Why Cadillacs suck!...Comments expected and welcome!

[Porter 21919]

High tech run-amuck. Almost reminds me of the HT 4100 engines and all that emissions junk they piled on to the engines back in the 70s.

Instead of concentrating on a reliable drivetrain, functional interior and decent styling it seems more like how many electronic bells & whistles, air bags & creature comforts they can offer that the competition doesnt have.

More like an entertainment center on wheels than transportion.

Repairability ? Fuggetaboutit. Buy or lease new, get the extended warranty , trade it in, sell it, lease a new one or junk it.

Must be the new world order of automobiles. Maybe they know more than we do or they are protecting their best interests or profits.

FWIW,

Porter

[David #19063]

Hi Bob!

(Sorry, I couldnt resist!)

Now that you mention it, my 56 Windsor doesnt have these problems either...and it has power steering, power brakes, a foot pump washer, and the optional safety padded dash!

David

[Porter 21919]

David,

Cars will drive us nuts sometimes, I just pulled my 66 429 Carter carb off again to use the additional rebuild kit parts that the Napa kit doesnt provide. (from my new kit from the carb shop) It included new metering jets, power pistons and bypass valve. Thanks to John Washburn, yes, the metering jets are oblong shaped due to wear, this will cause flooding and rich engine running and plug fouling, which I have been experiencing. The metering rods have some wear on them too, they can be replaced with the carb still on the engine and the carb shop has them per John Washburn.

The correct subject title would have been "why people dont buy a Cadillac anymore"," why people prefer Lexus,Acura,BMW or Mercedes after years of Cadillac ownership", etc.

I used to ask many of the "old" people up here in Maine how they liked their late model Cadillacs, always a favorable response. Many of them in excess of 100K mileage. Many of them with Florida plates too, Maine summer / Florida winter.

The Cadillac "trucks" are probably the best product or most reliable they sell, go figure. A friend of mine buys a new Chevy C 30 every ten years and has put 275K on the last two, he has tried the other brands, NG.

Porter

[Ed Dougher]

But wouldnt it be nice if they didnt make everyone wait for a decade for an armrest that doesnt crack?

[Bob Donnelly #15552]

David,

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the Cadillac.  Ive loved Cadillacs since I was a little kid.  Im 45 now and have owned 5 Caddys. Four were fairly new, daily drivers.  One was my dearly departed classic 68 Deville convertible.  All four of the daily drivers were in the shop on a fairly regular basis, more than I would have thought for such a prestigious nameplate.  And the 68 hardly ever caused me any major headaches!

What kills me is the parts and labor charges from the Cadillac dealer.  I had a 95 Eldo and the dealer recommended changing the hoses.  They gave me an estimate of $600!!!  I went out and got a newer Caddy instead!!!

I am getting a little tired of their $62 oil changes too.

I still love Cadillacs but the quality is not as high as some of the foreign luxury vehicles.  My wife recently acquired a Lexus RX300 and that is so solid, good looking and comfortable!  And I dont even like SUVs or the idea of buying a foreign car in general!    I swear though, this vehicle is so well built that I will seriously consider other makes when it comes time to replace my 2001 ETC.  I love this car, it is probably the closest to a new Caddy Ill get.  It is still under 10,000 miles.  My chief complaint is that a couple of plastic pieces have fallen apart already.  You dont see that happening very often on a Lexus.

While Im at it, does anyone have any suggestions for good extended warranty programs?  My factory warranty runs out in September and I want to avoid the high repair costs that I know from experience are likely to come someday!

Thanks and regards,

Bob

[JIM CLC # 15000]

04-01-05
Bob, I had a 1971 SDV that the AC bearing went bad.
The local Cad. garage wanted $95.00 for the bearing, as I was considering installing it myself.
But after finding out it took special tools to do the task, I got to thinking that other GM cars had the same AC.
I called the local Chevrolet garage and they did the job for $115.00, so, after that, I always checked with Chev. first or did the work myself.
As for an extended warrenty, I normally dont buy one, but am told to read whats covered real closely.
Good Luck, plastic is falling from my wifes Mercedes, Jim

[Ed Dougher]

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.

[Randall McGrew CLC # 17963]

Jim, I feel for you.  I bought a Mercedes recently, a nice little 280Sl in black..beautiful car.  But my god....the amount of plastic is amazing.  I was once told, long ago, that plastic was an ideal material because it did not wear and would be easy and cheap to replace.  Man, talk about 3 strikes and you are out!!!  Plastics fade (nothing a few cents of ultraviolet protection wouldnt stop) and it cracks, splits and falls apart.   It is easy to replace, when it fits, but it is not in the least cheap.  About the only thing going for it is that it is relatively light and saves gas.  I guess, it also collapses easily in an accident absorbing force.  So now cars are basically throw away since any accident usually ends up totalling the car since insurance companys do not want to pay for the repairs.

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

And dont forget that in the unlucky event of the car being stolen, and slightly damaged, over here, most insurance companies will write the car off anyway, as it is unknown what internal damage might have been done whilst being driven by the thieves.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[densie 20352]

  Buy a 1976 or older, and have it restored.  Ive learned it the hard way.  So have you.

-densie

[Randall McGrew CLC # 17963]

Amen to that, Densie.  Once my 56 is done, I will not have another (unless it is taken from me by accident etc.).  It may take a life time to decide what one really wants best.  It would be hard to do with all of the variety available, but one usually stands out.  My second choice would be a 1960 series 62 6 window sedan, or Sedan DeVille, or 60 Special.  Obviously I like sedans...they are just better in the long run for me to carry friends, relations and my dog friends.  

[Rhino 21150]

Bogus! Internet trash! Hoodoo! http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp TARGET=_blank>http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

[David #19063]

Hey Rhino,

http://www.snopes.com TARGET=_blank>www.snopes.com is great at myth busting isnt it?

Thanks,
David

[Ed Dougher]

Its an old, false story thats bounced around for years.  It does, however, illustrate the point very, very well, which is why I posted it.

[Tony G #12,310]

This is one reason I prefer the 68-76 Cadillacs. They had rugged engines and transmissions and were very reliable. My parents 70 Coupe de Ville reached the 200,000 mile mark with the original, unrebuilt engine (it did have a valve job shortly before they bought it in 1988 when it had about 100,00 miles) and the original transmission. The only thing done to the transmission was to replace the rear seal. Never was rebuilt.

According to the Consumer Reports data for frequency-of-repair, the 1970 model year was the most reliable Cadillac, with 1969 very close behind. The 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1976 model years also do well. Especially in the important areas like engine mechanical, transmission, fuel system, brakes, etc.

As others have mentioned, Cadillacs (and most other cars) built in the 80s, 90s and 2000s (especially the latter two decades) are very complicated and can be very expensive to repair. For that reason, and a few other reasons (like minimal anti-smog equipment on the earlier models and sheer size), I wouldnt buy any Cadillac newer than the 1976 model year.

[Tony G #12,310]

I think Cadillacs from the 70s and earlier have better longevity than the modern Cadillacs. We will have to wait and see; its too early to tell how long a typical 1995 or 2000 Cadillac will last.

As for reliability, as many here can attest to, the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s Cadillacs were in general very reliable.

And as for modern Cadillacs/other cars performing and being more efficient than classic cars- its like comparing apples and oranges. The classic cars are much bigger and heavier than modern cars, so of course the modern one will perform better and be more efficient. Even so, I would never trade my 69 Fleetwood Brougham or 76 Limousine in for any new car! No way!

[denise 20352]

  My 76 hearse has a smog pump, and 78 Deville has (had) almost no emission controls at all.  If emission controls are your main criteria, you might be better off with a 77-79.

-denise