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Hi Folks ! Looking for basic informations about Cadillac

Started by TheFrenchGuy, February 03, 2017, 02:06:11 PM

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TheFrenchGuy

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 !  :)
L Lagineau

David Greenburg

It is too bad the  '76 CDV posted by Ralph Williams is out of your price range.  Looks like a very nice car.
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special

Carl Fielding

#62
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

Carl Fielding

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

The Tassie Devil(le)

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

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Glen

Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Carl Fielding

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

Carl Fielding

#67
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

TheFrenchGuy

#68
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



L Lagineau

Carl Fielding

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

Carl Fielding

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

Michel 14


TheFrenchGuy

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 !!!
L Lagineau

Jeepers Creepers

They look pretty good in Australia too.



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:
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jay Friedman

#74
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.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Carl Fielding

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

Carl Fielding

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

Carl Fielding

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

TheFrenchGuy

#78
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 !
L Lagineau

TheFrenchGuy

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...
L Lagineau