My 1973 Cadillac, Huggy Bear

[Bucketeer]

Fingers crossed he's a genuine honest buyer Eddy.

 

hoist it away?

Not unless he's got summat like this . .

 

[eddyramrod]

No-show.  Which is probably a good thing.

 

So while I was walking Memphis earlier I had a brainwave.  On the next street lives a roofer, whose front windows look directly down our alley where Huggy lives.  And I've seen what appears to be a security/web camera in his front bedroom window.  So today I asked him about it, and explained why.

The cam doesn't work.  Bummer.

 

Fuck it, it's insured.

[New POD]

My ad still hasn't appeared in CCB. However... last night I was having a chat on Facebook with a bloke from Kendal (he says) who had put up a "wanted" for an American car. So obviously I offered him Huggy. He's supposedly coming to see it today. He spent a lot of time trying to chip the price, which bothers me.

What really bothers me is, he knows where I live now. Is he one of those less-than-scrupulous banger chaps that'll just come and hoist it away? Time will tell...

it's insured for theft ??? Ah I see you already said that

[vulgalour]

Probably just a dreamer, nothing more.  I'm amazed you haven't found a buyer for it yet, it's one of the cheapest ways into American barge ownership.  Secretly hoping you don't sell it so when you're better again you can continue enjoying it.

[eddyramrod]

Probably just a dreamer, nothing more.  I'm amazed you haven't found a buyer for it yet, it's one of the cheapest ways into American barge ownership.  Secretly hoping you don't sell it so when you're better again you can continue enjoying it.

Secretly, Angyl?  Me too!  But She Has Spoken, so I'm afraid it has to happen.  I'm not going to let it go too cheap though.  I think my last Shiters' Price was £4500?  That is absolutely as far as I will go, and for a non-Shiter I will take some dragging to get that low.

[nigel bickle]

£75 mate, collect it tamarra!

 

( Good luck Eddie, time things went your way!)

[cort16]

You might be better creating a separate advert to this thread with specific details on the car , up to date pictures etc. While I’m sure it’s all here the information is scattered .

 

I’d also put it on retro rides. A lot of people go looking for older stuff there and it’s free. The buyers are also mostly sensible but you may see your car in 6 months time on airbags .

[vulgalour]

If he does that he might actually sell it so in this instance that sounds like a very silly idea.

[cort16]

Good point

[eddyramrod]

It's a mixed bag.  I really don't want to sell because I like the car so much, despite what MrsR has to say.  On the other hand it's just sitting in the back alley because I can't drive it.  And I do need the money, I owe a good chunk of it!  So selling seems like the sensible option.   I've got to be sensible occasionally.

[eddyramrod]

FINALLY!  My ad has appeared today in CCB.

[vulgalour]

Please report in full on all tyre kickers, Elvis impersonators, and hopeless dreamers.

[eddyramrod]

In that case...

I had another FB conversation with the same waster.  Got him up as far as 3500 and told him there was no chance of it going for that.  Not sure but I think he might have got the message.

Subsequently, today I missed a phone call because I accidentally turned the ringer off.  He did leave a message, so I'll see if he calls again tomorrow and if not, I'll call him.

[eddyramrod]

OK, I spoke to yesterday's caller, actually mouth-to-ear, on the phone, and he seems relatively sensible.  There may be a viewing soon.

[eddyramrod]

No viewings yet, but I have had another caller.  I sent him some photos and he had the decency to email me back saying it wasn't for him.  OK, fair enough.  Haven't heard any more from the first caller though.

So today...

 

I've actually been out in Huggy!

 

My mate Mike showed up and we (well mostly he) refitted the alternator, so we (again, read he) took it for a drive.  Ohhhhhhhhh boy was it lovely.  It's been sitting silent for a few days short of six months, but fired up third turn of the key and ran with all the usual aplomb.  See, that's what you get with a proper Cadillac.  A strong sense of natural authority, a serene immunity from everything outside.  I really really don't want to sell.  Sadly, I really really need to.

[somewhatfoolish]

If Mr H. Bear Esq. is legal should he not be making a guest appearance at Eddyfest? Or is there salt on Cumbria's roads already?

[eddyramrod]

An appearance is a possibility.  Road salt? Pah!  We sneer at road salt!  Huggy lives outside, all year round, and has spent the last two Christmases doing what cars are supposed to.  Not to mention taking us to Portsmouth in January 2017, a road trip of getting on for a thousand miles.

What do you think this is?  Some sort of pampered show queen?

 

And I say again, pah!

[danthecapriman]

You animal!

Road salt brings me (and the Mercury) out in a cold sweat.

[eddyramrod]

My sparky came round today and checked out the alternator.  With only a little revving it makes 14.5v, so that's fine.  He's a bit concerned about the lack of a battery light on the dash, so he's gone away to think about it.  So it looks like we may indeed have Huggy at Eddyfest!

[eddyramrod]

Someone seems to have created some kind of Facebook group using my ad, which was a generous act.  So far two people have made enquiries and I've posted some more pics.  Don't know if anything will come of all this, but we'll see, won't we?

[eddyramrod]

Nothing has come of it yet...

[eddyramrod]

I would just like to remind everyone that this work of art is available to Shiters - and to nobody else outside the forum - for a mere £4500.  And you'll get pies.  How good does it get!

[danthecapriman]

V8 and pies! What’s not to like!

[eddyramrod]

I posted Huggy on facebook (again) and one of my American friends there said she would be all over him if she had the cash.  I know she hasn't so that's no issue, but really, bringing a Cadillac back from Blighty?  Are the older cars getting so rare over there?

[Rocket88]

PM'd you....

[eddyramrod]

[Junkman]

I posted Huggy on facebook (again) and one of my American friends there said she would be all over him if she had the cash.  I know she hasn't so that's no issue, but really, bringing a Cadillac back from Blighty?  Are the older cars getting so rare over there?

 

There are hardly any left in the USA, as evidenced by the bottom of the barrel shitheaps imported from there lately.

Especially the Scandinavians have raided the place for the past 30 years, Sweden alone having imported about 5,000 cars annually. It is confirmed that the majority of US classics is not located in the USA anymore.

For quite a few years now, cars are migrating back to the USA, but neither in the numbers they were exported in the first place, nor the models that appeal to Europeans, since the taste in American cars is vastly different on both sides of the Atlantic. For example, whereas Europeans love the fullsized waftbarges, the yanks loathe them, unless they are Cadillacs with not more than two doors.

As a rule of thumb, the yanks hate pretty much everything that was posted in RBJ's US car thread with a passion.

[lesapandre]

Sorry to hear of you selling problems. Reading through the only thing I can add is given its rarety advertising it in Europe might help. La Vie de la Auto is good....google translate means we can all pretend we can speak French. And if you use an email address you don't need to bother with the phone.

 

https://www.lva-auto.fr

[danthecapriman]

The Yanks arnt keen on Beige Mustang II's  or  Mucus Green Pinto's either

Philistines!!!!

Never mind we like them

I’m not afraid to admit this on here... a Pinto is on my hit list of cars I must own! Can’t explain why but it is!

 

Agree with The right honourable Junkman too. All they’re into big over in the US is fins n chrome or muscle cars.

The big full size barges, gas crisis downsized stuff, US small economy cars etc etc seem almost universally hated. But we’re a more enlightened bunch over here aren’t we!?

[eddyramrod]

It's all happening over here this weekend!  Huggy has been out for a little drive today, for the first time since October.  He's going in to get his new brake pads fitted tomorrow so I thought I should make sure he starts and moves ok.  Well he does, yes, but the brake pedal is a bit soft.  Must remember to tell Malcolm about that...