Parts Supplies in General

[rexster314]

While following my wife in her XLR the other night I noticed about 3 LED's flickering on the 3rd high mount brake light. Looked like someone with a couple of teeth knocked out.
I found that GM Parts Club | Chevrolet Parts & Accessories at Wholesale Prices showed the replacement in stock priced at 132$. I ordered it the next day after correspondence and have been charged for it already. They said it was in stock and so it appears. Turns out it's a Chevy dealer in DFW area.

 

[rexster314]

While following my wife in her XLR the other night I noticed about 3 LED's flickering on the 3rd high mount brake light. Looked like someone with a couple of teeth knocked out.
I found that GM Parts Club | Chevrolet Parts & Accessories at Wholesale Prices showed the replacement in stock priced at 132$. I ordered it the next day after correspondence and have been charged for it already. They said it was in stock and so it appears. Turns out it's a Chevy dealer in DFW area.

Followup on this order for the 3rd brakelight. I received shipping confirmation of the light today. I'd already been charged for it a couple of days ago. I couldn't tell if the Cadillac crest and wreath come on the light, but I can take the ones on my old light off pretty easy. The cartoon diagram on the website showed it as part of the item, we'll see next week when it gets here.

 

[rnrt99]

Followup on this order for the 3rd brakelight. I received shipping confirmation of the light today. I'd already been charged for it a couple of days ago. I couldn't tell if the Cadillac crest and wreath come on the light, but I can take the ones on my old light off pretty easy. The cartoon diagram on the website showed it as part of the item, we'll see next week when it gets here.[/QUOTE

I ordered one a few months ago as well just to have a spare from a different GM parts website for around $120 . Same thing , I couldn't tell if the caddy crest came with it so I paid and extra $20 or so just in case and when it arrived the light did have the crest on it already , now I have an extra one to stick somewhere .

 

[rexster314]

The High Mount Brake light came in Friday, but getting to it was impossible till this afternoon. I did open the box up (packed very well) and check it out.
Today I went out and burned some .223 rounds up, then came home and started on the XLR.
Removal of the deck liner was easy, some of the plastic rivets broke off, but I had spares for re-installation. It takes a 10mm socket to remove the 4 nuts. There was some type of sealant or gasket around the nuts that came off. Unplug the power supply and it comes off very easily. Lucky me, two of the mounting bolts were broken off from the light fixture, there was only 2 bolts holding the assembly on the trunk lid. I didn't have any silicon seal but when I got ready to mount the new light (you don't get new nuts, have to reuse the old ones) I used small o-rings on both sided of the light to keep out moisture. Snugged the nuts down finger tight, then a judicious use of a socket/ratchet and I was done. I did clean up the opening before installation. Hooked up the light, got my wife to look at the brake lights while I pressed on the brake pedal and I was done except for reinstallation of the deck liner. There's a trick (to me) in re-installing the trunk lid button and the plastic sockets back in the deck lid. Glad I had extra plastic rivets. If anyone does this make sure you have some extras beforehand.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Here's a Tip - look on eBay and maybe even Amazon for these plastic push in tips. I paid a ridiculous $$ 4 EA. for some GM OEM of these things. When later I come to find out I could purchase a who bag of 50 or 100 for what I paid for like 10 at an each price! They may not be as good of plastic quality, but you got plenty of extras if some of these replacment ones break! Have A HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rexster314]

Here's a Tip - look on eBay and maybe even Amazon for these plastic push in tips. I paid a ridiculous $$ 4 EA. for some GM OEM of these things. When later I come to find out I could purchase a who bag of 50 or 100 for what I paid for like 10 at an each price! They may not be as good of plastic quality, but you got plenty of extras if some of these replacment ones break! Have A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yep, I ordered 2 different sizes last year. I still occasionally find a hole missing a rivet on the car, and I have it to plug it up.

 

[David_B]

Cadillac will always be "just an expensive Buick".

GM doesn't get it, at all. There are no car guys in management, just people that think "it's just a business". Which will NEVER catapult them into the higher echelon of auto manufactures, no matter how capable their cars are.

Classic Porsche's of the last 20 years? You can name quite a few.

Classic Mercedes?

Classic BMW?

Name some modern Classic Cadillacs that command anywhere near their original value as "classics" that "Cadillac" enthusiasts will pay premiums for. There aren't any modern ones, and there never will be with a corporate master that will let one of it's most unique and former halo cars fall to disrepair, and the auto crusher, because they are TO CHEAP to make sure their most expensive brand can get the same sort of following other expensive brands have.

Are you listening Johan de Nysschen??

It is painfully obvious, GM doesn't really want to compete with world class auto companies, they just want to make disposable vehicles like the Escalade.

Can anyone imagine some car enthusiast rebuilding an Escalade in 50 years as a "Classic Cadillac"? LOL

Auto manufacturers are in the business of selling cars for a profit. Having a supply of parts available for a number of years is a necessary evil for them as it ties up capital but as a model diminishes in numbers still on the road they discontinue keeping a supply of parts. It is nothing but economics. If there were enough built and shared between divisions within the manufacturers much is shifted to the after market suppliers.

A low production volume car such as the XLR makes obtaining parts most difficult and people that have them are going to charge what they can while they can. The aftermarket suppliers are not going to invest in tooling and manufacturing of parts unless there is enough profit and volume along with continued demand. Even if they did a run of head lamps etc. and stock piled them they might have to take 20 years to sell off the stock they need to manufacture to break even. I seriously doubt is anyone will ever make headlamps again or tail lamps or much anything for this car once supplies are gone. It is nothing but pure economics and has nothing to do with a manufacturer distancing themselves from a legacy.


On the other hand for those that plan on keeping this car and preserving it as best they can in the years to come will help drive the market value up not only on available parts but the value of the car itself. It is a double edge sword but these are the facts of life and it happens time after time with a lot of products.

I bought my first and only XLR 6 months ago as a wrecked 2006 XLRV with the front end pretty much cosmetically wiped out along with the right frame rail however it is a low mileage pilot car that was assigned to a GM Executive before sold at auction so I decided it was worth fixing. Had I realized how expensive the parts were going to be as well as difficult to find I might not have bought it but I'm committed now and hopefully by Spring it will be finished. I have never driven one yet as a matter of fact but I like the car, it's history and collectability so I plan on keeping it for some time. This is one of 3 Cadillacs I own which also include a 1998 Crimson Pearl Eldorado Touring Coupe with 61K miles and a practically new 2015 ATS Coupe which really impresses me as a car Cadillac should have built years ago and they have nothing to apologize for as it is a superb road car and everyday driver if need be.


Some cars are destined to become collectable and many are best forgotten and some are often forgotten and a generation later they are finally appreciated for what they were maybe not due to their engineering but more the nostalgic so many people long for. Who would have ever thought an AMC Gremlin would be collectable or a Chevy Corvair but many people still pay a premium for them. Maybe if the XLR had been less expensive and they sold a ton of them like the Bandit Trans Ams that are now going through the roof it would have been different on the parts supply availability but it is what is so enjoy it if you will.

By the way I still need the front inner splash shields for my XLRV and the best I have found is the extensions. Anyone have a part number or supplier that works? Been waiting on the rear bumper emergency lock cover too for sometime.

Cheers

Mike Murphy