Hi Folks ! Looking for basic informations about Cadillac

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

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.

[Carl Fielding]

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

[TheFrenchGuy]

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!   

[Roger Zimmermann]

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.

[Carl Fielding]

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

[Carl Fielding]

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

[TheFrenchGuy]

Hi Carl ! 

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 !   

[Carl Fielding]

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

[Carl Fielding]

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

[cadillacmike68]

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.

[Roger Zimmermann]

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.

[cadillacmike68]

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.

[Carl Fielding]

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

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

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.

[Carl Fielding]

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

[TheFrenchGuy]

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 !  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

[Carl Fielding]

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

[cadillacmike68]

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?

[Carl Fielding]

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

[Big Apple Caddy]

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.

But these are all smaller cars.

Smaller outside but still big inside.

I'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.