Caprice engine swap?

[kevm14]

Here's a fixer-upper. 6 hours old.

https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/6127085677.html

2006 Cadillac STS - $2800 (North Reading)
Have a 2006 Cadillac STS, it has 132,000 miles on it. Just had a complete tuneup and 2 new front tires. Engine is in great condition. Interior needs to be detailed radio stopped working and needs work in the power steering. 8 cylinder, fast car, no leaks also new brakes.

If you spent $1200 doing the nav head, power steering pump and steering rack (worst case I guess), then you'd be at $4000. That may be a little too close to cars you can get that don't have those problems from the start. I guess I'd have to check ebay for nav head prices.

[bill25]

Mass explicitly says you have 7 days to drive a new car with your own plates:

https://www.massrmv.com/Portals/30/docs/21426.pdf

Bam. Mass DMV website and everything!

[kevm14]

Once again this proves RI is stupid.

Mass does it right.

https://www.massrmv.com/Registration/Tr ... ation.aspx

They don't even issue temp plates.

And according to Bob, neither does NC.

[kevm14]

Alternate option if this one doesn't pan out:
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6127587924.html

Hot off the press, 1 hour old.

05 Cadillac STS - $4500 (West Milford)
V8, AWD, Sun Roof, Every Option, Metallic Blue, Grey Leather Interior, Great Condition, New Brakes & Tires. 141,500 Miles

1SG, FE3, AWD, no adaptive cruise. Getting to be a pretty common find when I find one with the 18s. Pretty much guaranteed actually based on my experience. It is NJ, of course. But looks like a private seller and the price is more or less reasonable for the mileage and condition.

This car actually looks really nice in the small and few pictures there are. I guess I like the blue (it also seems like the paint is really good) and I like the interior color combo. More miles. Same options. $500 less. Don't know anything about the history or whatever.

It is enough so that I should not feel pressured or desperate to buy this white one if it has any kind of issues that add up to more than a couple hundred bucks.

[Adam]

The address he gave me is a water treatment plant in North Andover. I don't blame him for not wanting to meet at his house. I did confirm that he lives in Methuen. EDIT: he actually works at the plant. I was told to ring the buzzer in fact. lol

Bing says if we leave work at 4pm, it will be a 2h 19m drive, up from only 1h 46m without traffic. So that sounds terrible. Only 96 miles. It puts us straight through Boston, I93. The other routes are slower. Though the I495 rt is only 7 minutes slower despite being 27 miles longer.

Google has some different directions and actually recommends I95 slightly over I93. 95 around Boston may be less stressful? Could also try Waze and see what happens as we drive. Or we just do 495 and get probably the least traffic slow downs and more consistent experience.

If this works out my only comment is that Bill is bad luck. Also I owe him like $42 or whatever. For a previous bad luck trip.

93 through Boston on a Friday afternoon/evening will be terrible. We can check traffic as we go and make the call then.

[Adam]

Alternate option if this one doesn't pan out:
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6127587924.html

Hot off the press, 1 hour old.

05 Cadillac STS - $4500 (West Milford)
V8, AWD, Sun Roof, Every Option, Metallic Blue, Grey Leather Interior, Great Condition, New Brakes & Tires. 141,500 Miles

1SG, FE3, AWD, no adaptive cruise. Getting to be a pretty common find when I find one with the 18s. Pretty much guaranteed actually based on my experience. It is NJ, of course. But looks like a private seller and the price is more or less reasonable for the mileage and condition.

This car actually looks really nice in the small and few pictures there are. I guess I like the blue (it also seems like the paint is really good) and I like the interior color combo. More miles. Same options. $500 less. Don't know anything about the history or whatever.

It is enough so that I should not feel pressured or desperate to buy this white one if it has any kind of issues that add up to more than a couple hundred bucks.

The biggest issue is back to NJ...

[kevm14]

Breaking news....

https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/6127965816.html

Cadillac STS AWD - Original Owner - Beautiful - $7500 (Flemington)
Beautiful inside and out, all original 2007 Cadillac STS4 (AWD), 4.6L Northstar V8 fuel injected engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, all speed traction control, front bucket seats, power lumbar support front seats, dual-zone climate control, power-tilt telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, adaptive remote vehicle start, keyless access with push-button start, XM satellite radio, universal garage remote, rain-sensing windshield wipers, fog lamps, rear park assist, theft deterrent system, power door locks, daytime running lamps.

Original owner, always garage kept, meticulously maintained. No accidents, no body or paint work - all original, 123K highway miles, regular Cadillac dealer servicing, clean inside and out. Non-smoker car, looks and runs almost as good as new. Quiet, comfortable, sports-car-like ride. Very impressive, well-built car. Dealer-installed (prior to new car delivery) STS-V grille (car is not an STS-V).

Includes $13,230 original invoice options, including: Premium Tuscany leather seats, power sunroof, white diamond premium paint, and 1SG Premium Luxury Performance Package which cost $8,190.00 (does not show-up on KBB car values) which includes: heated/ventilated front and rear seats, AM/FM stereo, 6 disc cd player, surround sound system, DVD, navigation system, high intensity discharge headlamps with washer and intellibeam-high beam control, 18" aluminum polished wheels, P235/50R18 front and P255/45R18 rear w-rated tires, magnetic ride control, anti-lock brake system, 4-wheel performance disc brakes, performance cooling package, premium ZF steering gear. I still have the original window sticker. Original sticker price: $66,945.00.

Call 9 Zero 8 - Two 5 Six - 2 Five 2 Zero
Cash only. Will negotiate price in-person only, not via email or telephone. No low-ballers, please. This is a beautiful car and I will wait patiently for the right buyer who will appreciate the value still to be had from this extremely well-built and well-maintained car.

So here is the exact same car as the one I am going to buy today. Same mileage. But as an 07 with the 6L50. 1SG unicorn and all that. AWD. And STS-V grill.

Edmunds private TMV is only $6k. But honestly I think it is worth a little more in this case. So he is asking $7500. If I could get that for $6500, that would be an interesting proposition over this 05 for $5000. That's about as far as I am willing to stretch right now. Of course it is in NJ.

I guess the plan is, go look at the 05 with the mindset that there is no emergency where no other cars will ever be available and I must buy it.

[kevm14]

I called. Nice guy. About 60. Self-admitted not really a car guy in terms of the stats and mechanicals, but he still likes a nice driving car.

Some notes from memory while they are fresh:
- Car was custom ordered and not bought. The dealer removed the spoiler I think at that customer's request which is a little odd (before they backed out obviously). But once it was a left-over, they put the STS-V grill on to dress it up to help move it. This guy bought it under those conditions so I'm sure he didn't pay MSRP. He was actually looking for a CTS at the time. Kind of interesting. But the point is, he bought it brand new.
- Had a driveshaft (for carrier bearing) at one point.
- Has a small dent above the gas cap which happened about 6 months into his ownership from a NJ gas pump attendant. The nozzle slipped out and he like slammed it back in but missed and hit the 1/4 panel. You can imagine what happened next. Anyway that dent is still there (very small) with no paint issues. Been there basically the whole time.
- Heated steering wheel does not work and the dealer kind of slime balled their way out of the warranty repair, citing that they couldn't get the part (I guess the fix is a new steering wheel?). I know this is common and I wonder about the 05 I am looking at. If a nice car has a non-functional one, that is good to know for today.
- It is a little bit of a consumer of oil but it sounded like nothing abnormal for a Northstar. Something like less than a quart between changes. Jamie's SRX does around 4,000 miles to the quart so I know this is a thing. "Consumer" is probably overstating it.
- He said the presentation was just a regular car wash, no extra wax or whatever. So it does seem to be in nice shape. Supposedly so is this 05.
- He had a cash offer for a local guy who is supposedly coming Sunday. He offered $6500. We then started talking price and I said $6500 was really all I could stretch. He was at $7000. So...that is enough of a data point to not divert my plans but keep it in the back of my mind which is good.
- It is early yet for him as far as haggling so I think it is best to continue with my plans. I mean we are talking at least $1500 extra, and $2000 if I believe that $7k is his bottom line.

[kevm14]

I need to not feel tempted to push my budget for what is a daily driver. It is not a V.

[bill25]

The internet needs an update!!!