Gimme your best shot

"Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight" (gizmoq)
01/23/2014 at 16:48 • Filed to: Intros, cadillac, custom

I haven't been on Oppo for long, but I recently posted a pic of one of my Caddies and got berated. I guess the poor guy felt bad so he posted an apology (Thank you but it was not necessary). I'm grown. The last time someone else's opinion mattered to me, I ended up divorcing her. I am twice retired by age 50, veteran of foreign wars, living comfortably with my house paid, my cars paid, enjoying a life of "ease and grace." I travel the world, where I want, when I want. And I appreciate all thing automotive and aeronautic. I've been designing cars and aircraft since I was 9. Flew my first plane at 12. Entered the Air Force Academy at 15. You know how car collectors relish the designer signing their dash or engine cover, I was one of a small group that signed tail #002 (the first production model) of the F-22 Raptor and designed or implemented Electronic Warfare suites for over half the USAF fighters still in use.

I have always modified all my cars to personalize them. So when it comes to my personal creations I know some will like it, some will hate it. I don't care. So this is the place for everyone to vent - "gimme your best shot!"

A little background on the vehicle in question. 1996 Cadillac Eldorado ESC, lowered 2" front/1 1/2" rear, added a modified TRD centrifugal supercharger, custom big brake kit, race-tuned custom suspension, custom high-rev tranny shift kit, custom 3" exhaust system with Corsa Sport mufflers and chrome tips, 390 WHP tune, Cadillac "V" series body upgrades ( side vents, badges, and a hand-built by me one of a kind Eldorado "V" grille), 20" Playa 150 spoke wheels, 245/45/20 Toyo tires, 240PSI 8-trumpet train horns (143dB), E-36 headlight assemblies with 8000K CCFL halos and 8000K 55W HID low beams that match the color and power of the upgraded fog lights, unique UltraBright 360 LED taillights and a 300Amp alternator. The interior is complete with all 8000K LED lighting, a Saitek X-52 joystick for a shifter, a 10.4" CarPC tablet with 500G internal HD and 2.5TerraByte external harddrive in center console, 2 external DVD-RW drives, 5 open externally-powered USB ports for whatever, HD FM radio, XM radio, Mp3 player, full-time internet, Internet radio, OBDII data recorder interface, on-screen TPMS with temp and pressure alerts, Parking sensors animation, GPS and GPS tracking, remote Valentine One integration, 16 channel relay control, 8 channel sensor monitoring, follow-me weather radar, front and rear cameras with motion sensing DVR capability, two way communication to my personal phone for alarms, sensors and automation, and 2 12" W7 subs. The trunk holds the compressor and 8 gallon air tank for the horns, a removable refrigerator, the CarPC comm, sensor and relay boards as well as the audio mixer and sub amp.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

My pet name for the car is Calalie (a now extinct, evil bird of prey; a once fearsome air-to-air/air-to-ground hunter). A fitting name for the concept I was shooting for. But, alas, the rims are stored till spring and replaced by steelies and snow tires. It hasn't been washed in months. Its currently covered in a foot of snow (I guess I'll go clean it off tomorrow... or the next day). It was never a sports car. It was never a race car. It was never a Concourse d'Elegance Show Car. It has always been a specialized daily driver that is the physical manifestation of my interests/labors of my concept of an Eldorado ESC-V. Sure it's still hoon-worthy: 0-60 in under 5 seconds, chirps the tires in first and second, sometimes used to scare the loud racer-wanna-be imports, etc. But, this once award winning custom show car has be relegated to use as my winter beater and testbed for CarPC integration/automaton because I have other show/race car interests now. I have no intention of bringing it back up to show quality which is sad, but my priorities lie elsewhere.

Beat on it all you want... I do! We can take it. I've lived too long and too full a life to be butt hurt about someone not liking what I do. This is a great community. Having spent most of my internet time in very narrowly focused car or aircraft forums, the broad brush of humanity, cars, and planes here is a welcome relief. I think I'll hang around a while, maybe write an article or two... and I won't be offended if someone disagrees with my position.

Here's a wall paper of my dream car as a reward for surviving this long post.

DISCUSSION (56)

JustWaitingForAMate > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:51

Kinja'd!!!

My.....god....

offroadkarter > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:51

The exterior is not my taste at all, but I want to know more about the blower setup. I've NEVER heard of anyone modifying, let alone supercharging and eldorado

Also, thank you for your service.

AM3R > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:51

Color me impressed. I wanna see videos of you tracking/autocrossing this beast!

505Turbeaux > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:54

awesome. I am not a big fan of the car, but I would never wreck on you for driving something you spent your time and money making into what you want. Only respect for that!

N/A POWAAAHH > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:56

I personally love the lights and engine mods, but I think the wheels don't match the theme. If they were smaller like lowriders, or if you had some muscle car wheels on it, it'd be gorgeous. But it's your car, do as you please!

pdthedeuce > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 16:58

what I like is you've made this car your own ...an embodiment of your interests ...cool .

I_AmDeath > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:00

I love the rims and the Joystick shifter/controller is awesome.

alexotics > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:00

Kinja'd!!!

So many emotions in this post. What you did with your car can only be understood by car enthusiasts. Way to make it your own, and way to have the most interesting Cadillac interior known to man. More pictures/videos/explanation!!!

RazoE > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:00

minus the headlights, I love it.

CobraJoe > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:01

I'm not much a fan of some of the mods (those wheels, headlights, horns...), but I do love the look of the Eldorado.

Kudos to you for being proud of your car amongst the haters.

lone_liberal > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:02

I've told people that the best part of getting old is that you just don't give a fuck about what strangers think about you. Your car isn't to my taste, but it's not my car so my opinion means exactly zero.

Gamecat235 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:04

Welcome Aboard! I'm sure some people don't 'get it'. But I like the DIY or die approach you've taken. I'm mildly terrified by the complex stick you've got on the shifter there.

Klaus Schmoll > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:05

Kinja'd!!!

The angel eyes headlamps remind me of flashback dog, but hey "Whatever floats your goat!"

Show us some pics of your other vehicles! I'd really like to see more of your projects.

GhostZ > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:06

Kinja'd!!!

Murica.

The 240PSI train horns are what did it for me. You are truly special. I've already expressed the sheer excitement and badassness I see in that joystick modification (something I had fantasized about before) so you're definitely alright to me.

Crocket Bernet > JustWaitingForAMate
01/23/2014 at 17:06

I have to like the post whenever someone uses this gif.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:07

Your car is both not to my tastes and totally awesome at the same time. Welcome!

Textured Soy Protein > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:08

Just drive like this and you'll be fine.

Tom McParland > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:08

Cool ride! Welcome to Oppo!

HammerheadFistpunch > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:09

Dear lawd the torque steer! I drove a 97 SLS and it was a handful with 275 hp, I can't even imagine what 390 would do, how are you not writing this from a ditch?

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > offroadkarter
01/23/2014 at 17:10

I agree with this. This thing is insane and I love it, even though I don't really like the way it looks.

Bird > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:10

Kinja'd!!!

desertdog5051 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:12

Personally, I like it. I like it even more now that I know what you have done to it.

I saw your post the other day and the comment that you refer to. I think sometimes that newer commenters/posters are magnets for strange things.

I made a comment early on and just stated the facts and I had 2 people just rag my ass with no explanation or discussion on why they saw it differently or why my opinion was wrong. I thanked them for their opinions and asked again to at least explain their opinions. That set off another round of everything but death threats. I guess it is a rite of passage?

Big Bubba Ray > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:12

Very cool Eldo! That's a hell of a set up you've got on that car. I'm impressed!

All Motor Is Best Motor > JustWaitingForAMate
01/23/2014 at 17:14

I'll see your "my god" and raise you one better:

Kinja'd!!!

MonkeePuzzle > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:15

a mod list that's over a paragraph... yeah, this is a jalop

I think like others, this isn't to my style, but holy hell you've put in the labour!

ddavidn > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:16

Thank you for your service. I can't really hate on anything here. I'm not a fan of the angel eyes, however. But it should be mentioned that I have pretty much the exact same pair on my E36 M3. The electronics you have going inside are amazing. Much respect for those. I'm more of a fan of simplicity than fancy stuff, but you have done it right. Clearly, this is one of your babies. Cheers!

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:17

I said it before, and I'll say it again. Your car is awesome and I love it. Not to make you feel old, but when I get to be your age, I hope my story is even half as awesome.

UKGTR335 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:26

Not to my taste style-wise, but I can appreciate what you've done. As a former avid PC flight sim enthusiast, I love that you have incorporated the joystick as a shifter and that you have made the buttons functional. I am amazed by that. Also, I watched the video of the exhaust and it sounds like an absolute beast. I bet you surprise a lot of people with that exhaust note. I was *this close* to owning an Eldorado once, ended up with a VW GTI instead, but still have a soft spot for these things.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:33

Welcome to Oppo!

I love what you've done with the car - I think the wheels could stand to be a size smaller, but the angel eyes, interior electronics and the power are all awesome. Props to you!

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:34

I love those ElDorados. Your mods are not my cup of tea (though what you've done with that joystick is pretty cool). But it's also not my car. As long as you enjoy it.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > All Motor Is Best Motor
01/23/2014 at 17:37

One better? Or infinitely better? The original would also make a great "deal with it" if reversed.

Mathias Rios > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:38

I was the guy who commented "is this your car...?" on your post. I genuinely didn't know if you were posting that as your car or as possible satire... I think your attitude about this makes it awesome.

Things I'm not exactly a fan of; the headlights, wheels, grille sort of looks like chicken wire... 8000k is a little too blue for headlights and reduces the light output/ looks cheap-ish

Otherwise, all the other mods (including your carPC and train HORN [YES!]), are BAD ASS. Nicely done, and don't let anyone tell you what to do, it's people like you who make things happen. I one day wish to have your attitude about things.

erikgrad > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:42

Kinja'd!!!

Seriously, though... I like it

Brian, The Life of > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 17:49

Welcome!

Question:How did you enter the AF Academy at 15 when the minimum age to apply is 17? I went through the process a year or two after you and my son is going through it now so the memory is very fresh. That rule has not changed since my try.

SUPER neat project!

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > alexotics
01/23/2014 at 17:58

Kinja'd!!!

NinetyQ > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 18:01

Not my kind of car at all. I just don't understand why anybody would put that kind of money and effort into a car that will always just be... a mid-'90s Caddy. And if you were just another stranger coming the other way, those headlights would probably piss me off.

That said, I admire the amount of effort it had to have taken to do all of this. Oppo needs diversity. Welcome!

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > N/A POWAAAHH
01/23/2014 at 18:02

I kinda agree. I originally wanted 20" Dirty Dub 5, but they were discontinued during the build and nothing else was appealing. The wires were laying around from another car so I tried them and figured what the hell.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > HammerheadFistpunch
01/23/2014 at 18:07

Adjust air pressures and drive through it.

PilotMan > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 18:09

So many auto enthusiasts spend all their time and money chasing the hottest trend or modification and while never building a car that they are ever satisfied with. Great job building something you’ve found satisfaction in.

Supercharged Northstar with air horns, FTW!

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Klaus Schmoll
01/23/2014 at 18:28

The 68 Eldo is a mess still: interior and motor are almost done but the exterior is weathered bad.

The 69 Buick Electra 225 Convertible is garaged in Detroit looking for a buyer.

The pristine 74 Coupe De Ville is garaged in Chicago.

The 06 XLR-V (racecar) is put away for the winter, awaiting more mods.

The 91 Mustang convertible with the REAL, as in out of the actual aircraft , F-15 joystick is being thrashed by my little brother.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Brian, The Life of
01/23/2014 at 18:41

Lots and lots and lots of waivers, great grades, a semester of college credits, varsity athletics, extra-curricula out the wazzu, and it also helped that I had a Presidential nomination because my dad was wounded in Korean War.

I turned 16 that October.

All Motor Is Best Motor > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
01/23/2014 at 19:49

I'll take 911 RS for $5000 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 20:55

Not a huge fan of the exterior (mostly the wheels), but I can certainly appreciate it's well done. The mods you've done sound like they're pretty great. The only crap I'd give you is for misspelling terabyte, and that's because I'm a nerd, and nerd has to nerdrage about something.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > All Motor Is Best Motor
01/23/2014 at 21:02

Kinja ate it :(

f86sabre > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 21:06

Planelopnik is the tag for aviation posts. There are a number of us who are aerospace types.

I hope you enjoy the car. Sounds like you have fun putting them together. I love the horns. That is a dream of mine for running on 285 here in Atlanta.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > f86sabre
01/23/2014 at 21:46

Planeloptik... found it (I spelled it wrong on my tag What Would An OPPO Fly?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The horns were inspired by a little old lady in the far left lane on I-55 South just south of Memphis. I could have sworn I was behind her again a few weeks after the install and when I let her have it she swerved completely off the road. I thought she was going to Orlove for a second, but when the dust settled, her car was fine.

f86sabre > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
01/23/2014 at 22:22

That was you what would you fly post? Good fun that.