Flash Back to the 80's!!

[6caddy2]

As per requested by  Eric!! Here you go Sir,  weather was great for detailing...  I was asked in a previous post  for interior shots, wanted to debut this car at this year's GN, but what the hay, that's why this forum is here... hope you all enjoy!!!

[jagbuxx #12944]

That car looks spectacular. Love the tu-tone color.

[Harley Earl]

That is a Beut!  My middle school leadership teacher in Stockton, CA had one just like it that was fairly new when I got to ride in it.  Loved watching the dash indicator flash the number of cylinders that were being activated.  Fast forward four or five years later and I found out that same teacher was one of my good buddy's Aunt.  My buddy caught the Cadillac bug as I had a '59 CdV, he immediately bought a '58 extended deck sedan for his first car.  We both miss those cars to this day but he misses his aunt more and I miss a great mentor and teacher.  Great lady with obviously good taste that mirrors your's in Cadillac's, RIP Mrs. Horton!

Your ride is sweet and easy to get parts for.  Have fun with it.  Love Utah, family is from there and it is a good place to call home.

[81 BENY Biarritz]

Your car looks to be in beautiful condition including the engine bay.  Just curious if you still have the modulated displacement (V864) system working and what you think of it if yes?  Thanks,  Dave

[6caddy2]

Dave, thank you for the kind words as to the cars condition along with the other great comments about the car!

Yes the 864 system is engaged and works as it should, I do drive the car every weekend, a little in town stop and go driving, then up onto the freeway we go, stretch her legs out and get all fluids up and circulating real good. The switch from 8 to 6 cylinders is unnoticeable in this car, but when she moves from 6 to 4, you can really tell something is going on, when I first took the car out for a good "shake down"( and this was after a thorough tune up), I thought I had lost one complete bank of cylinders, the vibration and the feel was... not to my liking, so I did some research it for some time now,

[6caddy2]

I hit the wrong button and was not done with my post, my bad! Anyway I have come to the deduction that some of these cars that are still among us and are driven or not, that they " the owners" will have this feature bypassed or disengaged, as for myself I did a lot of driving with this car and found that I prefer to have this bypassed, it was a simple process for me to do, IMPO I believe the engine preforms like a Cadillac engine should and I'm not looking for "MPG" from this car. I do fully understand the engineering behind it and as to why it was done. At the time, like a lot of engineering marvels that where on all of our Cadillacs, some where way ahead of there time, some where spot on, and others well, lets just say I for one am happy this forum is here so as to be able to reverse engineer a problem or as I'd like to say go around a problem engineering. I believe that as the care taker of this Cadillac, that having it operate as just a V8 will help in the preservation of the engine in this great Cadillac!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Joe                                                                             

[81 BENY Biarritz]

Thanks Joe, so I am guessing that you may have installed a small switch to disable the 3rd gear signal to the ECM?  How long did you run it in V864 mode and did you have anything fail or not seem to work besides being rough in the 4 cylinder mode?

The reason for my questions is that I recently purchased an 81 Eldo and after reading lots of info about the system I thought that I should try it out to see how well the system works.  So far from the two trips I have made with it turned on, one on the highway and one in the city, I have found it to work quite well, if I believe what the Cylinders Active display is showing.  On the highway it switched down to 6 and then to 4 very smoothly and ran so smooth that I was wondering if it was actually working.   The only issue I had was when I started to go up a slight incline it didn't seem to want to come back out of 4 mode and the car started slowing down until I tromped down on the accelerator.   Then it made the switch back at the same time as the transmission dropped down to 2nd which was a very harsh transition, not nice at all!  In city mode it seems to work very well switching directly from 8 to 4 when it goes into 3rd and then switching back very smoothly when coming to a stop sign or just slowing down.   Mine in 4 mode seems very smooth, so much so that I was questioning whether it is actually changing.  I believe that it must be because when I use the ECC controls to put it in 4 and 6 Test modes inside the garage you can hear it change.

I personally think that it is a very "unique" feature about our 81's and want to find out about other's experiences with it.  When I was looking for my Eldorado I was really just looking for any nice red 79-85 Biarritz and I didn't know about the pros/cons of the various engines used during this series.  I think I ended up getting quite lucky with the one I chose as I have the benefit of both world's, a reliable big block Cadillac engine with a unique, and maybe fuel saving?? feature, that the engineer in me thinks is pretty cool also!

Do you engage yours occasionally just to exercise it?   I will be running mine more often now that I have discovered that it doesn't seem to mind going into and out of this mode at all.
 
Again, I should also comment how nice the two tone looks on your car.  I am a big fan of two tone paint and it doesn't seem like there are very many left out there.  I wonder how many were actually ordered that way originally.  You have a real beauty there!

Dave

[6caddy2]

Dave, thank you very much for your response(s) about the car and your insight to our unique engines and the engineering that went into them! Yes I did put a switch concealed under the dash, I prefer to keep her in the "8 mode" when in town, when I know that we are heading up onto the on ramp for freeway driving I will "engage" ( always wanted to say that) the 864 mode and let her do her thing, we go and see my mother every weekend, which is about a 45 minute drive down to Mesquite, NV. on a highway who's speed limit is 80mph, it's a 8 to 10% grade down hill, car preforms flawlessly, and will do the 80mph with no problem, now leaving my moms is a different story, I get about 10 minutes of pure level highway driving and as we enter the canyon you will almost start to pull the 8% grade and within 3 miles in, you will pull the 10% grade for almost 31 miles and right now outside temp was over 85 degrees and absolutely no humidity in the air, southwest desert climate, went down for mothers day, she just loves seeing the car, and as you stated about yours its like someone dropped an 30 ton anchor behind us, I'll smash down on the pedal, she'll drop down into 3rd gear and at that moment I'll flip the switch and ease out of the pedal just a bit and she will cruise right up the hill ever so smoothly as soon as I exit the canyon where the freeway levels out, I'll just let off the pedal ever so slightly and flip the switch back to it's normal mode of operation for the engine with the 864 engaged.
I believe that this has had no adverse affects on the engine, if I leave it "engaged" in the 864 mode up that grade or a steep hill for that matter she really struggles as to where she should be as in transmission gear and what cylinder mode should I be in, it seems to search in vain as to where it should be at, now this is not a cable or rod to the gas pedal to carb as we know it to be, but a potentiometer sensor that feeds info to the main computer which at that point I'm basically out of the game and on the bench, I'm a" in the trench, blue collar guy"...

With that being said, I've come to the reasoning that I have to pay attention to my driving habits with this car and know the cars "character" and that would be for a lack of a better word, so I guess it comes down to ones driving habits and knowing how that particular car will preform with the driver of that car, but all in all, I would have to say it preforms as it was engineered to, which to me is an absolute marvel, I've been through the wiring schematic for my car and boy there has to be at least half a ton or so of copper wiring in her which in itself is amazing to me, like I said nuts and bolts guy here, you draw it or tell me what you need, I'll build it,  weld it, cut it, sand it, paint it, put it together etc... When it comes to the "Brain" of it, I'm not going to mess with it, that's when I have to go to the "Man" with the oscilloscope and the soldering gun, which from my research of this system is almost "bullet proof", I hope I don't have to go there, but if I do, I know right where to start and that would be right here!!
I hope this helps you out or at least you have one drivers experience with said engine, and yes the 2 tone is something else on this car, really didn't know how to take the car at first, but as each day goes by I'm hoked on it really good, just love it, I've got a black 62 vert, 79 silver fire mist Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance and the 81 CDV, and I've gotta say the 81 just has something about it, that just pulls me in, I've been a "gear head" for well.. 50yrs, since I was 4, muscle car, high horse power couldn't go fast enough kinda of guy, but these Cadillacs, WOW!!! Got me hooked,  but good!!

Love to see pics of the 81 Eldo that you have, hope this finds you and yours in good health and sprits!!
                                                                                                                                                       Joe

[81 BENY Biarritz]

Hi Joe, sent you a Personal Message (PM) regarding pictures of my car.   Let me know if you don't get it as it is the first time I have tried this.  Thanks Dave

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The transitions when number of active cylinders increases is barely perceptible. Some drivers may notice a soft "push", not unlike the sensation from shutting off the air conditioner. When cylinders are deactivated however, the transition is completely imperceptible.

Engine runs smoothest with all 8 cylinders firing, slightly less in 4, but in 6 there is noticeable vibration because the engine is least balanced in this mode. Fortunately 6 cylinder is the least common mode of operation- it's almost difficult to get the car to run in 6 cylinders. All but the slightest pressure of the accelerator calls all 8 cylinders to work, once coasting or cruising on roads that are relatively flat, the system goes into 4 cylinder operation. (When coolant is warmed up).

Speaking for myself, I've always preferred full time 8 cylinder operation which is easily achieved by disconnecting the third gear switch under the car but some prefer to leave the system active.

Looks great Joe. Perfect color combination in your neck of the woods!