What do you do when you find yourself losing interest . . .

[Dan LeBlanc]

. . . in your old car? 

Went to a show on Saturday.  All back roads for about 3 hours each way.  Had a lot of thinking time.  On the way back, after about the 5th hour of driving for the day, I started feeling like, "meh, I'm ready for something different."  I know my Fleetwood is nice and all and many folks tell me "you can't sell that car."  It is by far the best 1961/62 car I've owned having owned a few since 2004, so, maybe it is time to get something different.  I feel like having something older.  Something different than what I've had.

So, my question is this.  When you feel like you're losing the spark with your old car, what do you do?  Do you send it on down the road and move on?  What do you do to find that lost spark?

I know some people say just park it and leave it for a bit.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've had it out since April.  The last stretch was 2 months without even as much as looking at it.

If someone would've made me a reasonable offer on Saturday at the show, I think I would've taken it and thumbed a ride home.

[David Greenburg]

I would think long and hard about whether it is really the car or something else.  Would driving any old car for that long have you feeling the same way?  It's always tenting to think the grass is always greener . . . , without adequately assessing all the downsides of taking that move, whether it's selling a car, moving, or changing jobs.  On the other hand, if you are thinking of moving on, please PM me; I've been giving serious thought to my next purchase, which will be a 4 door, and early 60's Fleetwoods are on the short list.

[Daddio]

Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear you're in the doldrums.  I think we all go thru that at one point or another. But it's probably best not to over react and sell your favourite baby.
I've always had a Ford and GM car (and a Massey, since I'm a bit of a country boy), so I get to attend different shows and talk to different enthusiasts. I note you have Caddies ... exclusively.
I'm even thinking of getting a rat rod, to really change it up.
Winter's coming and they'll be going into storage. Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, so this might be the answer.

[59-in-pieces]

Dan,
Well, it can't be bad shocks on such a fine car that joggled your brain.
How many times have we all wanted to "upgrade" or go back to a "better time".
In the end, you do what you need to do, to freshen up your life going forward.
I think too often there is a faction of folks who lament holding on to the past, and move flitting from one thing to the other, but still don't find the satisfaction they set out to find.
The good news is that you are considering selling the faithful and finding its shinny new replacement - and lavish your attentions going forward.
It would be a shame to simply "tune out" - "turn off" - and "drop out" of the hobby altogether.
And by the way, we would expect your resignation as Administrator the day you do.
Get out of the dumps - have fun,
Steve B.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Usually a lap through the lot of a classic car auction or car corral of a major classic car sales event is more than plenty to make me appreciate the cars I have all the more.

If that doesn't do it, the long winter never fails to hit the "RESET" button for renewed vintage car fever in the spring.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Art put it best.  It has become just an old car to me. 

It's a perfect storm of many things.  There are things that I don't like about the car, and they're starting to outweigh the positives.  I could get into a long discourse of the pluses and minuses, but for each person they're different.  What may be a minus for me could be argued 10 ways from Sunday into a positive.

All I know is that the last few times I had it out, I'm becoming more and more of the school of thought that the empty space in the garage wouldn't necessarily be a sad day.

It's not about whether or not the grass is greener.  It's still the same pasture.  I'm not looking to exit the hobby by any means, I'm just feeling like it's time for something different.  Lately, I find myself getting more and more excited by 1958-64 Lincolns (yup, I said it here), and Imperials of a similar vintage (yup, I said that too), and to a lesser extent, mid-50's Cadillacs.  My 1953's aren't going anywhere though.  I do like them and will see them complete.

David, if I do decide to let it go, I'll be in touch.

[Art Director]

Dan, your car is gorgeous and I was so honored to work with the superior photos of it when it appeared a year ago in The Self-Starter.

I've owned my 1963 Six-Window Sedan de Ville for over 22 years and never get tired of it. However, it was my grandmother's car and I grew up with it, so there's the sentimental value.

If you're still inclined, sell your car for top dollar and get the car you really want. But please don't drop your CLC membership - this club has been a family to me and I hope it's meant the same to you.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Thanks Tim for your compliments.  It was an honour to have the car featured.

My wife and I are sitting here discussing what if's.  She'd really like to see us in a mid-60s Cadillac convertible.

Yes, I'd still stick around with this group of folks.  I still have the 53 too

[Scot Minesinger]

Dan,

It could be something else.  I have been in a bad marriage and blamed my job, and even quit (only after securing another job - I may be crazy but not dumb).  But really the job was not great, so it was not a loss.  Eventually everything worked out.  Point is sometimes we are feeling blahh and blame it on the wrong thing.

Feeling so - so about any of my cars has never happened in 40 years of driving.  Always seemed to buy cars that thrilled me, even think fondly on the ones that had to go.  Today I had two errands to run after 7 days straight of bad weather (which is very rare in Virginia this time of year) and split it into two trips so I could drive two 1970 Cadillacs.  Wow!, was it great for me.  My life with being self employed, three children (two now in college) and etc. just like everyone is always challenging.  Driving my cars is always a very pleasant escape.

If you want to switch cars you should, but there are few like yours so count your blessings.  The grass is always greener, be happy with what you have and etc.  Take your time on this decision.  For now enjoy your Cadillac!



   

[7gen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvSlGRyj_cw

[cadillac ken]

Just could be you changed.  I have had cars that I just "outgrew" if you will.  I liked them a lot when I got them, worked on them, got them running and on the road, but after a while I just wanted to go with something else.  Life is short and I never feel guilty about wanting to experience something else.  My tastes have expanded.  And what I used to think was a great car, came to be not so great after refining my wants and likes.  I don't drink cheap whiskey anymore. There was a time I thought the cheap stuff was as good as it got.  But with that said there are cars that I will never sell.

I used to hate certain colors on cars, but now some of those same colors are in my "faves".  One car I even told a guy who was helping me locate to find one in any color but white.  "White is for washing machines and sneakers" I told him. 
I ended up finding a really beautiful model--- wait for it... in white.  And now I really like the color on the car. Clean and pure (and in fact is probably one of the those cars I will never sell)

So don't beat yourself up for not enjoying the car anymore like you used to.  We change.  And it's okay. It's a great big car world out there!

[chrisntam]

Didn't read all the responses (yet), though I get that all are very supportive, but I did read the 1st one.

Life is a journey, not a destination.  Perhaps you've reached the destination with this one and you need a new challenge, or in other words, it may be time start a journey with another one.

As we all know, life is short, it's best to be happy.  Lone the car to a museum, get the Lincoln, fulfill the itch, the car being on loan will allow time for the keep it or move it decision.

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

I understand. I get that way with mine when it has issues.
I even get that way with the plane every once in a while.

My problem is that I don't have the money to do what I want to with it.
But then I kick myself and realize what I have.... and then life is good.

Best of luck in whatever you choose to do.
Jeff

[James Landi]

Hi Dan,

You've raised a great question, and the responses are engaging and express many shades of truth.   When you have a car that is so perfect and frankly so vulnerable to deterioration like your is, running the car means running up the mileage, means decreasing the car's inherent value.  Shopping for a wonderful Cadillac convertible and selling your 61 to a club member who will enjoy it and protect it is something to consider. The front wheel drive 70's Eldorado Convertibles are unusually satisfying to drive and easy to love.  Go shopping

[Roger Zimmermann]

I'm feeling the same way as you, Dan. I have my 3 cars since more than 20 years...I'm trying to sell one ('56 sedan de Ville, '56 Biarritz and '57 Brougham) to have room for another. I'm thinking at one coupe or sedan from 1965 to 1972, this time not to restore but to enjoy.
Maybe I'll put in the "for sale" section my 3 cars. However, as I'm located in Switzerland, to offer cars here may be an illusion.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Art put it best.  It has become just an old car to me. 

It's a perfect storm of many things.  There are things that I don't like about the car, and they're starting to outweigh the positives.  I could get into a long discourse of the pluses and minuses, but for each person they're different.  What may be a minus for me could be argued 10 ways from Sunday into a positive.

All I know is that the last few times I had it out, I'm becoming more and more of the school of thought that the empty space in the garage wouldn't necessarily be a sad day.

It's not about whether or not the grass is greener.  It's still the same pasture.  I'm not looking to exit the hobby by any means, I'm just feeling like it's time for something different.  Lately, I find myself getting more and more excited by 1958-64 Lincolns (yup, I said it here), and Imperials of a similar vintage (yup, I said that too), and to a lesser extent, mid-50's Cadillacs.  My 1953's aren't going anywhere though.  I do like them and will see them complete.

David, if I do decide to let it go, I'll be in touch.

I see that you are interested in the 58-64 Lincolns, It is funny because I am in complete reverse of you. After owning a 61 Lincoln for 10 years, I simply just got tired of it, and to be honest, it wasn't a car that wowed me styling wise or other bystanders for that matter. I owned a 68 Coupe Deville when I bought the 61, which quite frankly is much more sexy looking car with better styling over the conservative Lincoln IMO. I got more head turners and compliments in the 68 Cad than the 61 Lincoln.

At first when I bought it, I was enamored with the suicide doors and thought it was the coolest thing in the world, plus the lines of the car are really elegant, but after only a couple of years of ownership, the excitement wore off. The 61-65 are little too bland for my taste, but they are very nice cars and are well built. If anything, I'd pick the 64 Lincoln over any other year, just because a lot of major improvements were made to the entire car during that time, and the styling such as the grill and interior look a lot better to me compared to the prior years. The 61-63 interiors are very small for the size of the car. There is no legroom for rear seat passengers, and the whole interior feels very claustrophobic because of how curved in the side windows are. The 65 grill looks too much like a Mercury, and doesn't compliment the rest of the cars looks.

They are major issues with 60's Lincolns, and one of them are the parts! They are extremely expensive, and are rare to find. Another issue is the extremely tight engine compartment which can be a PITA to work on, especially the access to the electrical system, and the removal of the hood just to work on the radiator or other front end engine work. The 430 engines are known to eat up power steering pumps, and chew up timing gears. Generally they are fairly reliable cars, but when something does break, it will cost you a fortune to repair. Restoring one will cost you much more money vs a similar year Cad. Rust is the enemy on those cars since they have no frame to support it's structure like how a Cadillac does. So if their is body rot anywhere near the rear dog legs or rear doors, forget it, the body will be compromised and is very expensive to fix.

Cadillac of the same vintage are way easier to work on, parts are easier to find and they don't cost as much to repair, the power plant of the Cads are better, they are more conventional in it's setup, and they have more power to boot. Driving a 60's Cadillac is the most easy-going pleasurable experience a luxury car buyer could have imagined back in the day, while driving a 60's Lincoln was like driving a brick down the road. The ride and handling are not the same at all, fairly stiff riding for a luxury car, because of the uni-body construction and rear leaf springs. But I will say, they are extremely solid cars.

It could be also that you don't own your dream car yet. This is key to long term ownership. Buying a classic because you thought it was nice at the time, doesn't necessarily mean it will be in your life until you die. But the day you find and own your dream ride that you have been drooling over forever, is when you wont even think about selling it in 5-10 years.

Sometimes we want changes in life, and get bored of the same things after awhile, and that is normal. So it's possible your 61 isn't the Cadillac you truly wanted, but possibly one that you purchased solely because of it's condition and rarity as it is a Fleetwood.

I am content with my 64 Cad, because it's been a Cadillac (63-64) that I have always wanted for many years. My 68 was fine in all, but it wasn't my dream ride, nor was my 72. So maybe that's the issue here.

Just make sure if you do sell, try to get top dollar for it since it is so nice, because starting all over again is hard, and the older you become, the harder the journey gets. Use that money to buy another car you really want that is already in good condition vs a fixer upper if you can.

Good luck!

[Carl Fielding]

Here I am checking the forum before going to bed late. Came to a conclusion for you. (How easy it is to give advice). Continued scrolling down , reading all , I came across the very astute recommendation from my highly esteemed new friend , James. (We are enjoying a fine time getting to know one another off forum). I heartily agree , the big FWD 500 cu. in. Eldos are one of the worlds most satisfying cars. The handling , given the right tires , or at least proper FWD tire pressures (see comments by Bruce Roe and myself under "Tire Pressure for 1976 Eldorado Convt" below) , is very good , particularly if you understand FWD. The low compression engines are cammed to give excellent performance at all manifold pressures on modern gasoline. I find the high compression 429s and 472s detonation prone at high manifold pressures on 92 octane. Front tire pressures up , go for a good long drive in one of these. If you were near me , I would love to sit in the back seat all day , as you fell deeply in love with my '76. Do take your wife. I imagine she likes to take the helm from time to time. My mother loved driving my '71 Eldo Conv , but was a very petite lady. Too much Cadillac out front for her. So I bought her a magnificent low mileage '70 CDV. She enjoyed driving it rather fast ! At any rate , I often imagine these cars to be what a Cord would have longed to be , if only............ Try them. Club members near you could help immensely , and you might make a new friend in the process ! Maybe you guys could get together with David , and play "musical Cadillacs" ! Many low mileage '76 Eldos around. What you get for your money in an almost new 500 cu. in. Eldo is still quite a bargain. Properly stored , never sun baked , perfect interior , perfect inlay on the steering wheel , totally intact supple rubber seals , etc. And if you are not in a big hurry , you will find one in the colors you want. Or at least number two choice. Get it while you can. Ask the man who owns one ! Hmmmmm , I guess you just did ! Good luck ! You know we will all enjoy your hunt ! Uh , but , ummmm , lincoln ? That car remains a lower case make in the opinion of : Cadillac Carl , a.k.a. Lord Fielding

[Jason Edge]

I definitely don't have that problem with my 1964 Coupe de Ville. If anything, I treasure it more than I ever have. I bought it on Nov 13, 1996, and 20 years later I feel we are only part way through our journey together. I have had 5 other driver 63/64 Cadillacs, and 46 donor cars have been brought in since 1997 to help restore this car, but this is the car for me. It is my birth year car, and has now been with me 2/5's of my 51 years on this rock, and feel 'Dino' is an integral part of me!  I see people keep a car for a few years, then sell and move on. Not me.  I plan to continue tinkering with my 64 CDV for the next 20 years + and then at some point it will hopefully pass on to someone that appreciates it as much as I do. 

[Carl Fielding]

Roger Zimmerman : if you are looking for a closed Cadillac , 45 - 50 years old or so , please read the above. Consider a low compression ('71 - 76) 500 cu. in. FWD Eldorado coupe. I have had many big Eldos , including a '75 Eldo coupe. After years of experience with the convertibles , the incredibly quiet , tight cabin of the coupe was addicting. There may be a good candidate for you on AACA forums. Karl Krouch Sr. (Among many things a Pierce Arrow expert) , is selling a 20,000 miler for a friend. I don't know how to give you a direct link , bit go to Buy/Sell under AACA GENERAL DISCUSSIONS.  find  "1976 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Biarritz". Karl is selling for a now VERY motivated friend. Problem is , he is taking it to Hershey. Karl's contacts are in his original posting , made some time ago. Lots of very good pics. I don't know if you are in a position to move fast on this , but I think this car could be bought without inspection. Take a look and see what you think. I have nothing to do with this sale , but if not for my circumstances , it might well have been my car by now. Also , in considering the fine early '70s low compression Cadillacs , '73 and on had better handling. Suspension tuning , or some subframe mounting improvment , (help me out here , someone) , if memory serves. I had a '73 Sedan. Loved it ! Also , is it not true that Sweden is a very hot market for Cadillacs like yours ? - CC , a.k.a. Lord'

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Carl for your message. I should have add in my comments: no Eldorado. I prefer a regular Sedan or Coupe de Ville between 1965 to 1972. Better handling after 1973? If I'm buying one in the mentioned range, it will have a better handling than the '56 models!
As my space is limited, I will search a "new" car when one of the 3 I have is gone.
I'm trying to sell first in Switzerland; however, you are right, Sweden is a good market and easier to sell there than in the US.