My 1973 Cadillac, Huggy Bear

[eddyramrod]

Huggy is exactly the kind of car Elvis used to buy for his friends, and even random strangers.  It's also clearly a southern-state car, having aircon but no heated rear window, so I like to believe it was ordered new in Memphis....

[eddyramrod]

I've been thinking today about the list of possible swops/pxs.  Anything pre-1979 is a contender as long as it isn't diesel or German.  I'd prefer automatic obviously.  I could also be tempted by something later, that ticks more boxes.  Come on lads, you know what my boxes are by now.  Show me something with a price on it....

[eddyramrod]

Negotiations are afoot to bring another car into the fold.  Some spare cash would be handy, so if anyone really fancies Huggy, now might be the time to make me a silly offer.

[eddyramrod]

Mention has been made of the idea of Roffling Huggy.  I've resisted so far because the tickets would be eighty quid a go and I don't think many of us could stand that sort of gamble.  But, the idea has been raised.  Is there enough support?

[loserone]

One please

[sdkrc]

I'd go for 3

[eddyramrod]

Chaps, I applaud your eagerness, but are you sure?  At EIGHTY POUNDS a ticket?  Eight-zero?  If you're sure, then I'll open the Roffle.

[loserone]

Yeah man, what a great last roffle of the year

[sdkrc]

15 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Chaps, I applaud your eagerness, but are you sure?  At EIGHTY POUNDS a ticket?  Eight-zero?  If you're sure, then I'll open the Roffle.

I'd absolutely commit to trip-tickets at £80 a pop. Last year I spent 750 on a mk4 golf and the rear axle came off the minute it got home. There are far worse things to lose money on and this has the potential for some big life stories.

Selling the other 56 will be a serious challenge. It's an extremely niche car.

[eddyramrod]

That's true!  It takes lunacy at the level of you, me or Danthecapriman to even attempt to live with cars like these.

[sdkrc]

For anyone else who is reading this and on the fence about giant American classics:

You need to do it at least once in your life

 

[Stinkwheel]

Ah sod it, in for a penny in for eighty pounds. I’d buy a ticket if huggy came up for Roffle.


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[eddyramrod]

It's happening!  New thread opened in the For Sale section.  I'll slip you into the list now.

[Stinkwheel]

For anyone else who is reading this and on the fence about giant American classics:
You need to do it at least once in your life
 

I’ve had a few giant American classics, and a couple of less giant ones. My favourite had to be this....


I miss that car.




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[eddyramrod]

11 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

For anyone else who is reading this and on the fence about giant American classics:

You need to do it at least once in your life

 

That is the absolute truth!

[Rocket88]

Monsieur Rod...............please pm me........

[eddyramrod]

Sent.

[eddyramrod]

Huggy is on the Naughty Step tonight.  He's been sitting around for several weeks, because the weather has been horrible, so today (being a nice day and having almost a full tank) I thought I'd take him out.  I only had stuff to do around town but still...

Great, until right at the end.  I parked in town having given him a good 7 or 8 miles of run (well stroll) and went to do what I had to do.  Came back, sat down, turned key... clickety clickety clickety.  Oh shit.

He's done this before (on a main-road roundabout) which turned out to be a poor connection between battery and starter, so I spent ages jiggling the lead and trying again, with a conspicuous lack of success.  Eventually I gave up and walked to the garage where the Jag is (good thing Barrow is compact!) but they couldn't do a callout for me.  I tried over the road, where I got the brakes done, with the same result.  In the end I had to walk home (not far) and recruit Mrs to bring the Motability bus and my jump leads.  Also my lovely new trolley jack and some spanners.  I got the front up in the air a bit, so I could get at the starter from below, but nothing was loose, so we tried the leads.  And it started.

 

I've had a lovely evening meal, a little sleep with the dog on my knee and a relaxing hot bath, and I'm still thoroughly pissed off.  Somebody make me an offer.

[eddyramrod]

You're very probably right.

[AnthonyG]

I’m not sure this is a car for EBay, as it strikes me as a dreamer/messer magnet - I would try Car and Classic first. Perhaps also a street rod forum like Rods and Sods or whatever it’s called? There’s a lot of Yank fans in the rod/custom scene.

Even advertising it on Retro-Rides would give you a much bigger audience than here.

A (physical) classic car auction would see it gone with comparatively minimum fuss but you would need to be realistic with the reserve.

Once rot gets a hold of these 1970s land yachts, it doesn’t really let go, sadly. 

[eddyramrod]

Bump, just so that everyone remembers Huggy is still available.  I'm not in any real rush to sell or roffle, but someone might be glad to know what's about...

[Hertz]

As said above CarandClassic it. It's free and you have a worldwide audience. Sold a few Alpines to guys in Europe through C&C so with this being LHD it will surely appeal to someone on the continent. GLWTS.

[eddyramrod]

Consider this a trailer...

In the last couple of weeks there has been work on Huggy!  Better than that though is that I've been doing this work, on rusty bits of body in the back alley.  Now I've typed that, it looks incredibly saucy, and in a way it is, because it's reignited my love of the car.  I'll go into detail in a later post, hence this being a trailer, because I haven't uploaded the pics yet.

 

Something I particularly would like to clear up though, is the sales position.  As very much expected, enquiries are not exactly coming in thick and fast.  And you know what?  That's fine!  There is one major element that people are overlooking, and indeed I have allowed myself to overlook it way too many times, but I've had a lot of time lately to think about such things.  The bare truth is, I simply don't want to sell!  I might need the money (no "might" about it!); MrsR might have refused to ever ride another inch in it (same applies) and keeping the car might make literally NO financial sense (again...) especially as I have exactly no off-road parking.  But a few moments (and that's really all it takes) of looking at it, or better still driving, reminds me how much pure style it exudes.  I've never, ever, been this cool, even when I had my 1962 Cadillac (well ok, possibly then).

So please don't assume I actively want to sell this car.  I don't.  I probably never will.  I mean, just look....

I rest my case.

[bangernomics]

Some sweet 70’s wocka wocka right there.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Very cool thing...  was watching Hubnut drive it on the 'tube last night, the interior is just incredible too.

Can see why you love it, I too am not good at parting with cars!  GLWTS/NS!!!

[purplebargeken]

Ace car. So, what might be a reasonable offer?

[eddyramrod]

52 minutes ago, purplebargeken said:

Ace car. So, what might be a reasonable offer?

Thank you Ken.  I have said several times that the price to a Shiter, which is NOT available to the general public, is £4500.  That, or a swop/px to the value of, is what it would take to get him out of my grubby paws.  But I'd rather keep him; the question is, how long can I hold back the inevitable deterioration?

[purplebargeken]

That is a great price mate. I don't blame you for wanting to keep hold. 

I guess we all have that moment don't we. 

Fancy a modified Triumph Toledo in p/x?

[eddyramrod]

Yes. ?

[purplebargeken]

Really??