Soon to be FWB owner!

EndlessRyd · #1 (**permalink**) 02-24-07, 09:01 PM

As of writing this, I do not own a Cadillac. I know that this is a Cadillac owners site... but give me a month or two. I just thought that joining this site would be a good idea BEFORE I make my purchase. I have wanted a Fleetwood Brougham ever since I was about 8 years old. My mother was not able to pick me up from school one day, and she made arrangements with this other girls mother to give me a ride home. After school, I followed the girl out to her moms car... A new Fleetwood Brougham. (it was the late 80s/early 90s at the time) I was very impressed with the outside, and when I climbed into the big white car, was even more impressed with the red leather and wood-like accents. I remember thinking to myself..."When I learn to drive, I will own one of these!" I am 26 now, and still have never lost interest in these cars. I have always loved cars, and have started a license plate collection from my travels by stopping at junkyards, and trying to get one from each state (completed! - but still adding when a state comes out with a newer design, and am lucky enough to find one in a yard) I also have about 1000 or so car emblems and hood ornaments. I have always thought Cadillacs were the top of the line, but have never had the extra money to spend on a "second" car... I always bought new cars, as I like to travel and do not fly, so I must have something reliable. Well, I have been setting some extra money aside now for quite a while, and all I am waiting for is the weather to get warmer here. Maybe late April/early May. I would like to find a 85-92 Brougham with under 70K or so miles, preferably in light blue... but any color will do... except beige, as there is a few of them in my small town already. I do not want a perfect car, as I cannot afford it. I do want a nice car... and I have been looking at prices online, and believe that I can find a nice one at what I am willing to pay. I will have to keep it outside in the summer months, but am planning to rent a garage for the winter. I do not mind traveling a bit for the car, as long as its not more than a days drive from Illinois. I wanted to also say that this is a great site, and have already spent a number of hours reading posts, and admiring all of the nice Caddys. So... come late April... keep me in mind! Thanks.... Mike.

Old Fleetwood · #2 (**permalink**) 02-24-07, 10:18 PM

Good luck and Happy hunting!

"Your" Cadillac is out there. . . somewhere !

lochenjons · #3 (**permalink**) 02-24-07, 11:08 PM

hey dude i know just how you feel. ever since i was a little kid i loved my grandparents '85 fleetwood. it was so huge and i just sunk in the seats. i always remember taking really long trips from north cal to socal in it and my grandpa used to stack towels in the middle front seat so i could see out the window (i was pretty short) and ever since then ive loved that car. then when my grandpa told me he was going to sell it, i told him i wanted to buy it. my dad was pretty hesitant because we didnt have enough room for anothe rcar (let alone a cadillac). we had my moms van, my sisters new box scion (yuck), my dads infinity, his 96 honda, and my '93 gmc sierra. we already had 2 cars parked outside. but one day he caved and now i am the proud owner of that fleetwood that i was so facinated with ever since i was little. im in the process of trying to get another truck now (my 93 is a 2wd) because ive always loved trucks and always wanted an offroad one. but keep on trying because youll get a caddy soon enough! i wonder what every one elses story is regarding their history of cadillacs...

arivera · #4 (**permalink**) 02-24-07, 11:38 PM

My dad brought me up to love luxery cars. We never owned a cadillac, but he taught me early on that cadillac was the american dream. if you had one of those, you were somebody. He passed away a few years ago and never got to ride in my 93 fleetwood i purchased shortly after his death. Even though he was gone, i puchased it with him in mind. or maybe somehow someway, he presented the car to me. either way, having this car is like my dedication to him. i wish you all the best on getting your dream caddy. i got mine in april too. birthday present to myself.

Cadillac Giovanni · #5 (**permalink**) 02-25-07, 01:17 AM

It seems a lot of people inherited Cadillac appreciation from their grandparents or their parents. It's kind of like not knowing what your missing out on unless you've tried it. I know my love of Caddies came from my grandpa's '83 Fleetwood, but he sold that car long before i could drive.

EndlessRyd, i wish you luck in your Caddy hunt. Autotrader and cars.com are good sites, and for high end collectible cars like Cadillacs, this site is pretty good as well

http://ww2.collectorcartraderonline.com/

lochenjons · #6 (**permalink**) 02-25-07, 12:52 PM

btw endlessryd keep us posted! i cant wait to see what you're gonna get

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #7 (**permalink**) 02-25-07, 12:54 PM

Welcome to the club! The 77-92 Brougham is one of my favorite Cadillac designs ever!

EndlessRyd · #8 (**permalink**) 02-25-07, 09:52 PM

My grandpa always wanted a Cadillac too. I used to travel with him and my grandma in their '85 Delta 88. (it was no Caddy, but still pretty nice) Then they traded that in for a "Lincoln" at least thats what my Grandma said over the phone... when I saw it, it turned out to be a Grand Marquis. My Grandpa tells me every time I go over there that he should have bought the Caddy. He never really seemed happy with the Merc. Just bought it because my Grandma thought it could pass for a Lincoln. Turns out she hates driving it, and they just store it in the Garage, and have a beater Cavalier that they drive around town. When I get my Brougham, the first stop will be to pick up my Grandpa. I Looked at one today... It was an '89... good shape, 71K miles, but the rear bumper was rusted a bit, and the hood ornament was gone. I just was passing by, and it happened to catch my eye in a dealer lot. They wanted $2995. for it. Seemed pretty reasonable I guess. I dont know how it drives... but it looked pretty good (no dents/scratches etc...) It was doing sort of a freezing-rain thing here in Illinois today... so I got right back in my warm truck after a short look.

***Lord Cadillac*** · #9 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 02:46 AM

Good luck with your search, Mike! And don't worry - this site is for Owners AND Enthusiasts! In fact, your message just prompted me to update the image at the top left corner of the page. I want to make sure that everyone knows they're welcome whether they own a Cadillac or not...

Be patient! You'll find your Fleetwood.. I had a 95 Fleetwood Brougham and it was one of the best cars I've ever owned..

davidrap · #10 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 11:44 AM

You will not be disappointed! These are excellent cars!

I remember being a little kid driving in my Granddad's mint 77 Deville - Red with white leather. I thought it was the nicest car ever made. I still have that car and its still mint. Also, since I know the whole history of the car and that everything has been done it is very very reliable.

I had a lot of older and newer Caddys, but the RWD cars IMHO are far superior to the FWD cars. The ride, power and luxury they offer surpasses other vehicles. Even imports...I have a Mercedes that just sits because I drive my FWB.

There are a lot of good cars here in IL for sale. I'd buy from a private owner, get service records and if possible find a car that has seen as few winters as possible!

Congrats on your decision and good luck!

-David

EndlessRyd · #11 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 10:40 PM

I would far prefer a private owner rather than a dealer. If I could find a nice garage-kept one here in Illinois,that would be nice, but I wouldnt mind traveling a bit. I have a weeks vacation put aside just incase I have to travel, and then I would have the rest of the days to work on it. (Though I really dont want to do anything major, but Im sure it will need a few things) Im not in any hurry to buy either. From what Im reading on this site, they seem to be relatively low maintence. I was told that Cadillac repairs are more expensive than other GM cars, and that they must use premium gas. (not thats its an issue) Just wondering. Thanks.

Cadillac Giovanni · #12 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 11:01 PM

i don't think they HAVE to use premium gas. My mother's 96 Deville Concours suggests premium gas because it has the northstar engine, but i think that 87 octane would be fine.

Better off asking someone who owns one.

CaddymanTom · #13 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 11:18 PM

First of all good luck on your search and welcome. There seems to be quite a bit out there to chose from. My advice is wait and try to get everything you want on it. I know money is always an issue but I think there are quite a bit of bargins out there. I wanted the diplomat blue, with leather, moonroof and the real wire wheels. I got almost all except the real wires and I found those on E-bay and now I have one of my dream cars. Mine was owned by an older gentleman who owned a Cadillac dealer in Oklahoma. I love driving the car. I love looking in the rearview mirror, looking out through the limo rear window on it. As for the gas issues, I run 87 one tank then 92 the next. This seems to work quite well without burning a huge hole in my wallet. Happy hunting

Cadillac Giovanni · #14 (**permalink**) 02-26-07, 11:38 PM

Are we talking about the late 80s olds 307 broughams? I thought he wanted an LT1 93-96 FWB. I would NOT recommend running anything but 87 octane in those. I' pretty sure that's what caused my catalytic converter to clog. What yahoo recommended that you run premium in one of these?

As for maintenance, if you get one in good condition, and you're not hard on it, it will go for long periods of time without needing much, and when it does, it will be something minor. In my experience, the Olds 307, and even the chevy 350 they used after are reliable engines. I bought my car for 1,000 bucks, and after some minor carb tuning and replacement of some old vacuum hoses, it's never let me down since. I've put maybe 500 bucks into the car since i bought it, although alot of that was cosmetic stuff just to bring it up to par, replacing some emblems, fresh weather stripping and window seals.

The good thing about buying Cadillacs is that most of them were never driven hard. People don't shell out big bucks for a luxury sedan to beat the crap out of it.

Hammondsix · #15 (**permalink**) 02-27-07, 08:09 AM

With a low compression engine like the 305 or 350 you will be better off using 87 than 92-3, because 87 burns quicker than 92. 92 may leave more deposits in the engine because it might not combust completely, making it slightly more susceptible to carbon buildup. I don't think that you will ruin anything wether you use 87 or 92, but common sense dictates the use of 87 since its cheaper and better. You might experience pinging using 87, if your engine has excessive carbon buildup or local hotspots in the engine. Pinging will not be an issue if your engine is ok.