Dale Earnhardt Intimidator #899 at 100,000 Miles

 Chevrolet made donations totaling more than $660,000 from the sale of each Monte Carlo SS Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition to the Foundation for the Carolinas, a charity selected by the Earnhardt family. Earnhardt died on February 18, 2001 in a crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 - just months before a limited production run of 3,333 of these cars was to begin. My car was built in November 2001 and is #899.  



According to legend, and who knows if its true or not but it's fun to talk about, the original owner of my car, who lived in the Dayton, Ohio area, bought it and used for it approximately 18 months and then mothballed it believing the car would appreciate in value.  After six years of somewhat slower depreciation than normal, due in large part to the car's pristine condition as much as anything else, the original owner traded the car in with not even 15,000 miles on it.

 

 

The car was then purchased by, now again, according to legend, a Cleveland area nightclub owner who bought it as a gift for one his "dancers" who was a big NASCAR fan. Apparently, that dancer was either not fond of the car or the massive gift in general so she traded it into a Buick dealership in Akron. That dealership had difficulty selling it for the premium price it was asking so it sat on their showroom floor as a decoration. There it sat until I came along more than two years later looking for a relatively inexpensive car with low mileage. Ironically, as much of a car guy as I am, I have no interest in NASCAR or, no disrespect intended, Mr. Earnhardt. I just like the car (I had a 2001 SS years ago) and I even went so far as to ask for these "3's" on the C pillars to be removed. The dealership refused for two reasons; out of respect for Earnhardt and also it would have left shadows on pillars.

 

 

It was, frankly, a gamble paying $11,000 cash (plus trading in my Taurus for $1,500) for an at the time eight year old car. I paid cash for it since I couldn't get a loan that made sense for a car that old with a book value so low - and a retail price so high. Not a good combination. The gamble was that if I wrecked it, I'd be out at between $4,000 and $6,000. No gap insurance was available either so yeah, that was a real leap of faith. My wife and I were diligent in paying ourselves back for the car and did so inside of two years.

 

I've had the car now going on six years now so it's amortized itself quite nicely. My cost of ownership has been absurdly low since the car is totally paid off and any repairs it needed I've done myself. The only time it left us stranded was when I first got it; the original battery needed replacing at a most inopportune time. So, there we were - that white trash family working on their car in a mall parking lot.
 

Over years there has been some additional drama. There was the short circuited ABS hub (no ABS and no traction control) and the busted wind shield wiper transmission that would leave the wipers in the up position when off.  I recently replaced the driver's side power window switches too. Currently the check engine light comes on but that allegedly is due to a faulty thermostat that I have yet to get around to replacing.

 

If you're wondering, I have no plans to get rid of this car since, as cliched as this may sound considering it's NASCAR trimmings, it's been such a  winner. The jacket will go when the car goes too and with two kids in college, that's not going to be for a while. Here's to another 100,000 miles. Rest in peace, Mr. Earnhardt. 

"The Dale" crossed over 100,000 miles back in October east bound on 480 by Hopkins airport.

1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Diesel Wagon - Robin, To The Engine Hoist!

Had I been as old as I am now when the GM/Olds Diesels debuted, I have to believe I would have embraced them for everything they had to offer - all the comfort and room of traditional, or should I say "new traditional" full size cars with the fuel economy of much smaller cars; despite the horrible performance and the additional cost of the Diesel engine. I had no love for them at the time because they were not the big, gas burning V-8's I grew up with and adored. 

Didn't love them then and I certainly have no less disdain for them now. This charming, Olds 350 Diesel powered bomb is for sale in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that's in the eastern part of the state, with an asking price of $650. That's a fair asking price for a car that could go for as little as $200 if not $150 given that the car has not run in 20 years. Owner says the engine may be seized. 

Just as well the engine is seized. No sense in even attempting to start this engine given that it has to go even if it was running. Did the head bolts break off? Fuel lines rust out? Does it matter? Robin, to the engine hoist! 

I love station wagons and this car is interesting to me only as an inexpensive way to own one but even some things are so far gone that they're not worth salvaging. Never mind the struggle of pulling the engine, fuel lines and tank - replacing that cracked dash is a much bigger hassle. 

Brake lines and probably all of the steering components would have to go too seeing how long this thing has been sitting. I don't mind the time I'd have to put in and everything could be done on the cheap for maybe $2,500. That would include a big, gas burning V-8 from a junk yard, fresh fuel lines and new fuel tank, new brake lines, re-manufactured steering cylinder, new steering hoses, new radiator, transmission and differential flush. Might want to change the shocks and springs too while I'm at it. 

After I did all that what would I have? A 1982 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon I laid out upwards of $3,000 for that still needed tires and a paint job. 

My wife is patient with my projects - but not that patient. 

1990 Cadillac Brougham - All Is Forgiven



Cadillac had many so many missteps in the 1980's that it's hard to keep track of them all; and you know that they'd rather we forget about them. V-8-6-4, the Cimarron, Oldsmobile diesels, Buick V-6 powered DeVilles, the 1986 Eldorado. The oddly interesting (now more than then) Allante too. All that and under the onslaught of competition from Asia and Europe and it's amazing Cadillac is around today. It's amazing they even survived the 1980's.

Of all of Cadillac's 1980's missteps, however, none did more damage to their image - Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet all  suffered from the ignominy of the Oldsmobile 350 Diesel disaster -  than the "HT 4100 Power System".

  

The 249 cubic inch, "High Tech 4100" V-8 was originally developed for use in Cadillac's forthcoming front wheel drive sedans that were targeted for sale in 1982. However, with those sedans delayed until at least 1983 (they debuted in the spring of 1984 as 1985 models) and in light of the V-8-6-4 and Oldsmobile Diesel fiascos, Cadillac decided to use the small engine in all of their cars starting in 1982.

210 pounds lighter than the 368 cubic inch, or 6.0 liter, Cadillac gas V-8 it replaced and with an EPA gas mileage rating 2 miles per gallon more, the HT appeared to be the modern marvel that Cadillac needed at the time and seemed to be fitting with Cadillac's legacy of technological advancement; as tarnished as that image was at the time. That image didn't just get more tarnish thanks to the HT, it got completely shellacked. There were two major problems with the HT. First, while the HT produced a similar amount of horsepower to the 6.0, the HT's 200 foot pounds of torque, 70 less than the 6.0, was woefully inadequate to power cars that weighed near two tons (Eldorado/Seville) or more than two tons. In the smaller, lighter front wheel drive sedans it was intended for it was actually quite ample. What's more, the engine was prone to leaking and catastrophic sudden failure.

If Cadillac did anything right in the 1980's it was that beginning in 1986, they dropped the HT from their rear wheel drive "Fleetwood Brougham" and installed an Oldsmobile gas 307, or 5.0 liter V-8 - something you could argue they should have done in the first place. With 50 some odd more foot pounds of torque than the HT, 5.0 liter Fleetwood Broughams were still under powered but at least they didn't implode like the HT's did.

A name change in 1987 to just "Brougham" and mild redesign in 1990 along with that bullet proof Olds V-8 helped to right somewhat a ship that had run ashore. Cadillac was finally making baby steps back towards respectability. 

Major strides were taken in 1990 when a 175 horsepower, Chevrolet 350 V-8 engine with electronic fuel injection was made optional. Hallelujah. While 175 horsepower is relatively minimal compared to today's over powered cars, compared to the 135 hp HT, even the 145 of the massive old 368, the Chevy 350 powered Brougham was nothing short of remarkable. 275 foot pounds of torque on tap down low didn't hurt either. Interestingly, there was also little fuss made about a Cadillac being powered by a Chevrolet engine. Thirty or even twenty years prior, that fact alone would be cause for scandal. By 1990 it went by almost unnoticed. Suddenly, all was forgiven.

Cadillac cognoscenti were overjoyed that their Cadillac had returned to its place of former glory, prestige and opulence. Well, not really, of course but again, compared to anything Cadillac had pushed out since 1980, the 1990 5.7 liter "Brougham" was a gift from the car gods.

This lovely '90 "Brougham" is for sale for just a hair under $10,000 in bucolic Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Here's the listing. If this was only a coupe I'd probably beat you to the punch.

Why anyone would have bought this car instead of a Lexus LS400 or Infiniti Q45 for similar money at the time is beyond me but whom am I to argue? I was not of the age and certainly of no financial means to purchase any luxury car at the time but I remember being happy that my darling friends at Cadillac had a least done something right. Again.

1960 Cadillac Eldorado - Simply Beautiful

A simple girl with heart so pure, 

I'll dance with you when rain doth pour.

I've seen you smile and felt you cry,
Know one day you too will fly.

Your Soul so white, yet streaked with black,
Hope so great my heart hath cracked.

I'd suffer hells fury, weather heavenly wrath,
If only I could show you the path.

This world needs your beauty, it screams for your charm.
Only you can keep it from harm.

                                                                        -Allistair Solomon