40 year old man, I'll say if that was me at 17, I would've preferred a Cadillac, especially a Fleetwood Brougham, to a sports car or muscle car, ANYDAY (and STILL would; I would've DEFINITELY took that '73 Fleetwood, although I probably would've either changed the vinyl roof to dark brown to match the paint or removed it, if necessary)!
Awesome video! Thanks for posting, Adam. 👍
Thanks for the reminder update about the Jets and timing, when I was a teenager I had a sedan DeVille with dual exhaust and I took it to a mechanic and he said he could put different jets in it and wake it up that's what he was doing and I drove that car with the speedometer needle buried. I must have been doing 120 down the interstate in that thing. My dad wanted me to drive a big car for safety so I souped it up. Rear sway bar koni shock absorbers,enky Wheels. Needless to say she rock and roll some 10-in subs in the back window 6x9s 4x6s in the dash and even pillar speakers with an Alpine radio with faceplate design attached on the dash added a power sunroof and that was one nice Sedan DeVille. I remember Out handling an out maneuvering a CRX and a Porsche 944 in the curves. The owner of the sports cars was not happy
The most comfortable-riding car I will ever own, the 1974 Fleetwood SIxty Special d'Elegance in this same color combination remains a vivid memory nearly a half-century later. Every outing was an event.
What a great video on such a wonderful Cadillac. I just love the 70's and 80's Cadillac's. Can't get enough of these vids.
The Talisman was an amazing model, locked deep, deep in the glory of the 70's. Thanks for sharing !!
I had a 1978 Eldorado Biarritz. White yacht ...very comfortable. Yea 8.2 liter. Gulp gulp gulp
Dad had two back in the 80s. The first was a triple white/red accent 77 Biarritz with fuel injection and he lost that due to an under hood fire! Sadly. 😕😢 he replaced it with a 78 same color scheme. About a year later that got stolen! He had no luck with the Eldos so I found a clean 79 Mark V bill blass. He drove that thing for years!! From like 1986-1999 ny winters got to it and it was a rust bucket. Still ran perfect lol we junked it
The 1978 Eldorado Biarritz had the 425-cu-in engine.
These videos are very educating.
No, the Fleetwood was not a colonade, those were the A-bodies. The B-pillar was simply where Cadillac added the extra 3 inches in the wheelbase over the De Ville. All 60-Specials/Broughams from 1965 to 1976 had a B-pillar regardless of styling. As for the panel between the front and rear doors on 71-72s, that was used to cover the lower portion of the B-pillar, once again to accommodate the extra 3 inches. The Fleetwood used the same doors as the Sedan deVille, which required the use of a lower B-pillar filler panel. Starting in 1973 Cadillac added a 'lip' to the standard front door to cover the lower B-pillar, negating the need for a filler panel.
I have to admit that I didn't love them at all when they were new, but the Cadillacs of this era have definitely grown on my. About 40 years ago, some neighbors had a gorgeous light blue Coupe DeVille, a 76, with a white interior. This is the first one that I ever looked at with lust!
Hi from Sydney, Australia. I have been driving one of these now for a few months short of 41 years. However, it is black with "gold" (mustard color) leather and brocade interior. It is a GM Holden's Australia kit car, sent as parts to build as a factory right hand drive car. These were mega expensive new here. As for the interior 1974 was the only year leather was an option, my car's first owner specially ordered his as a mix of leather & a nice fabric, as he thought the crushed velvet seating looked like it was stolen from a brothel. PLUS, the nasty fake wood was not usable here as it was made for left hand drive use only. GMH-A made their own way classy version that looks the part and in a nice tone, not the yellowish tinge Adam has spoken of in prior videos. Then for the engine late running '74's here in OZ, received 500 ci engines, plus they all came with the Trakmaster ABS & traction control, as GMH-A only offered 2 x RHD models. the Fleetwood & a Buick Riviera for just 4 years 1971 to 1974. The few Rivieras that were built RHD were basically 1973 bodies with a 1974 "face" on them, ie, grill, blinker lights etc. As the Holden guys thought the USA '74 Riv' was just plain boring where the rear end had been "de-sexed" and neutered without the pointy bumper. Best of all however was the Aussie engines powering them were smog equipment free as we would have no unleaded EPA version cars until 1986. So our Buick 454, and Caddy 472/500's were built as FULL POWER engines using 102 octane leaded super they run/drive like rockets, better than any 1960's muscle car, as I had one of those & the '74 Fleetwood 500 motor ate it for breakfast. I feel sorry for the Americans who had to accept these wonderful last of the line monsters with gutless detuned engines. I have 2, a Aussie RHD 1972 standard Fleetwood Brougham as well, in white with what the GMH-A Caddy brochure called "green-ice" interior, ultra super pale green leather & silk brocade. As a national rule/law we had much brighter headlights here too as our lowest acceptable light beam strength for low beam was higher than the US high beam !! Our Aussie built cars have many unique RHD GMH-A items, wiring harness, alternator as needed higher capacity for the brighter headlights, brighter brake lights, brighter amber turn signals to front & rear, plus there's the suspension, we have Aussie heavy duty coil springs & air shocks and sway bars to suit Aussie requirements. These changes make the car handle in corners like some kind of modern car and not rollie pollie, giving some people almost sea sickness.
I drove a friend in the Australian Cadillac LaSalle Club's recent LHD US import a 1976 Fleetwood Brougham with fuel injection. The car was GUTLESS, and handled so appallingly it was a joke. The difference between a full yanky left hand drive home market example and a General Motors Holden Australia CKD (completely knocked down) kit car in right hand drive is SO different, the cars look the same, but drive as if made by different people in a different time zone , I guess with all the engineering basic work to make a right hand drive firewall , dash , wiring , manifolds so steering box will fit on the right side meant a general overall rethink on other items too. Like performance and also handling. I own 2 Lincolns too, and the Ford Australia right hand drive dashboards with REAL WOOD in them give the interior a Rolls Royce ambience, add to this a cast alloy full dash with PADDED LEATHER facings like with the Aussie Caddy's, not the PLASTIC FANTASTIC yanky home version experience as let me tell you it is unpleasant. As back in the day when these cars were new, Australians would not have accepted the nasty plastic dashboards as our own home market cars back then in the 1970's had real both visual and tangible quality to them, as for the brothel velvet trim, that would not pass to be sold here either, as it would have been seen as pure bad taste.
By July 1974 there were no more NEW factory right hand drive USA cars available in Australia and it would stay like that until we received the European built RHD Jeeps in the late 1990's. General Motors Holdens had been making a premium car for some years the Statesman deVille & Custom. However with US GM about to shrink & costcut all the big cars, Holden decided to make a third & more elaborate Fleetwood Brougham spec or higher Statesman and call it the Caprice, they even used the Cadillac ABS brake system, cruise control system, power window motors, power door & trunk lock systems , the red/white door ajar lights , all the metal window switches, door lock metal switches all are straight from the Cadillac parts bin still using the Cadillac part no's on them !! These cars sold well they in profile looked like 2 foot shorter 1971/72 Fleetwood. The internal Cadillac style re-fit worked well & sold well mixed with the rest of the high-quality local fit out. So after three front grill center pattern updates in six years & customer requests for more rear leg & head room a near new car was launched for 1980, again it would have a six year life cycle the WB series 1 & 2 (with series 2 there was some cost cutting and less options) and the Caprice badge was recycled US Chevrolet plastic version we had on the 6 years in the 70's. The WB series 1 cars had a smaller more discrete classy looking Aussie metal one. For the WB design the only reused item from the 1970's cars was the 2 front doors, every other panel was WB unique and the wheelbase had been stretched 5 inches by moving the rear axle backwards, The GM 'sheerlook" as launched by the 1976 Seville found its way here too as it had a near vertical back window, the rear seat was pushed right to the back window giving vastly more rear leg and headroom, like the Talisman this was a FOUR SEAT 205 inch (17ft) long car, as for the looks , imagine if a Cadillac Fleetwood and a Mercedes S class had a "child" then the WB was it, the side profile is almost a mimic of the Swiss Monteverdi 375/4 4 door car made in 1970. This car is deemed to be the high point in pure quality of Australian cars, GM HQ in the USA deemed it to be a too costly item to update for 1986 and although it had sold like cold beers on a very hot day, the USA GM Detroit bean counters cut its throat, and just like that with no seeing it coming Holden Australia lost its remarkable Euro Killer luxury car. In the Holden plant that built them we started building Isuzu 4 wd's for the local Asian markets. A fully optioned & appointed '80s Statesman Caprice was a $43,850 motor car everything about it was PURE top quality. We had to wait until Toyota built the Lexus 400 until we had anything remotely similar.
I own a late series 1 '82 model runs & drives like a new, doors are super heavy & shut with a thud, forget double glazing, the glass is over 1/4 inch thick, it has 36-ounce pure wool carpet, thick super soft leather like a Sperry Rand boat deck shoe, and after 41 years of ownership EVERYTHING works perfectly like it was a 4 month old car. At one point GM Holden Australia was going to send left hand drive versions that we made for local export markets to the USA with the cars badged as Cadillac Fleetwood's, however, moaning in the USA Cadillac division saw the horrible 4.1 litre V8 into the RWD Fleetwood's and their manufacture continued. Our WB Caprice even had the Cadillac hood ornament with the Holden lion instead of little birds, an American driving one would really think that they were in a Cadillac due to quality plus all the Cadillac parts bin fittings in the cabin. Customers would have loved them as more cabin space than a 1977 to 1996 RWD Fleetwood, more power from the indestructible Aussie 308 ci V8 (that won more car races here in Australia than any other engine), plus like the Chrysler 318ci v8 its frugal on fuel, and last but not least the handling, steering & braking , makes these one of the best handling large cars ever, as Opel's handling and control expert Peter Hananberger was sent here for the radial tuned suspension program to basically make all Holdens of any kind handle like a sports car. For this top-of-the-line premium car he went way further for the series one WB. In the series 2 you had to order a special "magnum" version offered on the lower priced Statesman deVille trim to get it. This gave you cambering front steering to give all out-racetrack level cornering performance and braking in an over 2-ton luxury car, the steering has outstanding accuracy and real feel at speed too. In the cabin you have a small Citroen-esque single spoke steering wheel set higher up than many cars, it almost feels like a racing car wheel & wheel position.
Even the TV & movie theater adverts' were classy there were multiple versions depicting the cars in a variety of situations, there was no music, no sound but silence, the photography said it all, at the end it said "NOTHING drives quite like a Statesman V8", on a black screen in white was printed:- available as deVille or as Caprice price from, and the two amounts for the 2 different trim specifications.
A cool beast
Seeing one of these in person would absolutely make my day. After the excellent designs of the 60s, I've always felt the early 70s Cadillac full size models had a bit strange front end treatments. Handsome, yes, but never quite as refined looking as the earlier Devilles. That said, I think the square sealed beam 75 redesign was a good switch that really helped clean up the design. The hardtop sedans made these years are really striking, but even these colonnade sedans are very attractive I. Their side profile. Also think Cadillac did a good job integrating the rear ends with crash standards.
I remember riding on a school bus that had vinyl seats that looked exactly like the vinyl top on this talisman. Also, is it just me, or is metallic brown a really handsome color? Maybe it just works well because of the era associations, but I think it just works well on a large "formal" design.
Also, it meat seat four in the cab but there's room for two more in the trunk....
I had the luxury of sitting in a 1974 Fleetwood Talisman in navy blue with navy blue Medici Cloth at the Midland Michigan car show as a kid, and I was blown away. My favorite car of that show however was the Mercedes SL in black with red leather seats, but I'll never forget the Talisman. I really enjoy all your videos, Adam!
Adam, great review. My parents owned a 75 Coupe Deville silver with a deep red interior. It was a total isolation chamber. I seem to remember that a leather interior was optional on the Talisman, instead of the crazy Medici velour. IIRC, the tufted leather Talisman was a very expensive special order option and sold in very low volumes. I recall seeing photographs of a navy blue Talisman with a navy blue leather interior
I remember only ever seeing one of those '74 Talismans with the leather interior, in saddle (tan) leather....I bet that dark blue one must've been seriously sharp!
Adam this is great, really ! . . . . More please
Great video!!! Make mine a crushed velour Talisman with the rare ACRS... with all this cloth on the inside, it makes these interiors whisper quiet, warm and cozy, and insanely comfortable.... great video!!!
I remember as a young teen I’d ride my bicycle to northern Blvd and scout the used cars dealers that once lined it! This was from 13-17. I’d find beautiful Mark Ills Mark IVs Mark Vs. New Yorkers Eldos, Fleetwoods , Tbirds etc. One day this lot I frequently went to had a beautiful 75-76 dark blue Fleetwood Talisman. It was around 1981 and I think he was asking $5500. It looked new and had about 42,000. I was so excited to see it and when I looked inside I thought someone had customized the inside. I asked the guy and he said “no kid this is a Talisman. A special limited ed.”. He then told me he got it from the estate of the owner and that the rear compartment was locked when it came in with no key. He also mentioned a firearm was found in it! I was young and innocent and asked what’s a firearm? I thought like Fire works lol. He replied “a gun kid a gun”. I was like OHHHHHH I Then went home to tell my parents they should look at the car and buy it. Mom DID but thought it was too pretentious! She later bought a second hand DJE Mark V. Go figure right!!! Lolololol as if THAT wasn’t pretentious Hee hee
In '77, my father bought a '74 Fleetwood. I don't believe it was a Talisman though. But it was brown like this one, and had tan leather upholstery. It came with an 8 Track too. When I drove it by myself, I listened to my Boston Cassette tape. There was no way my dad was going to listen to that tape when he was driving! 😊
@oldies geek It sounds like your father's '74 Fleetwood Brougham (I'm assuming that's what model it was specifically) was Chesterfield Brown Metallic (order code=69; Cadillac's dark brown color for 1974 and 1976; that's also the same color of the Fleetwood Talisman in this video, by the way) with Antique Medium Saddle leather (order code=083), a $169.00 option (early in the model year, at least; I know there were inflation adjustments mid-year and afterwards). I'm curious, do you remember if it had a vinyl roof or not (I also know the Fleetwood Brougham came standard with a vinyl roof but, upon special order, it could also be deleted at the factory if the customer requested it)? In the opinion of this 40 year old man, it was an attractive color combination.
THE EPITOME OF LUXURY LAND YACHTS!😍🇺🇸😎🏁🏁
I love these interiors. 👍✨♥️
Agree!
Love 73 front
Loathe the 74 front
Love the 75 front
Hey Adam, to me the Cadillac Talisman was the epitome of opulent excess & elegance!!! Thanks for sharing this interesting video!!! 👍👍🙂
I've said this is on another video on a different channel; you gotta love those one year only engineering changes. Makes for uniqueness on a collectable level but a nightmare to maintain at the same time. No economy of scale; I'm sure as a finance guy Adam can appreciate my comment.
Buick had an Electra interior option that was very similar to the Cadillac Talisman available. They were very rare and available in both the 4 door hardtop and the coupe as well. Same treatment with the poofy velour seats and center console. I seem to remember they called it "Park Avenue" which could have been the first use of the name by Buick, even though as an option package on the Electra 225 - which a decade later became the model name which replaced Electra.
Yes, Adam has a complete video about it.
It was the Park Avenue option.
I always liked the Buick Electra more than the Caddy’s, this car in the video is pretty cool though
@@kellismith4329 Yep, in this vintage the only interiors that looked lower-line were the Bonnevilles. I actually preferred the 98's & 225's (speaking of brushed chrome gauges...)
I remember the 75-76 park avenues and concluded that GM had acres of leftover talisman upholstery on hand and they sold it to buick. Of course they extra profit they could make on each one simply by adding some swag probably was a big inducement for buick to see if they could spin some gold. BTW, my dad owned one of these. Dark blue, from Chesapeake cadillac in baltimore. I used to use the top of the rear seat consoles that ran from the parcel shelf down to race my matchbox cars. Thanks for the memories. We'll never have cars like these again.
That rear console was the main selling point… “a Cadillac for four lucky people.” Once gone it was just a different upholstery style. I’ve since come to love the Fleetwood Brougham leather seats the best from the 75-76 models.
I've never been a fan of the Talisman as it eliminates seating for 2 passengers. I much prefer the regular Fleetwood Brougham. The silky ride was unforgettable!! Just love it!
@Ron Fuchs I'm the same way, for the most part. For me, going beyond the standard Fleetwood Brougham, I think the Brougham d'Elegance (I like the '73 version, especially with the rare leather and ESPECIALLY the '76 with that 50/50 split bench) would've been luxurious enough, if not more than enough (besides, I prefer seats I can slide across, if necessary).
Converting a post 1975 vehicle to dual exhausts is difficult because you have to replace the transmission cross member with an earlier one with the dual cutouts. Front wheel drive cars like the Eldorado are the exception.
Why don’t car’s come with velour any more, my dad’s old car had it in the late 70’s and it’s so nice to sit on.
I have always loved the Talisman as a concept, but the colonnade years were never my favourite styling trend. I wish the bean counters at Caddy would have reserved a little cash for a limited run of Talismans through the decades. A nice, cushy, 4 chair Fleetwood with those wide consoles and seats you can sink into and fall asleep in. I'm surprised Armbruster Stageway or one of their other coachbuilders didn't try reviving it, actually.
At the time it was the most Expensive w/Moonroof and Luxurious vehicles on the road next to a RR! 😎🇺🇸🏁
The picture that you inserted of the 1973 Green interior (@6:33) is the same make/model/color of my first car! The same seat upholstery too! Brought back memories to see that picture! 👍✨
Wow like sitting in high end theatre seats. Amazing and unique, although I prefer the patterned flat cloth Cadillac used for years, as shown by that brief shot of the green '73 interior.
Wow THOSE SEATS 👀I can imagine how comfortable they were … I’d be HAPPY if they still made them like that ( special order )
People always talk about these huge cars huge engines making such little horsepower but they never touch on the fact they made 300-350lb/ft of torque. They weren’t meant to be drag cars and having all that torque low down made them easy and smooth to get moving.
If I recall the 500 at its peak made over 500 ft. pounds. A city bus around 800 ft lbs.
@@rogersmith7396 I don’t remember ever seeing the numbers that high when they had all the emission crap on them. In their hay day maybe. But regardless I get what you mean and I think you get what I mean lol. My grandad had the ltd or ltd 2 (the really big one we had up in Canada) with a 400 cubic inch V8. That thing could get up and go and I think they were only rated at 180hp.
@@jackdough8164 I have a 70 Eldorado 500 CI 400 HP. I put many thousands of miles on one back in the day. I never failed to outrace a 396 Chevelle or 383 Roadrunner. Got stomped once by a 454 Monte above 110 mph. Stated weight of my car is 4300 pounds. The later Cads were much heavier. And I got around 15 mpg. Gas was never an issue in those days. 95 octane.
@@rogersmith7396 Gas was never really expensive in the States if you compare it to other countries..
Thanks 👍
About the air vent problem. I have had that problem on every '75 - '76 Cadillac I have owned. The solution is simple. Take some electrical tape and cut it so it fits in the right-hand corner of each vent. Fold it sticky side in and just stuff it in. It gives the PERFECT resistance.
The look of it would bug me
@@RareClassicCars They don't show when inserted.
@@RareClassicCars its a shimmy, you gotta cut it right so it goes between the dash and the vent without it being visible
I just always used 00 gauge thickness o-rings at the pivot point of the vents on either side to restore tension between the vent and housing, works great and gives a better feel than new.
The thought of having to “tape up” a Cadillac to function properly somehow seems like an oxymoron
I once owned a 74 sedan, best car I ever owned 😊
Hope to see an original unrestored 1969 Buick Riviera on your channel sometime.
@Rob. I just happened to stumble upon a picture the other day, of the first year of the Riviera. I have never seen one on the road I don't believe. I think it was a '63, and had more of a compact sporty look to it, compared to the longer
late 60s models. 😊
Please do the 1979 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
I just bought one with 54,386 miles and in mint condition.
how wonderfull driving a living room!!
Gotta love that Radiohead reference!!
I believe the 472 is the first US engine designed specifically for the presence of the AC compressor instead of being an ad on it was designed directly into its original packaging. I believe the first year the 472 only 12 Cadillacs were made without air conditioning.
I had a 69 convertible with the 472 and even in stock Single exhaust form it had very good conformance for it s size of car.
But I agree with the dual exhaust I've had several big cars with big blocks and that added second pipe and a little bit lower stricter Mufflers or easy 30 horsepower.
I've been around GM cars for over 40 years as a mechanic, I did not know that, regarding the ac pump. Who knew huh...👍
Loved my '74 Coupe DeVille..... Wish I never got rid of it..
Try to find one of these interiors in leather! It is almost impossible. I know of one in New York that is for sale. It's the only one I have ever seen in leather. The interior was done in Chesterfield brown leather. It is being sold by the grandson of the original owner. The exterior looks good but, being that it was driven in New York (maybe in the Winter), I don't know how the bottom looks.
Leather was only available the first year for some strange reason.🤷
@@jeffmiller3150 It was beautiful. You may be able to Google it.
I miss the 5mph bumpers. You could actually use them to help push a car off the road. Today just a small tap can sometimes cost a few THOUSAND dollars.
Yes. It is absurd that cars do not have bumpers anymore.
What ever happened to the standard? Where did it go, and when? Also why are there no small truck bumper height standards? I recently lost a front headlight and marker light from just the slightest kiss from a parallel parking Ram truck!
@@jonell1425 the auto industry lobbied Congress and got the standard reduced or eliminated. As for trucks, I think it’s required that they can’t over run the roof of a small car. But that’s about it.
Nice!
Hey Nathaniel. How’s it going?? I see you’re playing around on the internet….. we’ll I’m going to need those TPS reports by the end of the day w/ the new cover sheets ummmmm k.
😂😂
I had a Cadillac of this era, and they were wonderful to drive. Their weight gave a very pleasant and quiet ride. I had a 1972 OLDS 98 which was the finest and best driving car I ever had. Even with 455 engine, got over 20 MPG on the highway.
That is good mileage for that car. My 1999 Town car with the 4.6L Gets maybe 23 MPG highway.
My dad had a '77 buick lesabre dark blue 4door it had the Olds rocket 350 engine in er.. what a beautiful, fast,reliable car, and great highway mileage,too.. just floated at highway speeds.. beautiful ride.
The best interior color ❤👍🇺🇸
I loved these interiors. When I went to pick out my Dads 76 Electra 225 I asked the dealer for a Park Ave with the bucket seats like the Cadillac. He didn’t have any so I settled on the limited.
Wow, that is amazing! Compare this to the LS400 interior that would be released only 15 years later. Car design was evolving so much at the time. (Both are awesome cars.)
These were popular with salesmen who were in the road all week. And, you are right, sometimes they complained about the car being too comfortable to stay awake! Since every one we had at the dealership flew out the door, I can't say I ever heard anyone complain about not being able to get five or six people on board. I think it was pretty obvious to the buyers, and the car was, after all, exclusive.
In those days it was quite common to see toothpicks sticking out of the sides of those cheap a/c vents, keeping the vents aimed where they were wanted. Ridiculous. The cheapening-down/dumbing-down of Cadillacs. Oh, and that imitation wood. Embarrassing.
The Medici cloth was an issue at first, especially as the fabric interiors of previous cars were very rich in some cases and wore like iron. The Medici lulled you into thinking it was going to be very comfortable since it appeared to be so plush. However, it didn't take long for people to complain about "moving in their clothes" rather than "moving in their seat'. I think the introduction of crushed-velvet type fabrics drove people to switch to leather for that very reason. There was an argument at the time that the Medici interior provided a better acoustical chamber for the stereo system, however, at that time the stereo systems were rather lacking in clarity and finesse. The speakers rather small and poor in quality. Sadly, It took Cadillac a decade or so beyond the mid-seventies to even begin to catch-up with music technology. I can recall trying to get a customer a quality sound system in their 1970 Fleetwood Seventy-Five and GM has absolutely nothing to offer. At great expense, the customer took it to a custom shop to get a decent sound system. That's just the way it was back then. The marketing wizards assuming that the only Cadillac market was still old coots, listening to Lawrence Welk.
The switch to the 500 V-8 didn't make much difference with performance. After 1971 we were getting less and less horsepower every year and still sucking the fuel at the same rate. 15MPG on the highway is a great number! I don't think we could have ever done that in hilly North Georgia! Also, the overheating issues got a bit worse with the larger engine. I always thought it a bit strange that we never had cooling issues with the 1968's, but, after 1969 it became an issue. Not on the open road, but, if sitting still in traffic on a hot and humid day, they tended to overheat if the Climate Control was on. After a while you just lowered all the windows and turned off the Climate Control just to keep the Hot Light from coming on or flashing. We complained to the home office to no avail. All they had to do was put a (thermostatic) electric fan on there. Oh well. The Towing Package helped, but, not too many of those were ordered.
I do like the colors, especially the exterior.
@JM-lw3nx The color combination is (and I say it with authority, no doubt whatsoever), Chesterfield Brown Metallic paint (order code=69; don't let the guy in the video convince you otherwise; months ago, I even attempted to point that out too), Dark Brown vinyl roof (order code=X; it's the elk-grain material used on Brougham d'Elegance and Fleetwood Talisman) and Medium Amber Medici cloth upholstery (order code=546).
Funny we both live in Michigan so when you showed a photo of the 1973 fleetwood I recognized it from one that is being sold on Facebook right now nearby
My dad had a red wine black top with moonroof dark greyish interior. What a tank. We had the motor refreshed with. Dual exhaust and bored out. It was a monster
With the marginal quality interiors of most cars of the 1968-1973 years but for very few exceptions, imagine buying this car brand new and initiating most people you encountered to that interior... With such plush seats and the new car smell imagine people going back to their cars after sinking their peasants behinds in those seats and taking a ride on a cloud in silence in one of those Talismans...To have lived in that era and able to afford this, must have given the lucky owners bragging rights and put a smile on their faces, my father bought a new 74 Buick Electra Custom (penny-pincher!), I learned to drive on it but it was NOWHERE near as sumptuous as this, I think the interior of the 75 Buick Electra Park Avenue had a very similar interior and some other luxury models were inspired by the look for years there after, modern cars are better in almost every way but it's all leather now and you have to spend a lot to be in the high class luxury dominated mostly by Germans, evolution is necessary but I kind of miss the pillow cushions seats finished in velour and the variety of colors, today, some luxury interiors lack contrast and tough luxurious look a bit sterile...
Oui.
Or if grandma pissed them every time she was in the car. Elegant.
@@rogersmith7396 No one needing or having a diaper should enter such a palace, transport them in a Beetle...
@@marclevesque3147 A potty chair would be better. Worked in nursing homes 25 years. I know the drill. Funny how families could never figure it out until their new car seats were soaked in urine. Then its like "oh, I guess grandma really needs to be in the home". Or in one case screaming at me that its my fault mom pissed all over her car. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Mom pisses all over everything.
"Yechk! She's too much." as Debbi Harry would put it. That velour almost looks like that microfiber stuff they were pushing about 20 years ago, but I'll bet it doesn't have the same perpetually-sticky feel. The Fleetwood was just fine with leather and normal arm rests, IMO. I guess it's fitting that GM moved to flatter dashboards the same year they finally added integrated shoulder straps with lockup reels, but some controls were still a longer reach than in '73. These dashboards did look good and I love the placement of the idiot lights just below the windshield. There's a lot of space in most cars just below the windshield where any displays would not be affected by the position of the wheel; I've never understood why more automakers don't make use of it.
must have been fun putting the interiors in these wonders on the assembly line.
A beast on wheels!
Yes, a very tame beast on wheels.
I had a 74 sedan deville 4 door. It was a big car so it rode like a dream. that was long ago
Nothing beats those over-the-top interiors. Today's cars are simply awful in terms of room, comfort and materials used.
Hi, so when you talk about your 76 Eldorado and how you retuned the engine and the incredible difference it made, I'd love to see a special video on the topic, because that engine covers so many Cadillac models over these years, I guess from at least 1973 - 1978? Maybe even longer? I'm no specialist but I've always considered buying a 75-76 or 78-80 Coupe de Ville or first generation Seville, and the changes you spoke about seem to make all the difference, performance-wise.
I currently have a 76 Eldorado convertible with 48k and I also would love to know what size jets he used as well.
I feel sorry for today's young ones. They have no idea what a real luxury car even is!!!
I sure miss the "soft riding, quite interior" automobiles.
Why? What defines "luxury car" for you?
@@SwissMarksman it's not about what defines a luxury car for me, it's about what defines a luxury car in the market for the consumer. Personal opinions are subjective.
Someone from Guatemala who's never had a running car before may think a 2024 Toyota Corolla is a luxury car. And it may be a luxury car to them, although it's not included in the Luxury Vehicle market niche. Anyway hope this helps. Adios amigo 👋🏼
I bought a 78 Buick Regal sport coupe with a six cylinder turbo engine. That was around 2006. 14 mpg on the freeway. I rigged a ram induction setup using pieces of laundry dryer vent metal tubing. Induction was a rectangular vent piece I mounted under the bumper on the driver side. Hardly noticeable. MPG increased to 18 mpg at highway speeds. I tested it over the same course three times and readings were almost identical. I also tested it re sucking up water. Strong shower from a harden hose had no effect.
I'm STILL LOOKING FOR A 74 TALISMAN, problem is that i only want a triple black one! Bid on one a few years back but it had some strange things about it so i dropped out of the bidding! However, if i could find a triple blue with a sun roof, depending on Mileage and condition, i might consider it! Beautiful addition to anyones collection!! Almost talked my Mom into buying one of these until she realized a huge car like this only held FOUR PASSENGERS!! I tried!!!
I want one!
I think I remember reading in the manual that the illumination of the engine heat light when opening the door was for the bulb check
Considering length for regular, non-limo production vehicles, it's true the 74-76 Fleetwoods are only beat by the 73 Imperial, but I always considered that year of Imperial to be a bit of an accidental "cheat". The previous years of that same Imperial model were actually shorter and only in that one year did they append, as mentioned, some large and odd bumper extensions that gave it about an extra six inches from the previous years to comply with federal standards before the model was redesigned. As far as the Fleetwood Talisman specifically, it really would have been the true ultimate classic Cadillac had it just had seating for 6, but unfortunately this was never to be. For this reason I see why someone in the market for "top of the line" would just stick to the Fleetwood Brougham. Those floppy air vents can be annoying, but they are easily removed and fixed by replacing the foam that is meant to hold them in place with new foam. It's also true the engines don't feel weak considering their low horsepower rating. They are still torque monsters at low RPM and prove that peak horsepower numbers are not the end-all-be-all of performance. Adam is also right that minor modifications, like timing, dual exhaust, and carb adjustments can make a HUGE difference in performance while also somehow increasing gas mileage if someone wants to get more out of this monster of an engine.
I am a subscriber and enjoy all your videos. Your attention to detail is impressive. I must point out the 1974-1976 Series 75 Sedan is longer than the Imperial.
Yes. Agree. I was careful to state it’s the longest production sedan. I’d consider a limousine a different type of vehicle not for the everyday person.
@@RareClassicCars thank you for replying! Cadillac considered the series 75 offered in two versions. One was a limousine and the other one a sedan. I guess it depends on what you consider a limousine.
I recall when the '74 Talisman came out (yes, I am old), a reviewer mentioned that you could special-order at Talisman with a leather interior, but the leather would cost as much as a brand-new Pinto!
The extra pillowy seating is similar to that found in the “D’Elegance” De Ville trim upgrade package offered during the same period
What a barge! Superfly. That center console is such a convenient place to put your stash, rolling papers and hash pipe
I was thinking a nice 38 or a 9 mil lolololol just saying
I am desperate for any kind of newer car with soft, cushy, comfortable seats.
I don't know why or when they thought that family cars and luxury cars focused towards comfort (as opposed to sporty luxury cars) needed to have hard, narrow bucket seats out of a sports car.
I'm a relatively young guy and I couldn't wait to grow up and be able to buy a nice big car with a big comfortable front seat and they just don't exist anymore.
:(
I can't say for sure how true this is, but I've often heard that many car reviewers are former or frustrated 'wanna be' race drivers, and rate what they drive on performance. Then the manufactures have to appeal to the reviewers, who won't like anything they can't get a good lap time with on the track. Damn, I miss the 89 Caprice I had about ten years ago...
Blame the Germans. Also they stripped all the chrome off to look more German. The MBs and BMWs i've been in have sucky seats. My 85 Saab has wonderful seats. It can be done.
@@rogersmith7396 plus the Japanese and Koreans are still in this game too, building comfortable cars, still not this luxurious of course, but at least they are building cars focused towards comfort!
The Toyota Avalon and Crown, Lexus and Kia/ Genesis comes to mind.
I never would have thought Ford and Chevy would stop building cars, especially bread and butter sedans ike the Impala and the Taurus/ Crown Victoria !
I think that most things go in cycles and someday when gas is less of an issue, large cars with more comfortable seats, especially as the population gets older will come back into fashion.
@@Jack_Stafford Think hydrogen fuel cells. Mpg not an issue. Trucks are built for people who could care less about performance. Wonder why they sell so many? I think the non car makers are setting themselves up for bankruptcy. Prices go higher, production goes down, fewer jobs, less importance to the economy and the old folks geri trucks will quit selling as they fade into the nursing home. Its all Wall Streets fault. Cut costs, raise profit margins on a declining base. Get them stock prices up. Think buy backs. The companies are buying back stock in a declining industry. How smart is that. Waaa, we need a bailout.
nice car.
Fuel injection was also an option on 1975 full-size Cadillacs.
And it worked pretty well too,all things considered..
11:33 fuel economy in my ‘68, 472 Eldo was consistently the same. 7-8mpg city and 14-15mpg hwy.
this brown is my fav on these year caddys, and they accelerated like a rocketship on wheels getting up to hwy speeds
Oh boy. Did lots of shaggin in a 75 Fleetwood. This was mid 90s. Had a clean example with 40k miles. Never understood, but a lot of gals seemed to like these yachts over the contemporary Camaro and Mustang models. Dad always told me them gals knew those back seats were far more useful than a Camaro.
@Joshua Gibson As a 40 year old man, I'd ALWAYS take a 1975 Fleetwood Brougham or even a 1975 Continental Town Car over a Camaro or Mustang, respectively, ANYDAY! My whole life, I never understood the hype with the latter (in both cases) but, I digress.
Also, that rollover notepad was called the 'Secretary'... and I'll wager there were a couple of bespoke pens that got away.
I was in my teens in '74. Usually if you were driving a Cadillac you were in your 60's or had money.