Another Japanese SEV from Cadillac

[Rhino 21150]

Dinosaurs rule! Or, did. Anyway, I love my 38, although it is tight with five. For sheer gall I drive the (really cheap to own) 76 Delta. Six in style! Pigosaurus!

[denise]

  They work better than time-release pills?

[denise 20352]

  Delta 88, or 99?  I love those cars.  When I was in high school, we had a 1974 88 that had cloth seats.  The last time I saw the car was in the 80s, and they were still immaculate.  I think the car was finally eaten up by rust, after my brother took it to Chicago.  What a sad ending for such a great car.

-denise

[Ed Dougher]

The point I was trying to make is that in each of those examples, success came in the form of a more traditional, V-8 powered, RWD car.  But I guess "dinosaurs" are extinct.  Imagine that!

[Rhino 21150]

Delta Royale (88 four door hardtop) with Burgundy crushed velour interior in pristine condition. One small spot of white paint I havent tried to remove, Goof-Off will work next time I buy some.
No rust, but all in Redneck gray (urethane primer). My body guy cant work on rusty cars anymore, left dogleg needs replacing, I have part, thats the only rust. Tranny blown, will replace with TH-400 (has 375) when "Bob the Cadillac junky" (not me) pulls one out. Exhaust just starting to sound cool (leaks). 350-R, hu-freakin-mongous four barrel.
Any car predating OBD-II no longer gets emission tests! 160hp my foot! 350-350-350 coming right up. Sitting under cover until July or thereabouts.

[Sue 5125]

Thatll be the day, when I can afford a truckload of groceries!  I just spent $200 and didnt even fill the trunk of the car. -d

Well if you drive an XLR then $200 will buy you a trunk load of groceries.

I stopped to fill the 44 gal tank in my Suburban on the way home from work today and the pump stopped just shy of $100.  It gets about 14 mpg hwy on a good day with the wind at my back.

I feel no guilt driving my luxurious gas hog; I agree with Denise there are no new cars out there right now that I would choose to drive.  With the higher gas prices, I stretch my gas budget by staying at the office and skipping lunch a couple days a week.  I refuse to drive a small tin box.

[denise]

  Arizona still emission tests 40-year-old cars.  Im trying to imagine, back in 1970, seeing a 1930 Chevrolet puckety-pucking up to the emissions testing station.  It would have been ridiculous.  It IS ridiculous.

-denise

[denise]

  We should form a PAC!

  I dont even know what an XLR is, but it sounds tiny.  



-denise

[Dave Leger - CLC#19256]

When I got my 47 to Denver, I was told I didnt need an emissions test since it was pre-58.  I took it from that that 1958 - 1981 vehicles require the stationary emissions inspection (1982 up require dynanometer testing).  I know I used to have to take my 67 Imperial in every year for its test.

[Chris Short CLC 18814]

Hello,
     Id just like to say that yes many people dont agree with cadillacs new direction.  But theyre learning.  Theyre makeing a clean break from a old mold that wasnt working.  I truely beleive that Cadillac is going to get nothing but better from here on out..  Look at the new Escalade that just came out...  I couldnt believe my eyes, CHROME.  They are finaly putting chrome back on cars.  Cadillac cars finaly make a statement again.  I think the new Escalade is awesome.  And my next car is going to be the new STS.  I think its just a matter of time before they start to glam-up the cars also.  Hey I miss the super comfortable seats, the beautiful exterior and interior colors, the easy steering, and the true grace that cadillac always had...  But I think the best is yet to come.  All the qualities that we are missing so much Im sure will pop up with a new, modern, cutting egde twist.  We just need to give Caddy some time.....  Untill then we have all are vintage cadillacs to get us through.  Theres my point of view from a 25 year old.

Chris Short
96 eldo, 89 Brougham, 85 Eldo, 76 Eldo convert, 68 DeVille convert.

[Rhino 21150]

The OBD-II rule is now in effect in North Carolina. I havent heard about any other states. Check your states DMV website. Google can find it for you.

[Fred Garfield 22310]

Well said, Chris. In a sense, ever since the 1980s it was impossible for Cadillac to do anything but improve. Thats when they insulted the car-buying public with the Cimarron which was nothing but a tinny, gussied up clone of the Cavalier. In an ideal automotive world, Cadillac would go back to what they had in 1968 and update that with the best in subsequent technological improvements, but dont hold your breath.

[denise]

   Maybe you would think that Cadillac gets tons of letters and yours wouldnt count, but Im sure that they dont.  My letter was answered by a human being, the next day, and that tells me that theyre not totally swamped with mail.  While I wasnt impressed with their answer, trying to sell me another car, I was at least glad to know that they had heard my message and knew what I wanted in a car.  Write to them.  They have a contact link on their webpage.

-denise

[Bill Burton #19057]

Hi everyone.  Ive missed checking this site for a few days and am just getting caught up.  This discussion has gone on for a while, and has been very interesting to read through.  My take is a bit different, because of my personal situation.  I have just sold Casper my white 66 Fleetwood 60 Special.  I loved the car but we now live in a mobile home park and there simply wasnt space for it anywhere.  I let go of my 88 SDV a few months ago for the same reasons.  I am, however, keeping the 97 DeVille dElegance and now have it in being gone through by a Cadillac dealer that I trust.  The total cost to bring it up to where I want it will be a bit over $6,000.  I justify it because I cant possibly go out and pay what it would cost to buy a like model much newer than what I have now, and the car is basically one where the drivetrain is still strong.  There are a lot of folks who have situations that vary in specifics, but are similar.  We love the old, but must have a tried and true vehicle to get from here to there.  This car will do that and do it in style and comfort.  It isnt as old as some, or as new as others, but it keeps my old, bad, back from hurting too much.  I appreciate the new cars, but wont go out and buy one with what I have that is so good.  By the way, I was surprised to find out that the 97 is LIGHTER than the 2001 Mustang convertible and Nissan Altima that we also have.  Wheel bases are all with an inch of each other.  The only difference in dimensions came with body measurements.  How about that?  Caddies arent necessarily as heavy as a lot of folks think!  Plus, it gets better gas mileaage than either one as well.  When I get it back it will look new, drive super, and be a pleasure to drive.  Any comments?  

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Bill,

All I can say is I believe you have done the right thing.

Sometimes it is better to stiock with something you know, and like, that buy something that is available, but not really what one wants.

Re-powering an "old shape" and making it reliable, you will end up with a pleasing product, especially with the "shape" of the new offerings.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Bill Burton #19057]

One development I am seeing is that use of old cars to make a specific statement in a context that is completely foreign to the car itself.  I know, old cars have been used as background in ads and stories for almost as long as there has been story telling and ads, but there seems to be more context now than before.  The series of Cadillac ads where they started with the older ones and morphed into the newer models had a meaning in it that was much more than just an ad.  That added emphasis is what Im talking about.  With the advent of rebuilders on TV with their multihundredthousand dollar cars being built, there is an awareness of cars as a work of art that supercedes just the vehicle itself.  Im also remembering the convertibles that were used in Dukes of Hazard and driven by Ella Fitzgerald in the TV program about Angels.  Those cars made a contextual statement that took the scene out of the normal and put it into a different and higher level of impact.  The concept Im trying to talk about perhaps can be brought more clearly into focus by someone else, but I am aware of how cars, specifically old in style, if not in under the skin technology, are becoming statements and distinctly have impact in their use.  Does any of this make any sense to anyone?

[Fred Garfield 22310]

It makes perfect sense to me, Bill. Like many people, I love to romanticize past eras, elevating them to mythic stature. As I type this, Im wearing a 1938 Bulova. On the wall above my desk is an 1806 Napoleonic saber. And when I jump into that Cadillac and head out on the freeway, its 1959 again. Suddenly, life seems more full-blooded and free-natured, everything has an edgy feel to it and yet its like being in a dream.

[Fred Garfield 22310]

That is a splendid idea, denise. Thankyou and I will.

[denise 20352]

  I hate to be a Negative Nancy(tm), but what happens when youre six miles outside of Boody, Illinois and it develops an electrical problem that shuts the engine down?  I can hear it now,

  "That aint a tractor, is it?  All we got is tractor parts."

  That was the reason that I didnt get a five-year-old low-mileage car after my accident.  You have no warranty, and since no one else knows how to fix it, youre at the mercy of the dealer.  I went through this with my 87 Buick...$700 at the dealer because a bad plug wire shorted out something, then another $700 three months later because something else in the electrical system blew up.  With that money wasted, I had a car that I couldnt trust to go around the block, so I ended up selling it for $400.  Think of how much gas I could have put in a 66 Cadillac for that money!

-denise

[Ed Dougher]

North Carolina varies depending upon the county in which you live.  Pre-1996 vehicles, for example, do not require emissions inspections in Johnston County, where I live.