caddycruiser

Wow, that's AWFUL. And it brings back completely different memories of my previous year living on the Main Line in Wayne and never ONCE having even remotely a momentary power glitch in my apartment. Completely the opposite of here in coastal Delaware where if it ever storms lightly for more than 5 minutes or a drunk somewhere decides to stray from the roadway, all dies and we have to live in what I refer to as "little house in the prairie land" for way too long and almost always at night. Just miserable especially in the heat and really puts things in perspective. We all have the Delmarva Power line on our cell speed dials and have to call as such WAY too often.

Hah, I didn't notice that until just now! That would be Mr. Roadmaster lurking behind in filth and ignored, now parked as the Subie becomes the official daily driver tomorrow morning. Drum roll please.

For years I always wondered about these things, especially as a kid in the 90's in Pennsylvania where I'd see random ones from time to time. Especially then when they were 10+ years old with mudflaps and the like in various states of condition. Little did I know the following they had and then only in recent years did I start to look them up online and see things like LT1 conversions (there's an interesting one), 3800 S/C drop-ins (common, of course), the Mera body kits (so close to a Ferrari, it's shocking), and more. A fascinating project from GM at the time, that was certainly half baked and/or never got what it should have. Essentially, like a lot of if not everything from them at the time and for years onward.

WoW! I hope you at least got a thank you out of that, from the lady and whoever else

Hah, even I said so. He's never put so much effort even into the last ones...though, fairly, it was I who took care of cleaning up the Roadmaster and Fleetwood for him. He and my mother were away all weekend at a wedding and just got back today. First thing he did outside? Had a towel and was wiping dust and bug crap off the Subie. Seriously.

OH...but also on this note, the license plates. We hate the blue & gold ones, especially on white cars, so the first day he had it he asked me to get him another special plate application. He has the white duck ones on the Buick & Caddy and will probably do the same here. Even little things like that are getting taken care of, so it's definitely been his focus.

He always only gets 1 year ones, and had me do that as well before, just because with older cars tomorrow could mean anything. Car could blow, it could be creamed, etc. and he'd rather only pay for the 1 year at a time and save that difference. Not selling it, though he's done so much to it in the past few weeks and worked every day, it could be a flip. For $1k, even with the brakes and such and the miles, comparable ones still go for more. He likes it too much. I can't believe I found him something so dead on in color, body style, trim, condition, etc. 100% what he wanted, aside from the AWD. Just needs to work on the few mechanical tidbits--well, at least the noises--I think. Otherwise, just a solid little runabout. I don't think his mileage will be THAT astounding, but it's still better than the Roadmaster he thinks in his daily 3 mile trek with the 350 roaring from stop to stop lugging a big frame and body around. We'll see.

To give a small update... Like I've said, he bought the Subaru and the Cadillac has been casually (i.e. just papers...and zero interest) for sale. And ever since, he's been spending every day of free time pounding or popping out dents, filling chips, rubbing scratches, repainting small areas, painting black plastic trim (a-la base model looking no more), refinishing hubcaps (and even the steel wheels underneath them), and cleaning the interior. I have NEVER seen him spend so much time on a car. He even waxed it and used tire shine...twilight zone, seriously. It has transformed, well, visually. Look above and then here: Still not exactly a looker but SO different and SO much better (looks like a much lower mile and unworn car), and I'm shocked HE put so much time and effort into it. Mechanically is the iffy part. It starts up, runs, shifts, and purrs honestly like a fresh Subie boxer...BUT the brakes (he did new pads, too) are scary in having little response or pressure, there's still quite a bit of rattles from heat shields (there's an odd amount of them, all over) or at least that's where we think from, and it has a bit of a scraping sound while moving. I drove it last night and was a little, um, worried but this is fine to him. For 182k miles, actually zero rattles or shimmies as far as the body, interior, and suspension, and it has the best AC of any of our cars. Nice little car. Just needs some mechanical work still to be fully "right" but neither he or the last owner are concerned, so maybe it's just my new car likeness swaying me a bit. But $1000, lots of clear maintenance, a near spotless interior, white, a wagon, etc., etc. For what he wanted, couldn't be better, except for it being one of the rare FWD models vs. AWD. Oh well.

Understandable here too. I'm up at 5 (okay...anywhere from 5 to 45 mins later) leave for work at 7 and start officially at 7:30. Then that day goes on until 5 or 5:30. LONG day. I'm re-energized by the time I get home, but only have a few usable hours, so my weekdays are just a blur.

ALL the time...at least with those that my parents have had or that were the family cars. The past few I've been able to Carfax since I kept the vins. -'00 Chrysler 300M, traded with 18k for the '02 Avalanche, auto auctioned (was wrecked), then ended up in western PA not far from where we used to live with one owner who still has it. -'02 Avalanche Z66, traded with 33k for the '04 Suburban, sold off the dealer lot to a local guy who lived at the golf course my father worked at and he saw it daily. That guy drove it up to about 80k, traded it, it was auto auctioned, and headed south. Then a couple of months back, sad news, it was over 100k in South Carolina...and totaled in an accident. Such a fantastic vehicle, that we all still missed, both the parents were sad to hear that. -'04 Suburban, traded with 56k for the '08 Malibu, sold off the dealer lot pretty quickly and registered down there at the beach. Never knew much past that until 2 weeks ago I was turning to head home and...boom...there it was coming right at me. Knew from the stripe, mudflaps, and dealer sticker, and it looked like a soccer mom driving it. My mother's question then to me was "Was it being kept up or dirty?" Hah. The same will be true with my '95 Fleetwood, which I actually sold to a friend and fellow enthusiast I know well largely so I can see it live on. Depending on how long he has it, I'll keep tabs regardless. It's always a wonder, for sure. Now I just need to track down dad's '69 Chevelle Malibu (have the lady's number in NH...just always get their machine) and, if it's even still around, the '70 Dodge Coronet he had when we were in PA and sold to a teenager...oy.

Ebay didn't help...as soon as the first Buicks with them as OEM showed up, the el cheapo aftermarket crap makers went bonkers with different shapes and sizes and everyone started selling them. What to do when you have no taste and will buy anything? Yep, portholes from Ebay...

There is a guy I see frequently who bought a black '07 G6 sedan 1SV (the base one, with 16" hubcaps), and then proceeded--in the first 2 weeks of having it--to tint the windows (fine), put on peel & stick hood scoops (ugh), chrome door edging on EVERY edge he could find (this one I just want to beat people with a stick for), chrome wipers (oh, so lovely...), and 3 chrome portholes per front fender. I saw it recently and it looked like he actually backed down a bit, and had removed some of the chrome edging. But the hood scoops, junk store chrome wipers, and portholes remained with what chrome edging there still was. Different people like different things...but I seriously think some are just visually (and mentally...) handicapped when it comes to the visuals of their cars. Kinda like an older person who bought a new black Lacrosse CXL at my dealer where I just got my G6, and before pickup, wanted chrome edging put on the doors and around the wheel wells. Seriously? Sometimes people just can't stop with the peel & sticks. Another good example? Chrome pillar trim. ONCE in a blue moon, it doesn't look puke worthy, but otherwise it resembles exactly what it is...peel & stick chrome panels that look exactly as such, and never remotely like they should be there or that was how it may have been made. Yeah...bad taste drives me nuts daily on the road. Thankfully I had my clean & classy Fleetwood and now my REALLY clean and pure white pearl G6 coupe...both of which get stares and comments daily here, because of it. Portholes...if it isn't a Buick, NO!

Given the number of '06+ Impala SS's and Grand Prix GXP's Enterprise and others scoffed up and rented out all over, and that you can now find with 10-20k on various GM Certified lots nationwide, not a shock they'd also pick up a couple of those. The kinds of rentals that REALLY terrify me after the fact as a used car...sure a few business suits and even random old ladies ended up in them for a day, but you know they were "tested out" other times.

Hah, no...I'll answer for him. He ALSO has a White Opal Enclave CXL with the same setup, just different shade of white. One got basic white and one ordered WD...I know the story and pictures from the Enclave forum. And then the Lexus...but no one cares about that.

Eh...I'll agree with the "not bad", but also not nearly enough to merit it being worth doing anything US with it. At least, IMHO. Still too Korean-esque.

Hah...I love die-hard GM fan reactions to things like a Camry :AH-HA_wink: All the while my GM-only father (well, until the Subie got him 2 days ago), still actually talks about the Camry as one mid-size car he'd buy. Why? He's big on comfort, quiet, and smooth, and he's continually impressed every time he rides in a co-workers new Camry. Likes the style of mom's '08 Malibu more, but prefers the mush and silence of the Camry plus it's bigger feel (not as low down, swoopy). This is a Roadmaster-Fleetwood guy. As I always remark, sure, but I'd be bored to death and have no desire to drive a sewing machine that feels like a rolling bag of water...to which, of course, he thinks is supreme. Like I said, always interesting reactions to Toyo's and others by staunch GM people.

After he saw the first pictures of the new ones and then mom bought one...my dad has been asking the same thing REPEATEDLY. "What about a wagon? And why the hell no stick?" Both, I explain, are an issue of demand, but as he always replies, "You can't sell what isn't available." It would be a great idea...on both accounts. An efficient, classy, refined as could be wagon with 2 great engines, more versatility, and a pricetag people would like. So many people are going smaller is better now, and even considering things they'd NEVER think of before, it would certainly have a chance.

Yep, similar things happened with the 3.6L SRX before which also had defective timing chains (that was a fun one for dealers to fix...and several of them), followed by a rather large pool of Lambda's if not others--GMC, Saturn, and Buick--that people would see a Check Engine light and some other funny things, and need a new cam and/or heads because of the defect. I've read about it for quite some time not only on the Saturn boards, but those specific for Cadillac and also the Acadia and Enclave forums. Not everyone, and it actually was apparently limited to a certain timeframe, but still quite a number of even just forum people having the issue. Never saw anything with the 3.6L Epsilon cars (Aura, Malibu, G6) as such, however.

And then there was a Subaru among the GM's... He bought it. He just liked it too much for $1k, especially it being a couple of miles down the road at most. I knew he would after looking it over Sunday, and when I got home today he asked me for a ride. Also, officially, the driveway has exploded. Not that it's small, but there's 4 defined parking spaces with a makeshift 5th that doesn't cause much grief. With six, it's blocked. Seven would just be too much, so Ms. Subie has to sit in the neighbor's driveway (weekend guy...doesn't care) until, uh, something else leaves. My mother was outside and stopped to chat with the neighbor, apparently offering "come over to our used car lot..." He seemed a little excited to see what dad bought, thinking maybe even new, only to hear "just a cheap beater". Oh... It's weird. There's now so many cars, I can't wrap my brain around more than my own anymore. It's too much like a used car lot, for real. Hah.

Hah! Tell me about it. I hope you like the little gift. Not much, but I thought fun, found when I was cleaning out my Fleetwood stuff arsenal.

Yep, and that's what I've told him. At least in the AWD regard, we all avoid 4WD/AWD anything like the plague, but he likes this car and it seems efficient enough to him, plus there's nothing wrong with the system as it is. They do go forever typically, the main thing I've read with some later 90's ones are head gaskets repeatedly. This has the original 2.2L and the guy claims it's never lost/burnt oil for all the life he's had it, and the only leak dad found today was a minor valve cover gasket one. Seems to shift well, sounds just like any new Subie running, the A/C works perfectly, and really nothing glaring other than the brakes--feel mushy and due for front pads at least. He called them scary, so not sure there. I've listened to him for a while now and he's taken quite a liking to Subies in the first place, always pointing out wagons and such. This one is far from a dreamboat but seems to have been cared for in every way except for the outside visuals much, but that's workable. I'm not much for old anything anymore, but Mr. Cash thinks it a good buy. Now just time to sell the Caddy...well, another one. Even if there's no Subie, he'll keep looking and replace it with something, though if 7 cars are in the driveway at once someone will have a spastic colon.

Not really. In driving it around so far, he's been pleased and said "it purrs like a little kitten and is pretty spunky". Plus, his L05 Roadmaster isn't exactly a beast with power, more like a slug, and he isn't crying for power anyway. No complaints about noise either, just that it felt solid and smooth to him. I'm familiar with these as a family friend had a '95 sedan that they traded for a '96 wagon that was identical to this except for alloy wheels, and then an '02 after that. Always liked them. Not that this was what he originally set out looking for, but I saw it on Craigslist and all the specs lined up. 1) Still passes for fairly recent. Not cutting edge, but not Olds Cutlass Ciera (one there's always some for sale of, but he just commented on being archaic). 2) White. White. White. 3) Fuel efficient. Not a Prius, but the guy selling it said mid 20's and he was pleased with that vs. his Roadmaster/Fleetwood. Neither are terrible, and as my brother told him, he drives about 3800 miles a year (I just calculated), but fill ups make him want to cry and he's in the mid teens with around town he thinks now. 4) Practical. Wagon. Enough said. 5) Solid and isn't going to be falling apart. This thing has dents and some edge rust on the hood, but still feels and looks Subie solid and more so than he's used to with early 90's GM cars. Not that those are bad, but this is a new world of interior solidity and such than he's ever seen in his rides. Not cutting edge wow, either, but even I was surprised how well it has held up. The mileage on this one is a bit oy, but he bought his Roadmaster with the same number (weirdly, also had 182k) and it's been a bull...mostly. And not stunning, either, but a fantastic interior and an outside that will be much better with a little primping. For $1k...we've yet to find anything else that matches so well. He didn't make the deal yet, but will unless something happens. I've been ordered to get the Caddy advertised where I can, so we'll see. My brother is perturbed about it all and was trying to tell him about a Buick he saw for sale, etc., but heh.

Tell me about it...

Oh, that'd be perfect, trust me. But FAR, FAR too new and expensive for his mental limit. Again, it's the whole refuses to touch anything he can't buy with more than a couple of g's cash in hand, no matter how much he remarks being jealous of both mine and mom's new rides daily. "Well, buy yourself one!" "No...you buy me one." Seriously. But I do think there will be an old, high mileage Subie out back soon enough. It's a cool car, actually, and vastly different than anything he's ever had...just, well, old and a bit crotchety.

This is pretty short. As many now know, I just sold my own '95 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham and bought an '08 G6 coupe. This is in addition to mom's '08 Malibu as the 2 new cars of the house. That leaves my brother with his '86 Regal LTD he won't even fathom getting rid of, and dad with both his '92 Roadmaster LTD daily driver and '93 Fleetwood Brougham "spare". As mom went smaller & fuel efficient, and I did the same plus extra cool & fun with the coupe, dad has been searching classifieds DAILY for months trying to find something smaller and more efficient that's also practical to be his beater. Effectively, he thinks, replacing the Fleetwood that just sits and rots with little to no use, and then making the 202k Roadmaster the spare. He's been wanting a wagon of some sort, too, and as he refuses to ever buy something he can't with cash, we've had no luck convincing him on new though he could more than afford it. So Friday I sat with him as he looked through ads circling things, and I checked Craigslist. He would have liked something like a mid 90's Regal or something that was still comfortable and luxurious but lighter and much more of a gas sipper. Found a Regal that had really low miles for just over $2k, but it was sold, of course. Then my find, which I didn't even take seriously...a '96 Subaru Legacy wagon. He was intrigued, especially since it was a few miles away, WHITE (the biggest thing for him...oddly), a wagon, had a good reputation, and oh yeah, was dirt cheap. I emailed, got him a phone number, and he started calling. Went to look at it yesterday and came back smiling, and then today the guy let him bring it home for a few hours to check it out in depth. The result? I think we'll soon have a less than gorgeous old Legacy wagon outside too...and be short the last of originally 2 Caddies. We'll see. He wants it and was pleased with everything he saw mechanically, just needs some stuff--but that's what he wanted. A solid and efficient car that maybe had some dents and needed little things. Dents, scrapes, some hood rust, but honestly not bad. And for $1000, seems like a good deal to him. Has a bazillion miles, at 182k, but has been maintained and he drives so little every year, not a biggie. Belongs to a guy that just retired (dad said "a professor-type"...shocker) who used it for commuting, bought a new Subie, and has been trying to sell this one for a while. We'll see...oy. He was already making a list of what he'd fix up and asking me about the headlights and how to clean other things, so I think he's set. That means there will be 7 cars outside until mine finally gets picked up and then his '93 gets sold, I guess. Sad. But GM dad wanting a Subie...and an AWD one at that...still stunning to me.