Author Topic: Looking to buy Caddy  (Read 4358 times)

May 17, 2017, 08:50:50 am

Bland6

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Looking to buy Caddy
« on: May 17, 2017, 08:50:50 am »
I've been looking for VW pickups and couldn't find any. But then i remembered where there might be one. Sure enough there it sits for as long as i can remember 15+ years this truck has been sitting. It is a red 1982 diesel caddy 13,xxx miles 4 speed leather interior. No rust
My questions
-whats it worth
-what needs to be done before trying to start it
-what needs done before i can daily drive it
-what do i need to look for when trying to buy it



Reply #1May 17, 2017, 12:56:07 pm

libbydiesel

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2017, 12:56:07 pm »
Sitting for 15 years, no rust, decent interior?  How much is it worth?  Somewhere between $200 (scrap value) and $1500.

Before trying to start it do the following.  Make a visual inspection of the engine looking for the reason it was parked in the first place.  Make sure the injection pump has been full of fuel the whole time it sat.  If not, then you will need to install a replacement pump.  Replace the timing belt and tensioner before cranking it over.  15 years sitting is enough time for the timing belt to just snap and wreck the valve.  Change the engine oil and filter.  Pull the vac pump and rotate the oil pump with a drill to prime it. 

What needs to be done before you use it as a daily driver?  Everything that is wrong with it needs to be fixed.  How can anyone on the internet know that better than you?  I'd say minimum would be changing the coolant, trans fluid, and brake fluid.  Inspect the boots on cv's, steering, tie rods, ball joints, etc... replace as necessary.  New tires will definitely be needed.  Inspect the brakes, check the bulbs and replace as necessary, etc...

Look it over completely and make a list.  You'll probably be in it for another $1,000+ in parts and quite a few weekends in order to make it a daily driver.  Budget accordingly.   

   

Reply #2May 17, 2017, 11:34:42 pm

Bland6

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2017, 11:34:42 pm »
I think the caddy has been parked as far as I know there is nothing wrong with it when it was parked I mean it only had 13,xxx miles. The interior is very nice. The paint has clear pealing on hold but the rest is okay for sitting outside all of its life. Also not a bit of rust to be found.
Would dropping the tank and getting it cleaned be recomended?

Reply #3May 18, 2017, 12:58:53 pm

vanbcguy

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2017, 12:58:53 pm »
Pretty common for the odometer drive gear to crack on the Mk1/Mk2 cars btw. Results in the odometer not doing anything despite the speedometer still operating.

People generally don't park functioning cars without driving them for a long time. Sometimes it's something simple - sometimes not. Health problems can definitely be a factor that doesn't affect the vehicle directly.

Cleaning out the fuel system would be wise. No sense sucking a bunch of junk in to the lines on your first drive.

I would expect wheel bearings and brakes to be toast after sitting that long - any moisture in the brake system drops to the lowest point over time and causes corrosion. Brake parts themselves like rotors and drums rust pretty bad when they're not used for a few months let alone several years. Wheel bearing grease will have dried up solid.

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Reply #4June 12, 2017, 02:23:02 am

A2jettafreak

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2017, 02:23:02 am »
Basically anything rubber   expect to replace.  no rust is a lose term but i can tell you most CAddy rust you cant seeeee!! 

look deep   control arm mounting points and up.  front floor to inner febders under rain tray.  all caddys rust there.

Hope you find a good one even without running engine  a shell no rust..  is $1000 to 1500 all day.     


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Reply #5June 12, 2017, 11:58:36 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2017, 11:58:36 pm »
Well I gotta chime in here because last week I hauled this one home.

 




The previous owner started working on this in 2008 and then painted it in 2009.  He managed to send the engine off for a complete rebuild and put a rebuilt Bosch IP on it while they were at it.  About 3500 to do that.

He went through all the brakes, the axles, the transmission, the emergency brake, the bearings, the struts and the shocks.  He was collecting interior pieces and had all of them in the back canopy when I went to look at it.  He put in a new carpet, had the door cards and the seats professionally upholstered. He redid the headliner.

He replaced the windshield and the dash and that is when he got sick and couldn't work on it any more. 

So, it sat for about 8 years under a tarp in semi dry conditions.

Then his daughter either talked him into selling it or just got him to sign the title over to her.  She listed it a few times on Craigslist and I finally couldn't stand it anymore and wrote her a note.  I ended up taking it away and so far I have spent 3 days trying to make it safe to drive

I used a car dolly to bring it home because it actually ran well and I didn't have concerns about the bearings in the back locking up as it tagged behind my buddies Ford. We did have a scare in that after about 30 miles I asked to stop and check straps and chains and noticed the drivers side rear wheel was getting hot.  I pulled on the emergency brake cables that were loose inside the car and managed to free up the dragging brake.

The Speedometer works but like it was mentioned the odometer and trip meter do not.  So is the 100,899 miles correct?  I don't know, but it will be used as a reference point for things like the re-torque on the head at 1,000 miles and any oil changes after that.  The only driving that the engine has seen is in the last couple of months up and down some back country roads trying to get the brakes to stop sticking.  The oil was still so clean on the dipstick I almost couldn't find it.  They ended up putting on a new rebuilt master cylinder and a booster.


It is now in my drive and I hope to get done going over the exhaust, horn, lights, wipers, e brake and hooking up the controls for heat and such. 



I am not telling what I paid but if you really want to know send a PM.  It was very low and I bet I only got it for that because I am so much like the girls dad she couldn't see anyone else taking the project on.  I send them updates and pictures and I might see if I can get back there and give the gentleman a ride in it once I have it done.  I don't know his condition but he has never driven it.  He hauled it from ID on a flatbed trailer. 

I would suggest you do the same for the one you are looking at.  To many things can go wrong with a vehicle that has sat that long when you tow it.  Think how bad those tires are and how they would do rolling and heating up and blowing out and grinding the rim and throwing sparks all over.  Tow it at night for the best effect.

When it comes to rubber, yeah, think about replacing all if it.  Mine has new door seals and a windshield but you should see the side windows and the scrapers at the bottom of the roll downs.  The wing windows are toast, I need to decide if I am just going to seal them up with new seals meant for that or try to make a swap to newer style windows and get the gaskets too.  On the coast I don't think that I need the wings to open and it would be better that they don't.  I just went through that leaking area on the Rabbit.

So find out the history on the vehicle and plan to drop a bundle of coin on rebuilding it.  You may find that they tried timing it and did the valve into piston routine and pushed it where you found it and never even tried to fix it. 

Best of luck. 

 

Reply #6June 16, 2017, 04:50:08 pm

srgtlord

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2017, 04:50:08 pm »
My cousin a few years ago hauled home a caddy for the cost of a pile of wood. What appeared to be a rust free caddy was a rotted out unibody...like big time. The entire truck is badly rusted from front to back underneath. The undercoating hides lots 'o' rust

Reply #7June 16, 2017, 10:01:35 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2017, 10:01:35 pm »
Well I got a solid one that is for sure.  I have been in and under it the last couple of days and I am impressed with the lack of rust in general. Seams are good except one by passenger door near canopy.

I have yet to drive this around town.  Yesterday I went to drain the two fuel filters and what came out convinced me that I needed to strip them off and install new ones.  I also thought that if there is that kind of goo in the filters there is probably the same in the tank.  So today I pumped that out and believe it or not it was all pretty clean.  I am letting it settle out overnight but I don't think there was anywhere near the 50/50 mix of diesel and water that the filters had. 

I spent the better part of today drilling out the bleeder screws on the front brakes.  I totally pulled them apart and cleaned, lubed and put brake quiet on them. The emergency brake also got a going over and adjustment

It shows me that there is plenty to do to make these field sitters road worthy without having to spend any money on them.  I was fortunate that most of the parts were replaced already for me years ago.  But time and the coastal weather had a layer of rust on most all surfaces keeping them from working as they should.

So even if they look rust free that may only be an illusion to the work that is needed beyond that. 


Reply #8June 17, 2017, 02:33:16 pm

RustyCaddy

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2017, 02:33:16 pm »
ORCoaster.  Woow, what a beautiful truck.  Very nice indeed.  i think i saw it on craigslist sometime, those rims are eye catching. The years it spent in Idaho probably spared the body from super major rust issues.  Hope you have it on the road soon for some serious travel enjoyment.  Can't tell from the pictures if it is a 81,82 or 83. The 1983, end of Westmoreland of the era trucks, might have had the JK engine.

Reply #9June 18, 2017, 11:24:52 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2017, 11:24:52 pm »
It is an 81 with the CR engine, totally rebuilt before I got it.  I have spent the better part of a week trying to get it to where I can drive it and be secure doing that.  Still need to register and insure it.  I finally got the dash rebuilt on it today.  The previous owner did buy a tan dash and it was loosely installed with the speedometer so one could drive it. 
Which I did for the test drive but too many safety related items to do that on a daily basis.  I still lack the horn and the shift mechanism is shifty but maybe by tomorrow I can have it totally road worthy.

Then I jump to the window seals, aftermarket gauges and other nice to do things like source out some seals for the 30 year old Gem Top canopy and then a lift kit for the rear end.  Perhaps a helper spring?

It was too good of a deal to let go by a second time.  So soon I will be letting go of the Rabbit even though I put two hearts and a soul worth of work into it 6 years ago.  Unlike some I am going to try to stay a one VW guy.

HO HO HO. 

Reply #10June 19, 2017, 12:26:06 am

RustyCaddy

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2017, 12:26:06 am »
That is really great.

Rusty has a set of helper springs from a Toyota truck; i can't remember what year they came off of but pre-Tacoma.  IIRC the 3rd and 4th spring work well singly bundled to the stock springs, and might have read about the application on the MissingLinx site.  i think i used the 3rd spring set. If the 4th works for you (they are a little shorter) you are welcome to them if we could arrange that. There are also stock add on VW helper springs but i have only seen a couple advertised over the years.  Sure there are lots of other choices out there to.

The spring makes it ride much better that with the somewhat won out stock set.

It will be sad of course to see the old diesel go to a new home but with all the work you did on that Rabbit it should sell for top dollar.

Reply #11June 19, 2017, 07:48:51 am

TylerDurden

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2017, 07:48:51 am »
I did the super-beetle air shocks on my caddy. Bolt right in, IIRC.

Reply #12June 28, 2017, 12:58:25 am

A2jettafreak

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Re: Looking to buy Caddy
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2017, 12:58:25 am »
that looks so clean wow


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