Bass Man would like a Cadillac! Late 70s-Early 80s era

[ZJWINTER1995]

Hello Friends!

I am a performing musician and I drive out of state alot on weekends when I play shows!
My current vehicle isn't big enough to haul my upright bass so I've only been able to use my electric bass on shows.

I have always wanted a late 70s early 80s cadillac to drive to shows because it would be comfortable and big enough to haul all my gear on the road!

I also serve on the worship team at two churches an hour from home!

Just trying to put some feelers out there! Don't have much money now but seeing if someone has something they aren't in a hurry to sell, or maybe something they'd be willing to donate!

I am a mechanic by trade and I take good care of my vehicle! If I come into a cadillac I will take good care of it! I

My email address is.
zachlovesfordfalconsemail addresses not permitted

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Hello Friends!

I am a performing musician and I drive out of state alot on weekends when I play shows!
My current vehicle isn't big enough to haul my upright bass so I've only been able to use my electric bass on shows.

I have always wanted a late 70s early 80s cadillac to drive to shows because it would be comfortable and big enough to haul all my gear on the road!

I also serve on the worship team at two churches an hour from home!

Just trying to put some feelers out there! Don't have much money now but seeing if someone has something they aren't in a hurry to sell, or maybe something they'd be willing to donate!

I am a mechanic by trade and I take good care of my vehicle! If I come into a cadillac I will take good care of it! I

My email address is.
zachlovesfordfalconsemail addresses not permitted

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Greetings, I am/was a touring guitar tech for metal bands back in "the day".
As a musician your job is to get to the gigs reliably. Sure, look for an old Caddy to have as a toy.
You need a RELIABLE vehicle to get to the shows, and that car/SUV/truck needs to be much newer.
My professional advice as someone in the music industry as well as an old Caddy owner. Good luck.

[Hillbillycat]

Hi, I´m an upright bass player myself just as a hobby not pro.
Did you make sure an upright fits into a 70-80s Cadillac in person?

I tried to carry my 3/4 upright bass in my 1956 Sedan Deville. Did not fit into to passenger compartment. Neither front bench, nor back bench, nor diagonal, nor trunk. I had to leave the peghead peeping out of the trunk and strap it down in the end. My 4/4 scale upright would´ve never fitted the trunk btw.

No wonder Bill Black carried his upright bass on a roof rack on Elvis´ yellow´54 limo :-)

I´m yet to examine if an upright bass fits my 84 Lincoln Town Car... trunk no way, but maye back seat.

So load your upright in one of the cars you´d like to ride before making a buy! Or you´d be stuck with electric again.

[benji808]

I'd also double-check the measurements for the bass... I suppose in my '75 Eldorado I could transport one if I dropped the top and let the frets feel the breeze 

[79 Eldorado]

Just remember the Ghost Busters proved an old Ambulance can be used for more than the original purpose. A hearse would be great for carrying large instruments; roller system could be adapted I think.  If you can get over the original purpose it seems like it would be ideal...  Probably too many people wanting to bust ghosts to find an ambulance.

Scott
PS: When I read the title I thought you were a bass fisherman

[ZJWINTER1995]

Hi, I´m an upright bass player myself just as a hobby not pro.
Did you make sure an upright fits into a 70-80s Cadillac in person?

I tried to carry my 3/4 upright bass in my 1956 Sedan Deville. Did not fit into to passenger compartment. Neither front bench, nor back bench, nor diagonal, nor trunk. I had to leave the peghead peeping out of the trunk and strap it down in the end. My 4/4 scale upright would´ve never fitted the trunk btw.

No wonder Bill Black carried his upright bass on a roof rack on Elvis´ yellow´54 limo :-)

I´m yet to examine if an upright bass fits my 84 Lincoln Town Car... trunk no way, but maye back seat.

So load your upright in one of the cars you´d like to ride before making a buy! Or you´d be stuck with electric again.

I suppose the only way I'd be able to get away with it is if the split power bench seat folded flat on the passenger side haha!

I used to travel in a '99 Honda Accord 4 door and I would fold the passenger seat flat, shove the upright in through the left rear door and the scroll would be on the floorboard on the front passenger side! It worked since I travel by myself!

My current vehicle is a '09 Kia Rio 4 door and it's too small to use that trick!

[Lexi]

I would think that an older Cadillac Limo with the 2 rows of rear seats might work. Just stow the 2 auxiliary seats down & do a trial fit. These were largely factory stretched cars that also had the trunk shortened to enlarge the so called "salon" area. So lots of room there. No comparison between my old '56 SDV and a Series 75 rear seating area from that same year, for example. Much later models are around and still reasonably priced in my opinion. But the gas mileage would be a killer. Find myself agreeing with Laurie on this one. Doing it on the cheap will hurt the pocket book in the long run. Clay/Lexi

[79 Eldorado]

From a pure function standpoint it seems like the Hearse would be the best option. Check the one out in this photo of "The Thundertaker". I would say from the cool factor it doesn't get much cooler...
https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/2163/meet-the-thundertaker-a-four-ton-hotrod-cadillac-hearse

Scott

[Lexi]

Yep Scott is correct. Probably more room in a hearse or an old ambulance, but some parts more difficult/expensive to find as Commercial in nature including some consumables. In contrast Series 75 parts are not grouped in the Cadillac MPL as "Commercial", but often with other more common Series 62 Cadillac parts though some Series 75 stuff is unique as well.

The '54 Limo that Elvis and his band used did stow a lot of items on the roof, but that does not mean that an upright base would not have fit inside. If it did, where would the band sit? Probably why the storage racks. To fit the original poster's needs one would have to know how many passengers his trips likely would include.

As less commercial grade vehicles are made and given that there are now organized clubs that encourage their preservation-prices for them have risen. Still some bargains for later models but one has the stigma attached of owning one (would not bother me), and some just want nothing to do with them. May not go over well with some Church people as has been my experience. If he searches for a Series 86 Commercial bodied older Cadillac he would be best to look for a combination model (Hearse/Ambulance), as many had fold out auxiliary seating in the back. Some Hearses as well, but less. Having a seat in the back would make the car a little more daily driver friendly, but most are even longer than the factory stretched Limos and heavier in weight and also in the pocket book (mileage and some repairs).

As he would prefer a "gimme" it is a tall order to fill and not practical for most to support a stranger's interest or dare I say "hobby". Have hung around musicians most of my life and know the mindset which is admirable but not always practical. Still with Laurie on this and don't go on the cheap. Look for a later model vehicle. As the '70s Fram oil filter advertisement used to say, "Pay me now or pay me later". Clay/Lexi

[79 Eldorado]

Clay/Lexi,
All good points especially considering he's looking for 70's to early 80's. The photo he included is a 76 to 79 Seville which isn't that big either. I still occasionally see 80's Broughams for sale in this area.

Maybe a good alternative would be a mid 80's wagon but that means it wouldn't be a Cadillac. Those are as well getting difficult to find. Before the local junkyard went to a crush only site they had several of those mid to late 80's full size wagons in really pretty good shape. I drove a 93 Caprice wagon for several months while testing for work. Those could look great made to look like a wagon version of an Impala SS 94-96 but again not a Cadillac. Would it be completely frowned upon to take a Caprice wagon or Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac-Brand it?

The GMT400 platform GM Trucks IMO were some of the best built and most reliable, while modern feeling, trucks GM ever built. They made the Tahoe and Suburban but I don't think GM had started the practice of branding any as Cadillacs until later. An Escalade would be nice; not old enough.

Maybe to improve the odds of a donation he's posting on multiple forms and changing the target vehicle brand

Scott

[Lexi]

Scott yes perhaps time to target other Forums for different makes. Good point. The picture posted indicate that perhaps the era he is interested in still presents a doable price range for most people. But that has him still looking for a 43+ year old car, (or even older to get a very large vehicle). As Laurie said he can have his Cadillac Toy but he should look for something more reliable for what he intends to use it for. He has an onerous responsibly not to let the show down as she more or less pointed out. Reliable wheels are needed. You probably read his mind when posting that shot of the Thundertaker as an end game goal someday. That is super cool but at 10,000 reported hours of labor, that would be out of most people's price range (with perhaps a substantially low return on each dollar spent come time to sell).

We do see stranger car donations made from time to time; a teen newbie just starting out wanting a project car to save or auto shop class getting one to learn on; or a gravely ill individual getting their bucket list dream car through a bona-fide charitable wish foundation. Don't know anything about this guy but doesn't seem like he was seriously injured helping a Nun across the street.

On the surface he seems like a "hobbyist" hoping someone will help him out, perhaps with a view that: he will hit the big time musically someday, escape the "rat race" and spend the rest of his life living and getting paid for his fantasy. Don't we all want that! Your comments about him perhaps lowering his sights ring clear to me, (non-Cadillac). But as you said even those alternative wagons are also now getting hard to find.

The harsh reality "Zach" is that this is not the early '70s when cars like the ones that you could use were around for a meagre price. No Neil Young's Hearse story stuff now. The way gas prices are going may mean you will soon have your hand out just to pay fuel costs. Like musicians Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon in Some Like it Hot borrowing the Hupmobile and having it fueled at the expense of their female buddy as they were dirt poor. As for landing a Hearse, a lot of Church people will freak at that, which is unfortunate. I say time to re-evaluate, though I wish you the best of luck. Clay/Lexi