How did you get your car?

[CoupeDevilleRob]

Anybody have a cool story about how they got their car? Like you found it in a barn or paid $500 for a mint '76 Eldorado convertible. Any passed on through the family stories like me?

Here's my story: My grandfather got the car in 1988 from a friend who was the original owner, he paid $2,500 for it. The car was pretty ratty when he got it, the paint was coming off the hood, both bumpers were bent up and the interior was disgusting. The original owner and three of his closest mafiosa friends used to ride around all day smoking cigars in it with the windows closed . But it only had like 55,000 miles on it. My grandfather bought it because he couldn't believe he could get a Caddy that cheap. He hardly ever drove it. Pretty much the only time the car ever got used was when I bugged him to take me for rides in it. When my family was going on vacation that summer we were all set to take my dad's 75 Coupe Deville when grandfather said "take my car, it needs a good run". A week of driving the '83 was all my dad needed, he had to have it. My grandfather said just take it, but my dad isn't the type to accept things for free so he paid $2,500, what gramps paid.

Dad set out making it nice again. He got a new hood, a rear bumper from a wrecked '83 Coupe Deville and a front bumper from an '88 Brougham that was probably stolen (hence the newer rub strips on my bumper). A friend did all the body work and he had it repainted. All the interior needed was a really, really good cleaning. And for the next 12-13 years it became the garage queen, never daily driven, only used in nice weather car.

When I was 10 my dad told me if he still had the car when I got my license it was mine. Seven years later he (begrudingly) had to make good. The morning of my 17th birthday, which was also the first day of my senior year of HS and the first day I could legally drive, I took the keys and possession of my birth right, now with 97,000 miles. Since then I've gotten the mileage up to 110,000. I feel like a Templar Knight with this car, like I have to protect it and keep it going. After all it was my grandfather's last car (he died in 1995) and my first. I think my dad got his $2,500 worth out of this car.

[illumina]

I stole my car.

[DopeStar 156]

I was driving to work in my Chevy and the can of Mountain Dew I had in the dashboard cupholder spilt on my lap. I pulled over to clean the crap up and across the street there was my Caddy on someone's lawn with a For Sale sign.

The guy wanted $3,500 for the car. It had 117k on it and was in excellant mechanical shape. He was firm on his price, so I waited about a month or so, called him back and checked out the car again, offered him $2,200 after having to pretty much fight him for the car and he accepted. I gave him $100, he wrote me up an agreement that he had my deposit. I went to the bank, took out $2,100, drove back there the next day, dropped the rubber banded pile of bills on the hood and said, "Gimme my car!" Signed the title, grabbed the keys and went home, came back later that night with two unmatching expired plates and drove her home with a busted headlight, bald tires, and slipping belts. Haha. My Caddy!



"Caddy" April 2004.

[turbojimmy]

Mine was at this dealership:



It was one of 200 cars that is under that muddy water somewhere. That rooftop is the top of a Buick/Pontiac/Olds dealership in PA.

Here's a pic right around the time when I said to myself "What the hell was I thinking buying this thing?!"



And here's a pic of it today (well not today, but done):



The interior came out decent. You'd never know it was in a flood. Driver's seat shows normal wear for a 50k mile car. Runs great, can't complain at all. I've put 15k miles on it and it's been a pleasure to own.

Jim

[mccombie_5]

I haven't got my first car yet, but I know what it will be. A 1989-95 Rover Metro, or a 1995-1998 Rover 100/111/114/115D (number indicating to engine size, eg Rover 111 = 1.1L Engine, the Rover 100 also has a 1.1 though). This is the cheapest car I could find to insure for a year, but it is still a MASSIVE price, over $2500. I may or may not get my Grandad's Rover 114Gta, which is a sporty model. You will laugh at the car, but they run well, and are simple to maintain, get over 40mpg, so that does me fine as a student.



That is Grandad's Rover 114Gta.

[danbuc]

I bought mine with money.

The Mustang was actually found by my STep-father while he was driving through Connecticut. He kne I always wanted a '66 and when he found he, he told me about it, and we drove back up there to look at it. Next thing I knew, it was being unloaded off the flat bed in front of my house.

The old '89 Volvo 740 GLE I drove when I wasn't driving the mustangs (a few years ago, before the Caddy) was owned by my Step-father. He got his Yukon, and decided to let me drive the Volvo when I couldn't drive the Mustang (i.e. Raining, snowing, in the shop getting work done..ect).

The last car I got (and currently the only car I own) is the STS. I was loooking around for quite sometime deciding on what to get. My friend who drives a '95 Deville Concours mentioned the STS. I went lookin around and finally found the one I have no on Autotrader. Drove to the dealer, checked it out (with a pretty wild test drive that scred the sales dude..hehe), and came bak for it the next week. That was about 2 and a half year, and 45k miles ago.

My next car will be either a '95 or '96 Black on Black Impala SS.

[Sandy]

I walked into Warnock Cadillac + Oldsmoblue + Buick + Pontiac and ordered it from the factory from Paul Saylor the salesman. They WERE at 28 Third Street in South Orange, New Jersey. They were constantly losing money as their overhead was whoop-te-do way too high, the the Bozo that had the place was way in over his head. The place was bleeding red ink. How did he emerge a mega millionaire? Put the place otta business & sold the 5 acres to a developer for 6 & 1/2 million. Today sits there a luxury apartment building, where a 1 bedroom Apt. rents for $3,700.00a month. I NOW have to travel 28 miles (round trip) to the next nearest Cadillac dealer for service, which is the why of why I bought a Town Car, whose dealer is 7 miles from me.

[slk230mb]

I got my Deville because it was a lease for my grandmother and she couldn't drive anymore. My dad was paying the lease anyway, so it worked out well for me. When I got my license I had the choice between the Deville and my mother's Avalon, I think I made the right choice. I got the Escalade because my dad's business was coming out of bankruptcy protection and he had some money that, if he didn't use, was going to have to be paid in taxes. I had been looking for a SUV and his friend happened to take my Escalade back from Manheim, and poof, it's mine. The funny part is that I wasn't even looking at the Escalade because most of them were overpriced and I really didn't *love* the looks of the rear end. Well, we got a deal on the truck and in almost three years I've come to love every aspect of the truck, including the rear.

[JC316]

I saw a gorgeous, white, Mark VIII in the autotrader. It was at a car pawnshop with 90K and an oil leak for $2000. When I called about it the guy tells me "Yeah, we have a Mark VIII for sale". I ask him what color it is and what wrong with it, he replies "It's uh, blue and the motor knocks", I ask "How much", he replies "$1000 dollars". Clearly I am confused, but I go have a look anyway. SUre enough, a blue Mark VIII with a knocking engine for $1000 bucks. I said, I saw a white Mark VIII for sale, where is it? He replies, ohhhh yeah, we sold that one this morning, it was really nice too. Gah!!! So, after looking the blue one over and finding some problems, I got it for $600. That was an interesting day.

[Kev]

The Mustang;
The year, 1991. My daily driver, a '79 Chevy Monza Coupe with the little Iron Duke 4 banger bit the big one and I was looking to replace it, commuting 55 miles one way to work. On a Friday afternoon I noticed the Mustang in an Auto Trader and as a joke (I didn't think she would approve) I said to my wife; "Hey, look at this, an '88 Mustang LX 5.0 for $5,800 in our neighborhood." She said (to my surprise); "Why don't you give them a call." I called instantly, we drove the car that evening, fell in love and bought it for $5,400 with 41k on it.

The Caddy;
It belonged to our neighbor across the street. She was a dear friend, adopted us like we we grandchildren. We looked after each other. She passed away last year and her daughter sold me the car for $1,900 with 74k. I think of our friend often when I drive it. I know she would have been very pleased to know that we bought it, are taking such good care of it and are enjoying the use of it.

[DaveDeVille]

I went to a small country dealer to look at a pick-up. It was in worse shape than the one I owned. I started looking around the small lot and saw a few posibilities. A late model Contour, a late model LeSabre, etc. Then I went in their garage and saw my baby sitting there. They had just got it in and were cleaning it up. I bought it on the spot for my '91 Silverado w/98K and less money than it would have taken to fix my rear end and transfer case, not to mention other things. After two months, I am thinking I finally got a good deal from a dealer. Sure it has a few annoyances but it was love at first sight! (I've always had a weakness for a nice charcoal colored car. My New '88 Coupe Deville was a sort of charcoal. Wish I still had that one too!)

[mccombie_5]

Originally Posted by DaveDeVille

I went to a small country dealer to look at a pick-up. It was in worse shape than the one I owned. I started looking around the small lot and saw a few posibilities. A late model Contour, a late model LeSabre, etc. Then I went in their garage and saw my baby sitting there. They had just got it in and were cleaning it up. I bought it on the spot for my '91 Silverado w/98K and less money than it would have taken to fix my rear end and transfer case, not to mention other things. After two months, I am thinking I finally got a good deal from a dealer. Sure it has a few annoyances but it was love at first sight! (I've always had a weakness for a nice charcoal colored car. My New '88 Coupe Deville was a sort of charcoal. Wish I still had that one too!)

Ya, Dave your Deville is might nice, I love the colour!!

[SHERIFF]

Found my DTS on eBaY. It was located at an Infinity dealership 55 miles from my front door. So I was able to actually look at the car, test drive it and deal with the salesman after it didn't reach the reserve price they were asking on eBaY twice. The gentleman who had owned it (and driven it very little I might add) traded it in on a Q45 if I recall correctly. He also bought his brother an Infinity the same night.

Rumor has it customers were looking at the DTS and realizing how nice Cadillacs were. They would then leave the Infinity dealership and go looking around at Cadillac dealerships. So Infinity wanted to get this Cadillac off their used car lot real quick.

I later found out it had belonged to the CEO of RCA.

In 18 months I have driven it 7,000 miles and have spent about $100 on it. $72.69 this past week to change the coolant and supplement tablets at 33,000 miles. And one oil change. I gave up on the oil change diagnostics after it was still reading "77% oil life" after 4,000 miles.

[mccombie_5]

Originally Posted by SHERIFF

Found my DTS on eBaY. It was located at an Infinity dealership 55 miles from my front door. So I was able to actually look at the car, test drive it and deal with the salesman after it didn't reach the reserve price they were asking on eBaY twice. The gentleman who had owned it (and driven it very little I might add) traded it in on a Q45 if I recall correctly. He also bought his brother an Infinity the same night.

Rumor has it customers were looking at the DTS and realizing how nice Cadillacs were. They would then leave the Infinity dealership and go looking around at Cadillac dealerships. So Infinity wanted to get this Cadillac off their used car lot real quick.

I later found out it had belonged to the CEO of RCA.

In 18 months I have driven it 7,000 miles and have spent about $100 on it. $72.69 this past week to change the coolant and supplement tablets at 33,000 miles. And one oil change. I gave up on the oil change diagnostics after it was still reading "77% oil life" after 4,000 miles.

What year is your DTS SHERIFF?

[Stoneage_Caddy]

Found mine behind a toyota dealership 2 years ago ....when i was looking at used Infintis and BMW 3 series

Mom found it and called me over to it , she just liked it .....Dad came over and we started laughing at it ....We musta made fun of this heep for 15 minutes ....Salesmen grabs the keys from inside and opens it up for us and says "wanna take it for a spin?" ...Coarse you know me , i said "oh hell yes lets see this boat float"....Check engine lights , service suspension son indidcator , pinging , clunking , stalling , door locks didnt work right , you name it , it was broke...By the time we got back into the dealership me and dad were crying we were laughing so hard at it ....Told the salesman "thats the single biggest pile of shit ive ever driven"....."but i had a great time"...but mom just loved it , and it was VERY pretty , interior wasnt too bad , it had been taken care of at one point in its life ....

We left it there to die a slow painful death ....Drove a few more BMWs , one died on me , and couldnt find the right infiniti , as i had a pretty specific list...

We had driven all sorts of cars by the time we got home ....we kept talking about that damned cadillac.....it was half of my budget ....and then i started feeling sorry for it .....we went right back to the toyota dealer , i walked up to the salesmen and asked "still got that old cadillac" ...he was rather confused and said yes "no one will buy it its so bad" ....i said "fine , take off that dealer fee and ill give you 4900 cash for it"...he wouldnt take off the dealer fee , and it pissed my dad off ....i was more inclined to walk out ....but dad felt other wise and shoved the salesmens desk into the salemen , said a few words and the dealer fee was removed ....bought it witht he intent of fixing and selling it to make a profit

little later we limped the car home ...worked a weekend getting it to the point it would run decent enough to get me to school and back ....

10 grand and 42,000 miles later ive been happier with this car then any other ive owned .....Ive always loved the cadilac V8 , but never really thought about buying one outside one day in alaska when i stumbled across a purpleish 95 deville ....but i was more in love with the subaru 2.5rs next to it ....