***Classic Cadillac Fans - Fetch Your Diapers!***

[cawimmer430]

Beautiful. 











A pimp doing some shopping on Maximilianstra?e. 

[Laconian]

My Depends are at the ready, but this Eldorad hardly qualifies as a Classic. It's from 1986-1991, in other words, it's as "classic" as my old Camry!

It's in better shape than old Cadillacs in the US, that's for sure. You see them here rusting to pieces in Wal Mart parking lots or emitting huge clouds of blue smoke while loping along the freeway at 45mph. Most luxury cars don't age gracefully here, they just get cast off to the welfare crowd.

[Hachee]

You're kidding, right?  We all know Cadillac, and GM and American cars, for that matter, had a pretty bad run for a LONG time until just fairly recently, but this series of the Eldorado was the nadir.  Like you, I still have a thing for the big old Caddies from the 60s and 70s, but this was the absolute low point.  A cheap, nothing caricature of Cadillacs past, pretending to be somewhat modern.

They shrunk this thing down to nothing, and it looked like any other generic GM car of the mid to late '80s.  I think this one is the facelifted, slightly elongated version, which they introduced in an attempt to make it more Cadillac-like than the original 1986 flop.  If I remember correctly, sales TANKED when they introduced this version.

[cawimmer430]

My Depends are at the ready, but this Eldorad hardly qualifies as a Classic. It's from 1986-1991, in other words, it's as "classic" as my old Camry!

It's in better shape than old Cadillacs in the US, that's for sure. You see them here rusting to pieces in Wal Mart parking lots or emitting huge clouds of blue smoke while loping along the freeway at 45mph. Most luxury cars don't age gracefully here, they just get cast off to the welfare crowd.

It's an "exotic" over here. I liked it. Everyone who passed it thought it was pretty neat as people stopped to take pictures of it and with them standing in front of it. 

[cawimmer430]

You're kidding, right?  We all know Cadillac, and GM and American cars, for that matter, had a pretty bad run for a LONG time until just fairly recently, but this series of the Eldorado was the nadir.  Like you, I still have a thing for the big old Caddies from the 60s and 70s, but this was the absolute low point.  A cheap, nothing caricature of Cadillacs past, pretending to be somewhat modern.

They shrunk this thing down to nothing, and it looked like any other generic GM car of the mid to late '80s.  I think this one is the facelifted, slightly elongated version, which they introduced in an attempt to make it more Cadillac-like than the original 1986 flop.  If I remember correctly, sales TANKED when they introduced this version.

I realize it's a mid-1980s to early 1990s Cadillac and that those weren't the best, but it's styling is so awesome. 

I was just wondering about one thing though: that grille upfront looks like a Lincoln rip-off (which itself was said to have been "inspired" by a Rolls Royce grille).

[2o6]

I have always admired those small FWD Cadillacs of the 80's. IMO, the Eldorado and Seville had good proportions and attractive styling for it's day. (NOT The 1980 Bustle back)

[cawimmer430]

I have always admired those small FWD Cadillacs of the 80's. IMO, the Eldorado and Seville had good proportions and attractive styling for it's day. (NOT The 1980 Bustle back)

These were awesome. What do you mean "bustle back"!? That's an insult! 

[2o6]

These were awesome. What do you mean "bustle back"!? That's an insult! 

Hideous.

[cawimmer430]

Hideous.

Nah, lovely. That downward sloping rear was what made that Seville so unique. 

How did contemporary Americans like it?

[2o6]

Nah, lovely. That downward sloping rear was what made that Seville so unique. 

How did contemporary Americans like it?

The styling was a mixed bag, but the general unreliable nature of the engines made it unpopular. (And started Cadillac's demise)


The V8 Diesel had 105HP, and was horribly unreliable and slow. The petrol issues has some serious problems, too.

[cawimmer430]

The styling was a mixed bag, but the general unreliable nature of the engines made it unpopular. (And started Cadillac's demise)


The V8 Diesel had 105HP, and was horribly unreliable and slow. The petrol issues has some serious problems, too.

Was this the converted Oldsmobile 350cid V8? I've heard some consumers managed to fix the issues themselves and that if regularly maintained they can actually be reliable and reach high mileages. Any truth to this?

[Laconian]

I think you're thinking about the V8-6-4, which can be "fixed" by turning off the buggy cylinder deactivation feature.

The Olds diesel was far too underbuilt to be a reliable engine.

[cawimmer430]

I think you're thinking about the V8-6-4, which can be "fixed" by turning off the buggy cylinder deactivation feature.

The Olds diesel was far too underbuilt to be a reliable engine.

The Olds diesel was a converted 5.7 V8 gas engine from what I hear. How on earth did the engineers at GM think a gasoline engine with a "few modifications" could function as a diesel!? 

[Laconian]

The Olds diesel was a converted 5.7 V8 gas engine from what I hear. How on earth did the engineers at GM think a gasoline engine with a "few modifications" could function as a diesel!? 

It was probably the accountants that thought that way, not the engineers.

[2o6]

Was this the converted Oldsmobile 350cid V8? I've heard some consumers managed to fix the issues themselves and that if regularly maintained they can actually be reliable and reach high mileages. Any truth to this?

Yes, but the initial experience was so terrible that many dealers were offering conversions to Gas.



When I was little, my mom wanted one of these.




She said that when her and her brother finally left home, her father bought her mother a Coupe De Ville and a matching coat and purse and went across the country.

[Vinsanity]

I have always admired those small FWD Cadillacs of the 80's. IMO, the Eldorado and Seville had good proportions and attractive styling for it's day. (NOT The 1980 Bustle back)

God knows I've tried to refrain for joining the "OMG 2o6 has shitty taste in cars" bandwagon, but you sure are making it damn hard

[2o6]

God knows I've tried to refrain for joining the "OMG 2o6 has shitty taste in cars" bandwagon, but you sure are making it damn hard

It was plesant to look at. It's by no means the best, but I like it.

[Jon?]

Sweet! 

[cawimmer430]

It was probably the accountants that thought that way, not the engineers.

Where's the firing squad when you need them? 

[cawimmer430]

Yes, but the initial experience was so terrible that many dealers were offering conversions to Gas.

She said that when her and her brother finally left home, her father bought her mother a Coupe De Ville and a matching coat and purse and went across the country.

^That is hot.^   

Wasn't there also a THM-400 transmission that was mated to the diesel Cadillac's which was one of the worst tranny's ever made?

[Hachee]

Nah, lovely. That downward sloping rear was what made that Seville so unique.  

How did contemporary Americans like it?

The original Seville (1975-1979) was quite a shocker, because of its size and formal roofline, but it was very popular, in spite of its price (and I believe common GM platform).  The 1980-1985 "bustle-back", as it came to be known, was quite a shocker too, since it was such a stylistic departure from the previous model.  But it was much more of a love it or hate it kind of style, and if I recall correctly, sold pretty well, but perhaps not as well as the previous model.

I kind of liked it and hated it at the same time.  2o6, I totally disagree with you on this one.  Considering it was front drive, the bustle back model had good proportions - long hood, short deck.  Its successor, like the Eldo you posted, had a transverse engine and fwd, and this, IMO, is what ruined the proportions.  Plus, as I mentioned above, the styling was just weak.  I can see why Europeans may like it now, because it certainly stands out.  I'm sure I'd take a second look if I saw one.  

Wimmer, compare this Eldo to its 1979-1985 predecessor, which I thought looked great.  (I loved this car AND the Mercedes W126, introduced at the same time - two completely different approaches to luxury cars.)

[cawimmer430]

The original Seville (1975-1979) was quite a shocker, because of its size and formal roofline, but it was very popular, in spite of its price (and I believe common GM platform).  The 1980-1985 "bustle-back", as it came to be known, was quite a shocker too, since it was such a stylistic departure from the previous model.  But it was much more of a love it or hate it kind of style, and if I recall correctly, sold pretty well, but perhaps not as well as the previous model.

I kind of liked it and hated it at the same time.  2o6, I totally disagree with you on this one.  Considering it was front drive, the bustle back model had good proportions - long hood, short deck.  Its successor, like the Eldo you posted, had a transverse engine and fwd, and this, IMO, is what ruined the proportions.  Plus, as I mentioned above, the styling was just weak.  I can see why Europeans may like it now, because it certainly stands out.  I'm sure I'd take a second look if I saw one. 

Wimmer, compare this Eldo to its 1979-1985 predecessor, which I thought looked great.  (I loved this car AND the Mercedes W126, introduced at the same time - two completely different approaches to luxury cars.)

Nice write-up. 

You're right though. The picture you posted just now looks more elegant and stately than the one I found. But I still think the one I discovered is "hot". It's an exotic, it's a Cadillac, it's got its own "style" and it stands out. You're right that in Europe this would turn heads, probably not the case in the US though.

[Vinsanity]

It was plesant to look at. It's by no means the best, but I like it.

They were Scion XB's with a trunk and a hood ornament. Saying that such boxy styling was the standard for its day is almost a valid excuse until you remember that the Mercedes W124 was also produced during the same time.

[Hachee]

Vinsanity, who are you talking to?

[Vinsanity]

Vinsanity, who are you talking to?

2o6. I neglected to click on "quote" before typing up my post

[Hachee]

Thought so.  But there's no question that there were two very different approaches to styling back then, and it took a while for American and Japanese cars to evolve into more "Euro-centric" designs (not that that was necessarily better, but it had to happen as America lost its styling mojo).  The real problem with the mid-late 80s Cadillacs is that they were wimpy and weak.  They were  smaller and plainer, with nothing little engines and fwd.  They had no balls.  What put Cadillac back on the map years later?  The Escalade and the CTS - cars with balls and bold styling.

[Vinsanity]

Thought so.  But there's no question that there were two very different approaches to styling back then, and it took a while for American and Japanese cars to evolve into more "Euro-centric" designs (not that that was necessarily better, but it had to happen as America lost its styling mojo).  The real problem with the mid-late 80s Cadillacs is that they were wimpy and weak.  They were  smaller and plainer, with nothing little engines and fwd.  They had no balls.  What put Cadillac back on the map years later?  The Escalade and the CTS - cars with balls and bold styling.

Definitely agree. The 1986 Seville, 1986 Eldorado, and 1985 Deville were all major steps backwards from their attractive predecessors. The Seville went from being the car that in the late 70's would win back its customers from Mercedes, to a car that 10 year later, couldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as a W124. And it's a good thing that they kept the Fleetwood Brougham around, because the contemporary Caprice even looked bolder than the FWD Deville. And don't get me started on the late-80's Eldorado. Cadillac had no excuse to put out such a POS after the Lincoln Mk7 had already been out for a few years.

Although I would argue that Cadillac struck a little gold with the 1992 Seville and Eldorado, the 1998 Seville was a weak follow-up, and the Eldorado was left to slowly fade into obscurity.

[FoMoJo]

What happened to the rest of it ?  It looks like a K car with Cadillac trim .

[93JC]

The thing I hated the most about these Eldorados (and Sevilles) was that they looked a lot like an N-body Pontiac Grand Am:



The proportions and lines were eerily similar.

[Galaxy]

I don't understand the point of registering a car from March to December. Make it a summer only car then.