Wish Me Luck - Or Save Me Before It's Too Late

[c5 rv]

I'm selling my vette and looking for a bit larger, taller summer car that my wife can transfer to / from her wheelchair more easily. I'm back to considering a 91 or 92 Allante. Maybe a late 93. I figure if I find a good car this year, I can have a year to work out the bugs and decide if it will work as a summer daily driver - about 10K miles per year in nice weather. Eventually, I'll be down to only one other AWD daily driver for nasty weather. If the car drives me nuts, I figure I can sell it for about what I bought it for. Advice and suggestions welcom.

[Stealth]

Originally Posted by c5 rv

I'm selling my vette and looking for a bit larger, taller summer car that my wife can transfer to / from her wheelchair more easily. I'm back to considering a 91 or 92 Allante. Maybe a late 93. I figure if I find a good car this year, I can have a year to work out the bugs and decide if it will work as a summer daily driver - about 10K miles per year in nice weather. Eventually, I'll be down to only one other AWD daily driver for nasty weather. If the car drives me nuts, I figure I can sell it for about what I bought it for. Advice and suggestions welcom.

I love these cars, but I cannot in good conscience recommend per your requirements. I seen too many folks sell off the Allante as these folks get older because it is difficult to get in and out of it. You need a car that has a different seat and entry. Look for something where the seats are near level to her wheel chair.

Aside that, 10,000 per summer are way too many miles for these cars, you can quickly spend more fixing it, that the car's market value.

Cadillac Allante values are diving fast, the chance of recuperating the cost is next to zero. Have you read this thread?

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...here-sale.html (The time to buy a Cadillac Allante is here - FOR-SALE ? L@@K in CRAIGSLIST .. buyt !)




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[c5 rv]

Thanks for your comments. I had a test drive today and really like the car. (Not necessarily that particular unit.) I liked the handling, brakes, power, and comfort. The hard top rattled, but not nearly as much as my vette or my wife's old Miata hardtop. It's certainly a big step up from my 81 vette.

I think the car may work well for my wife. She does not transfer directly from the wheelchair to the car. With my help, she stands, shuffles, pivots, and sits straight back into the car. I then pick up her feet, place each in the car and pivot her in the seat. I took the standard measurements I use to assess ease-of-access and the Allante does well. The firm leather seat is also a plus. The final test will be having her test-sit a car. Also, the Allante's large truck is great for her small wheelchair.

If my vette sells, I'll seriously consider an Allante sometime in the next year.

[c5 rv]

I had my wife test-sit a car yesterday. The only area I thought would be a problem, the rather short distance between the front corner of the seat and the door frame, wasn't an issue. We'll see if the vette sells. Then we'll see if I can find the right Allante. The one yesterday wasn't it.

[blue_eldo]

My 90.5 Allante that I bought 3 years ago has been less trouble than the 02 Deville I bought 3 months ago! The only issue I had was a bad injector that was easily diagnosed using the FSM and even easier to replace with a $27 rebuilt unit. Another small issue was a rattle in a rear caliper that was fixed by replacing the spring retainer that hold the pad on the piston. I Love the Allante. It is also as comfortable as the 02 Deville on a trip.
Another option for you may be a 93 to 2002 eldorado convertible conversion.These are rare and exspensive from what I see on ebay.

[c5 rv]

Originally Posted by blue_eldo

...Another option for you may be a 93 to 2002 eldorado convertible conversion.These are rare and exspensive from what I see on ebay.

You're right about the cost. I saw a 2000 Eldo vert listed for $32K.

Well, I'm really in trouble now. It looks like the vette is being sold by my mechanic. He also said that when I find "the" car, he'd do a full inspection of an Allante for free. He has a guy that serviced them at a Cadillac dealership. It's good to know that if I buy an Allante, he'll be able to keep food on the table for his family.

[Stealth]

Originally Posted by c5 rv

You're right about the cost. I saw a 2000 Eldo vert listed for $32K.

Well, I'm really in trouble now. It looks like the vette is being sold by my mechanic. He also said that when I find "the" car, he'd do a full inspection of an Allante for free. He has a guy that serviced them at a Cadillac dealership. It's good to know that if I buy an Allante, he'll be able to keep food on the table for his family.

let me give you a little trade secret.

when it comes to Vettes and Allantes, mechanics have this need to do a lot of road testing even for changing a tail light, sometimes lasting days or even all week.

Expect THE FREE inspection to involve a few days of road testing.


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all kidding aside .. there was a time I had a mechanic that I trusted and he was down the street.
When I got a new (used) car, I would deliver the car to him for to go through; I would leave the car for a week or two. We had a deal, my car never broke down, I never called his house at 2am. It worked like a charm. he would do the leaks, hoses, belts, etc .. and if any major items popped up, he would call me.
We probably average between $400 to $900 on that one visit and then I would drive the wheels off the car for the next few years, trouble free, with regular maintenance. I believe that is pretty much what dealers do with "CERTIFIED" cars ? Or something close to it.

I often advice people to plan on spending about $1,000 going into a newly purchased car, not including tires, paint, battery or obvious busted gizmos/damages. I base that advice on what I just said.

Allante cars are no different .. ANYTHING in the car that is NOT working, adds to that $400 - $1,000 base - buy wisely.

Should your mechanic be trustworthy and prove to be good (time will tell) working with the Allante, do us a favor .. post his contact info .. allow others here to benefit from another trusty and competent mechanic.








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[c5 rv]

That's good advice and also the way I approach these things. Our plan is to have the owner bring the car to John's shop on Monday afternoon so he, his other mechanics, and I can pull the top, check the codes, and go over it on the lift. If I buy the car, I'll leave it with him to fix anything that is wrong and change the oil, coolant, brake, and probably trans fluid.

As for long test drives, I know John drives all my cars. But, he has way more exciting street and track cars at home.

[TSS]

Originally Posted by c5 rv

That's good advice and also the way I approach these things. Our plan is to have the owner bring the car to John's shop on Monday afternoon so he, his other mechanics, and I can pull the top, check the codes, and go over it on the lift. If I buy the car, I'll leave it with him to fix anything that is wrong and change the oil, coolant, brake, and probably trans fluid.

As for long test drives, I know John drives all my cars. But, he has way more exciting street and track cars at home.

You should still get a second opinion. Drop it off at my office the next sunny day we have here.

[c5 rv]

Once we move downtown, I'll swing by and take you to lunch at Sparty's.