Why a Cadillac XLR brakelight can cost more than a used Corolla

[IAN]

Just back from hospital for a major check up, the pump is OK however the feeding will have to be improved.

Re parts supply in order to maintain our XLR on road, is not so bad, the c5 ans c6 parts are available for many components at reasonable prices.

The most concern ones are the captive front and rear lamps, however after a search the other Cadillac lamps could be used for the replacement parts, the one of a kind retractable top could be converted to manual use, the cover that fly away can be bolt in place.

The value of our cars are on the way down and we cant do any thing for it, lets be creative and the solutions will shows up for keeping our XLR rolling. ( lets be careful with the sellers )

IAN

 

[beaver_jd]

Just back from hospital for a major check up, the pump is OK however the feeding will have to be improved.

Re parts supply in order to maintain our XLR on road, is not so bad, the c5 ans c6 parts are available for many components at reasonable prices.

The most concern ones are the captive front and rear lamps, however after a search the other Cadillac lamps could be used for the replacement parts, the one of a kind retractable top could be converted to manual use, the cover that fly away can be bolt in place.

The value of our cars are on the way down and we cant do any thing for it, lets be creative and the solutions will shows up for keeping our XLR rolling. ( lets be careful with the sellers )

IAN

You say "lLet's be careful with the sellers". What does that mean ?
John F.

 

[rexster314]

You say "lLet's be careful with the sellers". What does that mean ?
John F.

I interpret it as caveat emptor

 

[beaver_jd]

I think what I would consider doing is if the day comes I have a tail light or head light problem is go looking for a good Corvette body shop repair center. Then I would find new headlights , maybe from a DTS and new taillights. Then I would have the body shot instal them. Hopefully someone will have come up with a better solution before this ever happens to me. If all else failed I could take my 06 base ( which is my favorite ) and turn it into a parts car.
John F.

 

[IAN]

Hi beaver.

There are very good sellers, good sellers and not so good ones, ( watch for the too famillar ones ) their game is to make profit$, profit$ that is most of the time what they really care, the XLR owners for them are only the buyer.

Most of the XLR owners are on their own and many are not skilled buyers, like Rachel on 12/25 say, she is about to cry for a needed defect tail light, she is all by here self, wish she get out of the situation with the help of a close skilled friend.

When a producer lets his product down, the sellers comes in with their used products, often with not real supports, their selling prices could be many times the value of the producer affortable prices, your in the jungle of the used parts business.

Your comments for replacing an headlamp by an other Cadillac model sound to me fine, as there is always a solution, selling your XLR for parts ???? keep it rolling, you could get more fun for your money.

IAN

 

[long Tall Sally]

So I read this to mean that someone is going to help out a fellow member with a taillight for no charge because that is the thing to do. Used parts centers that sell parts invest hundreds of thousands to buy parts and make a profit. The market has always on anything set the value. Too high? don't buy it. Its all relative . Isee older cars parked because people cannot afford brake rotors and pads for a couple hundred dollars. I see lambos waiting to find a used trans because someone does not want to pay 50,000 for a new one . Based on this theory some one who bought a new xlr and has had it for say 10 years should now just give it to someone else as they are not allowed a return on their investment. the market sets the value of a used car just like it does on parts. There are dozens of people who offer their knowledge and assistance on here for free. I have found very few who give their parts away or spend a day to drive somewhere to install parts for free. I am sure there are skilled shops that can make other headlights fit. they are usually called CUSTOM shops and they charge 150$ an hour for their labor. Oh and DTS lights are much too big. Others have already ran thru the whole list of everything caddy makes looking for a replacement as mentioned in other posts. used parts inventor is going up daily and parts prices are going down so its just a matter of waiting. Another 6 cars totaled this week and parted out. One 08 that sold for 6000 salvage now is listed in parts by a vendor on ebay and just half the parts total 40,000 f he gets what he is asking .(he wont) but that's what he thinks they are worth. Everyone on here is free in this country to buy used cars and part them out , for fun or profit.

skillful people offer proper repair on many of the items needed for the xlr. Some have posted other options that may work for some . nothing wrong with trying them..

 

[IAN]

Hi sally

My opinion is one of a XLR owner and as a buyer, I hope that I have the OK on this site too speak.

Your opinion shows that you are a pro seller, I hope that you are in the best category of good ones.

As far is for the market place of the used cars and parts in north America all markets are the same, selling a used parts many times its value when new is the action of the sellers.
The selling price of a used parts is most of the time 50% of its value when new.

Selling an XLR many time its value when purchased new makes no sens is in it, so doing it on a used captive parts like the lamps on a XLR is the same.

That is my buyer opinion.

IAN

 

[beaver_jd]

Ian, Sally , I will say something that I have said a couple of times on this site. I am a member of a couple of internet groups that have specialty cars, this being one of them. These sites are very different. The Chevy site is more like a family. They have a number of get together throughout the year to help each other with their vehicles. People pay for their parts and everyone helps to instal them. There is no price gouging. Some parts are difficult to obtain and are manufactured by a couple of owners. Their costs are covered , this is not a business for them.
Our XLR forum is different. Business before pleasure. Sell your parts for whatever you can get and I am sure you pay for labor as well. Two different thought processes and I am not saying one is any better or worse than the other as we are on a level playing field. If I am at a gathering with the first group and someone has a problem and needs a $30. part and I happen to have it I will give it to them because I will be paid forward. I would not do that with the XLR group because I feel it wouldn't be done for me. I am not complaining , this is a great group, just different philosophies. JMO
John F.

 

[long Tall Sally]

Beaver that is exactly why I sell parts at what they are worth. I have paid it forward all my life and will drive 100 miles to give someone something they need before I throw it away.. I actually used to sell parts at a great discount to forum members and have loaned headlights and taillights to people in need. One reason that I no longer do that is I am still out a taillight from a member that needed one while his was sent off and I never got it back. I am not a professional seller. I am a hobbyist. I pass along to the next person any deals I get. What a part is worth is what people will pay just like any used car out there. There are members on here that have been very helpful and continue to be and there are many rude ones. I vintage race and the guy that is going to beat me Sunday will find me working all night Saturday changing out his transmission so he can run sunday and I don't expect him to let me pass and he wont. Its a great group of zillionaires out running with the little guys and all being treated fairly.
I am member of 5 group forums and I agree this is the worst of them all. Even the kids getting started over on the bimmer forums that all know everything work together to solve problems. I am restoring my BMW 507 and an owner have his driver go way out of his way to come by my house so I could do some scans of parts I need to have made for mine. Never asked a nickel , I may be biased In the fact I have restored many multimillion dollar cars in the past. GT40 Serial number 108 recently set a record for sale price.
I have also crashed a few. We always hate when someone take a part that can be restored and hacks it up to where its trash. I tend to like things that are modified to be able to be put back to stock without damage to the original part. That may work for some but I also believe that you can do what ever you want with your car. I still hate to see butcher work and I have seen and testified In court on many occasions where hacking a car has caused injury and death.( A glued up Toyota in Texas) So maybe I look at things different and yes buyer beware is great. Make sure you get what you pay for and if its too much , don't buy it. I warned people about headlights that had been flooded a year ago and several bought them and are now dealing with them not working they are corroded. . I cannot spend my time and money to repair them for free.

 

[IAN]

Hi Beaver.

Welcome on this site, your impression of it is the same for me when I returned last year with a way to fix the tail lights problem for the XLR owners.

The avreage member seems to me of a different group of age, and the Cadillac XLR have more Captive features like too many Modules, unik lamps and a retractable top with so many issues, etc.…

This site has solved so many problems and the exchanges between members are just fine, may be more conservative, however very positive, would this site be the same for all sites, there would be no need to keep it.

The XLR dont have the same problems then the corvettes, that is evident and perhaps that is the reason why we spend more time in some discussions to solve these stressing major problems that GM would not help us at all.

Mixing the sales of parts amoungs our discussions could create a unfair result, I dont mind to have discussions with Sally even if his approach are some time agressive as I know that he is honest on what he say.

That is what makes this site different and why not, it is democratic and in place for a better site.

Thanks to bring this up.

IAN

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