Finally Road-Legal: The Brake Saga of My 1966 Cadillac

Owning a classic Cadillac is a dream—but getting it licensed in Austria is a challenge. My 1966 Eldorado had never been registered here, and the strict inspection standards meant a long checklist of modifications and upgrades.

The Austrian Inspection Checklist
To make my Cadillac road-legal, I had to:

• Add rear orange directional lights
• Replace T3 sealed beams with halogens (T3 sealed beams are prohibited)
• Disconnect side marker lights
• Ensure brake and fuel lines do not touch the frame
• Pass a full brake test
• Pass a full suspension test with zero play
• Install a rear-lit license plate holder for oversized plates
• Pass the emissions test

The Brake Test Nightmare

By June, I thought everything was ready. The inspector at the state station was friendly and helpful, but the brake test came as a shock—the brakes failed completely.
Back home, I started taking the brakes apart. At first, everything seemed fine, but I soon discovered the culprit: the wheel cylinders were stuck. Years of storage and old brake fluid had taken their toll.
Lesson learned: Never underestimate the effects of old brake fluid!

Rebuilding the Brakes

• I went full rebuild mode:
• Honed and resealed wheel cylinders with new rubber parts and springs
• De-rusted all components
• Replaced all three original rubber hoses (they were swollen and restricted fluid flow)
• Replaced old steel brake lines with pre-bent stainless steel lines from Summit Racing
• The brake lines were a real headache. Original fittings were stripped and unmovable—even vice grips couldn’t loosen them. After much trial, heat was the only solution. The old lines had to be replaced, but the new stainless lines fit almost perfectly with only minor adjustments.

A Father-Son Project
One of the highlights of this restoration was working with my son, Elliot. Motivated for the first time to dive into a project, he quickly learned drum brakes and can now rebuild them on his own. Sharing these moments made the project even more rewarding.


Triumph at the Inspection Station
Once the brakes were rebuilt and bled, we returned to the inspection station—and finally, the Cadillac passed! After months of trial, error, and elbow grease, I could officially drive my car on Austrian roads.
This experience reinforced that working on a classic car isn’t just about the final result—it’s about the journey, the lessons learned, and sharing that passion with the next generation.

Front left before

Front right after rebuilding

Front wheel cylinder was stuck

Removed the rust

Painted fro rust protection

Trying to get the brake lines of with heat

My son Elliot helped a lot

Cleaned and de-rusted parts

Boiling in rust remover

Before disassembly

New brake lines in place

Rear brakes detail

Diagram from shop manual


Putting the wheels back on with the correct torque specs.

Tags:1966 Cadillac Repair Tips, 1966 Cadillac Coupe deVille, Brake Fluid, Brakes, Restoration, Rear brakes