A Cadillac that had spent roughly three years sitting outside covered in dirt, mildew, and debris didn’t appear to have much of a future. Underneath all that neglect, however, was a remarkably low-mileage luxury sedan with a much better story still ahead of it.
The 2013 Cadillac CTS4 had belonged to the late mother of a man named Ricky. She bought it new, rarely drove it, and, according to her son, was someone who believed strongly in helping others.
After losing his parents, Ricky held onto the Cadillac because parting with it felt like losing another piece of them. Eventually, he decided there was a better way to preserve what they stood for.
Ricky contacted the team behind the WD Detailing YouTube channel and offered them the Cadillac on one condition: once it was restored, it had to go to somebody who genuinely needed it. What followed turned a forgotten CTS into a potentially life-changing gift.
This Cadillac Had Just 9,366 Miles
Despite looking rough after years outdoors, the CTS4 was in surprisingly good mechanical condition. Once WD Detailing installed a new battery, its odometer revealed just 9,366 miles, an extraordinarily low figure for a 2013 model.
Before giving it away, the crew performed an oil change and fitted new brake pads, rotors, filters, windshield wipers, and tires. The cracked windshield was also replaced, while the all-wheel-drive Cadillac’s undercarriage showed very little rust.
Then came the detailing. Years of grime and organic material had left their mark on the exterior, requiring pressure washing, decontamination, and extensive polishing, while some mold discovered beneath a seat was cleaned off.
They Found Its New Owner At The VA
Choosing the recipient also had a connection to Ricky’s family. Both of his parents worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for over 40 years, while his father served in Vietnam.
That led WD Detailing to a VA facility, where the team was introduced to D’asia, a military veteran and mother who was also pregnant with another child. She explained that unreliable transportation had caused her to miss medical and therapy appointments and contributed to her recently losing her job.
D’asia said she hoped reliable transportation would allow her to get that job back. Suddenly, the freshly restored Cadillac had a new purpose.
‘Do Something Good For Somebody Today’
Ricky’s decision was inspired by something his father would tell him whenever he left home: “Do something good for somebody today.” Giving away his mother’s Cadillac became a way of continuing that philosophy while honoring both of his parents.
Once the CTS4 was finished, Ricky joined WD Detailing to surprise D’asia and personally hand over the car. Her reaction made it clear she hadn’t expected the visit to end with a Cadillac of her own.
For Ricky, giving away a car carrying so many memories could have been a difficult ending. Instead, his mother’s barely driven CTS4 is back on the road, this time helping a veteran and her growing family get where they need to go.