I'm really going to need a flamesuit for this purchase. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 02-12-2010, 03:30 PM

...but how can you say no to one of those little old lady situations?

Its a '96 Cadillac Seville STS with 126k. Rare Montana Blue Metallic color. No issues, 2 owner of nearly 10 years, and has 300HP going to the front wheels.

Great condition, just a few PDR/buffable granny marks.

Why did I buy it? The sentimental reason: My Grandfather's last car was a '95 Seville SLS. He died 10 years ago, and my grandmother started driving the Cadillac full time, parking the 500SL (given to me at 16). In 2002, my Grandmother bought the newly released Cadillac CTS. The Seville was given away to a family member and was driven to a neglected early death. I have many fond memories of this style of car.

The practical reason: I paid $2000 for it.

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/PricingReport.aspx?WebCategoryId=38&YearId=1996&VehicleClass=UsedCar&ManufacturerId=8&Condition=Excellent&ModelId=327&PriceType=Retail&VehicleId=8652&Mileage=126000&SelectionHistory=8652|32494|67206|0|0|319771|true|319774|true|319783|true

Okay... Flamesuit on:

TylerH860 · #2 02-12-2010, 03:32 PM

Whoops. Meant to post in OD.

Ether · #3 02-12-2010, 03:32 PM

No flame from here. Good buy I say.

Hatterasguy · #4 02-12-2010, 03:35 PM

As long as you sell it fast and make money it doesn't matter.

TylerH860 · #5 02-12-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

As long as you sell it fast and make money it doesn't matter.

The Northstars do like to go Supernova, don't they?

From what I understand, most of ones that blew up did it early (less than 100k). There are a bunch of high mileage ones out there.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&search_lang=en&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=both&distance=500&address=67206&marketZipError=false&style_flag=1&make=CAD&model=SEV&make2=CAD&model2=STS&make3=&start_year=1994&end_year=2000&min_price=&max_price=&seller_type=b&transmission=&engine=&drive=&doors=&fuel=&max_mileage=100001&color=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&keywords_display=&sort_type=mileageDESC&body_code=0&certified=&advanced=y&highlightFirstMakeModel=&showZipError=n&default_sort=mileageDESC&awsp=false&systime=&rdm=1266012749209

There's an interesting aftermarket company dedicated to these engines. Go figure.

http://www.northstarperformance.com/gethere.php

Hatterasguy · #6 02-13-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

The Northstars do like to go Supernova, don't they?

From what I understand, most of ones that blew up did it early (less than 100k). There are a bunch of high mileage ones out there.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&search_lang=en&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=both&distance=500&address=67206&marketZipError=false&style_flag=1&make=CAD&model=SEV&make2=CAD&model2=STS&make3=&start_year=1994&end_year=2000&min_price=&max_price=&seller_type=b&transmission=&engine=&drive=&doors=&fuel=&max_mileage=100001&color=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&keywords_display=&sort_type=mileageDESC&body_code=0&certified=&advanced=y&highlightFirstMakeModel=&showZipError=n&default_sort=mileageDESC&awsp=false&systime=&rdm=1266012749209

There's an interesting aftermarket company dedicated to these engines. Go figure.

http://www.northstarperformance.com/gethere.php

GM never did figure out how to seal an intake manifold and the rest of the car is just a joke. They did use a good transmission though.

I'd recomend trying to sell it on Ebay for $3,500 ASAP.

The last Caddy that anyone that I know owned was my aunts, I think it was a 1996 CTS or something with the Northjoke in it. It blew up about five years ago and someone bought it from her for $1,500 as a project. She started buying Acura RL's after that and never looked back.

OTOH the new Caddys are pretty nice.

TylerH860 · #7 02-13-2010, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

GM never did figure out how to seal an intake manifold and the rest of the car is just a joke. They did use a good transmission though.

I'd recomend trying to sell it on Ebay for $3,500 ASAP.

OTOH the new Caddys are pretty nice.

Agreed on new Caddys.

As you would imagine, I've been doing quite a bit of research on the subject of the Northstar Supernova. It seems there's two prevalent theories out there. 1: Old coolant becoming corrosive and eating away the head gasket. 2: Head bolts backing themselves out. #1 can happen at any time, while #2 happened early. The average repair for this runs 3-4k, and the most common ones to fail were the later ones ('97-'99). Other than that, these cars are supposedly very reliable. If you compare it to common things that fail on the W124, its not that unreasonable. Wiring harness: $1500, Head Gasket $1500 Evaporator: $2000 Throttle Acutator: $1000...Perhaps its more comparable to a 603, since the only malady they had were expensive head failures.

On Monday I'll make an appointment for the coolant to be changed, and a good once over. Based on the mechanic's report I will go from there pricing wise. Since I don't curb titles I will have it for a bit. I think somewhere in the 4s isn't unreasonable.

JEBalles · #8 02-12-2010, 04:14 PM

I was actually considering buying one of those before I found out about the Diesel MBs. I was also considering getting a 1963 Oldsmobile 98

. And now, looking back, that would have been a good deal. It didn't appear to have any rust and they were asking $2000. Interior was good and it started and drove. Other than that, I can't speak for the engine or trans.

strelnik · #9 02-12-2010, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JEBalles

I was actually considering buying one of those before I found out about the Diesel MBs. I was also considering getting a 1963 Oldsmobile 98

. And now, looking back, that would have been a good deal. It didn't appear to have any rust and they were asking $2000. Interior was good and it started and drove. Other than that, I can't speak for the engine or trans.

I know everyone hates the GM diesels from the 1980s, but did they all disappear? Anyone think of putting a latrer GM engine in them?

bustedbenz · #10 02-12-2010, 08:39 PM

What's wrong with FWD? I admit it is a mechanic's nightmare trying to work under the front end, but other than that... I'm envious of FWD at the moment. I wouldn't have been stuck half as many times as I have been this winter if my 300 had been front-propelled instead of rear.

We had a 94 Olds front wheel drive and it was the most *amazing* non-4wd vehicle I've ever taken out in slick stuff.

pawoSD · #11 02-12-2010, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bustedbenz

What's wrong with FWD? I admit it is a mechanic's nightmare trying to work under the front end, but other than that... I'm envious of FWD at the moment. I wouldn't have been stuck half as many times as I have been this winter if my 300 had been front-propelled instead of rear.

We had a 94 Olds front wheel drive and it was the most *amazing* non-4wd vehicle I've ever taken out in slick stuff.

Ever heard of snow tires? You can accomplish a whole lot more with snow tires on a RWD vehicle than on a FWD with normal tires. I've been taking off on up-hill slopes in the slush and snow this winter and easily passing FWD cars. I've never gotten stuck in my 300SD in 7 years of driving through every kind of snow storm imaginable.

bustedbenz · #12 02-12-2010, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Ever heard of snow tires? You can accomplish a whole lot more with snow tires on a RWD vehicle than on a FWD with normal tires. I've been taking off on up-hill slopes in the slush and snow this winter and easily passing FWD cars. I've never gotten stuck in my 300SD in 7 years of driving through every kind of snow storm imaginable.

That would be an option if I had A) enough spare cash to own a set of tires that I'd have to take off for 9 months of the year and B) Enough patience to be in and out of tire shops all the time having them swapped on and off and C) A place to store tires the rest of the time I wasn't using them.

Plus it would thoroughly mess up my mileages on my tire sets; I don't do the whole "replace two at a time" thing. I buy them as a set, hope against hope that they wear evenly and I don't destroy one prematurely, and do the best I can to keep all four the same age and mileage and replace all at once.

Can't leave snows on year round; my understanding is that they wear out faster than all-weather or M+S tires. The reason I put up with (albeit while complaining) this foolishness is that I'm getting 55-60 thousand miles per tire set with the ones I'm buying now. On my income, that's a major help.

rrgrassi · #13 02-12-2010, 05:11 PM

Wow, a 90's GM product that is more than 10 y/o and still on the road! That was good advice to sell quick though. I used to work for a Caddy dealership in the 80's. We saw the cars more than the owners did. Gasser's included.