1987 Cadillac Brougham D'elegance, Bordeaux Red Color on 2040-cars

1987 Cadillac Brougham d’Elegance Sedan

35,200 Original Miles

1G6DW51Y0H9740904

Travis Dowell, Jr.

Charlotte, North Carolina

(704) 804 0806, mobile

Bordeaux Red Exterior

Dark Claret Red Leather Interior

d’Elegance Option Package

AM/FM Stereo Cassette Radio

Power Windows, Locks, Seats

Electronic Climate Control System

Automatic Day / Night Rear View Mirror

Smooth Shifting Automatic Transmission

307 cubic inch 8 cylinder engine (5.0 Liter) with 4 BBL Carb.

New Vogue Whitewall Steel Belted Radial Tires

Fully Serviced and Ready to go! 

Overview of the Car

Well this is one that I bet you didn’t think you would find here on eBay!  If you feel this way, then you are like I was when seeing this car for the first time.  It is breathtaking!  Very nicely preserved and nearly all original example of Cadillac’s finest in 1987!

This example was primarily owned and garaged in Southington / Warren, Ohio area by James Dittrich from new, until Mr. Dittrich passed away.  It was bought new from The Clyde Cole Motor Company with 50 miles on the odometer.  The date of delivery was April 21, 1987.  Therefore, in 27 years, the car has traveled on average only 1,300 miles/year!  At Mr. Dittrich’s passing, the car was willed to his closest professional colleague living in Warren, Ohio, from whom I bought the car just over 2 years ago. With this in mind, there are 3 owners in the car’s history, including me.  The 2^nd owner found the car too large to drive for her, so put the car up for sale here on eBay, where I found it and bought it in 2012, where it’s been part of a collection since then.

Based upon a critical view of the car, it’s evident the miles are truly 35,200 because the interior is nearly new and all mint.  There is only the slightest of wear on the driver’s carpeted floor mat.  The steering wheel leather is perfect, the dash and all trim and gauges are as new, and the seating and headliner are flawless!  Mechanically, it seems to have been well maintained throughout its life.  It was also garaged, and it shows.  Even all of the front / rear left and right side bumper fillers are mint and original with no cracks.

The downfall of the car is that it’s from Ohio and we suspect it was driven originally a few times in the winter.  There is minor surface rust under the car and some evidence of this on the sides of the car.  It’s not anything rusting through, but I want to mention it in openness and honesty.

Ahead of my purchasing the car, I didn’t have it inspected fully and wasn’t aware of the rust until it arrived on the carrier and was in front of my home!  Therefore, I will do my best to be very explicit about the cars condition and what I perceive as minor cosmetic flaws.

With this in mind, I decided to set forth and get the car mechanically updated ahead of worrying about any of the cosmetics.  All major services have been performed by Cadillac, and a Cadillac Master Trained Technician who worked on these when new and knows them like the back of his hand.  We’ve spent around $6,500.00 in repairs / refurbishment, and have the receipts to document this.  We wanted the car to be reliable and not give us any trouble. 

Items Serviced On the Car

• Full Tune Up, including filters, vacuum lines, coil, spark plugs, spark plug wires, and distributor
• Tightened up carb and reset to factory settings
• Replaced valve cover gaskets
• Replaced all of the Oil Pan Gaskets
• Replaced Front / Rear Main Engine Oil Seals
• Replaced Transmission Pan Gasket and all Seals, and replaced TCC Solenoid
• Serviced Rear Differential
• Replaced Belts and Hoses
• Replaced Brakes – pads, cylinders, rotors, and fluid front / rear
• Replaced Shocks – Front and Rear
• Replaced Radiator / Radiator Cap / Thermostat/ By Pass Hose / Heater hoses
• Replaced Water Pump
• Replaced Fuel Pump and Filters
• Replaced Timing Chain
• Replaced Steering Damper
• A/C System Fully Serviced including R-134 a recharge - System converted to R134-A by prior owner.
• All fluids flushed twice and replaced with new – including oil, radiator coolant, transmission fluid, power steering, and brake fluids
• New Battery
• New Windshield Wiper Blades
• Lubricated Chassis, Body Hinges, and Hood Stops
• Lubricated Speedometer Upper Cable
• Four Wheel Alignment
• Replaced tires with new Vogue Whitewall tires – They have less than 100 miles on them and are nitrogen filled too. 

Older tires were kept and are Uniroyal Tiger Paw (Super rare!).  They are available to go with the car if you are interested! 

Next, based upon the extensive service, I am happy to report the car drives AWESOME.  It starts quickly every time, and best of all, it doesn’t leak, rattle, stumble, stutter, or otherwise, make any other weird noises!

This is very uncommon for a 27 year old car but I am a neat freak and didn’t want any worries!  I am a member of the Local and National Cadillac Club and envisioned someday taking the car on a multi-state tour!

Performance of the Car

We’ve already described the running and driving of the car, which is to specifications and very solid, quiet, with no noises, rattles, hesitations, or other issues.  The 8 Cylinder Engine pulls the car around very well and is relatively efficient and a miser with fuel.  We run 89 octane that is Ethanol free in the car with additives to the fuel for optimal performance.  With regards to the electrical accessories, nearly all of these perform flawlessly and work as new, except for the power antenna and the level ride suspension.  The antenna can be lowered or raised manually, as the motor runs but the antenna mast is slightly bent so it won’t therefore work as designed.  Next, the level ride suspension can be raised manually, as the automatic pump doesn’t any longer have the gusto to keep the rear suspension level as intended.  We air it up as needed manually as there is a connection in the rear bumper, and are quite satisfied with this.  I had planned to get the pump rebuilt and reset it all to original, but haven’t gotten to that yet.  It could be restored to original operation specs with very little effort.  Pump is the weak link.  It works, but doesn’t pump enough PSI to keep the suspension raised to the appropriate level.

The stereo radio and cassette works great and all speakers are alive with sound.  All of the lighting works, even the opera lamps!

Power windows, locks, steering, brakes, mirrors, seats, and all other aspects are perfect and work as new!

During my time with the car, I have primarily only used it at local Cadillac car shows.  It was most recently part of a local Cadillac club meeting in Burlington, North Carolina, and received rave reviews there from a very discriminating audience!  We drove it round trip approximately 350 miles with absolutely no issues!

Major Service by the Original Owner

The original owner kept the car fully serviced always and had also replaced the exhaust system front to back including a new muffler and tail pipe, along with converting the Air Conditioning to R-134A, the new refrigerant.

History of the Brougham

This model was made by Cadillac between 1980-1992, so the basic architecture is solid and well proven.  It was equipped with the 5.0 L engine mated with a 4 BBL Carb made by Oldsmobile due to the strict requirements of the CAFE (US REGULATION) for fuel economy back in the 1980’s that required better gas mileage on these land yachts.  Given Cadillac had eliminated its 368 engine used in 1980-1981, along with the 4.1 Liter used in 1982-1985, each of these from 1986 forward had either the 5.0 L engine, as this car has, as standard, or as an optional engine.  Needless to say, it was made many years and is well proven out and trouble free, if maintained properly.

·         Overall Length: 221.7”

·         Shipping Weight: 4,299 lbs.

In this model, there is seating for 6 people. 

It is really a floating living room.  It garners attention from every direction when it is on the road.  When not in use, it is garaged and covered. 

As with any 27 year old car, you have at least a few things on the list worth mentioning that could use attention at some point:

• All of the paint is original, but paint on the trunk and on the hood is a bit dull compared to the sides of the car.  This is common for GM cars of this vintage.  We’ve polished it up and made it shine very well despite this.
• There are signs of minimal surface rust on the underbody and some areas on the sides and under the trunk lid that will need attention.  Nothing is rusted through by any means, and at this juncture, is more cosmetic than anything.  We’ve supplied a lot of photos and welcome also personal inspections so take a look!  It’s nothing that can’t easily be fixed, and the car has a lot of life in her despite her cosmetic “blemishes”.  Check out the link to my photos on photo bucket to see the detail, or come see the car for yourself!
• Power antenna doesn’t work but can be lowered and raised manually. 
• The “Level Ride” feature that automatically adjusts the rear suspension to the proper height based upon load doesn’t work, but the system was converted to manual mode.  This means the shocks can be filled and /or lowered manually to suit you.  The “Level Ride” light on the dash will illuminate if the height isn’t within specification so you know to fill or not to fill it. I generally go a few weeks without filling it, and it is something that can also be fixed but would require the original pump to be rebuilt.  The pump works but doesn’t pump enough to properly raise the suspension, and can easily be rebuilt.
• The center plastic filler under the rear license plate is cracked but a replacement one is included with the sale. See photo to know what we are speaking of.

Apart from these, there isn’t anything stopping anyone from simply enjoying the car, “as is”, as I have for the last two years. My focus was on the overall mechanics, versus the cosmetics, hence the reason I haven’t already taken care of them.  Had I had a bit more time, they would have already been fixed!!

There hasn’t been any body damage on the car, meaning no accidents or fender benders.  It appears solid and very clean, polished, and presentable.

The undercarriage is solid too, despite some surface rust.  There are photos.  Check ‘em out via the  two separate links including Photo Bucket link and BOX at the end of this text.

Next, as I had intended to cosmetically restore the car to perfection, I’ve also got many OEM new parts for the trim never used or installed, which are for sale separately.  They are:

• New Grille and Chrome Header Bar - $200
• New Rear Tail lamp Lenses and Bezels - $150
• New “Cadillac” script and 5.0 L Badge - $50
• New Trunk key lock cover, crest - $50
• New Rear Reflectors - $50
• Technical Service Manual - $25

They are individually for sale at the prices shown or you can have all for $475.

See photos of all of these for your reference via the BOX photo link.

Next, I also have a brand new car cover only used a few times for $150, and/or another slightly used one that I will include with the sale of the car if you are at all interested for no extra cost.

I am selling the car due to the fact I have another classic in mind very soon.  Therefore, the sale of this car has absolutely nothing to do with the car itself, it is phenomenal in every way!

By the way, we call the car “Betsy”. 

See additional photos of the car via a slide show format at:

http://s1157.photobucket.com/user/tradow1/slideshow/1987%20Caddy%20Brougham%20d%20Elegance

Next, we've also got over 100 more photos of all angles, including more detail of interior, exterior, cosmetic blemishes, and the trunk/engine compartments via Box.com.  It's another site along with Photo Bucket that is hosting my photos "in the cloud":

https://app.box.com/s/yngijgam7kr3xpww3xt2

Between the two resources for the photos, I've tried to depict and to relate the true condition of the car, so there aren't any surprises.  I've bought and sold many of these over the years, as I'm a private collector, so I know what it's like to have a "surprise".  Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or need anything further.

Thank you for your interest in my auction.  Note my 100% positive feedback. 

Unfortunately, I’ve relisted this car given two bidders on my original auction that didn’t fulfill the bidding commitment, which includes buying the car afterwards.  With this in mind, please do not bid on the car unless you are able to complete the transaction!   Thank you for your understanding!