WTB: Caddy pickup

[stewardc]

Ok, here goes again. I have been looking for a really nice Caddy for over a year now, and just refuse to believe it's not out there. I'm looking for a really great Caddy pickup - a show winner. I'm very flexible on price and will pay for the right truck. The truck is the most important thing here. (Remember that all vehicles here are left-hand drive and I can import no newer than a 1990 from Europe.)
I want a restored body (ZERO rust) or original no-rust body, great paint(optional), wheels and interior, and a turbodiesel engine. I am willing to travel great distances for the right truck...even to Europe.
Email me some pictures.
"project trucks" need not apply.
I do not want this truck till June, so please remember this when offering.
Email me at:  [email protected]

[stewardc]

Doesn't anyone know of one of these little treasures that's for sale ??

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

There was a near mint one with 1.6 TD diesel on Ebay earlier this week http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4605472860&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT . They are on Ebay all the time.

[stewardc]

Nice one, but gone.

[BlackTieTD]

if you're planning on paying good coin for it, check the strut towers meticulously. pay special attention to the passenger side and check both from under the hood and the wheel well.

if this goes without saying, then please disregard.

i've never seen an original caddy that didn't rust out there. they're all either in trouble, or repaired. sometimes a bad repair is worse than in trouble  :x

[mortskeg]

I guess I've been lucky as I haven't been hit by the rust bug yet.  That or I'm not looking hard enough.  Of course we're fortunate out here to not have salt on the roads.

Is there a reason that the passenger side tends to go first?

stewardc- good luck with the hunt.

[stewardc]

Thanks, man. The hunt continues on many fronts.

[BlackTieTD]

there seems to be a problem with one of the seams on the passenger strut tower. water gets trapped there and that's usually where the rust starts. if you live in a hot and dry climate then it shouldn't be an issue. up here, rust is the #1 thing to cross off the list before you look any harder at a vehicle. good luck with it.

[stewardc]

I agree. That's why I'm being very picky when it comes to the body. It must be rust free for me to even consider it.

[BlackTieTD]

my bet is you won't find anything in canada. take a trip to california this summer... i'll drive down with you if you go when i'm going.

[stewardc]

I'd prefer the east coast if possible. I did find a really nice one in Atlanta, but it's gas, so not for me. Someone must know of a really nice turbodiesel Caddy out there just waiting to be bought

[zyewdall]

Rust free and east coast are probably mutually exclusive.  At least northeast.  Too much humidity, and too much salt on the roads.  Like BlacktieTD said, California, or the southwest states.  I've gotten rust free 1970's japanese cars from arizona/new mexico. Also, you'll find that different areas have different types of old cars -- for example here in Colorado we have tons of old subaru's, but not many old compact pickups, but Oregon and Washington have lots of both.  And in the northeast, almost all the old cars are american.

This summer I did see a nice 1.6TD caddy for sale in Colorado Springs, so they do pop up from time to time.

[stewardc]

I agree, though farther south there seems to be some. I guess I meant somewhere between Boston and Miami. It just makes for an easier drive home.

[BlackTieTD]

did you see this one?
http://www.vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3083

good to compare to condition/price-wise even if you aren't interested in that particular one.

[mortskeg]

I think this guy does a bunch of fix-up-and-sell on the pickup front.  It has a 1.6, not turbo'd, but looks pretty nice.  Check it out-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Volkswagen-Rabbit-TRUCK-1983-VW-RABBIT-TRUCK-DIESEL-PICKUP-BIODIESEL-CLEAN_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ15294QQitemZ4610299187QQrdZ1#ebayphotohosting