Cadillac Christmas Kindness and a Hagerty towing disaster with The Ark

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

While entirely true, the reason for the blown engine can't be as easily dismissed.

The 'blown engine' with 200K on it that started to knock but was still completely drivable? That engine? With all of
the car shows being cancelled for the Faux Flu it was the perfect time to fix it.

Eric, you're border line stalking, knock it off.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

remember that "tick becomes a knock" thread,maybe next time clean up the top of engine and check rockers prior to expensive rebuild
had many a 472/500/425 that had top end sound that could be miss represented as a knock

LOL! I have a person to count my money, that position is filled but thanks anyway. Could have easily had HVA pull the
top off, why bother? All the car shows were cancelled for the Faux Flu for the year, time wasn't an issue, neither was
money. Complete rebuild at the best engine shop in the NE was the correct decision. It is SO quiet. And so fast...

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

C'mon people, let's remember that whatever one posts is always going to receive comments, either praising or not-so praising.

Please remember, and respect, the opinions of fellow Members as each one has different opinions on what they are in the Cadillac and LaSalle Club for, and disrespecting Members for how they use what they own will result in some form of loss of privileges on the Forum.

Remember that when typing, and before pressing the Send Button.

Thanks, and have a happy 2024.

Bruce.

PS.   The saying, "Drive it like you stole it" if taken as written, these days would end up with the driver in Gaol, and the car being clamped, and or, written off by the Insurance Companies.   It might be said in jest, but really not for print on this Forum.
 

Let them go Bruce, I'm not affected at all. The post was a simple story of joy on Christmas Eve and the many, many
people who care about me and the car trying to help us. People who are effected, people who are miserable want to
see everyone else miserable too, its OK. Its easy to read this post from the beginning and see the angst from others I
was compelled to respond to, its OK, let it ride. I have a BLAST with my car, daily, its the machine of a dream with a few
nightmares thrown in here and there to keep us honest. Its all good. Thinking about a new tradition, New Years Eve on
the beach with The Ark, moonlight, a few friends, some champagne when the clock strikes midnight....

[gkhashem]

Original "OWNERS" babe. I'm the reason that car exists now. Trust me, if I'm looking for an answer or an opinion,
I'll post it as such. Scrolling/ignoring certain people's posts is always a winning formula, I do it here. I can make the time, there's a lot of people here who would be better off DRIVING their cars than driving their keyboards. That's just my humble opinion.

I should know better, but ......

Ever hear the phrase spitting into the wind? Well, this is like spitting into a hurricane.

Laurie you missed the whole point. Sure your car exists because of you, but how did it make it to you before you. Yes, the world existed before here and now. It's here because it was not made into junk. Now maybe it was ready for the junk pile from prior owners and you brought it back. A very commendable effort!

Now all many are saying here is why beat it on it? You know just because you can do something should you do it?

But I concede that it's your right and your money, but the readers here can still disagree with you.

I am half in your camp and half out. I drive my cars but not a lot since a car is meant to be driven. However, I do enjoy admiring, looking, and working on them in my heated garage during the winter.

[wrefakis]

for a brief moment you nocked on the door of wisdom
"to each his own peace"

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Now maybe it was ready for the junk pile from prior owners and you brought it back. A very commendable effort!
Now all many are saying here is why beat it on it? You know just because you can do something should you do it?

Finally, it only took 6 years but "finally"...
I've been here on the forum for 6 years, joined days after I bought The Ark.

I paid $2000 for this car. Does anyone remember the original condition of the car... The rot, fenders, the rear
pax door falling off, the trunk lid that could barely close, because of rot. THE ROOF as the car was trying to transform itself into a convertible. The rear panels... The condition of the stainless... The HVAC didn't work, at all. The radio, interior electrical doors/windows, cigarette lighters, nothing worked. And everything, EVERYTHING on the car repaired/restored with authenticity in mind. What I went through getting dry replacement body parts. The money spent with the shop doing metal work. And that nauseating 'home depot teal' color... The entire body saved and done 'correctly'.

The mantra from my Tribe here was a simple one: Do you want to drive the car, or are you happy with an occasional local burger run and having to trailer it a distance to a show if I wanted to show the car, either answer was the right answer. I chose, to have a DRIVER like many of their other customers who have cars from the 40's and 50's, who are daily drivers. In rain, in snow, driving considerable distances. This was the most expensive answer.

"You drive that car like you're in a 1 car funeral. The only way you're going to make it reliable is to shake it out, beat on it, drive it like you stole it, make the weak parts fail, its the only way you'll make it reliable if you want a driver."

Suspension, steering, brakes, body springs, the entire fuel system, when we found out the engine had 200K on it I
kept going and restored the entire drive train to go with a 'new' engine. I never would have found the underlying issues the car had, if I didn't beat on it. Because I wanted a reliable DRIVER. And there's a list of parts I want to replace simply because they haven't failed yet, the Tribe disagrees with this.

I saved this car. The method used is not for the faint of heart or weak of wallet if you want a driver. A complete frame off would have been 4x what I've spent so far, and I've got THOUSANDS of miles and smiles with the car to go with all of the receipts. Now, 6 years later we're down to hammering out the gremlins and dealing with crap replacement parts. And I wouldn't change a thing, knowing what I know now, I'd do it all again to save this car.

I took this car from a $2000 rotting $hitbox to Best Of Show at the New England Regional in 5 years, and I'm REALLY proud of that and all the people who made it happen, here's to my Tribe.

This car redefines the "touring division". It has 200K miles on the clock and is DRIVEN, daily. And I can see someone with a 20K mile car that never saw a snowflake, a drop of rain, no one ever in the back seat that "drives" once around the block twice a year throwing radials on their car trailering it to the Nationals and walking away the 'touring division'. LOL! And that's OK. I didn't do what I did with this car for a handful of judges. I did it for the car, for me, for my Dad.

GORGEOUS day on Cape Cod now, New Year's Eve! The only snowflakes we've seen all winter are wearing 2 face diapers as they drive their cars alone. The Ark will cruise tonight to get the Chinese food for us, and depending on the amount of alcohol consumed a cruise to the ocean beach for the midnight hour. Phhht, I know all the local cops, we'll be OK.

NO ONE in the Cadillac & LaSalle Club has more FUN with their car, than I do. NO ONE gets their car to 30+ shows annually (large and small) for years and flies that Cadillac flag, like I do. And I do it all for The Ark, and me.

Happy New Year

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

for a brief moment you nocked on the door of wisdom
"to each his own peace"

I drove through the 'door of wisdom' with The Ark when I said "NO".
Car clubs that cater to a more elderly crowd saw breakage in the membership annually when it was normal times.
NOW, the breakage is catastrophic from what other clubs are telling me.
In 5 years, heck in 1 year, this year, who will be left to care, to carry on the CLC?
That person, is me. And the handful of others whom I personally know who will still be here.
The CLC's future is in good hands.

Happy New Year!

[dochawk]

When the time comes that it must be sold (as they all are sooner or later),

wait, what?

*sell* a car?  That still runs?

What language speakest thou?

A couple of comments on towing/roadside:

1) The new daily driver is a '99 deville that I found with 70k on it.  Chatting with Hagerty as I updated other things, and she described my driver's club as covering "any classic where you're present", I asked about my daily driver.  She thought that it was a good question, wasn't sure, but suspected "no".  (I ended up with AAA, as it isn't much more than Amica's rider).

2) I think it was just before covid (certainly December) that I was driving down 101 new Kettleman (sp?) in California, late at night, rain *pouring*.   [*thump*] [plop/plop/plop*] Caltrans had *cut* troughs across traffic lanes, and the sharp edges destroyed a tire on my van.  California Casualty had no contacts nearby, but told me to just send a receipt.  And when I found someone, they didn't even blink at the $260.  When he told me I had to pay cash, I explained that CC had *already* put the electronic transfer into his email!  [unfortunately, they are now pulling out of everywhere but CA, thus Amica]

[dochawk]

the solution!

I've figured out how to solve this dispute.

Once I get the new engine in my Miata, I'll drive to Massachusetts, steal the ark, through the Miata in the trunk, and drive it *because* I stole it.

 

hey, did you put an overdrive on it?  Because the gas to drive it here is probably as much as the miata engine . . .

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

the solution!

I've figured out how to solve this dispute.

Once I get the new engine in my Miata, I'll drive to Massachusetts, steal the ark, through the Miata in the trunk, and drive it *because* I stole it.

 

hey, did you put an overdrive on it?  Because the gas to drive it here is probably as much as the miata engine . . .

And you'd still have room in that 6 body trunk! LOL!

[dochawk]

Now just *wait* a minute.

OK, you're not from Las Vegas, so I'll give you a pass this time.

You do *not* transport bodies in the trunk of a Fleetwood or Eldorado; that would be tacky.

You *always* use a Deville!

*some* people . . .

Our regional president used to have a '76 Deville, and he keeps a shovel and tarp in it for shows . . .

And now I recall an old Mad Magazine ad.  I think it was for the "General Murders Puntiac", which specified how many bodies fit the trunk.