YOU MAY RECALL MY FIRST NEW CADILLAC PURCHASED FROM ED TUTWILER INDIANAPOLIS WAS A NEW 1970 CONVERTIBLE. I ORDERED #74 SAN MATEO RED WHITE LEATHER RED CARPETS WHITE TOP FACTORY AIR. SAN MATEO RED WAS SOLD OUT FOR SIX MONTHS. I CHANGED THE ORDER TO COLOR #11 COTILLION WHITE. CERTAINLY ACCEPTABLE AND AVAILABLE.
48 YEARS LATER I HAD THE CHANCE TO OWN THE CADILLAC I ORIGINALLY WANTED. COLOR 74 SAN MATEO RED, A TWIN TO MY ORIGINAL ORDER. IN SEARCHING FOR THIS VERY CAR NATIONALLY, SOME VERY RELIABLE SPECIAL INTEREST DEALERS ON THE EAST COAST HAD THE CAR I WANTED. THE ORIGINAL OWNERS FROM PHILADELPIA SPENT ALL THEIR WINTERS IN FLORIDA WITH THIS VERY CAR. I PURCHASED IT, HAD IT SHIPPED TO DALLAS TEXAS. IT HAD AN ATTRACTIVE NOT CORRECT CADILLAC WIRE WHEEL COVERS AND NOT CORRECT BUT FAR MORE ATTRACTIVE WIDER NEW WHITE WALL RADIALS.
THE BELOFF TOUCH ALSO REQUIRED THE CHROMING OF THE VALVE COVERS, AIR BREATHER LID AND APPROPRIATE ACCESSORIES. DWAYNE PHELPS FROM EARLY GAS MONKEY EPISODES YOU WILL SEE WITH ME AND MY CAR IN HIS SHOP FOR INITIAL MECHANICAL ACTIONS. HE WAS A MASTER AT WHAT HE DID. A NEW ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTOR ELIMINATED DIESELING. AN OVERHAUL OF THE QUADRA JET WAS REQUIRED AND SERVICING OF THE AIR CONDITIONING. THE QUADRA JET HAVING TO BE OVERHAULED TWICE TO ELIMINATE SUCKING AIR HAD A MINOR STICKING PROBLEM UNDER NORMAL SLOW ACCELERATION.
THIS CONDITION WAS REVEALED DURING THE GRAPEVINE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE. MY DEAR FRIEND, DUFF O’DELL WAS THE PARADE MARSHALL AND PERCHED ON THE BACK OF RED CRYSTAL. PATRICK HER HUSBAND WAS IN THE BACK SEAT ASSISTING HER. DURING THE HEIGTH OF THE PARADE WITH THOUSANDS OF SPECTATORS, THE QUADRA JET (CARBURETOR) STUCK. AS I GENTLY TRIED TO BUILD UP RPM IN THE SLOW PACE OF THE PARADE, IT LAUNCHED FORWARD SLIGHTLY SENDING DUFF SLIDING DOWN THE DECK LID ON HER HINNY BUT PATRICK GRABBED HER LEGS AND HELD ON TO HER.
THE CAR CONTINUED TO BE A HUGE HIT EVERYWHERE IT WAS FEATURED. NOTHING BEATS THE INCREDIBLE IMPULSIVE EXPERIENCE OF A RED WHITE LEATHER RED CARPETS CONVERTIBLE ESPECIALLY A CADILLAC. IN MANY OF THE LESSER MAKES RED CARPETS AND DASH ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
KRISSI AT PREMIER BANK ASKED IF SHE AND HER FATHER COULD RIDE IN MY CADILLAC TO HER WEDDING AS SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT TREAT FOR HER DAD. THE CAR WAS A FANTASTIC HIT WITH EVERYONE GETTING PICTURES INCLUDING THE BRIDE AND GROOM EVEN “HUGGED UP IN THE BACK SEAT”.
AFTER THREE SEASONS, I SOLD THE CAR THROUGH A NATIONAL AD TO WALTER WHO RESPONDED FROM CAIRO GEORGIA. HE WAS QUITE CONFIDENT AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER TO DRIVE HIS 1995 RWD CADILLAC FLEETWOOD BROUGHAM AS A TRADE IN WITH 263,000 MILES. WITH A GENEROUS OVER ALLOWANCE SIGHT UNSEEN, WE MADE A TRADE. HE ARRIVED IN GRAPEVINE DURING A TORNADO WARNING AND VERY HIGH WINDS. HE INSISTED ON DRIVING RED CRYSTAL BACK TO GEORGIA WITH THE TOP DOWN. I SAID, NO. THE WHITE TOP WAS NOT NEW BUT IS SERVICEABLE. I HAD NOT HAD THE TOP UP IN THREE YEARS. WE PUT THE TOP UP AND HE WAS BACK ON THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY. I UNDERSTAND HIS FAMILY WANTED TO COMPLETELY RESTORE THE CONVERTIBLE TO LIKE NEW CONDITIONS FOR WALTER.