Thoughts on future popularity/collectibility

[Andrew 10642]

Mike,

I think you should do an article for the Self-Starter about this engine, as it did comprise a great deal of production in the 80s, and the Eldo/Seville had their best design years with this engine.  How about a buyers guide article, and then a "What to do if you are screwed with a bad engine" article.  I think the fuel economy is very relevant.

Send the editor an outline and see if hes interested!

(Notice how I have no role in this article!!!)

[Dave Smith #17592]

Hi Mike,

   Oh I rember driving these cars when they were only a year or two old.   They were fine road cars.  THats why I am horrified to find out that most Cadillac dealers dont want to work on them.    Many parts are no longer available too.   This makes fixing them tough for those of us who are not mechanics or own junkyards full of donor cars for parts.

   Which is a real shame.   My local junkyard is full of gorgeous HT4100 cars that have minor body issues.  Some look like you could drive them away wash them and enter them in a car show.  But then I see the HT4100 badge and know why they are there.

David

[Mike #19861]

 Andrew,

 The thought had actually crossed my mind. I have picked up a lot of information on these engines over the last little while in addition to what I learned during those years working on them in the dealer.

 Some of the most beautiful Cadillacs were produced with these engines, and it is the single biggest factor in their demise.  With some education, they can be made reliable. They can be rebuilt using much improved components so that reliability is not the issue it once was.

 I may sit down and compose something and see what the editors of the SS think of it. Thanks for the suggestion.

  Mike

[Mike #19861]

 David,

 These Eldorados and Sevilles with the Touring Suspension did indeed make fine road cars. I have driven many of them over the years and was always impressed at how they drove. Defineately not sports car firm, but firm enough to not be sloppy, and plenty comfortable. Great long distance tourers.

 Junkyards here also have their fair share of examples, but they are pretty worn down suggesting to me that they have enjoyed a decent life. Perhaps conditions here are more favourable to their survival.

 I can easily find parts for these engines. One of our local jobbers stocks all the stuff I need for the rebuild. I can still purchase most of all the electronics and sensors through the dealer or jobber easily. It seems to me the deale you took your car to just did not have the education and could not be bothered. They just used the parts thing as an excuse. To me, the wildly hunting idle was the result of a worn distributor drive gear. This is usually accompanied by a code 31, but not necessarily so. This was fairly common and the reason a revised distributor drive gear was released.

  Mike

[andrew 10642]

An HT4100 column!!!!

Code issue of the week

Parts upgrades

When is it a boat anchor

Makes a great gift!

[Mike #19861]

 I wonder how they would take to a column. Even on a semi-regular basis. That engine and its derivitives were involved in 13 years of production and accounted for well over a million examples. Ill bet there are still many of them on the road, especially the 4.5 and 4.9 versions.

 There is the somewhat dormant HT4100 Chapter as well, along with its accompanying HT4100.com and the Yahoo based group called HT4100 Exchange (which is quite alive and doing well with 354 current members)

 http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HT4100exchange/ TARGET=_blank>http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HT4100exchange/

  Mike

[art#2010]

I would agree. Art

[Sue #5125]

Several years ago a friend gave my son a beautiful, low-mileage 1986 Fleetwood that had an engine gasket issue.  

My son (at the time 18 yrs old) changed the gasket and had it running again in a weekends time.

Unfortunately, the car had other drivetrain issues that proved it to be unreliable for school commuting.  So even for free the car was not a deal.  

[Porter 21919]

Andrew,

You would be right, they built a lot of those engines, I doubt very many of them are still on the road anymore, only the ones with low mileage.

They can be a great engine with the upgrade parts and a proper rebuild, Mikes area of expertise.

Porter (66 429 with 89K & 67 429 with 45K)

[Dave Smith #17592]

There was a great HT4100 article published in the Self Starter a year or two ago, by Derek Sherwood.  He started the HT4100 chapter and still pops up on this board from time to time.

[Dave Smith #17592]

Sue,

   Even for free!   I love it!   They are seldom free, especially when you add the reciepts!  You are so correct!

Even if I subtracted the purchase price from my 75 Eldo convertible,  Id still have almost as much into it than its worth!

David

[Porter 21919]

A former club member sent me his old SS magazines, I did see the article.

I dont believe it specifically discussed rebuilding an HT 4100, which is what we are talking about here.

Mike rebuilt or repaired many of these engines while working at a Cadillac dealership years ago.

We all feel his pain,

Porter