Are there any left? This area is dead...

Sal, it's summer up north and we're taking the opportunity to drive our cars with the tops down. Last night my wife suggested Dairy Queen for dessert. She didn't have to ask twice.

Sal, it's summer up north and we're taking the opportunity to drive our cars with the tops down. Last night my wife suggested Dairy Queen for dessert. She didn't have to ask twice.
Good point.. Have you tried the new site features yet? Where's your Allante photo album? :)

I noticed the album. Do you mean these features?

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/site-news-feedback-questions-suggestions/

[Yoda voice on] Busy you have been, yes? [Yoda voice off]

I noticed the album. Do you mean these features?

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/site-news-feedback-questions-suggestions/

[Yoda voice on] Busy you have been, yes? [Yoda voice off]
Indeed, the features in there... Yes, been keeping very busy I have! :p

Sal
you bring up a good point. and point out a problem for the Allante ownership. We are getting old sorry to say. Zal and GARY did a wonderful job of putting this site together. While Zal bought a new car, GARY sold his. Some of the other older members have sold theirs (Say it ain't so Zinzin).. Jono and Dutch are recent contributing members who are bailing out after a very short term of ownership.

We have got to reach out to young guys with info on what a unique car this is. We owners have got to get into the Friday night cruises and get in the middle of the muscle cars and tell folks just what great fun pita cars we have. I'll get a facsimile window sticker to all that want one if they email me their colors and vin. stick it under the wipers for a great conversation starter. Keep the faith!

I think Pete Seeger adressed this topic long ago:

"Where have all the Allantes gone?
Long time passing...
When will they every learn?"

Would Allante owners put a classy looking sticker on their car that brings them here? Maybe we can setup CADILLAC-ALLANTE.COM to attract Allante owners and even setup some nice web pages with photos and information. I think this is what's needed to get younger people interested in this vehicle.. Any further thoughts?

Can you set up an Allante URL that maps just to the Allante forums here and allows them to post? Or, does a person have to be a member of cadillacforums.com to post to this forum?

Once you register, you have access to the different forums here, including the Allante forum.

There are many reasons why these forums are slow .. but a couple stand out.

- the old crowd is fast bailing out as the price of the car plummets .. darn few from the old guard still have their cars. the newer buyers are dealing with a lot of sick Allantes and you see the results in ebay, part by part. Sadly, so many owners fell into the BS trap of "investment" pushed by the so called club .. well, when one buys an investment and it starts diving, the logical solution is to take your losses and walk .. so it is with that Allante mentality.
the people that are hanging on to the cars think Allante = car = transportation - period.

- numerous owners have noticed that their MINT condition cars are no longer worth much .. but .. the mint condition parts still are.

- Where owners used to come and ask how to fix things, they are now often parting out the cars as the parts are much more valuable than the whole

- FUEL $$$ .. these puppies are not exactly hybrids and they dont do well with biofuel.

- one really interesting observation .. in the past, a good running car was never considered for parting .. now, they often are.

- the young crowd that Coates speaks of, will NOT buy these cars for various reasons, reliability, fuel consumption, peer pressure .. not now, not tomorrow.

Several people now own more than one, some even more - the outcome is that less owners are holding the Allante fleet at a time that the fleet is being reduced by parting at a rate of 4 to 5 cars a week .. at that rate, we still got a few more years before the fleet is trimmed down. PERSONALLY, I like to see Allante survivor fleet under 2,000 OPERATIONAL cars.
the estimate was 8,000 cars left in 2002, from the original 21,000 cars.

Where is the Allante action these days ? here:

http://shop.ebay.com/items/__allante_W0QQ_nkwZallanteQQ_scZ1QQ_sopZ10


I been told that I am beating a dead horse numerous times, but for years, I been on target on predicting quantities and prices .. no change ...

just ask Coates what he paid for the 2nd Allante last week ...

All that said, if anyone must have one, there has never been a better time to buy one cheap, really cheap .. but let the buyer beware. I will be a very long time before the desire for the Allante comes back in large numbers. IMO, it is still on the way DOWN and the bottom is still very far.

as for me and Gary, summer hit .. computer'g is a winter sport whereas cruising is a summer sport.


ohh .. one last observation? more and more I am seeing guys buy two cars; one with to keep the top up for bad weather and one with top down for nice weather .. why do you think that is? try putting a top up and down sometime and find out.


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This should help explain the phenomena !

WAS a 1992 in good running condition ...
LOOK closely in the background, the next candidate awaits.


http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=44231&d=1219013045



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Zal

as usual you are right on.

Only disagreement is for you and Gary there never is winter!

You described my situation, one for top never off and one for top never up. Zinzin was right, if top was right, they'd still be building these darn things.
PITA cars to maintain but just got back from a 1200 mile week-end drive and this 4.5 ran as strong as I could possibly hope. Now electronics- another story! Anyone that wants a reasonable summer convertible should consider IMHO!

They are super cheap nowadays. Let's part 'em all out and get to 2000 running but it will never ever be an investment. Enjoy 'em for what they are!

... Anyone that wants a reasonable summer convertible should consider IMHO! ... Enjoy 'em for what they are!

It's cheaper than a boat and I'm able to occasionally drive it to work.

Can you set up an Allante URL that maps just to the Allante forums here and allows them to post? Or, does a person have to be a member of cadillacforums.com to post to this forum?

try this .. CLICK on this link and after getting there,
save it in your FAVORITES or BOOKMARKS, whichever is applicable ..


http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-allante-forum/


is that what you meant ?

oh .. dont forget the Allante FAQ and PUB sub-forums .. sub-forums just under the main Allante forum ...

...is that what you meant ?

oh .. dont forget the Allante FAQ and PUB sub-forums .. sub-forums just under the main Allante forum ...

Sal suggested setting up a URL of cadillac-allante.com and I wondered if a site like that could link directly to the Allante sub-forums here and exclude the other parts of cadillacforums.

Zal

as usual you are right on.

Only disagreement is for you and Gary there never is winter!

You described my situation, one for top never off and one for top never up. Zinzin was right, if top was right, they'd still be building these darn things.
PITA cars to maintain but just got back from a 1200 mile week-end drive and this 4.5 ran as strong as I could possibly hope. Now electronics- another story! Anyone that wants a reasonable summer convertible should consider IMHO!

They are super cheap nowadays. Let's part 'em all out and get to 2000 running but it will never ever be an investment. Enjoy 'em for what they are!


I should have said WINTER or RAINY weather !

better ?

(YES, it does rain here .. not much, but rain is rain)


.

Sal suggested setting up a URL of cadillac-allante.com and I wondered if a site like that could link directly to the Allante sub-forums here and exclude the other parts of cadillacforums.
As of now, it opens an Allante page here:
http://www.cadillac-allante.com/

We could make changes if you'd like.. It would probably be a good idea to start a new topic, however..

We got several challenges here.

1. Threads, over the years, have been moved from the Allante area to the general Cadillac areas just because they were engines, transmissions, etc., by well meaning moderators that dont understand the philosophy or the Allante uniqueness of even the engines, the technology, etc., of the Allante.
All Cadillacs of the same era share the same drive trains, except the Allante, which is unique.

2. Many Allante owners still believe that the car should have been a bit different, and there are several threads to that effect, including the RWD thread. But again, that thread was temporarily locked and I rescued it by moving it here to the LOUNGE and unlocking it again .. yet, it is threads such as that that have the potential to give life to the discussions of the community.

the world of Allante is facing hardship, car values are dropping, cars are getting sick, the original owners are fading away, the salvage yards are getting their fill, parts are everywhere .. and .. the toughest of all, the new owners are of the buy it cuz it is CHEAP mentality.

Even the old Allante club dropped its name
Allante Appreciation Group / AAG .. some branches survived, Texas is one.

The 15 years of technical archives have been broken, deleted, and abused at the main sites by incompetent management. What little survived of the contents of the old archives are now held by a rag-tag bunch, of which Stealth is but one.

Much of what we asked for, in this site, is finally being made available but the skills and the memories of so many have left. The years 2007 & 2008 saw a huge number of old time owners walk away, dump the cars or simply died of old age.

I asked some very competent technical people to joins us, but I couldnt offer them anything, not even a simple "technical" banner .. they moved on.

The Allante community is going to evolve someday driven by hardship, but that day is not here .. not yet.

What can I say, what can I offer ?
Build it and they WILL COME, slowly.

And it will be a small group at best. IF we had every single Allante owner in this site, the numbers would still be small .. the surviving Allantes are well in the 5,000 to 6,000 range and declining .. many owners owning several Allante cars. Some, many of us owning a parts car and a driver, or a top up car and a top down car .. myself, by sheer accident, have come to control the destiny of 1/2 dozen cars. I do not believe that such is unique in this crowd. I know at least 7 people that each claim ownerships or control the destiny of between 20 and 40 cars .. yes .. not a typo .. each owning that many .. most being parted as needed. As the price of many cars reached under $2,000, some down to $1,000, the parts cars market took off like a missile.

Unlike the well wishers believed, the Allante IS NOT and HAS NOT been immune to attrition. The cars die off at a similar rate of most other cars. There may be a bit of a lag, but not by much. The Insurance Institute makes predictions, and no American mass production car is exempt. The Allante WAS a mass production car.








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So what, that you dont have million owners/visitors in Allante section? More cozy it will be. :thumbsup: (and less BS spammers)
IMHO you (and i am too ;) ) need:

* full history of Allante - very detailed, lots of pictures, why not copies of factory booklets etc.
* good technical archive - howto, problems, where to look parts, tips and tricks etc.
* free section for good and bad stories, memories, photos and so on...

Thats it.

And Stealth - who buys parts, when car prices are down to $1000 and there are left only some 2000 owners? Every owner buys one or two cars for parts and thats it :)

Oh, and - dont forget, that other world like those cars also much - for example i am only happy, when prices drop in your side - then i can buy better (or more?) Allantes for myself :eyebrow:

What is common is that the cars in the sunbelt are cheap.

'92 models under $4,000
'88 models under $3,000
stressed cars under $2,000

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/805542506.html

in the rust belt area, even less !

Ahh .. the parts .. market growing and growing.
But how could it in with a diminishing Allante fleet ?

The Allante community is weird. Focusing on mileage more than anything else, even condition. It is assumed that if one acquires a low mileage car, the condition can be improved by hitting the parts market, IMHO, a correct assumption.

So, what is a low mileage car? It varies, but I assure you that at 130,000 miles, an Allante is an unwanted commodity no matter the model year or the color. At around 60,000 miles it is for sure a low mileage. Crazy ideology, but is is what it is. Remember, it matters not what year model.

Lastly, in a world of valuable LOW MILEAGE cars, the Allante may be about he easiest car I have ever known to tamper with mileage. HOW? Well, as I understand, you need THREE things.
1. A car that has been off the public data domain (ie .. CarFax), or fell off after 10 years of not being registered,
2. DIGITAL CLUSTER; analogs do not read the BCM PROM,
3. low mileage BCM or BCM PROM from a low mileage donor.

Unlike the analog cluster, the digital cluster does NOT hold data, but reads it from the computer.

The PROM in the BCM retains the total original mileage for a car in memory.
~ From Allante XYZ Facts

Not everything is what it seems to be.
Verify before you buy, specially when the buy is expensive.




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I purchased mine for pure enjoyment. I'm not so concerned about the investment. For me it's about the fun! I've had plenty of Cadillacs and at this point in my life, 45 going on 25, I like the fact that I can have a car that as a young man truly admired but could not afford.

I'd buy another one if I had the room. Once the kids get their cars out the driveway, we'll see!

Ieradi: Media, PA? I used to have a team that worked in a branch office in Kennett Square and visited there monthly. I drove U.S. 1 from I-476 to the hotel in Chadds Ford.

:cool:hi,i'm in r i and got a red 92 49k from oh in jan 08,a guy came along and had to have it,sold.he lives next town over,then on ebay a green 93,neutral int.w/42k,i hit the buy it now button!I'm 66yrs,retired and can now afford these cars.a friend bought a pearl w/black 53k 92 about same time.we enjoy and drive them most days.we do our maint.we also need the knowledge from people as yourself,Bill c,dick H and all the other experts on these allante sites,keep up the good work!! thanks Al D

Welcome, and enjoy driving your car. I tell my wife that I'm going to get a motorcycle when I retire. She disagrees with that plan. I'll supposedly be too busy taking her places in the Allante or whatever fun car we have then.

Greg and Tony you are the future of this hobby like Stealth a true expert in this madness. Welcome Al (Aldi42) and let's get him active. He appears to be in my age group of over sixty who have gravitated from Vettes, muscle cars and speed to these fine, unique automobiles that are great fun and great PIA. The guys 30 to 50 will keep them going. R.I., Michigan, Pa, Ohio, damn its time to put them away 'til April so we can't meet at the car shows so let's meet here. (Where you at Stealth?)

Let's see Hyperion sold his, Bob Rich sold his, Rickko sold his, see Marcair put his on Ebay today, G.A.R.Y. sold his and is probably fishing from the back of his Z06, Zal bought another and is in ?????, Jefft (RIP) we miss greatly, Jono bought then sold in about 2 months, JCS is probably getting that stainless steel pounded into his femur and we wish him well and await his return........and Odell's still holding down the Music city.

Hey as long as the Princes Dick H, Johnny Monzo and Tom supply parts, we'll still put them on. California Carnut Bill Miller's back,Pittsburgh Bill Miller's probably thinking about winter storage and retirement and how to find the right XLR, '89Allante Bob has joined and Flacko's still taking Allante's apart,

Bottom line, we come and go, and danged we're getting older! Let's all go recruit a new guy and sell 'em an Allante. Use the term fun but never investment.

I tell my neighbor, who owns a marina, that my fun cars are cheaper than a boat. Plus, I can drive it to work if I want.

Greg and Tony you are the future of this hobby like Stealth a true expert in this madness...Bottom line, we come and go, and danged we're getting older! Let's all go recruit a new guy and sell 'em an Allante. Use the term fun but never investment.

I like the idea! Get some newbies...I'd be happy to find someone local. Maybe I'll join up with the NJ Monzo group. :yup:

Tony
as close as you are to Monzo it sure makes sense! John truly loves these beasts. He has held a Allante meet at the GM Nationals at Carlisle Pa about every other year. Good place for Mid-west folks to meet other Allante nuts!

Hi guys,Bill,here in RI I'm driving her all winter as long as it's clear weather.I've only had her a few months so I'm going to try to put on 300k!!!keep up the good everyone.:cloud9: Al D