cardio-doc Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 Well boys - I never thought I'd see this day again (some of you old timers who remember me as "Double H" will know what I'm talking about) but I'm back in a Cadillac again. And more than that - a new one. The ex-police car just wasn't cutting it for all the picking up and hauling I do and I've known for a long time I'd be needing a truck. I was all set on getting a new F-150 but the way those massive seats over-power rear seat occupants in the extended cab, plus the low seating position and high windows - my 5 year-old felt like he was sitting in a prison back there so that killed that deal. Warmed up to and ultimately made a deal on a brand-new 2005 Chevy Avalanche under the current discount pricing program. My plan was to do alot to it including a custom-leather interior (the optional leather interior offered on those is not my taste) plus running boards plus other mods. My biggest supplier (Cadillac dealer) got wind of this deal and would not let me hear the end of it - nor let me go til we made a deal on the Cadillac version (Escalade EXT). I have to admit I was flattered at the lengths he went to to make this deal plus the price I ultimately got, plus with my big 4-0 birthday here right about now I made the plunge - a brand-new 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT. Have to admit that driving a truck after a car for so long took some getting used to - but now I like it. Driving a truck is a good move for me - I was driving way too fast in that ex-cop car and drive nice and slow in the truck. Did a few mods - tinted windows, debadged all those Escalade emblems, painted the grill body color, pulled the roof rack cross-bows (never put anything up there anyway), pulled the trailer hitch (never tow anything and that thing weighs about 60 lbs.), changed the existing XM radio to Sirius (big PITA but important to me), pulled the AM/FM antenna (never listen to it), and changed the wheels/tires. This last one was a big decision. I'm a big proponent of OEM wheels because of their generally superior quality and LIGHTER WEIGHT than many of the aftermarket alternatives out there. But the base 17" wheels on this vehicle were just too boring for me. I DID have a set of the ultra-rare Cadillac Escalade ESV PLATINUM 20" wheels in my hands briefly but those things were just so much heavier than stock I couldn't put them on my vehicle. They're as heavy as Hummer H2 wheels! Plus there was some serious money to be made on them. OH what to do - what to do. I was going to paint the OEM wheels black but given the aspect ratio of the stock tires it wouldn't look right - I learned this lesson on my last new car (2000 Cadillac STS) and wasn't happy with the look. IMO body color wheels only look right with 50-series or lower aspect ratio tires. Then these wheels came (actually fell) into my hands - ultra-lightweight Lowenhart 20" wheels. Not crazy big and also very lightweight - only 6 lbs heavier than the stock 17" wheels (though admittedly the weight is 'further out' from the center bore which is worse for performance). At least the tires that go with them are lighter than the stock 17" tires. Given the price I paid for these used wheels - I went for it and while they're not exactly my taste - they're an improvement to me over stock and definitely have the look. Ride quality has barely diminished from the stock 17's though the roads are very smooth here. Braking seems unchanged. So that's it! Back in a Cadillac again. Feels good. I'm grateful. cheers, ~Doc --- Direct Performance on Ebay CaddyInfo.com Cadillac Conversations Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted tcb Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 Congrats on the new ride, the aftermarket rims look right .... meaning, they're bright and look OEM. I never liked the body colour rims ... your STS looked like the hubcaps had fallen off at about 20 paces ... the 17's looked much better. Now that you own the Escalade, when do you turn NBA pro, or at least gangstra rapper? 1989 FWD Fleetwood, Silver 1995 STS Crimson Pearl on Black leather 1997 STS Diamond White 1999 STS Crimson Pearl 2001 STS Silver 2003 STS, Crimson Pearl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 Congratulations Double H, Welcome Back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted tcb Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 What ever happened to that sweet Deville Concours .... you know, the Tony Soprano ride with the New Jersey inspection sticker? 1989 FWD Fleetwood, Silver 1995 STS Crimson Pearl on Black leather 1997 STS Diamond White 1999 STS Crimson Pearl 2001 STS Silver 2003 STS, Crimson Pearl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardio-doc Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 What ever happened to that sweet Deville Concours .... you know, the Tony Soprano ride with the New Jersey inspection sticker? Sold it to a 'good friend' who lives across country. He showed up...with literally half the agreed upon price and promised to make monthly payments of $500 for 6 months to pay it off. What was I to do? I was surprised but of course I trusted him. I got one payment and never heard from him again. Can't reach him on the phone and no other response. We'd known each other 10 years. Live and learn. ~Doc --- Direct Performance on Ebay CaddyInfo.com Cadillac Conversations Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addison_ii Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Nice truck Doc, very smooth looking, Congrats on the new purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 What ever happened to that sweet Deville Concours .... you know, the Tony Soprano ride with the New Jersey inspection sticker? Sold it to a 'good friend' who lives across country. He showed up...with literally half the agreed upon price and promised to make monthly payments of $500 for 6 months to pay it off. What was I to do? I was surprised but of course I trusted him. I got one payment and never heard from him again. Can't reach him on the phone and no other response. We'd known each other 10 years. Live and learn. ~Doc Sorry to hear that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STS Scott Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Absolutely Beautiful Truck! " ...'took my Cobra down t' the track, hitched to the back o' my Cadillac..." - Jan & Dean, 'hey little cobra' Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 What ever happened to that sweet Deville Concours .... you know, the Tony Soprano ride with the New Jersey inspection sticker? Sold it to a 'good friend' who lives across country. He showed up...with literally half the agreed upon price and promised to make monthly payments of $500 for 6 months to pay it off. What was I to do? I was surprised but of course I trusted him. I got one payment and never heard from him again. Can't reach him on the phone and no other response. We'd known each other 10 years. Live and learn. ~Doc Ugh! That's painful Double H....I feel you. A man without honor is no man nor a boy but fodder. Because even a boy can have honor. Glad to see you back in the saddle again so to speak. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadian95sts Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Nice ride Doc, hows it feel to be back in the saddle. A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...BUT, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "darn...that was fun!" www.madd.ca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Grats. One of my local friends recently got one also. His wife drove his Escalade, and fell in love with it, so she traded her Infiniti SUV on an Escalade, then he traded his Escalade on an Escalade EXT. Now they have hers & his. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 'doc, Welcome back to the fold. Many happy miles. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Doc, "Any color you want, as long as its blacK" attributed to Henry Ford Black..always Black! Are the interiors black too? Nice ride and I'm sure you had a quandry about wheels, and will for some time to come... Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Hey, thats a nice looking ride You're right about the lack of rear seat in the F150s too, but they are nice trucks Good to see you with a Caddy over the plastic-laden Avalanche -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjayzway Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Sold it to a 'good friend' who lives across country. He showed up...with literally half the agreed upon price and promised to make monthly payments of $500 for 6 months to pay it off. What was I to do? I was surprised but of course I trusted him. I got one payment and never heard from him again. Can't reach him on the phone and no other response. We'd known each other 10 years. Live and learn. ~Doc ANYTIME YOU WANT YOUR MONEY, CANADIAN95STS AND I DO THAT FOR A LIVING. We will get your owed money, or the car back with interest. Big Jay Life is too short to grow up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 DoubleH is back...in a black Cadillac! Nice looking vehicle. I hope you enjoy! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardio-doc Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Wow - thanks for all the nice comments guys - I appreciate that. While I did want a black interior you can only get these with light tan or pewter which is a darkish gray - I went with that. The custom interior I was going to do in the Avalanche would have been two-tone grey and black - I figured I'd try to blend black with the existing grey. Speaking of the Avalanche (and the Chevy pick-ups for that matter - I don't know what they're thinking with their one-color-fits-none approach to the headliner. There is only one headliner color in the Avalanche (and pick-ups) and it's a tannish grey color that doesn't match the tan interior and clashes badly with the grey interior. And the visors are that color as-well. Don't know what Chevy was thinking with that (cheap) move. (working backward through posts): bigjayzway: please e-mail me at docardio@lycos.com to pursue collection on the bad debt from my 94 Concours. Thank-you for your offer. Chris: tried to be "P.C" about the Avalanche interior but I definitely agree. I was going to be changing alot of the interior bits on that Avalanche if I'd have bought it. TDK: On wheels - you are definitely correct. I've wrestled with this again and again. I don't want to seem a hypocrite with these aftermarket wheels (I'm very pro-OEM) and I generally don't like the loss of ride/performance from big wheels. I've rationalized 20" wheels since now Cadillac offers them OEM. But I really wanted to do something with the wheels. Like I'd said - I'm not crazy about this set-up but it fits, speedo is correct, they are lightweight (for what they are) and are an improvement over stock (to me) just a bit much bling-bling for my taste right now. canadian95sts: How's it feel? Ummm - darn (sic) good! I like the ride - I like the bells and whistles inside. And frankly - I like that I drive it better. I'd been driving an ex-police car off-and-on for the better part of 3 years and while I definitely liked the "never worried about it" part of it (could park it anywhere - drive any way, etc.) I drove it way too fast. This truck slowed me down alot. Only thing is - I 'worry' about it. Had to leave it in Long Term Airport Parkiing last week and I didn't enjoy that feeling, a feeling I'd long since forgotten having that ex-cop car. Before and after pix of wheels follow. cheers, ~Doc --- Direct Performance on Ebay CaddyInfo.com Cadillac Conversations Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardio-doc Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 After custom wheels --- Direct Performance on Ebay CaddyInfo.com Cadillac Conversations Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frost Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Hey, hey, hey, big guy! Remember me? I won that grey 2002 eldorado wood/leather wheel from you late last year (had to dye it dark montana blue to match my interior, along with the chrome centre caps for my '97 deville. Just wanted you to know everything came out "aces". Glad you're back in a caddy. Cheers from North of the 49th parallel!!!!!!!! cars158.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmpafford Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Good to see you with a Caddy over the plastic-laden Avalanche My wife and I call it the "Tupperware Truck" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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