Spectacular paint on a '97 Eldorado; how do I keep it protected?

[dochawk]

The '02 Deville paint is indeed damaged, but my wife doesn't want it (!!), and my daughter is taking it. My body shop thinks it can be buffed pretty, but I'm not after the four door anyway.

An adult daughter wanted it, and schemed ("Hey. I'm not scheming. I prefer 'conniving'".) to find this:



It's a 1997 Eldorado ETC. Only 93,000 miles (hit that driving it home), and has spent almost its entire existence garaged.

It was customized before delivery to the dealer, with the extra chrome, vinyl rear roof, and grill (and perhaps others).
Meticulously maintained by first owner for 15 years; carfax has maintenance entries at the dealer almost monthly.

And, oh my, the paint. No oxidation, no dull spots, sparklies (?) still even, no circular scars from bad buffing.

I took it by my body shop (hey, I'm a lawyer; of course I have one) and his response was "you got a steal." He'll take it for a couple of days next week for detailing.

So having hit the jackpot, I'll clear space in my garage (it's a bit longer [ok, more than a bit] than my miata). [and clearing space in this case means removing the dead refrigerators that store my home brewing grain that would stop it from fitting, and taking out shelves I built to move my tool chest]



But what should I be doing to keep this specimen like this?

Should I start with clay for any bits of oxidation that might have happened?

#7 for a first coat, or???

Then regular waxing? With what, in particular? (aside from using microfiber, of course).

Of course, it has another white eldorado, a '72 convertible, to share space with--you can see it in the garage in the background.



I believe that this one is a long-term keeper for me (although I might trade for the perfect '01 or '02).

And the bright waxy finish is something I like (and with our sun, the more protection the better--we never were through our trees on tires, as sun-driven dry rot gets them first)

hawk

[Eldorado2k]

Howdy fellow Cadillac brother👋🏼
Nice Caddy, I've always been fond of the Eldorado myself. I've owned an 82' Biaritz, an 88' Eldorado, a 92' Touring Coupe, and another regular 92' Eldorado in the past.. I currently have this 97' Seville SLS but I sure miss being in a coupe.



As far as maintaining what you've got there, 1st thing is keep it full of premium gas at all times. Lol. But I'm pretty sure you know that part

As far as the paint goes, yes it's best to start with claybar and sealant. You can skip the the glaze unless it's going to spend most of its time in the garage and you enjoy applying it.

I'm assuming the leather is in great condition? If so it's going to be rewarding to keep it in tip top shape at all times. Once you get through giving it a thorough cleaning it becomes easy street from there.

What kind of products do you have on hand or like to use for the interior? If you're starting from scratch and would like any recommendations on products to clean and maintain the interior just let me know.

Very simple tip as far as the paint goes would be to buy the Meguiars Clay Kit, and also the Meguiars Ultimate Wax. [paste or liquid wax. Whichever you prefer to work with. Just keep in mind that the paste version can stain any black rubber seals & plastic trim, where the liquid version is totally safe to apply to all areas]

That's the bare bones simplest place to start.^ And of course if you want to have some real fun with things there's a big candystore of products to go along to make things even better.

[dochawk]

Howdy fellow Cadillac brother👋🏼
Nice Caddy, I've always been fond of the Eldorado myself. I've owned an 82' Biaritz, an 88' Eldorado, a 92' Touring Coupe, and another regular 92' Eldorado in the past.. I currently have this 97' Seville SLS but I sure miss being in a coupe.

My strong preference, too. I spent the last 9 years in a Miata (which I just don't fit with the top up, but that's only a few days a year in Las Vegas).

I had am '92 Eldorado Touring Coupe several years ago for my oldest, but she wrecked it in short order We got another year out of it, though.

As far as maintaining what you've got there, 1st thing is keep it full of premium gas at all times. Lol. But I'm pretty sure you know that part

Yes. Part of why I wanted the '01 or '02, but this was just too good to pass up.

As far as the paint goes, yes it's best to start with claybar and sealant. You can skip the the glaze unless it's going to spend most of its time in the garage and you enjoy applying it.

It's not that hard, but unless there's a benefit . . . I just want to figure out what to put on for the base coat. I don't want the paint to go the way of the Deville's . . .

I'm assuming the leather is in great condition? If so it's going to be rewarding to keep it in tip top shape at all times. Once you get through giving it a thorough cleaning it becomes easy street from there.

It's in great condition, except for the burn (?)



and this one spot on the wheel:

What kind of products do you have on hand or like to use for the interior? If you're starting from scratch and would like any recommendations on products to clean and maintain the interior just let me know.

For the interior, I'm starting from scratch. There's some stuff that's been out in the garage about 10 years, but . . .

next week, the body shop will take it while I'm gone, and he's going to do heavy detailing/cleaning of the leather on a couple of different days. After that, it will usually be me.

Very simple tip as far as the paint goes would be to buy the Meguiars Clay Kit, and also the Meguiars Ultimate Wax. [paste or liquid wax. Whichever you prefer to work with. Just keep in mind that the paste version can stain any black rubber seals & plastic trim, where the liquid version is totally safe to apply to all areas]

I suspected that name would come up

Liquid it is, then.

So Meguiar's ultimate from the first coat on?

And will water bead on it? Particularly our insanely hard water (I suspect you could sharpen a knife just holding it under the faucet . . .) and rainwater?

That's the bare bones simplest place to start.^ And of course if you want to have some real fun with things there's a big candystore of products to go along to make things even better.

just what I need, another candy store

hawk

[Eldorado2k]

I had am '92 Eldorado Touring Coupe several years ago for my oldest, but she wrecked it in short order We got another year out of it, though.

I also wrecked my 92' Touring Coupe back in the day.. But the car was so mint that I couldn't allow that to be the end of it, so I actually went and bought another 92' Eldo just so it could become a donor to fix the crashed 1. Talk about being attached to the car! Lmao😊

These are the only surviving pics I have of that Touring Coupe. It was Pearl White and looked alot like your new Eldo you just bought😉

Attachment 39464

I loved this car. I purchased it straight from the Cadillac dealer, 1 owner car with only 63,000 original miles. I bought it on my 23rd Birthday and drove it for over 5yrs. until the 4.9 liter engine developed the dreaded crack in the engine block [more common in the 4.1 liter HT4100] and got so bad that my engine would leak an average of a quart of oil per week. That actually didn't really bother me as I had always been used to Cadillacs' leaking oil and a quart a week wasn't anything that bothered me whatsoever lol. [mechanics on the other hand would just about freak out at how much oil my car leaked].

But in the end the hole in the engine block, along with a circus of other malfunctions really did render the car an actual hazard to drive and it needed a new engine. And even though I had more than enough money to pay for it, the frugal voice in my head simply wouldn't allow me to put that much into the car for a new 4.9 when every year after had a 300hp. Northstar. So in the end I had to let it go. It was mint till the last day I owned it and really hard for me to part with because of that.

Attachment 39465

Yes. Part of why I wanted the '01 or '02, but this was just too good to pass up.

I'd still pump premium Shell into it. I've never pumped anything but into all the Caddys I've owned. It's just automatic for me to do so lol







It's not that hard, but unless there's a benefit . . . I just want to figure out what to put on for the base coat. I don't want the paint to go the way of the Deville's . . .

Nope, there's really not much benefit to using #7 Glaze in your situation. Plus keep in mind you wouldn't be applying it to the basecoat, you'd be applying it to the clearcoat😉

And what happened to the Deville? I heard you mention Las Vegas? So I assume the desert sun has baked the paint in some areas... [I love Vegas, used to visit every couple of months back in my twenties. I left alot of money in Vegas during that time! Lol]
Keeping a fresh coat of sealant/wax should prevent that from happening to your new Eldo. It's also a plus that the car is white because white stays much cooler vs. a dark colored vehicle such as black.

Btw the 04 Deville has been on my wish list for years now. I hope it's not too late to someday still be able to find a burgundy DTS in great condition.



It's in great condition, except for the burn (?)







and this one spot on the wheel:





Yea that's no biggie, my Seville was in much worse shape when I bought it and cleaned up very well, like all Cadillacs do.
I can always overlook little imperfections like that, you know what I mean.

Here's a couple of pics of my interior right now. Not too bad considering it was completely trashed when I bought it.



The center console is fubar, but everything else looks alright. That little rash on the shifter cleans off.





For the interior, I'm starting from scratch. There's some stuff that's been out in the garage about 10 years, but . . .



next week, the body shop will take it while I'm gone, and he's going to do heavy detailing/cleaning of the leather on a couple of different days. After that, it will usually be me.

Ok so that means you'll simply be be left to maintain it clean which as you know is pretty much easy.. As far as the products and process I use and would recommend.. Vacuuming would be at the top, because it's no good to go rubbing into anything when there's a layer of dust/dirt on top of it. This little horsehair brush attachment, love it. If you already have a similar 1 great. If not, get 1. Lol. This makes quik work of vacuuming the dash, door panels, seats, console, everything but the carpets of course.



Now once you're left with a clean dust free interior comes quik wipedown/maintenance cleaning.

[I'm not sure if you're willing to/or have bought your car care products in bulk before, but if you're willing to do so that's a plus👍🏽 The way I figure, you're always going to want to keep your car clean, so why not cut to chase and save a few bucks in the longrun, not to mention trips to the autoparts store for consumer sized bottles to constantly purchase].

You can choose several products to clean and maintain.
You can go with Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner Concentrate. This concentrate dilutes 10:1 which means this $13:99 bottle is going to yield 11 gallons of cleaner that you'll find endless uses for. Not only does it work great and it's safe, but the value of this product alone makes it impossible to not recommend. Nice clean scent that's not overpowering and quikly dissapates, just in case you're wondering or into scents. [spray onto a quality cotton terry hand towel or microfiber towel, whatever you prefer as long as it doesn't lint]



Or you could choose to go with Meguiars Leather Cleaner. Honestly this product is very similar to the APC. The slight differences are this seems to provide a slightly better user experience meaning it seems to wipe along a bit easier, cleans a tad bit better, but just by a slight bit, and the scent is fine. Choosing this product is kind of going to depend on personal preference as the differences between this and APC are only slight. Personally, I like it and would buy it again because of the better user experience and slightly better crisp cleaning ability.
This product is RTU and not concentrated, meaning you get 1 gallon of product.



Then there's Meguiars Leather Cleaner & Conditioner. Once I'm done with a quik wipedown I usually like to follow with this to "condition" the seats. This product is kind of going to depend on whether you prefer a completely matte finish & feel to your leather & vinyl interior. There's people that hate any kind of shine or smooth feel of their interior. If that describes you than you may choose to pass on this product. Personally, I like the look this provides and any slickness goes away as soon as the product dries anyways, leaving a nice look & soft feel. I apply this just about everywhere on the interior. Seats, dash, console, you can apply to door panels, plastic black door moldings, any vinyl and non clear plastic etc. It's a 2 in 1 which means it cleans as well. This may fit your needs and you could choose to just use this after vacuuming, it's depends on your preference. I like to use a nice sized microfiber applicator like the 1 in the pic. [this product is RTU, lotion. Scent is among my personal favorites of all products]



Welcome to the candy store. Lol

Another tip: Since you live in Nevada it'd be wise to buy a sun visor for the windshield to block out the sun when you're parked. You could also tint the windows.

I suspected that name would come up



Liquid it is, then.



So Meguiar's ultimate from the first coat on?

Yes. If the paint is in good visual condition like you describe and appears in your pics, you should be ok with the claybar and then wax. You can inspect the paint up close with an LCD flashlight to make sure your reflections are clear.

If your reflections are clear like this you can go straight to wax after you claybar.



But if your reflections are hazy like this, you want to polish before waxing. Meguiars Ultimate Polish. If it's really bad then Meguiars Ultimate Compound.





And will water bead on it? Particularly our insanely hard water (I suspect you could sharpen a knife just holding it under the faucet . . .) and rainwater?

Yup. It'll bead. Now this is where you can choose to step up to another level of car care that you may be new to you. Rinseless washing/Waterless washing. This part is a whole nother bag and requires it's own separate deal because there's too much info to get into. Just know that it's good. Research it on this site as there's plenty of info about it. Lots of good products to choose from, these are the 2 I use and they work great.

Rinseless Wash.
Meguiars D114 Rinsefree Express Wash
This $32.99 gallon dilutes to make up to 256 gallons of reusable eco friendly [meaning you can wash without having to use a hose at all] wash solution. Yes that's not a typo.



Waterless Wash & Wax.
This gallon can be found on sale for around $65 or so, maybe cheaper.
Dilutes anywhere between 4:1 to 20:1 it's up to you how concentrated you decide to go with.
You can wash & wax your car with just a simple spray bottle and microfiber towel[s]
And yes, it really works and works well.

I dilute it @6:1 a gallon at a time and then pour into a spray bottle. Wash your car anytime, anywhere.

Meguiars D115 Rinse Free Express Wash & Wax



just what I need, another candy store



hawk

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Let me know if you want to enter the candystore. Lmao.😛Just kidding.

I'm sure this post is gonna be long as heck, but I hope it helps. Long live your Eldorado👍🏽

[7PaintGuns]

Nice Cadillac! Why are you taking it to a body shop to have it cleaned?

[Bunky]

You will get lots of advice on products but I would avoid parking under trees and anywhere birds tend to be.

[tuscarora dave]

Welcome to the site. Nice Caddy!!

I'd have to ask the same question as asked above... Why the body shop for the cleaning of your car? Perhaps they have a capable detailer there? I'd imagine they are experts in body and fender, maybe total repaints... I've seen a lot of body shops that also have an upholstery shop as well and some are simply incredible at what they do, which is usually making and installing new seat covers, carpet etc. etc.

On the other hand, you find a great custom detail shop and you stand a chance of finding an expert at cleaning interiors and maintaining paint systems. Lots of these places just hire cheap labor that bust their humps trying to collect a check at the end of the week...not necessarily experts though... It's a shot in the dark without doing some research first.

The ideal situation is to find an enthusiast level detailing expert on a forum just like this one who will take the job of reconditioning your new to you Caddy in all aspects of proper car care. You may pay a little more but you'd likely be receiving a service that's better for your car in the long run, so long as you find a guy that has some real experience under his belt.

But then again... this could describe your guy at the body shop...

[dochawk]

Nice Cadillac!

Thanks. And I only paid $3k for it!

Well below private party kbb (even for good rather than excellent), and that doesn't factor in the vinyl, custom wheels, or extra chrome.

Why are you taking it to a body shop to have it cleaned?

I actually stopped by the shop I work with because I forgot the number of the place that was going to tow my late miata to them, but wanted his opinion, too (my miata will become a spare time project to see if they and their buddies can resuscitate the lower engine. Maybe it will become a v8 if they can't, or maybe I'll sell it. Just not as easy to climb in and out as when I bought it 9 years ago, but it's the only thing I own with an automatic).

Oh, and I wanted to ask him about the window seal; the rubber is broken at the high point of crossing over the window, and whistles.

Anyway, they do a little bit, but things are slow and they owe me a few favors. I wouldn't normally take it to a body shop.

[dochawk]

You will get lots of advice on products but I would avoid parking under trees and anywhere birds tend to be.

Actually, I have a good tree

We planted a mesquite to shade the van on the far side of the driveway a few years ago, and now it can do that. It's some kind of south american mesquite (brazillian?), and birds apparently hate it. I have *never* seen a bird in it, and haven't gotten any presents while parked under it. This time of year, though, it kind of drizzles mesquite dust & debris.

It goes in the garage once I get a couple of storage refrigerators moved out (the tenants abandoned them, it was invested with mice, and I needed a safe place for my brewing grain!). A section of shelves will need to come out, too, to make room for the tool chest. I have the width with the shelves in, but this thing is a bit longer than the miata

hawk

[dochawk]

Grr. It just ate my post.

All wally-world had was more quick-detail to lubricate the clay bar and the liquid ultimate wax. Not a single waterless wash without wax in the store.

So I did the top of the car.

Here are some befores with a flashlight:





The fuzzy part moves separately from the primary image





Almost there:







OK, I have the two separated. That took some effort.




Is the big spot the light reflecting off the white paint and onto the back of the clearcoat?


It actually picked up more than I did on the top of the deville, which has paint damage under the clearcoat. Most of the black came from within about six inches of the side edges. And, of course, wherever I touched rubber . . .

Here's the only after I remembered to take:




And more removed crud:



Then I read the instructions and think I followed them on the wax. Is it really just wiping some on, giving it a few minutes to dry, and wiping it off? I recall waxing being a lot more work . . .

'hawk