Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Fist of all thanks for this nice forum. :)

Let me introduce myself, I'm a french guy living in the eastern area of France (where people are nicer ;) ) and I'm about to make a journey to the land of suntan lotion in March. I'm a sensible 40 years old social worker, but I always got that crush for American classics that's why I want to seize the opportunity of my journey to bring back home some V8 American pride.

Being a tall and (I have to admit it) rather chubby guy, I make my bets on a Cadillac to get a comfortable ride that I can use as a weekend car to get some fun and make good times roll. See what I mean !

On the other hand in spite of the fact that I'm traveling with my friend who is a great mechanic, I don't have a lot of knowledge about Cadillac. So Please can you give me some insights or advices about what kind of Cadillac I can buy for 6 grand ? I am looking at some great coupe de ville on Craigslist but the price is so cheap that I don't feel really confident about this choice.

This is kind of silly but as a great Neil Young enthusiast, I have this song running in my head "Coupe de Ville" from the 1988 album "this note's for you" And I really love the three doors Cadillac coupe De Ville. But there is so much to learn and so little time before I pay you a visit...

Should I search for a 78-81 Cadillac or a 76 equipped with an bigger engine ?

Driving a Cadillac is not about speed it's about comfort, but I also want a reliable car 'cause as a french social worker my budget is rather low...

So any information to help me build a bit of Cadillac knowledge would be much appreciated !

Thanks for reading this, I hope I get a few answers, Till then have a nice weekend !

Laurent a nice 40 years old french guy

Laurent...Welcome to the CLC Forum.

Answer to your question: 1977 - 1979 Coupe deVille with 425 4bbl and don't look back.

For comfort, ride, all around ease of use/maintenance/drivability as well as durability in the traditional Cadillac package of front engine, rear wheel drive V8 with generous chrome hardware on each end, these models are difficult to beat - and at any price, IMHO.

Very good examples can be had for as little as $5,000, even less for 4 door Sedan deVille. Top examples can run to $10K or higher (depending on color combination and equipment).

Happy hunting and good luck.

I am a member of the Kansas City chapter and our president forward this to us,
It is very nice looking yellow convertible.
I will try to post some pics


Members,
I got this info from a guy with LazerTow out of Grandview.  He has this Eldo that he would like to sell and wanted me to pass along this info.  I think he indicated that he’s looking to ask $5000 although that is something you could talk to him about.  I’ll send along some additional photos that he sent also.
Steve

From: Bruce Pollock [mailto:bruce@lazertow.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 3:41 PM
To: caddy4961@outlook.com
Subject: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

Lazer Pipes Services Inc. ( Lazer Tow )
4100 Main Street
Grandview Missouri 64030
Office 816-763-2112
Bruce Pollock Cell # 816-215-4241 You may use this number anytime.

More Pic’s to Follow

Hi Eric !

Thanks for your heartwarming welcome and for taking time to answer me so early in the morning (here it's Friday evening got back from work shared some beers with folks)

I'll be scouting for my Cadillac around L.A Area with my folks in a few weeks, on the other hand we won't travel any further than the great Pomona Swap exchange on the 5th of March, so Missouri is unfortunately not an option.

Eric, I love the "don't look back" part of your advice !  ;D This is precisely what I wanna do.

Think I'll have some great times in the USA in March, got so much to share and to learn! Thanks again !

Dollar and Euro is high and Swedish krona is low. And the best American cars in Europe you will find in Sweden. As that's within EU you wont have to pay any taxes and cost of transportation will be low. You can drive it home in the spring! So even though it's fun to buy a car in USA it might be a better deal buying in Sweden.

https://www.blocket.se/stockholm/bilar?q=cadillac&cg=1020&w=3&st=s&ca=11&is=1&l=0&md=th&cb=4 (https://www.blocket.se/stockholm/bilar?q=cadillac&cg=1020&w=3&st=s&ca=11&is=1&l=0&md=th&cb=4)
Hopefully this link will take you direct to Cadillacs for sale in Sweden. Prices in Swedish krona and you do the math. I think you will be able to understand even though its in Swedish. And remember you can always talk the price down, at least 10% with a cash deal.

Yeps ! Got that right !On the other Hand I'm heading to America in March so I'll have to try to make a deal there!

In California I will also have a large choice of (I hope) rust free cars and I will be much easier to find some parts if I need to make an interior nicer.

But you're right Sweden is a great B plan, knew that from the TV show wheeler dealers.  8)

Bonsoir ravi de voir un compatriote ici j' ai ceci https://forum.americanbreizhcar.com/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=1888

Dear LaurentL,

You have an email from the Administrators that require your attention.

I sent it two days ago.

Bruce. >:D

Sorry, I take care of this right now !  8)

OK it's done !

In three weeks I will fly to California to find myself a nice Cadillac and even if I do have a thing for the beautiful coupe de ville from the end of the seventies, I still don't have a lot of information about them. Gonna buy something like a 1976 Cadillac Coupe De Ville 8.2L. I crave for advices and informations of any kind about these cars so if you can help me out, I would be really grateful ! Thanks

Hi Laurent ,
        I have spent a couple days looking all over California , Oregon , Washington , and Las  Vegas for ALL Cadillacs to understand the current market for you. I have found only 2 1976 Coupe Devilles worth a second look. I know these cars quite well , and these days it is becoming difficult and time consuming to find one worth purchasing. California and Nevada cars often have sun damage which makes them unacceptable to me. A very rare opportunity is a 41,000 mile blue garage kept 1976 Cad CDV being sold by the owner since 1977. This is EXTREMELY unusual these days. $10,100 asking , but has been on CL for 22 days. May be some flexibility at this point. I would think $7500-$8000 might be possible. This car is in Salinas , which is a day's drive North of L.A. by way of one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world. This would be my recommendation to you , as you could look for a year or two and not find anything like this. IT IS ALWAYS THE MOST INEXPENSIVE OPTION TO BUY THE VERY BEST OLD CAR YOU CAN POSSIBLY AFFORD. Or , even one that you can not quite afford ! You could spend all your time looking at junk , or junk that appears almost acceptable, only to have problems making your trip somewhat disappointing, and expensive.  sfbay.craigslist.org  also  monterrey.craigslist.org
1976 Cadillac Coupe Deville.

         A white '76 CDV with cloth interior is on CL in Las Vegas. Not as nice , with a cracked and peeling steering wheel has 74,000 miles , a CLC member is asking $4500 or offer. I intend to call him later , (it is 4:00 AM here now , I have spent quite a bit of time looking today) , and will post here for you. It is possible that this owner knows me , as I drove my 1927 Cadillac 2700 miles to , and around Las Vegas last year for the CLC Grand National.

         There are a couple of other Cads not too far away that I must call on in order to see if they are worth considering.

         You need all the help you can possibly get , as your intentions could end up becoming frustrating. I have been buying '60s and '70s Cadillacs out of California for over 30 years. It used to be easy. Not so now.

         I have nothing to do with any of the cars I am looking at for you. I enjoy looking for Cadillacs and brand X cars , and do not make any money when I find or sell someone else's cars. I do ask that someone who I help feeds me a very good meal. In this case , I would have to travel to L.A. , or France !

          Please communicate through the forum , as I say , you would be wise to enjoy the help of us friendly CLC members. Take a look at the 2 cars referenced , and let us know what you think.   - Carl

         

Carl, it seems that you like to search cars! I'm amazed that you spent so much time for somebody you don't know; I hope that TheFrenchGuy will appreciate!
I'm almost in the same situation: as you may have read, I sold my 1956 Sedan de Ville last November because I would like to buy a nice 1970 to 1972 Coupe or Sedan de Ville. I used to buy my cars to restore them but now this is something from the past the next car will be there just to enjoy it.
I never considered to import myself a car from the US but, if you see a de Ville in exceptional condition, I may change my mind. There is no urgency, we still have winter here!

Hi Roger ,
         Thank you for your perceptive , kind compliments ! Laurent and his friend are embarking on an endeavor with tremendous risk , and a learning curve so steep and high that it almost guarantees frustration. Planning for this trip should have included membership in CLC , (perhaps he has joined) , and a prominent 1/4 page ad in the Self Starter. Contact with fellow members could yield a fine car at a reasonable price. I cannot imagine a member who would take advantage of a Cadillac fan , much less a brother member. I suppose theoretically it could happen , as it turns out that fully 1 in 17 people exhibit some degree of clinical sociopathy. Believe me , I , as most of us , have encountered evidence that substantiates this sad fact. I agonize that Laurent may have a less than joyful vacation. With limited time on California soil , "California Dreaming"  could change into a California nightmare. He has asked for help , and help he sorely needs. On a low workload day , I would like to illustrate this with the "Farmer John The Giant From The Adams Family" story. It involves a 1969 Cadillac from Riverside , East of L.A. If EXACTLY THE RIGHT CAR awaited Laurent as far away as Las Vegas or San Francisco , it could very easily save him time , distance , and gasoline. The L.A. area is so vast that 200+ miles a day might be conservative for a Cad Hunter , stopping and going on the freeways. And then on to the next imposter who turns out to be a less than tame goose.

         I bought my first California Cadillac in 1979. My now highly modified wrecked '71 Eldo conv which has seen unbelievably hard duty over much of Mexico. In those days , big , fine garage kept '60s and '70s Cads were just inexpensive used cars purchased from their attentive wealthy first or second owners. Serviced by the Cadillac dealer which originally sold them , copies of the entire service records were provided. Right now , the occasional early '90s Cad may be found , low mileage , out of the garage , at quite attractive prices. My '90 1/2 Allante , my '93 60 Special , I am so tempted , but around here , the end is drawing near. In the meantime , I really do enjoy Cadillac and MB hunting.

          It will be a pleasure to hunt for your next Cadillac. In your case , that would have to be within a 100 - 300 mile radius. As you will not be here , I will have to personally inspect the car. I have recently looked at several Cads here (Washington State) , so there is some momentum. I do know that you are rather specific about this Cadillac , but I wonder : A '69 ? So similar to '70. A '73 ? Those being a superior car to the '71 and '72s , handle better as I recall due to some suspension tuning. What colors are most attractive to you ? Any colors you do not want ? Leather interior ? Cloth ? I had a '73 SDV many years ago with a gorgeous saddle brown leather interior , 40/60 front seat. It was very classy. If I found a white one with that interior , it would be very hard to resist. Almost a European level of elegance. O.K. , I got a callback while writing from the Las Vegas Cad. I do not think it is the right one yet , but if Laurent likes that particular blue cloth interior , I am very sure the price can come down quite a bit. Apparently the car runs very well , and all the vacuum lines are new , but I would prefer to spend two or three times the money for that 41,000 miler from Salinas. I have not heard back from them , as you can only contact through Craigslist , I sent them my number yesterday. I frequently try to contact this way with no response. This can go on for weeks , as the car just sits with the posting still up. Another time consuming frustration. I am waiting for other calls. But I will post my progress soon. Others I want to check on , but I need to know if there is any potential interest in the low mileage "new" blue '76 CDV. I would buy that one under the time constraints , and the economy of having a perfect car. ALWAYS cheaper in the long run. Not to mention the greatly enhanced ability of selling a pristine example in any market. The current Self Starter has a member with a 41,000 mole '76 CDV in Pennsylvania for $9500 , so I think that garage kept one from the owner of 40 years is at a realistic starting points. Close to the airport too , relatively speaking. Oh , Roger if we can find the Cad of your dreams , I could deliver it to any airport and meet you on arrival. You then could tour that section of the country before sending it home. I suppose I could arrange shipping, but what a nice way to see you favorite part of the U.S.A. , and not to have to do it in a rented Chevrolet !

           Alright Laurent , what are you thinking ? Might you be interested in a low mileage '70s Eldorado coupe ? There is a very good '78 with a factory sunroof which I will call on tonight. Also there is a 33,000 mile '79 Fleetwood without fuel injection. Just under $6000. Those are very good cars , a bit smaller than the earlier 8.2 Cads. They handle significantly better than the big ones , and of the '77 - '79s , the '79 is improved in that respect.   RSVP , - Carl

Hi Carl

Thanks for your answer. Well, a '73 would still fit, although the front end is less pleasant; 69 could also be an alternative, they have front disk brakes. No matter which year (69 to 73), they will drive better than my '56 did! Outside color: no black or white. I like metallic colors...Inside: my '56 de Ville had cloth/leather. I find it a good combinaison; my 2 other Cads plus the 2011 DTS have leather. I would make it clear: don't begin to hunter for a car! Just tell me if, by accident, you came across that low mileage, driven from that proverbial little lady using the car to go to the church! I would feel bad if, because of me, you are accumulating miles either in your Cad or Mercedes!
I never imported myself a car from the US, I would no do it myself but would let organize the whole thing by somebody who is importing cars professionally. A quick trip to see the "treasure", why not, but for the next 4 years I prefer to not pay a visit in the clown's land. If you don't understand what I do mean, the answer will came with a PM!

When I began to get interested by Cadillacs with the desire to own one, I bought books to learn. I also had a good help from Yann Saunders while he was living near Geneva. Imagine that, even after reading books, I could not see the difference between a 1959 convertible and a '59 Biarritz! I was so simple, thank Yann for being a good teacher!

This previous remark in indeed addressed to Laurent who had hopes to learn in one week or two all the details and characteristics from those cars...I would call it "mission impossible"! Carl, as you wrote, his trip to the US will not be so easy. Let see what the outcome will be.

I was just proofreading a labor of almost 2 hours of contemplation , and an equal time of composition from 12:30 until 4:15 A.M. It evaporated while editing , and is apparently lost forever. It was full of an enormous amount of info , and I make it a policy never to re-write which has been robbed from me.

LAURENT : RSVP

ROGER : YES , WE WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS SOME THINGS OFF LINE. I HAD WRITTEN A POLITICALLY NEUTRAL SYNOPSIS OF THE TECTONIC CHANGES GOING ON IN THE WORLD NOW. HISTORICALLY FASCINATING TIME TO TRAVEL IN THE U.S. NOT QUITE LIKE 1930s EUROPE , BUT ................
            - Seething , furious over the loss of fully 4 hours of sleep time , - Carl

Oh Carl, it must be frustrating to loose so much thinking and writing. When I know that the message will be long, I don't write directly into the forum but into another program. From time to time, Internet can have a cut; I suppose it happens to you and, when the subject is not sent, it's lost.

I'm wondering if Laurent will respond to the cars you saw for him...

About equal amounts of time were devoted to re-reading and thinking about every word in this thread , and the actual writing. At present I have no backup capability , so I think short , staccato, individual bits will get the necessary points across ---- TBC - CC

At the outset , what Laurent has done is exactly what he should do under the circumstances. He has come to a good place for help , and it is being provided. This makes his mission possible. May be difficult, but by utilizing help from all who offer it , he may have beginners luck. Visiting family , presuming that he has the use of the So Cal necessity, a car , and excellent , idiomatically sophisticated English which implies earlier extended trips here , and/or deep media immersion , gives him a sound foundation for potential success. Further , he actually has a clear picture of what he wants , and that picture is valid. Big , comfortable , 500 cu. in. CDV. There is nothing else quite like these huge luxury Cadillacs. Andy Grove (of Intel) , had a '76 F'wood with around 1/4 million miles on it , he obviously loved it. We all know about love for cars , and I am pretty sure Laurent does too. I hope I have not scared him in any way , rather , I offered real-time help by way of telephone support as he looks at candidate Cads. That phone no. presently will be 408-621-8261. I can easily guide him through hands-on inspection of key areas. Accurate interior restoration is not an easy task at best , so avoiding the usual Southern sun damage will be a major consideration. Traveling with a mechanic friend is smart and effective. This can be done , of course , as all car hunters know , something we call LUCK usually delivers the truely beloved car ! Let's help stack the deck in Laurent's favor. But we do need feedback from him frequently. Again , I hope he is encouraged , rather than the contrary.  - CC

P.S. : Are you still with us , Laurent ?

CC & CLC to Laurent...............CC & CLC to Laurent............Come in Laurent..............CC & CLC to Laurent............... ? CC........... ......  ....    ..     .       

Hi folks ! I'm back (I was busy with my work and forgot to check the forum, I do feel ashamed... Sorry it won't happen again... :-[ )

First of all, Carl, if this was possible right now, I'd like to shake your hand for taking so much time to help me out. Thanks for your great insights and for being sincere.

I have found several cheap ( 3000-5000 $) but very good looking Cadillacs on Craigs list L.A  On the other hand, considering what you wrote, this may mean that the cars I'm gazing at all have some issues and are in fact money pits ? sun baked interiors ?

My two friends are some great mechanics specialized in American classics but they don't know much about Cadillac.
I'm traveling for the first time in the USA and I really want to bring back an American classic, I made my bet on a Cadillac from around the 70's with a carburetor engine. I wanted a Coupe de Ville but I can change my mind. I will have a look at the cars you have found for me.

We have rent a car for our journey, a big one to carry our cases and some parts we may buy afterwards.

The only thing I've got to know is : Can I buy a worthy classic Cadillac for 6000 $ in  the L.A area in March ?

Depending on your answer (don't be scared to be blunt) I will go on or ditch my dream. You have done a lot for me but may I show you one or two Craig's list adds to have your thoughts about them ?

I'm also a bit scared about my english, this is the first time that I'm traveling in an english speaking country since the compulsory trip to England when I was 13, I may have an overestimated view of my actual skill...

I'm scared, scared to be separated from my friends at the airport, scared to get lost, to disappoint them... but I've got to hold on and cling to my project, I will do my best and as you write maybe lady luck will help me out !  ;D

Thanks a lot Carl, if one day I can help you out ( a trip to France maybe ?) I'll be more than happy and proud to help you too, till then I'm on my way to read again your last messages and to check the car options you have found for me.

Sincerely yours, Laurent

I just checked the forum , and am delighted to see you are with us here. It is past my lunch time , so l'll fuel and med-up for a long , logical tutorial. I have got calls back , and the way is clear for me. To give you a quick answer : yes it is possible to find the Cadillac you are looking for in the greater L.A. area for $6000. But , BUT , possible depends on making it a FULL TIME JOB in a certain way. Also depends on 3 other things : number one , luck ; number two , Luck ; number three , LUCK. As Gen. McArthur said , "I shall return". ( I think the "Terminator" paraphrased him decades later).             
                  Back in an hour or two , - Carl

I'm back , and will be frequently. I would like to figure out how to make many bite sized postings , in order to make the totality more evaporation proof. First , my reference to "Full time" dedication level to insure success. There are in every large metropolitan area , full time "flippers" , resellers and bargain hunters who scan c.l. frequently. Every hour , or even 1/2 hour. Many of them , competing with each other , perhaps intent on making 50% , or even 100% profit. They will beat you to the good deals 90% of the time on one of your better days. 99.44% of the time if you are just checking two or four times a day. So in the L.A. Cadillac hunt , you would scan Los Angeles Area , Orange County , Inland Empire , Ventura , Santa Barbara , Palm Springs , San Diego , and maybe even Las Vegas. Oh , and lets throw in Bakersfield too. Every hour , or even 1/2 hour. Then again , one often ends up looking at less than satisfactory cars. Some obviously so , others subtly concealing problems. I had mentioned earlier a '78 Eldo with factory sunroof. That was a first generation sale , still dusty from storage , which sold before I could even get back to them , "tonight". That car will be given a good cleanup , or maybe a deep detail (that particular car warranted that level of presentation). Also resurrection to a certain level of reliable operation. This would be a lucky find , and depending on the profit margin needed by the reseller , might easily still have great value to you as the purchaser , even though it is a second generation sale. This is acknowledging logistics , facilities , and time constraints , and potential cross-cultural complications. I have spent over 8 years traveling , living , and working in other countries , mostly in Spain and Latin America , where I use my fluent , and sometimes amusing Spanish. This often delights native Spanish speakers , but on rare occasions where I am pushing my luck , has proved provocative. You with your proficiency, honest restraint , charm , and civility , will do just fine ! I'll break here , TBC , - Carl

To Continue: First a couple housekeeping items. Let me ease some of your your fears. You and your friends are about to embark on a wonderful , fun , adventure of a lifetime. Have you ever spent a month or more in any foreign country ? Something remarkable happens after the one month point. You become immersed directly , without making a step of "transposition" , or having to experience your temporary environment through comparison with where you have come from. Certain "filters" are removed. Most people have actually experienced an aspect of this , when they move to a new dwelling. Usually takes a month or so to feel TOTALLY at home in YOUR VERY OWN house of apartment.

You may get lost on the road , sure. I enjoy wandering aimlessly about in my car , whether it is in Europe, L.A. , Venezuela, wherever. If I have time , and am "lost" , I drive to the closest high point. You often find something surprisingly different from the lowlands. With 3 people , a driver , a navigator with GPS (with real time traffic and route planning) , and a spotter , you can get around well. A good paper map is not a bad idea , and I am pretty sure you guys are old enough to use one. If you have good ded-reckoning, and spatial skills , don't ask anyone much younger than about 30-35 or so for directions involving such parameters. They don't have the vocabulary or mental operating systems to do anything other than look at a screen. Now , L.A. drivers are very good. Used to fast driving and thinking. And traffic moves at a high pace , and most freeway interchanges are well-engineered. Some of the very old freeways , particularly the 110 as it goes north from downtown to Pasadena is archaic , but fast moving , maybe 75 - 80 on a route designed for about 50 mph. Be very alert , careful , and take your time on that one. 710 - 10 transition can be confusing in some directions. Recovery can take an incredible amount of time there.

I worked as an aviation electronics engineer in L.A. about 50 years ago during the So Cal aerospace boom. The little spare time I had was dedicated to road running. There are some cases when you can take a long , interesting alternative to the freeway , and arrive at your destination sooner ! I enjoy spending a week or two , or a month or two there when I can. I have/do belong to engineering and astronomical associations in L.A. , so find the area rewarding in many ways. Never more so than when Winter makes life tough in Washington State. You will have a good trip at this time.

I will be very happy to look at any interesting C.L. postings you find. Link them here , it may even be that someone on the forum lives close by and can take a look. I can call about the subject cars and make some evaluation. I think that would be a great way to get ready for your Cad hunt , if hunt it will be. Perhaps the very most valuable preparation is membership in CLC. Are you yet ? By having membership and the international directory , you may cold call members at reasonable times , and will be well received almost 100% of the time. If you join right now , I don't think you could get the directory before you leave. I could send my current directory to you in care of your family if you are a member , and just use last years until you leave. Then it could be sent back. I cannot lend my directory to a non member. CLC members everywhere help each out to an astonishing degree. As you probably know , thanks to Paul Ayers and others , we have a significant presence over much of Europe , and I guess I should say U.K. also , if it is not too early to differentiate. Again , fascinating times.
                    I am running on. Let me send this , and continue separately.    TBC , - CC

As I was not myself in the past looking for cars in the US, my opinion is probably not the ultimate one: for $ 6000'00 I would not expect a Cadillac from the vintage you are looking for in super condition. Anyway, those cars are about 40 years old, usually the maintenance is something people are forgetting, they can look well in the picture but the frame/underbody is eaten by the rust, and so on! However, as Carl wrote, with some luck, everything is possible.
Keep in mind that also Americans are cooking with water!

Hi Roger ! I was mentally composing my wrap up for the Cadillac hunting day (night ? ) , ready to start tapping , and bacame overjoyed to see you currently "in the loop". " Cooking with water" ? As opposed to wine ? Or drowning in water (as Oroville Dam in Northern California and downstream are in imminent danger due to what was wished for being delivered in great abundance too quickly) ? Thank you so very much , and I hope others will be able to come to the aid of who may well be part of the future of CLC in Europe. Three of the pride of French Cadillac fans , soon to be owner(s). O.K. , let me see if I can advance the effort. Very good morning to you , Roger.  - Carl

Thanks Carl! If I'm right, it should be Sunday 11.30 PM when you wrote your message...Usually, at that time I'm in the bed!
If everybody is cooking with water, I prefer to have a good glass of red wine with the meal; I know I'm not alone....

Good day to you also , Laurent. As Roger indicates , a $6000 car will not be an $8500 or $9000 car , but sometimes you can get lucky and find a car which can be quickly made a car worth 1/2 again the purchase price just by washing it. I did that 15 or 20 years ago with a '75 Eldo coupe I found in the L.A. area Recycler (a still functioning publication which I think comes out early Thursday mornings). Of course not as it once was , but worth a look anyway. I was buying it for a very good friend , so all he had to do was buy me a beer , and smile ! Of course , HE had to do all the washing ! I just washed the hood (bonnet?) , so I could enjoy the view forwards on the delivery drive up the coast.

NOW LAURENT : PLEASE DO NOT "DITCH" YOUR "DREAMS". You have a very well defined definition of your dream car. Let's see if dreams can come true. In order to do this , we must define the dream. Is the dream more the hunt or the car ? Somewhere in between ? If it is the hunt , in any case I can give you 24 hour access to me by phone for immediate help. If you can not reach me on the number posted above at any time , I will give you a dedicated line that you alone can reach me on. I can help , and can interrogate any owner for you. Also , on the phone , with my linguistic experiences , I can help you advance proficiency more quickly. Do your friends also speak English well ? In the case that hunt is indeed your main goal , I will have to tell you the "Farmer John" story at some point soon. If the ultimate dream is possession and exporting as good a $6000 '75-'76 500 cu. in. CDV as possible , let's take a good look at that. Keep in mind , the Cad is the dream in this case , rather than the thrill of the hunt. What might be the overhead involved in the logistics of the purchase. Might you get lucky and be driving that CDV in 5-8 days ? Maybe. Likely ? Who knows. It almost certainly would be a matter of a lot of work , travel , and luck. 2 weeks ?? 3 ??? Rent a car for how long ? With taxes , and insurance , how much will that cost for a large car ? What have you been quoted ? Pomona ? Oh , and guys , if you are in So Cal , museums ? The Petersen in L.A. ? Any non automotive museums ? The George C. Page at the La Brea Tar Pits are across Wilshire from the Pete'. Well they cost in addition to money , time. Can you spare it ? The Huntington Library and gardens ? Any interest in ............. ? Certainly for car guys , in addition to the Pete' is the Nethercutt. Free admission , but it would be a bargain at a thousand times the price !! Look these up. Interested ? I can fill you in. Now there is a MUST SEE , a beautiful drive up the coast from L.A. This billionaire's collection is primary exotic French cars. Look up the Mullin Museum. You must make reservations for the one or two Saturdays a month it is open to the public. There are some people who would rather be out chasing Cadillacs , and I must admit , I have been that person in the past. But I live here , and although I found some Bugattis in a shed near Mougins in '68 or '69 , I could not afford them even then , and besides , my Danish girlfriend was even more interesting than the cars , and I had more exploring to do on the Riviera. Hey ! It was Europe on $5 a day time , and I was in my '20s ! I did have a cool little 2CV !     Wooooooooeeeeeeeeee , this thing is going unstable. Back in a moment..........

Hi again Roger ! It sure is late ! Maybe I'll have a glass of red medicine myself , as the doctors recommend. I was getting close to the end of this chapter , and either my device or myself began to falter. 100% certain it was more than my clumsy self. I'm on a surge protector, so I have stable power , if that matters at all. Somehow I doubt it. Man , I was drifting off into vague memories of long ago love in the hills above Monte Carlo , and Nice ! Many of my memories are beginning to register more as dreams. So long ago. Wistful nostalgia. Keeping it Cadillac , I remember my '39 60S , and sometimes remember the ride and "heft" of that great $100 car ! Yes , so long ago. Youth wasted on the young ? Youth wasted ? Youth. To your health, Roger ! Shall I have that glass of wine ?- CC

Yes , it is a Cabernet. J. Coltrane with the M. Davis Quintet on the radio. Also streaming on KNXT.org
Hmmm......... - CC

Alright , we were about to factor overhead in to the cost of the CDV. What hard costs in dollars ? What is the time worth ? Let's see if we can come up with a number. Where will you be staying ? All 3 of you ? And the rental car ? Again , with all taxes and insurance. What are they ? Realistically $300 a week ? Man that is good. $400 ? $500 ? Now apply all that ovreheard to the purchase price of your dream car. What if you were picked up at the airport in an $8500 '76 CDV ? One that could be given a detail , and become a high point show car ? One in the top 1% or less of all '75-'76 CDVs ? One that could command a very good price in Europe , and help fund your next trip to the U.S.A. and the next hunt/purchase adventure? It is the top fraction that sell well , and you would also know perfection , the more easily to detect deviation from same. I have more info for you , I have had two long talks with '76 CDV owners , one CLC , one not. You can not purchase either one for $6000. But , what if you could be picked up at the airport in either one of them ? Please think deeply and realisticly about your undertaking. How much do you want to bite off on your first trip to the Wild West ? What if you had been here before , cruising around in an almost like new 500 cu. in. Caddy , while looking at a few others "for your friend" ? Because that alternative does not preclude you from doing just that in your new CDV. Look at a few of them. "My friend wants one , too". Easy to walk away , 'cause it is not anywhere as good as yours , and there is absolutely no pressure on you. Mission HAS been accomplished, and YOU know it! Sure , look at as many as you like. Or as few. Your time is ALL your own. And , yeah , you'll be burning more gasoline than the rental would have , but speaking of gasoline, you will NOT be required to return this one with a full tank !

The above last scenario : so if you had been here before , doing exactly that , how prepared would you be if the trip you are about to take was your SECOND Cadillac trip , having had the postulated experience described? If this makes any sense , let us discuss in some depth the two interrogated CDVs. You see clearly the logical place I am going to here. As I say , I have spent 64 of my 72 years traveling , living , and working in the U.S.A.

Do by all means link us to C.L. Cads for any , or hopefully many of us to pass judgement on. That is a frequent forum pastime. An astonishing amount of cumulative knowledge here. And make the guys and gals and yourself content. Join up !   RSVP , - Carl

And Roger , it is now 3:00 AM here. For 25 or 30 years I generally carried a 70 hour/week average work load. At one point I had 4 telephone lines. Never had all 4 going simultaneously. But very often 2 , and at times 3. At one point working 4 time zones , three in U.S. , one in Europe. Kept me VERY busy. I once worked 15 20 hour days in a row covering all 4 time zones , several attorneys, reviewing contracts , and pushing too hard. One of my guys is a a retired Naval Captain. Led Seal Team 6 at one point. He recognized my symptoms towards the end of that most absurdly stressful ordeal. "Battle Fatigue" , he called it. At the end I had to go to a clinic for an EKG , suffering dehydration and chest and left arm pains. All that and much more contributed to two recent heart attacks , last in the emergency room with another cardiac crisis 3 or 4 weeks ago. That makes 5 heart propelled E.R. visits. Fool that I am , I drove myself in each time , though never in a Cadillac (happy I could work that in - now a Cad related posting !). So now I pick my own schedule, and use a wonderful prescribed geriatric soporific to generally get 8 , 9 hours of sleep. This old dog learned a good trick. Trazodone. I think I'll take one now ! Good night.  - CC

OH , and Laurent , it might be better to start a new topic for the Craigslist cars. Maybe some thing like "Please help me evaluate these Cadillac ads" . Many of the guys must surely be burned out on my lengthy ramblings. We can certainly continue on in two locations , as we would LOVE to have some more input. Not many people have the patience for my dissertations.  - CC

My cadillac bought in california
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg11.hostingpics.net%2Fpics%2F278116V300DosCad694.jpg&hash=2d2c75b116b23ef4e7605eed07e8acf36491142d) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=278116V300DosCad694.jpg)

Hi (salut) Michel ta Cadillac est superbe !  :)

Hi Carl, thanks for keeping giving me all these informations and insights ! I now realize that I've got to be more precise about my journey and its details.

We have already rent a huge car and it will wait for us at the airport, my two friends are some experts in classical cars one may speak english (don't know him well), the other one, who is a close friend doesn't understand or speak english but he speaks the V8 language ! He is making this trip for the fourth time so he has a real experience and knowledge of how to find and buy a car.

Our trip is 100% dedicated to car chasing, there won't be no museum no landscape viewing, no nothing but cars and trip to meet some sellers. We check the area where the seller lives (with google street) before driving there, some areas are scary and some are even on the black list of our embassy. In every country even the wealthiest ones, there are forsaken and dangerous areas where you wouldn't go even in the daylight. In France too !

I would like to travel on my own, meeting people, taking some photos (I'm a film camera user) talking about something else than cars but I will have to do my part acting as a translator and I won't ask for anything more than driving me so some places where I may find my ride. If California was to please me a lot, this trip would be a real torture then...  :-[

I won't drive, my friend is the main driver, all the insurances are in his name and on top of that, I've never driven an automatic before. I will bring my driving license for fear something should happen, but no, if I can avoid it, I won't be driving. If I find a car, I will pay to make it towed to Compton.

We will be there for about eight days no more cause we have to get back to work.

My budget is 6000$ for the car, 2000$ to send it home and I will buy my burgers with my credit card, the hotels have already been booked and paid.

There is two CL ads that interest me, the cars are beautiful and the prices are low but they have not been sold yet after many weeks so I won't waste your time asking you to check them, they must be hips of garbage made attractive with Photoshop like so many actresses...  ;D

If you crave for red wine, Cabernet is a good choice, this wine is great for your health, but you should try a real Bourgogne to really enjoy the benefit of the red medicine !  8)

Take good care of your health and avoid spending too much time in front of the computer screen, its blue light is messing with our biological clock and we end up waking up in the middle of the night being unable to get back to sleep...

I'll keep you posted about my searches and questions, thanks a lot for your help.

Friendly yours, Laurent

Dear , Friendly Laurent :  You have asked me not to be afraid of being blunt.

                               "DITCH"   YOUR   "DREAMS"

                                                    RGDS , -      "Cadillac Carl" Fielding

I'll chime in a little here, I live in CA, and sellers out here think they can sell a ratty piece of crap for $5,000-10,000 just because it's CA :o

I was very lucky at the time when I purchased my 64 Deville for $5,000 because it could have easily sold for around $8,000 in its current condition. It really does come down to timing and knowing how to play your cards right. Every classic I've bought in the past were all reasonably priced. I never once felt like I overpaid for them, but I always had to invest money to get them to run good or fix little things that otherwise aren't really a big deal.

So just be patient and look for the best one or close to it that you can afford because unfortunately for you living in France, it's extremely difficult and expensive to obtain replacement parts for cars this old if you buy something that still needs a lot of work.

Good luck!

Yes , indeed. EIGHT DAYS , NO MORE !!! A WEEK ? Mon ami , you stand , realistically, about the same chance of a favorable outcome in a frantic week of jet lag confusion (did you mention biological clock impositions from blue screen gazing ? Have you ever tried to do extreme duty under jet lag ?) , about the same chance as taking your thousands of dollars to Monte Carlo in hopes of breaking the bank. And you would not even have to suffer jet lag ! Is it possible to get a refund on your pre paid trip ? I hope so. Man , I thought you were coming on a one month French style vacation. Oh , I forgot. That is August , Right ? Anyway , let me know if you can do the best thing by way of a refund. If not , please allow me to help mission impossible to be at least to some degree , worthwhile. What do you think ?  - CC

There are still 2 potential great candidates for your search. On Inland Empire CL (just East of L.A.) One is a '79 Fleetwood Brougham with 33,300 miles , asking $5900 , the other is a mysterious 1975 Cad with no pics or further specification. 38,000 miles , asking $7000 , but being the nondescript "mysterillac" , it has been up for about a month. Shall we see what it is ? Might well get it for $5500.

There is also a car at the bottom of the price curve , 15 years old. I would buy it myself if not for getting close to checkout time with far too many cars. Look at   "2002 Cadillac Deville STS".  This beautiful Diamond white garaged masterpiece is loaded , and has Night Vision ! I don't know how well this option worked (CAN SOMEONE EDUCATE ME ?) , but I believe it was expensive , and seems to be a remarkable safety feature. 81,000 mi. , asking $4000. I have been intrigued by Night Vision , and if not for my situation, I would make a sight unseen offer , and fly down to get it. I would also consider a European expatriation on this one , and purchase all parts to do the Northstar & 4T80E inevitable service. These are astonishing cars , and if bought right  ,  well worth the high cost of maintaining. HOW EXPENSIVE (I seem to remember something like $5000 - is this true ?) AND PRACTICAL IS NIGHT VISION , SOMEONE PLEASE ? (Hmmm....... I think I will call my friend Lurch - a Microsoft engineer -who will probably buy it , hmmmmm.......)  Laurent , are you coming ? I will help you as much as I can if you are , as I say you are pushing your luck. As '64' has advised you : PATIENCE. A bit hard when you are rushing about.   RSVP. , CC

Carl, in 1999 or 2000 I had the opportunity to drive a de Ville equipped with that system which is emitting infra-ray waves (if I'm right). Those waves are reflected by anything which has some temperature higher than the ambient one: animals, vehicles, people and...rain.
During that drive, it was raining and the indications, reflected on a small "window" at the base of the windshield were full of white spots (the rain). It was so disturbing that I did not see myself the test person standing at the side of the street. When coming back home, there was a twisting road. Nothing came on that screen except the rain but, we saw a wild animal through the side windows!
As you know, this option was later deleted at Cadillac; now Mercedes has it saying that they are the first with such a system!

By the way, I don't believe that Laurent is looking for such a recent car. Let him decide and found his dream during that August week!

Thank you , Roger. Indeed I did wonder why it was discontinued. Seems like a good idea , and with the autopilots being developed these days , one would think a sophisticated system of enhanced night vision could be coupled with , or embedded in the autopilot. I am now far less than enthusiastic about this DTS. Laurent must widen his search to include less than his ideal car if he is to find a worthwhile export grade Cadillac. I am willing to provide him with a 24 hour dedicated phone number upon his arrival. One week under the imposed conditions does seem inadequate. (Intended understatement). - Carl

Hi again !

This morning after having read your last messages, I was kind of depressed. I was thinking about giving up and losing the two grand I already paid for, but keeping my 9000â,¬ to buy myself a french decent car (a Peugeot 406 V6 designed by Pininfarina). I could also use my money to pay a good paint job to my every day's ride, my dearest Peugeot 309 GT or improve the performances of my 309 GTI... Or selling my newly bought 208... Well my head was a mess this morning but thanks to my job I kept these thoughts out of my head and managed to cope with my daily tasks.

Ads like this one : https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/5947298656.html (https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/5947298656.html)  made me think that I could buy and bring back a nice Cadillac for 8000$  I was thinking that I would find the missing parts for the interior before getting back to France. This was the plan...

I can't buy anything newer than 1986, I must bring back a 30 years old car to turn it into a collection car. Here in France we have a special status for collection cars aged 30 or more, it is easy to get it if it passes the technical control.

Moreover I don't want a modern car with electronic parts, I have bought a new car two years ago and it is waiting in the garage, I hate it ; it has no soul...
I want an American Classic to give her a lot of TLC and make her my weekend ride, that's all !

I really don't mind if I bring back a car with a paint job to do if it's working OK and can last. I can make her better step by step, going back each year with my friend to buy some parts or order them in the Internet (much more expensive).

So here am I, standing at a crossroad one way could lead to pleasure, one may could lead to regrets... They all look the same...  So I'll bring my dollars and do my best to win the attention of lady luck.

I'm not scared of jet lag, I'll set my biological clock at the American hour in a single night sleep !  ;D

I'll keep you posted ! Thanks a lot for beeing sincere and blunt !

G'day Laurent,

One thing that you must consider with your purchase, is if you intend to drive it in USA whilst you are over there, you should get insurance of some sort.

BUT, I found that getting any form of Insurance in USA is VERY difficult for foreigners.   I extensively travelled in USA in 2002, and 2008, 14,750 and 4,600 miles respectively, and it was a waste of time trying to get insurance before landing in USA.   Even when I got there, without a USA address, and a USA Drivers Licence, it was impossible to gain anything but the most basic of insurance, and even in 2002, I had to resort to going where the illegal Mexicans get theirs, and boy, was it expensive, and basically covered nothing.   If I had a prang, I was in deep doo doo, but not as deep if I had had none.

2008 was different.   I had arranged insurance, but when I got there, no way hosay, I had told them everything, but still not good enough, so I had to waste another couple of days shopping around.   It was only when the people I was staying with allowed me to use their address that I could get insurance of worth.

2011 was different, I used hire cars, and insurance was a piece of cake.

Bruce. >:D

Laurent , hang in there. Don't flush the $2000. Come on. I will help you as much as you like. You can be sure the other guys will be watching , and there is an enormous amount of expertise here. When you arrive , call my number 408-621-8261. That should be my primary contact number , but at that time I will give you an exclusive 24 hour backup number that I will leave open just for you. If I had enough advance warning , I might have been able to meet you in L.A. It does not take much arm twisting to get me to go to So Cal. Especially in the winter. On the forum at this moment , we are in a real time Cadillac chase that I mistakenly posted on Technical/Authenticity. I hope I can get it moved here by a moderator. In any case , it is addressed to YOU. You can't miss it. I'll be back here , I am out and about right now. Please do not be depressed. It is not impossible , just difficult. And you have done and still can do difficult things. COURAGE! I will get even further into it when I return. You may have beginners luck. You just must not get the wrong car. All our communication has made it ever easier to communicate with you. That is the nature of dialogue. And remember what we say in these parts : "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". You will have a good time , and will learn quite a bit in the process. And that will probably be the worst case , unless , of course , you buy THE                     WRONG CAR. We can help you avoid that.  - CC

Thanks a lot for encouraging me Carl ! I do need it at this dark times of doubts and fears. I will do as you say and ask you for help without wasting your time.

In fact the first thing we buy when we arrive is a cellphone. This is much cheaper to use a local prepaid cell phone than to get crooked by our national phone provider.

Did you have a look at the ad I linked to in my last message ? How can this beauty be a bad car ? How can I see if an ad is worthy or not and not waste my precious and limited time ? If you've got some hints... Thanks again !

Bruce, I won't be driving my car (if I find one) or any other vehicle, I'm a good driver but in the USA I'll be too scared to take the wheel thinking about the consequences if I get into an accident. So if I find a car, I will pay to make it towed to Compton and that's all ! I could also make some arrangement with the owner asking him to drive his car in Compton to make our final deal there and then give him a ride back home. Imagine that the poor guy stucked in a car with three french people ! By the way hope the french bashing trend is on the way out...

I have to work till next Wednesday then I will have less than a week to make the last preparations for my trip. There is a bad omen flying by... the dollar has never been so high ! bad luck for me!   ;D

Quote from: TheFrenchGuy on February 15, 2017, 01:07:58 AM
Did you have a look at the ad I linked to in my last message ? How can this beauty be a bad car ? How can I see if an ad is worthy or not and not waste my precious and limited time ? If you've got some hints...

I think I saw that car somewhere else, probably in a French forum. Pictures are lying, I know that by experience...In that ad, the car is not bad looking; obviously, the steering wheel has a problem. It can be repaired I believe, but it's very expensive.
There is no view from the frame and floors; this is the main problem usually. You don't see on the picture if the car was once involved in an accident and half repaired. I cannot tell also if all the accessories are functioning: it's very annoying if you cannot lower the driver's window!
Some work is needed on that car, according to the ad. It would be interesting to know what...
It's usually a joke, but can be also real: "brakes are overhauled" which means: drums removed, dust cleaned with compressed air, drums installed. Voilà, brakes overhauled.

Yes , Laurent , I have been looking at that car from the outset. Initially, when I see that a car needs a "little TLC" , I pass on it. (TLC = Temder Loving Care). Usually that is an understatement. I would not buy that car for myself , but from what I now understand about your quest this might be right for you . After getting to know you here , I can see that you literally expect to give TLC to your new "baby". This Cad , if the mileage can be verified , is a potential candidate for you. Having been on the market so long , I think you could easily get it for , $2700 - $2800. I would try for $2500. Understand that almost ALL cars look better in pictures. You as a photographer know this better than I. The car has had some insensitive storage , probably fairly recently. The steering wheel is cracked and peeling , but the inlay has not yet been scraped out. It should be. It is not covered yet either. Usually this is done for obvious reasons. The door panels are surprisingly good , particularly in light of the steering wheel. Those are original panels , and should be protected at all times. Hard to find replacements , almost impossible to re-create. Seats look good. Preservation with Lexol cleaner and Lexol conditioner could make them last well. The dashboard does not seem to have much damage. Instrument panel looks good. The window and door seals may still be  serviceable.Likely carpets and headliner are at least  presentable. I like the colors , but that is a personal thing. Do you like the colors ? The plastic fender to bumper fills at the rear are shot , along with the lower plastic fill trim at the trunk. These are replaceable, but all that is some work. I would recommend it , as most of these cars are so afflicted , and the appearance is greatly improved with the fix and painting. Look at the car as is , and picture it given a deep cleaning and wax. Now ask yourself if you could  live with it like that forever. For example , just putting a leather cover over the steering wheel is cheap and easy. Restoring it is not. If you could love  and live  with it like that , you are on the right track. You could easily  spend $20,000 to try to bring that car to the level of the $8000 and $9000 76 CDVs I found. And I say "try" , because you still may not be able to do it for , say $35,000. But if you can "love it as it is " , (true love) , let's go from there. Other guys will hopefully give their opinions and help with this one , and may be others also. Since I know you are coming , I will call and cancel the other '76 Cads , which are out of your range at the present time. I do want you to see what a difference there is between a 3 -4000 dollar Cadillac , and a "like new" one. I think most people spending all the overhead time and money , including  shipping and whatever taxes would decide to wait a year longer , living very frugally, amd spring  for the additional 4 - $6000 more for the "like new" one.But let's see  if we can make the most of what you have. I have some mechanical tests I will teach you within the next couple days , but first I want you to learn what the "upper control arm bushings" are. Let's leave it at this for now. I beg other guys or gals to offer their check lists. A new topic ? I think we are getting a fair amount of "reads" , so let's see if we can get some help with the lifting at this point. I will also try to contact the 1975 "mysterillac". Am I to understand that a '79 Fleetwood Brougham would carry too much tax being less than 30 years old ? Oh yeah , don't ask anyone to follow you to Compton to close a deal. Please  just trust  me on this one. Following you to the bank is a good idea. Oh , and I would not worry about Francophobia around here. We apparently don't like several other nationalities at the moment , but so far I see no evidence that we are picking fights with our traditional great friend , Vive la France ! Unfortunately you are not  Russian , but if not SO favored , you are at the very least  neutral. Do stay  tuned , though. Things are changing rapidly. Fascinating  times indeed in our country  these days. Any political inferences drawn here are , as I say , in the eye of the reader. Please don't go there.     As always , RSVP  , - CC

Please go to For Sale below , and read topic : 1968 ElDorado needs a new home. What do you think ?  -  Carl

Hi Carl !  :D

Lots of things to talk about tonight (here it's 21h10) First of all this Eldorado is way beyond my budget !
Thanks for your feedback about the Coupe Deville, it really helps me a lot ! This afternoon I had some free time I could use on the Internet trying to improve my knowledge of 1976 coupe de Ville. I understood that in this year the coupe Deville was available in two different version, one with a mechanical ignition (190 HP) and one with an electronic ignition (215 HP).

I also discovered a French website specialized in Cadillac with many parts available ! My instinct was right, Cadillac are a great fad in France and I might be easier than I thought to take care of my future ride !

Now 15 days before my landing in LA, I think that I can mail the owner to ask him more details about (as you said) which amount of TLC this car really needs. I have so little time in California that I must avoid wasting my time and his too !
Your last message really cheered me up ! Thanks a lot ! You gave me a full report on this car with a lot of useful hints ! You even gave me some hints about how to clean the interior. I don't care if my Cad to be  isn't 100% nice when it comes to France, the only thing that really matters is the engine and the trany. If my friends the mechanics give me the green light, I will buy it and I will do my best to find the most important parts around this nice 501 ci which means hoses and such. The interior can wait ! I don't want to resell the car I'm going to buy, I really want to keep it for myself and enjoy it on weekends so the only thing that matters is the mechanical part of the car.

I really love its color ! And I love her shape and what its represents. If I manage to become the proud owner of a Cadillac I would be quite aware of the fact that I'm being responsible for a part of America's history, no less ! And then I will cherish it like my own child ! (by the way, when can we use "her" to talk about a car ? ) In French there is no "it" and car is feminine. (la voiture)

Being a French social worker earning 1800$ a month (but being a free loader with little expenses) leads me to the choice of aiming at a 4000$ Cadillac with no serious mechanical issues and a decent interior but in need of TLC.

About the taxes in France, when you register a car, you must pay for the grey card (the equivalent of your pink) and pay for the insurance. The grey card price is calculated considering the power and the pollution created by your engine. When your car is 10 years old or older, the grey card is much cheaper ( 50% off).  On top of that, when your car is 30 years old or older,  you can turn it into a collection car. When you buy a collection car abroad, this is quite easy to file it. If you buy a 29 years old car or newer, this is a lot more expensive to use it in France because this is not a collection car. There are also some special insurances for collection vehicles that are as great as cheap, the most enjoyable fact in owning a collection car (30 years old or more) is that it only has to pass the technical control (road worthiness) each five years and there are no smog regulations 'cause in France they don't have the data to test an American classic car's compliance with French laws !
You're right, opening a new thread on the forum with hints and check list for Cadillac buyers might be quite useful for Cadillac chasers, it could become a kind of FAQ section. Meanwhile I will try to figure out what "upper control arm bushing" means I have a clue thanks to my English that keeps improving day by day spent on this forum (thanks for this too) but my lack of technical knowledge stops me here.  :-[

Thanks for the Compton advice, being French, and a French guy from the east of France, an area where French people are way more nicer than these rude people from Paris, make me unaware of the cultural differences between you and us. I will make my deal at the owner's place than pay to tow it to Compton.
This is also quite nice to read that French bashing in on the way out in California. I'm a sensible guy I won't talk about politics and such even after a few beers, I don't want to make anyone angry at me, I'm not a lesson giver like some French politicians. I just want to meet different kind of people and to let the good time rolls enough to give me the urge to come back next year (I hope in search of parts for my Cadillac) ! I'm a easy going kind of guy, open minded and respectful, I hope that I will make some new friends. By the way Carl I really owe you big ! let's settle that by letting me send you a nice bottle of fine French wine when I'll be back in France !

Sorry for being a little too talkative tonight, I really feel at ease on this forum thanks a lot to its webmasters and administrators !   :)

Mon Ami , ARE YOU NOW TELLING US THAT YOU WANT TO LIMIT YOURSELF TO A $4000 CADILLAC ??

I have re-read and verified that you had budgeted $6000 maximum for the car. $4000 will limit you to the Cad you have been attracted to , and that Cad ONLY. If so , I will not bother anyone else , and in any case I will call Armando , the owner , and thoroughly interrogate him. Oh , and somehow (a too old man ?) , I thought the asking price was $3200 , therefore my incorrect projected purchase price. At $3700 asking , $3400 would almost certainly take it , but............... , you know. At any rate , if you are now holding at $4000 , you are riding a "one trick pony". You will not be able to shrug off and reject this car , saying "One monkey don't stop no show". (Please do not spend much time at all trying to fully understand this last idiomatic expression, but you might get the sense of it from context.) Therefore what we must do is play this car (if indeed you now have convinced yourself that $4000 is tops) , the best we possibly can. This will involve in person inspection by a 1970s Cadillac specialist. You will have to compensate this expert , it might cost you a couple of hundred $ , but WELL worth it.With the choice of this car or none , you ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT BUY : THE   WRONG   CAR !!!! And "this car or none" means you can marshal all of your resources (time and money) to come up with a go , or no go decision.If you can indeed conceivably go to $5000 or $6000 , there may be 2 , or maybe 3 other potential candidates. If this is the case , I will make several calls to them. In addition, I highly suggest you re-read the ENTIRE topic regarding the 1968 El Dorado in "For Sale" . Read it deeply to gain a sense of the personalities and motivations of everyone involved. This includes you and I , and ALL who have posted or been referenced. ALL. What a fantastique adventure it would be to have a local resident citizen take the previous owner on an extended tour of the friendliest part of France. In her previous , his present BELOVED Cadillac. Mon Dieu : I have a very nice , low mileage (in this case I do mean low miles. 40 something thousand real miles. Not a low miles 140 something thousand miles. I mean forty something thousand miles , period stop.) , '93 60 Special I would give you under those conditions. SERIOUSLY ! Those are VERY good cars , and it could very graciously and gratefully absorb a couple thousand $. But it is a '93 , and so on , etc. So again , if your originally stated budget still stands , go right now to "For Sale" and let's see where my "thinking out of the box" may take us. I really have to run right now. I will call Armando later. Please thoroughly and seriously consider what I am saying , and respond in kind. Also , have you yet applied for membership ? At this point in your young Cadillac life , that will prove to be the greatest bargain in your Cadillac appreciation tool box. Apply today , you will be a member upon arrival in the homeland of your intended.  - Out of the box looking in , Carl

P.S. : I can tell from totally sufficient information that the subject 1976 CDV for $3700 , has suffered ZERO , and I mean absolutely NO RUST ISSUES WHATSOEVER. there may be a little from A/C condensation, but I doubt it. H2O in liquid form in temperate deserts , has a VERY limited shelf life. And for a desert car , this one does have sun damage , but surprisingly little. Some expensive areas such as top and door panels have somehow been spared ! In addition, it has not yet been spoiled by the lethal dose of a product which is fatal in any amount used. Appropriately named Amoral (sic) , KEEP ALL SILICONE OFF OF THESE CARS. It would be amoral to treat your beloved so. - CC

I am sorry to inform you , Laurent , Armando told me your '76 CDV sold about a week ago. Please go to slo.craigslist.org and seek "64 Cadillac". (After you spend time with the '64 , widen the search to "Cadillac" and think long and hard about the '78 Eldo with 57,000 miles for $3000. You will see the rear fender fill problem that the '76 CDV also had. All Cads with these fills either need or will need them soon , or they have been replaced. Just old fashioned hard work to do this) This may really be a 15,000 mi. car. N.B. : After Joseph got back to me I think we should add a hundred grand to that mileage figure. Pics are not extremely good , but it could have a very good to excellent original interior. (Turns out there is some wear damage to the drivers side front seat , therefore running the mileage up). A very good interior like this is a VERY big deal. Also the very intact black interior allows you to paint the car almost any color you like when the time comes. You may be able to put weeks of work doing some of the preparation work for the paint job. A huge amount of labor that you can spend a bit of your life saving money. Body and paint is like getting a haircut , shave , manicure , and pedicure. Add a few good nights of sleep and a nice suntan , and that is body and paint. Shot , shabby interior ? Difficult and very expensive to get right. Internal medicine ? Not exactly. Cardiac or neurosurgery ? No , but ......... Trauma surgery ? I think THATS IT ! Complex trauma surgery. More like that. Difficult to get just right , and you might carry a limp or other disability forever. Now rust is a bit like cancer. Most of what you see here is no problem. Just minor surface rust. The worst I can see is at bottom of the left hand side of the rear window. If it is rusted through , that could be problematic. Breaker , Breaker , Breaker : Just got a callback from Joseph on this car. Really sounds like a 115,000 mile car (still extremely low for a 53 year old car his grandmother owned. But please take a look , and see if it is lovable to you as is. You should have asked us before paying for your trip. Membership , and having a deal set up with a fellow member really is the only way to go for someone who lives somewhere else , and has VERY little time. 25 , 30 years ago ? You would have had a far greater chance at that '70s Cad you want in a day of hunting than you would in all the rest of 2017 , looking every day ! I mean this literally. A week ? As I say , let's make the most of it. Oh , yeah , did you say you are not concerned about jet lag ? Have you ever travelled 8 time zones before ? May I tell you about a 5 day business trip I had to make to England when I was about your age ? Or a 15 day trip to Spain not too many years later ? I know , I know , West to East is worse than the opposite. I know. But again , have you ever travelled 8 time zones ? Take a look at the '64 , give me your impressions. '64s are cool , cool , cool. Fins and all. Very presentable interior. He claims ALL the rust is surface. And the body is very straight. No through rust at the rear window. No leaks. A VERY BIG DEAL ! Oh , and it has A/C. Also A VERY BIG DEAL ! A white car with A/C is a fine all season , all climate tourer. Please let me know ASAP , I am putting a large amount of time in this , and we will have to be as efficient as possible. As Gary what's his name (Gilmore. That was his name - what a jerk) , said before the 'squad : "Let's do it."  - Not quite ready for the 'squad , - Carl

P.S. : Speaking of time , I absolutely MUST know the true , final bottom line maximum amount of money you are willing to spend. $6000 or $4000 is a huge difference , and any variables which ambush me makes this endeavor totally impossible for you , and for me. Give me a final answer. A firm ultimate figure. I am being very blunt here , you must give me the real number , just as you don't want to B.S. your doctor. You are getting Royal CLC member treatment from me , and rather than sending me a bottle of wine at this point , I want you to become the CLC member you are already being treated as. You ask blunt ? You get blunt. I have been treated ROYALLY by other members , we all try to help our brothers and sisters as much as we can. We treasure our membership , and treat each other honestly and generously. The Golden Rule rules in this camp. Right guys and gals ? Hmmmmm , I think this is what is called the "Hard Sell"). I would LOVE to have a glass of wine with you in France. Let's see if we can actually find you a Cadillac to chauffeur me around the Eastern regions with. Hey , I LIKE this ! O.K. : What is the bottom line top dollar ? -
                        Proud Lifetime Cadillac & LaSalle Club member Carl Fielding

Laurent,

Have you looked at classics.autotrader.com ?? You can search from a zip code or a city & state and select a max distance from where to search.  and you can sort by distance, price, etc.

This listing if it posts correctly shows 1967-1980 within 500 miles of LA Calif:

https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars-for-sale?year_from=1967&year_to=1980&make=cadillac&limit=100&order=price+asc&distance=500&location=Los%20Angeles%20California-90071

Another possibility is the 1990-1992 Brougham the last of the squared off full size RWDs with the chrome shrouded rectangular outside mirrors and the 1993-1996 Fleetwoods, the VERY LAST of the traditional full size RWD Cadillacs. Same chassis, engines were 5.0L or 5.7L TBI on the 1990-92 Broughams and 5.7 TBI on the 1993 Fleetwood (same as optional 5.7L in the 1990-92) and 5.7L TPI for the 1994-96 (the "LT1" engine same as in Corvettes of the same time period).  I have had a 1995 (200,000 miles) still have my 1996 (99,000 mi) and am looking for a 5.7L 1992. The 1990-92s look VERY SIMILAR to the 1977-89 RWDs. They are the SAME CHASSIS. They basically changed trim, headlights, taillights, bumpers, etc on the outside over time. The main differences were interiors, audio (CDs eventually) and ENGINES. The engines on the 1990-92s are more powerful than any 80s cars and have better computer control, etc.  There is really no computer control in the 1977-79 cars. The 1993-96 Fleetwoods are the best of this lot if you ask me, and can be found at affordable prices, IF you are willing to take a secondary flight.

These are fantastic cars, newer and more reliable, and the Fleetwoods all have R134a refrigerant already. And you basically cannot kill them.

This list, if it works, shows 1990-1996 within 500 miles of LA. Since it is newer than 1981, the regular autotraader.com site is used.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/Cadillac/Brougham/Los+Angeles+CA-90001?zip=90001&showcaseOwnerId=65365031&startYear=1990&numRecords=100&endYear=1996&modelCodeList=BROUGH%2CFLEE&makeCodeList=CAD&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=500

There are cars out there, this is how I found the last 4 Cadillacs I bought; 1996 Fleetwood, 2008 CTS, 2009 STS, 201 CTS. 3 were in my state of FL, but the Fleetwood was out in South Carolina.

Sometimes you have to expand the search to "any distance" from the starting zip or city, and be wiling to take a flight to the car. That's how I found my 1996 Fleetwood.

Note on the 1990-1992. There was a "Fleetwood 60 Special back then. Its FWD and had a 4.9L FWD engine. Good cars, but not traditional full size RWDs, if that's what you are looking for.

Mike, he will and can buy a car which is 30 years old minimum. A more recent one is almost mission impossible in France. This is a very protectionist country with all sort of block roads to discourage importing vehicles.

Roger, Thanks, I didn't catch that.

Well then that means 1980 or, 81 or earlier whichever year was the last year for the 368CI engine, since I can't in good conscience recommend any 4.1L to anyone. classics.autotrader.com should have some to choose from.

Thanks for helping , guys. With limited time and money , and a thin market with variable "churn" , I am afraid luck will have to beat out the necessary patience in this case. Maybe if they are feeling lucky , they should just drive to 'Vegas. "If it wasn't for bad  ................................"  - Carl

When I was looking for my Cadillac to import to Australia, it had to be over 30 years old.

Import duties, and other costs and available useage has to be considered when importing to Australia, and I am sure the same applies for a lot of other Countries.

One thing that I had to consider was that if I wanted to drive it without converting it to RHD, it had to be over 30 years old.

Hence, I purchased my '72 Eldorado Convertible, off ebay, at a price I could afford, bearing in mind the import duties, freight, taxes and the like.   I had to buy it cheaply, which I did, and have spent a fair bit fixing it up, with more to spend.   At the time, I could not afford to buy a perfect one, requiring nothing to be spent.

Bruce. >:D

Well , Laurent , here is a perfect looking one. Go to inlandempire.craigslist.org and enter 1979 Cadillac Brougham . Tell me if you could love this Cad for $5500. I sure would . This seems to be the kind of car I like to find. These are also very good cars. 425 cu. in. These cars are desirable, and handle quite well. No fuel injection on this one. I don't know why it is still for sale , and might not by the time you get here. People start getting soft on price when the car has not sold. Should I call on this one ? Can you afford it ?  - Carl

Well I hit the wall, woke up this morning and I hit the wall...

These words taken from the Neil Young song "Coupe de Ville" never sounded so right that this morning when I woke up and read your last messages...  :'(

This gorgeous 76 Deville I dreamed of for weeks is now sold, so much for me, hope her new owner will give her a lot of well deserved TLC !

Carl, thanks a lot for having made this phone call in my place, it really saved me time ! I promised I'll send you a good bottle from France when I be back in mid March ! And if you decide to travel to France, I hope you will agree to be my guest !

I had a look at he other cars you mentioned in your posts, they are too far from L.A area, I doubt my friends will take me to some remote places with the rental car, they have their own business and things to seek for so I can't demand such a thing. I also may be a bit whimsical, but I really wish for a coupe. A four door Cadillac could be a great thing to start a weeding service but this is not what I wanna do, just want a weekend ride... 

Given the state of the car market, (on Craigs list its getting worse and worse, pieces of crap sold at 5 grand) and the little time I have in the USA, I think that now I can really forsake all hopes. Well I could be lucky at the Pomona Swap exchange but this could be my last hope...

So please Carl, I'm much obliged for everything that you did for me, a perfect stranger, but now I think that you should stop wasting your time on my desperate case. I'll keep you posted about my progress and if I run in a bargain at Pomona Swap exchange, I will call you (if you agree) to get some information !

My budget for this trip is about 9000$  : 5000-6000$ for the car, 2000$ to ship it to France (my friend will buy one or two cars so it's cheaper) and 1000$ and my plastic money for my daily expenses (the hotels are booked and paid).

If I were to find the perfect car for me I wouldn't find feeding on salad and water for a week, I may steal some fries from my friend's plates !  ;D or become their human doggy bag but I could also seize this opportunity to start a diet !

And if I don't find my dreamed car, I will be very pleased to meet all kind of people all over LA area to talk about cars and learn a lot about the real American way of life.

Thanks for everything hope to come back soon !

Friendly yours

Laurent

You have a very good attitude, Laurent. I now have a fairly complete "multi-dimensional" picture of the dynamics of your team , and the focus of your personal component therin. Under the conditions, I compliment you on the understanding of your intended car. Well done , I believe you had selected the right car for YOU , given the current market and inventory. When you find the right car , you must move quickly , and with club support (JOIN , JOIN , JOIN !!) , this one could have been secured and waiting for you. If you are not yet a member , please join from France ASAP. Do it BEFORE YOU LEAVE , and confirm. We are building up a fairly large audience here , and I have absolutely no idea regarding the sentiments of some of those great people. Rightly so , there is a strong bias , mitigating towards warmer hospitality accorded fellow members. JOIN. NOW !

CLC MEMBERSHIP IS NOT SELLING YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL IN EXCHANGE FOR A CADILLAC.
Besides , I have heard that demonic despot of the netherworld drives brand X. THAT is why he is so MEAN !

Hang in there , friend. There is still a small chance. I am now well up to speed , and we understand each other well. Give me the arrival date and time. Let me know IMMEDIATELY when you have a domestic phone. Call , and I will give you the dedicated priority line number. By me having real time access to you , I can operate much more effectively.

Other tips from this Honorary Californian include the "feed bag". I have travelled with enough Europeans to fully understand and sympathize with their fascination for , and addiction to real , legitimate, All-American hamburgers. I am sure you can get very good ones in France now , franchises and famous French culinary abilities being what they are. But , BUT , has that great California chain FATBURGER arrived upon the Continent yet ? Business opportunity for some acquaintance of yours ?Alert that friend , and if it flys , he should GIVE you the ultimate Cadillac of your choice !

O.K. , Laurent . Please , please , please check this forum frequently, several times a day , and give a one or two sentence daily heads up so we know you are with us . Something wonderful could yet transpire.

Your CLC member number will be 3x,xxx. Fill in the X's and : Vive la cherche ! (Oh boy , I am very unsure of my fractured French on that one - does that mean what I wanted to say ?)

                                                           Your new friend , Cadillac Carl

You know 30 years old allows a 1987 which was the first year for the 4.5L V8 in the FWDs. But these are all smaller cars.  I'm not sure what was in the RWD Broughams, but wasn't there a 2 door RWD back then?

LAURENT : PLEASE GIVE A CALL ON 408-621-8261 AT ABSOLUTELY ANY TIME ASAP. I WILL LEAVE THE PHONE ON 24 HOURS. ANY TIME , PLEASE. IT IS THAT IMPORTANT.  SINCERELY , CARL

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on February 16, 2017, 08:18:44 PM
You know 30 years old allows a 1987 which was the first year for the 4.5L V8 in the FWDs.

If we're talking model years, 1988 was the first year for the 4.5L.

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on February 16, 2017, 08:18:44 PMBut these are all smaller cars.

Smaller outside but still big inside.

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on February 16, 2017, 08:18:44 PMI'm not sure what was in the RWD Broughams, but wasn't there a 2 door RWD back then?

Last year for RWD coupe was 1985.

Hi Carl !

Woke up a bit late this morning, had to rush to go to my workplace without time to check the forum. I'll be calling you at midnight (Paris hour) hope that the line and my english will be good enough to talk to you it's gonna be a great time, America's coming to me even before my trip !  :)

It is too bad the  '76 CDV posted by Ralph Williams is out of your price range.  Looks like a very nice car.

Good morning Laurent ! What a pleasure speaking with you last night ! As per our discussion, please go to :   Seattle.craigslist.org , search : 1976 Cadillac . You will see a '76 Eldorado coupe I am very familiar with. He is asking $7000 , but maybe , just maybe you can make a deal. I have been all over , in , and under this car. I have driven it at every speed , including putting it through fast , hard cornering. The owner has never driven it that hard , but although surprised , he didn't hold it against me. If you had got that '76 CDV for $3000 , or $3500 , you would have had to spend ANOTHER $7000 to take it to anything even close to the condition this one is in. He has a list of work done , and there is more he has not listed. He got it from the original owner. He is a very hard working young man , and this car is his first automotive love. Take a long look at all the pics. The steering wheel tells a very convincing story about this car. It is not perfect , but when you realize the difficulty of replacing the fender fills (never quite an absolutely PERFECT job - including paint match problems) , this totally re-painted in diamond white car is very impressive. See if he will take your $6000 for it , and I can deliver it to L.A. for you or ship it from the large ports of Seattle or Tacoma. Also , now that I explained to you that you do not need a Cadillac to join CLC , I trust that you will do so immediately. That may also open other doors for you right now , but will also enhance your now-to- be lifetime Cadillac ownership. What do you think ?   - CC

Also , Dear reader : please take a look at the CL posting referenced above , comments will be appreciated.  Thanks , Carl

If anyone buys that car, and wants some original steel rims, I can do a swap.

Bruce. >:D

Is this the car? 
https://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/5989778793.html (https://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/5989778793.html)

It sure is Glen. Thanks ! What do you think ? Tell the truth , now. I'm kind of putting it on the line here.  - Carl

Oh , and these pics can be clicked into higher res. Please see them that way. Of course we know that usually pics make a car look a little better. In this case , I feel that this exquisite interior looks even better in the flesh ! And Laurent what do you think ? Could you fall in love with this El-D ? As Bruce the 'Devil' implies, those aluminum wheels are rare , desireable, and expensive. They are missing one of the small hubcaps. Probably hard to find , but your new membership could facilitate the search , if this one takes your heart away. Also a sunroof is a  very rare option on these cars. I think the '71 - '76 Eldo coupes give the most value for the money in an older Cadillac these days. They are somewhat under appreciated, as everyone wants these years Eldos as convertibles. This is generally true of all open vs. closed closed cars no matter where they fall along the timeline. But , ask the man or woman who owns one of these. Hey , ask me about the comparison between my open 1924 Cadillac , and the closed '27.  So much quieter , and tighter no matter the year. Laurent , please let me or us know your email. It could come in handy. Yeah , take a REAL good look at this one. I honestly think these days , Seattle may well be a happier Cadillac hunting ground than Cal. for '70s Cads. But love is where you find it. Any love here ? Again , please don't hesitate to comment. Thank you ,  - Carl

Hi Carl !

I had a really good time talking with you on the phone a few hours ago. On top of that it helped me a lot to gain some confidence in my english skills !  :)

I had a look at the two cars you told me about, the one needing a new home is kind of nice but I think the real owner won't let it go for 6 grand cause he was made into believing that this car could be sold for a lot more. The one in Seattle is a great one but honestly doesn't fit my tastes and my needs and is too far away in the first place.

Thing is that now I have a clear vision of what I really want, I want a coupe from the end of the eighties the powerful electronic ignition or the slower mechanical ignition 425cui. I may have found another one within my range but the photos are not good quality pictures, I'll try to make a phone call to the owner when I land In LA in ten days... ten days... Can't believe this...

I try to join the CLC community but as a fool I lost my password, my browser knows it and I don't. I have to log out and to ask for a new password. Hope I will succeed by the end of the day.

Between several Craigslist options and the Pomona Swap Exchange, lady luck may smile at me again. ::)

Lady luck don't you turn on me, I'm just a student of your history !

Anyway even If I get back home with empty hands, my head will be full of nice souvenirs and with the urge to come back again next year ! If I manage to be a good helper for my friends they will bring me back again with them and if I don't succeed in being the help they need, then I'll come back on my own ! (But I would miss their expert skills and knowledge...).

Never mind... for the time being I've got to get myself together to cope with the final details of my journey, I have to take care of these tasks right now.

Have a nice day and thanks to the people who are helping me !

Friendly yours

Laurent

Laurent , please send me info or a link to your current interest. Also , Cadillac has been electronic ignition since 1974. All of them. Anyone else on the white '76 Eldo coupe ? I can help you if you like. Fly in , I'll pick you up , buy me lunch , and then enjoy your drive home. I don't have to tell anyone here about the value of 40 year old interiors in this condition. I guess part of the valuation here must include the sunroof , and wheels.  - Carl

Oh , and Laurent , I think it would be a good idea for you to actually just look at a number of  Cadillacs of different years and styles. Drive them , too. Maybe plan to attend the CLC Grand National in San Antonio , Texas in 1 1/2 years. Especially being a member. People come from all over to the G.N. And of course a CLC Grand Eiropean is much more handy for you. And what is that HUGE Swedish meet which has thousands of cars ?. This purchase is going to be a big event in your life. We have a saying : "Look before you leap". Good advice here , I think. In any case , let's see your latest crush ! I would be more than happy to call about it for you.  - Carl

Good luck driving a nice Cadillac that fun
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg11.hostingpics.net%2Fpics%2F649580V300DosCad693.jpg&hash=7fa4e84590eb48af794ca2cb2a4d93d91f103d09) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=649580V300DosCad693.jpg)

Nice shot !!!  :P

Dear American friends just look how happy are the Cadillacs when they roll freely on the fun and empty rural french roads !  8)

What a feeling it must be! Riding a Cadillac on a sunny weekend with some friends and stop by a good restaurant. The nasty part must be dealing with the people asking you about the car...  >:D  Yes it is a Cadillac, yes it burns about 20 liters each 100KM, and no !  for goodness sake it is not on sale !!!

They look pretty good in Australia too.

(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi64.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh200%2Ffigjam007%2FCars%2FCADDY%2FCalendar%2520Girl%2FDSCF5810_zpsgc2p1x4c.jpg&hash=7570e7841e2e67061d14263fe4e8707708730ae3) (http://s64.photobucket.com/user/figjam007/media/Cars/CADDY/Calendar%20Girl/DSCF5810_zpsgc2p1x4c.jpg.html)

I've got to ask here, can $2,000 to $3.000 cover getting the car from USA to France?

We imported the above car late last year, you have the following costs to factor in.

Price: IN USD 
 
Transport to shipping terminal: (If applicable)
Preparation/Quarantine:
Packing/Customs/Shipping:
Unpacking:
Broker:
GST: (if applicable)
Marine insurance:

Dear French Guy,

When I was at the Grand European in Switzerland 2 years ago, a Norwegian guy told me that there so many Cadillacs in Scandinavia that to restore his '59 he found more parts he needed available there than in the USA.  My point is that you may want to look for a car in Scandinavia to lower your shipping and customs (droits de douane) costs.

O.K. Laurent , seems we are refining the search. In your reply #68 above you reference a coupe "from the end of the eighties............" , should read seventies, not eighties. Please go to Eric's first reply #1 and re-read. Eric really knows his cads , and gives great advice. I do think that Jay's recommendation should be given some thought , if only to help you really know exactly what you are likely to enjoy as Cadillac first love. Take your time. As I said earlier , you do not want to buy something that is not the right car. IN ANY CASE : If you buy a car in the U.S. , you have made the wrong choice if you can not sell it a net profit in Europe. Understand why ?  - CC

Also : Do you like the style of Michel 14's light green Eldorado coupe in reply #72 ?

AND PLEASE LET ME KOW HOW TO LOOK AT YOUR LATEST "FIND" . You just quite simply can not expect to find a real good deal on a real good Cadillac of the '70s to hang around Craigslist for weeks. Yes there are "sleepers" of certain years floating for long times in some markets , but probably not in L.A. They will not sit around waiting for you to drop in. O.K. Let's see this potential intended. Free call for me if you would like. - Carl

Hi !

Lots of things to react to this morning !

About the costs to ship the car to France, my friend has been buying one or two cars each years for five years now, we will be sharing part of the cost so I'm sure that 2000 quid is enough to send home my baby to be. On top of that if I'm too short I can pay for a part of the cost when the car arrives in France.

When it arrives in Le Havre, I've got to pay for a truck to bring it home (there again it will be cheaper because we'll have our cars on the same truck) and pay for the french pink which is in fact grey (carte grise). Between the moment I leave USA and the moment my car arrives in France there will be months, enough to save money or to earn more by selling some expensive and sought after photographic equipment I own.

So in the end I'm standing on my ground I can afford a 6000 $ car ! If I pay less it would be fine 'cause it would allow me to buy some parts before leaving.


Jay, buying a Cadillac in Scandinavia would have been kind of wiser but :

- I'm traveling to California not Scandinavia so I will start my quest in USA
- I don't speak Scandinavian
- Scandinavia is not a dry country so the Cadillacs available here may have some rust problems and I'm sure that they are more expensive than in California.

Nonetheless, I will check this out later on and follow your advice to get some parts from a closer location !

Carl, my friend the mechanic tell me the same thing that you did "don't bring back a car from USA you can't sell in France with a profit" my friend is a expert who buys and sells cars with a profit after having worked on them for months, he really deserves the extra money these sales bring him because he is a perfectionist and has a strong sense of responsibility. But I'm quite different from him. I bond with my cars as if they were human beings, part of my family. My favorite car is 32 years old and was bought 300$ ten years ago. Yeah 300 bucks no mistakes here and if it's still bringing me to my workplace each and everyday. I wouldn't sell it for anything even if a museum of some kind would buy it for a lot of money.

Cars that are loved this way are no longer simple object, they have gained a soul and this is priceless.  ::)

So if I find the Cadillac I'm looking for and if my friends give me the green light for the mechanical aspect and for the cost worthiness of my project and if I fell in love with her, then I won't care about anything else.  ;D

Yeps I'm not as sensible as I may have appeared to be in the first place, but being fooled by loved is so french...  :D

Thanks a lot for your answers and insights and Thanks a lot Carl for your continuous support !

Otherwise, I still haven't joined the CLC because I can't remember my password. There is no "I forgot my password" link on the login page...

Quote from: Carl Fielding on February 18, 2017, 06:32:31 PM
Question no. 1 : Do you like the style of Michel 14's light green Eldorado coupe in reply #72 ?

Question no. 2 : please link me to the late '70s Cad you have recently become interested in.

Almost all Scandinavians speak English as a second language extremely well. Accents each way is a slight impediment. So many people all over the world speak to one another in their second language , English , that accent filters are standard equipment. As a Spanish speaker , I find it almost impossible to communicate with an Italian speaker ,but even much more difficult with French. However Portuguese is another matter. With difficulty, I can understand them to a somewhat useful degree. They understand me quite well. Your level of communication with an English as a second language speaking Scandinavian would be higher yet than that. Go to the huge multi thousand car meet in Sweden some time. Just start talking with any owner of any car with a Scandinavian license plate. You will see what I mean.

Please respond to questions 1 and 2 , above.   Thank you , Carl 

Hi again Carl !

Yes, Michel's Cadillac is the kind of Cadillac that really pleases me. It is smaller, but I won't find A Cadillac from the sixties within my budget, my only chance is to find a 1977-1979 Coupe. 

I'm sending you a private message to answer question number 2 !

My Car history
https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiiy6O3vZzSAhUGDxoKHalzCTUQFgh3MA0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.americanbreizhcar.com%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ft%3D125&usg=AFQjCNHuZLNvviEaOxMVPz-lUGsW3D2WuQ

Laurent , I had a lengthy conversation with Virgilio in both English and Spanish. Unfortunately the car is in Las Vegas. It MIGHT have been a possibility, as it is said to have only 63,000 miles. There is some deferred maintenance, and some sun damage also. Not necessarily deal breakers, but I don't think you should get a one way bus ticket to Las Vegas for this one. Don't forget , the very best deals on old Cadillacs seldom last 24 hours on Craigslist in any major city in the U.S. As you know , if you are 100% certain that you can make a significant NET profit on a purchase , that Cad is worth considering. Otherwise NO GO under any circumstances whatever. I am thinking so much about Southern California, that I am starting to think how nice a road trip sounds.  - Carl

One more time I owe you big Carl ! Thanks to your call you helped me winning some precious time !

This car being in Las Vegas is a problem, towing it to Compton would be too expensive...

Several new offers have appeared on CL so I'm not in such a dire strait, there is still hope ! If there's a cad waitin' out there for me I will get it cause I pour a lot of efforts and have the kind and strong support of people like you !

Thanks a lot Carl

I'll keep you posted !

Laurent , I do not see anything at all from Santa Barnara to San Diego. I have sent you pics of a '72 Eldo in Santa Barbara which I called about today. If you can find a good deal on a '70s Cadillac which needs VERY little work , buy it even if it is NOT the Cad of YOUR dreams. If it is a good deal , you should be able to make enough money off it to totally pay for your trip , and leave you something towards your NEXT trip. Then you get to play with a Cad for a while , and little by little learn enough to do better next time. And so on. If there is something interesting, you may email me at  mrcfielding@yahoo.com. Show me what looks good to you , I can comment and call for you. There is always that '76 Eldo with the sunroof and the expensive aluminum wheels. I can drive it to Compton for you , it would be fun for me. You certainly could make money from that one.  - Carl

Hi Carl !

Nice to read from you again, thanks again for your kindness and dedication. Yesterday a new ad appeared on CL for a 78' CDV a magnificent one right within my budget's range ! It was parked in a garage for 4 years but started right away with a new battery. Its interior and body are in good condition the asked price is 5500 firm but I if this car is the one for me I will try to bargain a bit (500 bucks off). It will need a change of fluids and before this a close inspection but all in all it looks promising !

There are several other cars to look at, like this cheap CDV in Inglewood  or this blue sleeper in LA (must be sold, no new ad for more than one month) so if I find something really promising I will give you a phone call or an Email to get your opinion. You have all my gratitude and respect for this tremendous help you're offering me there.

Now I've got to get ready, I'm on vacation from now till March 13th  so I must get ready for my first trip in USA.

I just can't realize what I'm about to do... with or without car my journey will be a great experience full of good surprises and with a lot of people to meet !

Thanks a lot !

Friendly yours, Laurent

Yes , in any case , call and give me your new phone no. I will give you a private line I will leave on 24 hours. Of course email too.  - CC

Please send me a link to the '78 CDC for $5500 on cl. I don't see it. Cheap cars in Inglewood are not tje ones for you. And what is the blue sleeper ? If you send me links , I can point out things for your consideration. Please stay in touch.  - Carl

Laurent,

I had come close to purchasing this 1977 Coupe deVille d'Elegance myself but it turned out the steering wheel spoke was cracked (very common on the style of rim used in 1977 & 1978). That is why the steering rim had been wrapped (difficult to see in the photos provided).

Other than that, this car was truly as magnificent one-owner example of a '77 Coupe deVille as any I ever saw with only 22,000 miles with all original paint in Frost Orange Firemist, one of 6 extra cost colors offered that year. This car was loaded to the hilt and it is the only 77/78/79 I have ever seen with dual power recliner seats. I had seen this car in person when the original owner brought it to a local CLC show back in '98. It was virtually perfect.

After many months of trying to sell the car for unrealistic figures, the seller (who had inherited the car) would have accepted $7,500 which was a very good price for such an outstanding example which I would have paid if I didn't already own another '77 CdV, and if the wheel was perfect, it would have been a go for me.

In any case, I wanted to cite this example as a yardstick of what $x will buy in one of these cars.

You should also be aware that between $5,000 and $10,000 is WORLDS APART in one of these cars. Every extra dollar spent up front acquiring the best will pay off infinitely in the long run. There is no economy in buying cheap only to spend thousands later trying to make a turkey into something it will never be. It is simply not achievable and long before you get close, you will find yourself upside down in no time - and your dear Cadillac will come to represent failure, misery and broken dreams. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE. Just offering some friendly advice: Now is not the time to worry about saving a few grand one way or the other which, in the greater scheme of life, will not amount to a hill of beans - especially for something of permanent value that you can enjoy for years or even decades.

When you buy the best, you will have no regrets.   :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Cadillac-DeVille-d-039-Elegance-/332043771782?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4d4f59df86%3Ag%3A3EQAAOSwvg9XTzDi&item=332043771782&nma=true&si=yNsZIA22CG7iiOpbO3O1rHfyz%252FI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Hi Again !

This Coupe de Ville 1977 sold on Ebay was a great car indeed !

I do agree with you Eric, so don't worry I won't make this mistake. I'm traveling with two experts who are also my friends and they won't let me buy a piece of crap that would turn into a money pit or a nightmare like you wrote. I have already three cars at home, two vintage and a brand new one, if I bring back a car I will have to sell one of them but I will have to keep spending money to give proper maintenance for the two others, so I will be sensible enough not to bring back a hip of rust.

So I came to this conclusion : I will only buy a Cadillac if I find a affordable Coupe de Ville from 77 to 79 that isn't perfect but has no mechanical problems and a nice interior.

If I don't I will get back to France and keep saving and then come again next year with more money.

There are many American Classics, my friend had bought novas, Camaro, Gran Torino, Pontiac Lemans, mustang and such and I had some rides with them, but to me Cadillac is the only reference I can really relate to. Coupe de Ville is such a nice name, so french... (a coupe for town).

Carl, I'm sending you a MP with the link about the car I was talking about in my last message.

Thanks again for all these advices and kindness

Laurent

This car is what some of us refer to as a definite maybe ! It is the second worthwhile candidate you have found. Very good going , Laurent ! I called Bruce , the owner , and left a message asking him to call me after work. We have at least 8 hours to wait. Again , the problem is being the first guy with the money. You can not be hurt buying a car which will sell at a net profit. The three of you can make that judgment. Eventually purchasing from a fellow CLC member is the best way to insure a fine car  can be purchased with confidence. We often give each other good deals , and enjoy keeping our Cads  "in the family". Generally few/no problems purchasing by "remote control". You are learning well , and with or without a Cadillac , you should join CLC ASAP. How is that coming ? Do you need some help with that ?  - Carl

I forgot my password, my browser knows it but I don't and there is no "I forgot my password" link on the forum... And I need this password to join the CLC ! If you've got a clue about this little problem...

Thanks for encouraging me !

And thanks for helping me out once again !

OH THOSE PASSWORDS ! I live in constant fear of being asked for some of mine. I hope someone reading this can help you. I have had to beg for help , which I got. I suspect you and I are not the only ones. HELP ANYONE ?

I think the guy in charge of the forum (webmaster?) is Peter Gariepy, whose email address is petergariepyemail addresses not permitted   

Ask him what to do.

I can fix up the password problem, and will do it when requested.

Thanks,

Bruce.

I spoke with Bruce (owner), the car see,s to have spent most of its life in the garage. Very little sun damage at all. His mother - in - law is now 95 , the car had not been driven in 3 - 4 years. Started up on the old gasoline and driven 2 times around the block. No service history available, it was driven ever less after her husband died around 30 years ago , resulting in shutdown sometime around 2013. Of course without service records , certain precautions should be taken. The radiator may be bad , the A/C will need work , compressor ? A good check of suspension bushings, (did you find out about upper control arm bushings ?) Etc., etc., etc., and on and on. Let the guys who own these cars give you tips about what and how to check. I will give you my quick three , but most of the guys here are vastly better mechanics than I am. It is only a slight exaggeration to say I couldn't even carry their shop rags for some of them. Oh , I do have the owners direct email , if you can figure a way to streamline this. You will need a good mechanic to look at this one. You certainly will have to do at least a few things on a 40 year old car with 75,000 miles which has not been driven for a while. Not major overhaul unless it has been suffering extreme deferred maintenance for some time. This does appear to be a worthwhile car to put a bit of time and money into, under the circumstances.

Again the problem is time is against you. If you were a member this transaction could conceivably be handled for you with confidence. Maybe even without your membership. You are building up a fan club here , and I am sure you will take that ol' Devil(le) Bruce up on his offer to facilitate your membership.
Again , good eye , Laurent !  - Carl

Hi Carl !

I'm gonna do my best to get this car if it's really worth. I will contact the owner by mail through CL to get an appointment as soon as possible after me and my friend recovered from the jet lag. Once again they are skilled experts of American classic cars so I can rely on them to check the car thoroughly !

For the time being I'm about to send an Email to the administrator (The other Bruce) to solve this password problem. As soon as I get it back or a new one I will join the CLC community 'cause I owe you (Cadillac owners and members of this forum) big for all the help and care you poured on me. Carl, I don't forget my promise to send you a great bottle of french wine, I will fulfill it as soon as I'm back in France.

With or without Cadillac to bring back, this epic journey is about to become something big, I already loved the Cadillac now I also love the owner's frame of mind so even if I don't get it right now, I'll keep on trying for years to come, this is a second reason to join the CLC community as soon as possible !

Thanks again to all the kind people who gave and still give me precious tips and friendly support.

Friendly yours, Laurent

Laurent , other than car sales between fellow club members , these transactions are seldom cooperative. Two exceptions would be FIRM PRICE sellers , and cars which are offered under market. If I encounter a deal like that , I feel it is insulting to negotiate. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED THE OWNER , PLEASE REFRAIN. The logic here is that without a significant non-refundable down payment , say $1000 , you will not be able to impede the sale of this car to your benefit in any way whatsoever. Meaning that during the two weeks that will have passed since the car first appeared, and your meeting it, the car will have sold , or it will not have. If sold , it was probably a pretty good deal. If still on the market , maybe not such a good deal. You have expressed an interest in knocking $500 off Bruce's firm price. That is impolite in the first week or perhaps more on the market at a firm price. If there is very little interest over time , firm gets soft. Your only advantage here (re : price negotiation) , is also a disadvantage. It means that time on the market makes it less likely to be a good deal for you , or anyone else. Now , without going into detail here , which would take us to CAR DEALING 301 , I had done some clever set up work for you in order to give you a chance of a bit of softness after 2 weeks on the market. If you respond quickly and eagerly hoping the car will wait for you : bye bye $500 price drop. He says firm , but after two weeks , the gentlman's implied 10% discount may perhaps prevail. Remember , in order to knock that $500 off the price , you would probably have to slap $4500  cash down on the hood or trunk , and split the difference. Some people would not be impressed , a few would tell you : "Hey , Frenchie , do you know what FIRM means ?"

O.K. CAR DEALING 101 , DAY ONE : The cardinal rule of used car buying is : IF YOU CANT SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE INTENDED CAR , SAY NOTHING. NOTHING ! NOTHING AT ALL !

When I found out there are no service records on this car , my "mmmmmmm" response was a means of saying something BAD about the car. When I asked if the car was started on 3 or 4 year old gasoline , and asked if he knew about old gas , that is another non-confrontational insult. Asking how old the good looking tires were , finding out he had no idea (obviously 4 years old at an absolute minimum , maybe 20 years old or , HEY , more than that) , a very short tutorial about D.O.T. codes , and the refusal of tire dealers to touch tires over 10 years old (other to take them off and discard them no matter if they have only 3 miles in 10 years on them) , is also non-confrontational , but less than complimentary.

You will have more to deal with than tires and gasoline on a 40 year old car with 75,000 miles on it , which has accumulated deferred maintenance, and significant down time.

Please re-read CAR DEALING 101 above.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED THE OWNER , DON'T , unless you want to risk losing a down payment. Or needlessly throw out a possible negotiating posture.Bruce will sell the car to first person willing to pay for it , appointment to see irrelevant.

I am here for you , let me do some of the legwork before you arrive. I advocate in favor of you , my fellow CLC member , LET ME BE THE FIRST OR SECOND TO WELCOME YOU !
                                                 - Carl Fielding , CLC 10797

G'day Laurent,

I have sent you an email with your new password.

No good sending a PM as you wouldn't be able to log back in to read it.

Bruce. >:D

PS.   Have fun in USA, the Yanks are a friendly lot.

Oh , also , my esteemed fellow club member , I might have mentioned this earlier , but one of the advantages of membership is the privilege of acceptance of cold calls between members. Many years ago near Cleveland , Ohio , a fellow member saved my trans-continental trip. If not for him , I would have thrown my crankshaft damper through the hood in catastrophic failure. Auditory machine condition monitoring , and my trusty CLC International Membership Directory (never leave home without it) , saved the trip. This is yet another of so very many examples of members service to one another. I will call out the kindness and generosity of Rod Dahlgren who rescued me and lavished hospitality on me and my 1927 Cadillac while long distance lone wolf cruising a year ago. Eventually you may have the pleasure of meeting Rod in Sweden where he frequently spends part of the Summer. You will also enjoy the next CLC Grand European. I think we have 200 or so far-flung Continental members , maybe over a dozen of which are in France. U.K. over 30 , and a couple in Ireland. Also a member in Turkey. All your new friends ! Happy cruising, Laurent !

P.S. Hold that bottle for my arrival in France. I am trying to fit one more trip to Europe into the time I have left before check out time.  - CC

Hi again !

I'm back full force with a new password I wrote down properly this time, thanks a lot Bruce ! Yeps Americans people will please me a lot, I'm sure of it and I will try to be the nicest french guy they've ever met before !  ;D

Thanks for your car dealing classes Carl ! I will proceed as you told me, I won't make any phone call before the one I will make to set up an appointment. 

I will also take the time to give my friends the mechanics all the precious information you gathered for me about this car, knowing its history even before seeing it, will help them to focus on the most crucial points. They will have a look at the engine looking for leaks

I'm not an expert like them but if I manage to buy this car, before driving it, I will ask them to fill out the gaz tank and to change the gaz filter then to have a look at the brakes before changing all the fluids starting with the coolant liquid which is as you know hygroscopic which means that with time it fills with water making it less efficient and damaging the grill (another point of attention by the way, as you told before).

And if I buy it, I won't be foolish enough to drive it to Compton, I will make it towed there, it's worth the money (one hundred buck according to my friend).

While negotiating it, I won't behave like a lowballer of some kind, I will give my opinion based on the verdict of my friends and then make a reasonable offer. This car is a luxury car that may have not been serviced as it should have, it also needs to pass smog (could be tricky for this one).

In the end this is just chit chat, I'm not even there yet, can't make my plane take off sooner so as you said time is against me. Here I want to believe in fate, if this car is for me I'll get it !  ::)  (This is a fun way to comfort myself if the car is sold beforehand)

Thanks again Carl ! Hope you'll make the arrangement for this trip to France and many others after this !

I'm on my way to become a CLC member

Friendly yours, Laurent

This was a small step to make and I made it, I'm now part of the CLC Community under the name Laurent Lap. Don't have any member number yet, but I paid my fee !  :)

I hesitated a bit while choosing the formula, considering that I don't have a Cad yet and that I may have not one for many month or I don't hope so years, I chose the Online member formula. Therefore if I get my Cad I will change my membership formula as soon as I be back in France.

Got to clean the mess in my home before leaving, eager to read from you soon !

Hi again , Laurent ! 5 days and counting on the market for "Your" very nice looking '78 CDV. Now that you are a member , you may ask for member help to secure this car with an inspection and conceivably a contractual down payment. A bit complicated with your intercontinental distance. If I were in L.A. at the  present time , I could do it for you free of charge. CLC has plenty of members nicer than I am. Again , I congratulate you for your keen eye , and very sensible 2 choices. Of the two, this one could be the better buy , even at $2000 more in price. Since you are now a legitimate member , I am trying to facilitate a "pocket" backup deal on an even more valuable Cadillac if this one is sold , or otherwise not "your" car. The "backup" is more desirable , has less miles , and apparently needs only the kind of tinkering that you can do yourself while providing enjoyment and driving. About the same money , it will , however , attract more jaw dropping , wide-eyed attention from the spectator population. In the end I feel that you , like many of us including myself , will come to regard this as one of the pleasures of ownership.   Still here with you ,  - Cadillac

P.S. Don't forget to call me as soon as you get a phone here.  - CC

Hi Carl !

The trip is imminent (Knew this word both existed in French and english)  ;D And I'm getting more and more nervous by the minute. Got some belly aches for two days, went to sleep to rest my nerves and now I'm alright. Tomorrow first thing in the morning I'm go to the doctor's to get some pills to cool down, light ones, I don't want any trouble at the customs.

What could become my cad is still there,  won't bother any more people, you already saved me a lot of efforts, now I just have to do my part and do my best to get it if it's worth. Got some nice news, a Californian friend of one of my friend who is traveling with me has a towing truck 'cause he's in the car business and he agrees to tows our car to Compton.

Every single detail is settled, I'm ready and shaking a bit hope the doctor fixes this tomorrow.

I'll call you as soon as I get a prepaid mobile on Wednesday. Till then have a nice day.

Thanks a lot to you and to the CDC community

On line members don't have cards so they may not have number too ? That's why my profile on the blog is unchanged ? 

It's over...

Tomorrow the plane will take off without me. Went to the doctor's two days ago, made some analysis and I just got the results : I've got a kidney stone (already had one and the results are the same : blood and inflammation) and this could be a bit of a problem in a 13 hours flight and in a country where the medical costs are so high.

I give up, thanks for all your support, the dream is over I shouldn't have had such expectations in the first place, it serves me right...

Not good news, but it is never over till it is actually over.

I know your pain with the Kidney Stone, and you definitely would not survive the plane flight.   I had one last year and within 2 hours, I had my wife take me to the hospital.

Bruce. >:D

ATTENTION , LAURENT ! The dream is far from actually over. Look : Luckily the timing of your medical problem might have saved your life. Worst case is it has caused some of your money to be wasted , and might have only delayed your dream. It is up to you to keep that dream alive. Let me tell you when I meet you about deferred dreams and health issues. And so many people in this troubled world have problems which make my own seem like a carnival by comparison.

As I start this response , your friends are over U.S. airspace , soon to land. You will still be a strong young guy when you will be doing the same. In the meantime, I just called Bruce , the seller of the '78 CDV. It is still available, but I need to know if you have any interest or ability to buy it under the circumstances through the efforts of your friends. Bruce will only be able to show the car on the weekend , Friday , Satury , Sunday. Is this possible ? Bruce does not speak French , or Spanish for that matter. I include Spanish as it is possible your friends whose English is limited , may have some ability in their not too terribly distant cousin toungue. Although not bilingual, I am highly fluent in Spanish , and used to hearing it spoken by a friend with a heavy Québécois accent. If of any use , your friends are encouraged to call me.

Make sure they eat at a couple Fatburger restaurants. Do not also lose this opportunity in ANY case.
      Now a member of CLC , you will have a more productive trip when you do come soon.
                                                        RSVP ,   -  Carl

Hi Carl

I'm aching a bit less than yesterday but this damned stone is starting its journey strolling down from my kidney to my bladder. I lost about 2000$ in this mayhem... My friends won't do anything for me, they are mad at me I think... So it's over, it's gonna take a while and a few surgery to build such a project again.

Till then you still have my mail so if you come in France I'll be delighted to welcome you !

Thanks for everything

Farewell my friends...   :'(

Everything will work out just fine , Laurent. It is difficult to plan happy times while you suffer in pain. I suffered ever increasing pain through all of my 30s. In my early 40s , modern neurosurgery saved my life , and ended a pain level that could not be endured any more. I remain pain free. I would rather live broke in my car pain free , than have every Cadillac in the world , and the money of the richest 3 people in the world to maintain them while going through that pain endlessly. You will feel wonderful again , and soon. It could be said that you have lost 1/3 of a Cadillac. The good news is that you have 2/3 of a Cadillac left ! And you have a whole group of very fine helpful people here who have been hoping for the best for you. Look at all the views ! Hang in here with us. We are all in this to help one another enjoy our Cadillacs , and spend time together. You will enjoy the 2017 CLC Grand European being held August 23 - 27 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Get to know your fellow club members , and their cars. If you know Denmark and the Danish people , you know what a happy , civilized culture that is. I lived there for several months almost 50 years ago , and even then , virtually everyone spoke English to some degree , most people spoke it extremely well. Again , stay with us on the forums. There are friendly Cadillac experts who will always help you. You DID pick the only 2 Cadillacs which might have been right for you out of a huge field of potential problematic ones. VERY WELL DONE ! Not only that , but we all like you !  - Carl

Sorry for Laurent

So, after following this and having my doubts as to whether it was for real or not. Was the French Guy just an internet troll or the real M'Coy.

I know Carl did a lot of work on this and I'm not trying to start a fight or anything, but I had real serious doubts about the whole thing.

On a camping forum here in Australia, i saw a thread go the exact same way as this did. (Maybe Carl can answer the question if he chooses)

Kev

At the end, it was my impression too. Average French people are in fact unable to cope with the costs associated with an US car; plus the fact that he wanted a pristine car for almost nothing. Maybe I'm doing him wrong, but I doubt.

Hi Kev and Roger. Yes , I probably put 60 or 70 hours (maybe more) into trying to make sure Laurent had a positive outcome , and favorable impression of us. I had hoped he would become another young member to carry Cadillacs into the hearts of others in Europe. We also exchanged emails , and spoke on the phone. He did seem very real and sincere to me. Romantic and sensitive , certainly. I spent a great many hours on Craigslist over the entire West Coast , very frequently and regularly. Occasionally over the Southwest to Texas and Oklahoma. I called on the interesting ones , and made a couple of friends , one of whom had heard of my adventure driving the '27 Cad long distance ! That phone call lasted 1 1/2 hours ! I have great confidence in his insights , and intelligence. The two cars he picked out of the enormous inventory were indeed the most apropriate for him. I spoke with both owners extensively , as he could not. He refined his hunt as he learned from us. Eager to get to see the '78 CDV which seemed to have his name on it , with a weekend opening with Bruce , the owner. There was a significant loss , as a good portion of his trip was pre-paid and non-refundable. I can see a sensitive person becoming rather devastated at the loss of his first intercontinental adventure . And consider that he was ill and in pain. Another factor is that he felt he had let his friends down. He was to be the interpreter for the two others who have limited abilities in English. I tried to reach him by email shortly after the sad outcome. Did not hear back. I shall email him now and report back. Let me close by thanking all of the members who help others. The time consuming generosity of teaching other Cadillac owners by dipping deeply into the knowledge gained from years of mechanical and technical expertise is way more than this mere parts replacer could ever do. Thanks to many great guys who have vectored me to road rescue local mechanics , so far from home. (Never travel without your CLC directory !) To a very busy super great member who dropped everything and came to my rescue in the rain with his truck and trailer last year. I still owe him for that. Oh , and he and his wife made a house guest of me for the duration !!! Another member who I had called looking for parts for the '27 took me in to stay with him and his family for a wonderful visit after meeting him at Hershey a few years ago. I went with him to enjoy people , places , events , food , family gatherings , and his wonderful cars. A fantastic time ! We all help as much as we are able. O.K. Let me see how Laurent is these days , if he is available.  - Carl

He rang ture, not trollish.

Also, he actually joined CLC, which is is very inconsistent with troll behavior.

I hope he takes another try at his dream.

hawk