I first saw the car in July of 1993, it was in Alf Caminetti’s workshop. His son Paul had just finished converting the car. Paul had bought the car together with some other cars in America and had intended to keep this one for his own use. Unfortunately for Paul, he was running out of money and needed to sell the car to pay for the others. We negotiated and the deal was done. We took the car to Vic Roads, transferred it and registered it. And I was the proud owner of a 1984 Brougham D’Elegance Fleetwood Sedan 4.1 litre fuel injected throttle bodied V8.

Standard features include:
power windows on all doors
six way leather seats that feel like a sofa when you sink into them and they form into your shape
power mirrors
motorised trunk open and close
electronic level ride
electronic climate control
cruise control
heated rear window and exterior mirror
twilight sentinel
automatic headlights
wire wheel covers
on-board computer

For the past seven years the car has been used on a daily basis and we have clocked up 80,000 miles. The odometer read 50,757 miles when it was purchased, making a total of 130,000 miles so far and still in original condition. The differential is a ratio 3.73:1 HT 4100 high altitude. I have no idea what high altitude means so if anyone does, please tell me.

The car is a dream to drive, but is a bit hard to park in a carpark. A couple of years ago, a hit and run driver on the wrong side of the road damaged the right hand front guard. Fortunately the solid bumper bar took the impact and he bounced off the car without a lot of damage. We had to replace the right hand corner bumper, the head light surround, the wheel arch mould, and the radio aerial. There is still a slight dent in the guard. I tried to knock it out with a block of wood and a heavy hammer but the metal was tougher than me. The hit and run driver left most of the side of his car on the road. They say new cars have crumple zones, but Cadillacs thankfully have solid bumper bars, heavy duty steel bodies and solid chassis.

We have travelled in luxury and comfort now for seven years, a mixture of country trips and city driving. The Cadillac has been reliable and cheap to maintain. The service and maintenance cost per year over 7 years average $1,161 - not bad for a car that is 17 years old. We had an LPG system installed a year after we bought the car, and fuel cost on a run is cheap. No problems with the LPG and the motor is still running as well as on day one. After nearly 80,000 miles on LPG everything functions as it should. The motor has never been touched apart from oil changes and spark plugs. We have used two sets of tyres, the rear wheel bearings have been changed to accept press fit bearings to save axle wear, a new drag link and tie rod ends. The original American battery eventually went flat after 5 years.

So I am quite happy with my 84 Cadillac. Now my wife Michelle, drives an 84 Eldorado Coupe as her regular car and she loves it, but that car is for another story.
Keith Kendrick
Mount Waverley, Vic.