Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Escalade is a pickup. Or is it an oddball sedan with an extra big trunk? Whatever it is, we’ll have to decide if its price makes it a bargain.
When someone says, “They don’t build ‘em like that anymore,” spitting a syrupy wad of ‘chaw’ in the general direction of the object for emphasis, the intention is typically accepted as being positive. However, in the case of a car like yesterday’s 1985 Renault Alliance L convertible, that would more likely be taken as a stark warning. So few ’80s Renaults still prowl the streets today because they were not the most reliable or durable of cars. Asking $7,985 for a somewhat worn and slightly broken example also didn’t hold up under scrutiny, either, earning the Alliance a massive 95 percent No Dice loss in the voting.
Considering its provenance and quirky nature, yesterday’s Alliance would prove a very eclectic choice. If you want to get really weird, though, today’s 2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT pickup has got you covered.
Introduced in 1999 in response to Lincoln’s wildly successful Navigator, the first Escalade was nothing more than a GMC Yukon Denali with different badges and wheels. That initial model was only offered in the GMT400’s short wheelbase body style and could only be had with a somewhat weaksauce Vortec 5700 V8. Despite such shortcomings, the Escalade became successful enough to secure its position as a perennial in the Cadillac lineup.
Based on the new GMT800 platform, the Escalade’s second generation improved the separation between the Caddy and its lesser brethren and, at the same time, expanded the lineup. Those additional offerings included a Suburban-based extended wheelbase edition and, strangely enough, this oddball luxury version of the Chevy Avalanche with its cut-off rear cap and seldom-used mid-gate passthrough from the hard-capped bed to the leather-clad interior.
The second ’Slade also received some serious engine upgrades, including a LQ9 6.0-liter V8 with 345 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque that came standard on the EXT. Additional EXT features included a four-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Cadillac sold a total of 11,256 Escalade EXTs in 2003.
This ‘Out of the Blue’ over Shale edition is claimed to be in excellent condition, something the pictures support despite the substantial 190,000 miles it has been driven. The only noteworthy issues on the exterior are a palm-sized patch of missing paint on the curb-side rear door and a small dent in the back bumper. Other than that, it all looks pretty solid.
The cabin is also amazingly well-preserved, although some wear is noticeable on the front seat upholstery and grimy seatbelts. Being an ’03, this EXT sports a Bulgari-branded analog clock in the dash for that ultimate chef’s kiss of luxury accouterment.
For retro-tech lovers, there are video screens in the backs of the front seat headrests, which are hooked to an in-car DVD player. Everything is claimed to be working, and according to the seller, the truck “runs great.” The ad also notes that an elderly driver owned it and that it comes with a clean title. The price is $6,950.
What’s your take on this craziest of Cadillacs and that sub-seven grand asking price? Does that feel like a deal to put your ass in an Escalade? Or is that just too weird?
You decide!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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