Cadillac Owners Forum banner
149K views 198 replies 82 participants last post by  Grabarz 
#1 ·
#158 ·
I love the Catera in black. The tint only adds to the attitude. Looks awesome. But if you think it's a Catera Sport you're wrong. Your car has the wrong wheels and is missing the rear wing. If the interior has faux wood accents instead of satin silver that clinches it. The fact that it's not a Sport doesn't take away from the car. The sport package is more for show than performance.
 
#165 · (Edited)
My 2000 Cadillac Catera Sport with 155600 Miles




Tint: Carbon tint all around, sides and rear - %15, windshield - %50. Paid last summer - $320
Tiers: Continental Extreme ProContact DWS - 235/45R17 - $785 (including installation, alignment and nitrogen)
Wheel: Sport Edition SE-17 Aluminum 20.2lbs. (Anthracite Painted) - $530 for 4 (including delivery and new lug nuts)
Front Brakes: Painted oem calipers - $20, POWER STOP Ceramic brake pads Z16 - $42, Rotor: R1Concepts E-LINE "Drilled & Diamond Slotted, Zinc Plated" - $120
Rear Brakes: Painted oem calipers, Duralast C-Max Ceramic brake pads - $52, Rotor: PrimeChoice plain 1 year old rotor, in process to replaced for "Drilled & Diamond Slotted, Zinc Plated". Emergency stop brakes replaced last year - $25
Suspension:
Front: KYB struts GR2/Excel-G - $85x2, Strut Mount KYB SM5285 - $72x2, Strut Below - $14x2. For all with shipping = $370. Last year got Dorman Control arms - $250, sway bar links - $40. This year bushings are gone together with one sway bar..... DON'T BUY Dorman arms!!!. Replacing all bushings with powerflex brand - $150, new Moog sway bar link - $20
Rear: Shocks Moog MA825, i think i paid around $150 last year. Rear wheel bearings cost me about $200 with all extra tools that i got.
Engine:
2 years ago got new timing belt, one timing belt pulley, water pump, serpentine belt and pulley - $250, valve cover gaskets - $30, Rebuild ABS module - $120. Last year got oem spark plugs with one new coil - $170, OEM bank1 O2 Sensors - $120, used radiator and auxiliary water pump - $60. Transferred canister oil filter to spin-on type - $30. This year got OEM fuel filter - $20, oil cooler, Intake Manifold Gasket set, fuel pressure regulator, thermostat, temp. sensor and sender - $306. Heater control valve replaced 3 times - around $100
Transmission:
Shop changed oil and filter 2 years ago - $120. This year I changed twice to synthetic dex6 and filter - $80
Body:
Used left fender and fog lights - $60. New hood lift shock - $40
Interior:
Newer front full power seats from nonsport Catera with 60k of junk yard - $100
Fix door noise and weld door hanger - $50(parts and labor)
 

Attachments

#166 · (Edited)
Hello,

My Omega/Catera story began in the fall of 2006 when my parents test drove an Opel Omega C. Early in 2007, a black 2002 Omega 2.2 DTI Design Edition wagon with 156k km became our family car.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Rim

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive wheel system Family car

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Steering wheel Sedan

I moved to the USA in the summer of 2008 to go to college. After my freshman year, I decided to buy a car (until then I had driven my aunt and uncle's 1989 Volvo 760 Turbo with 230k miles). In September of 2009, I got a one-owner 2001 Catera with 57k miles.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sedan Full-size car

Two years later, my cousin got a 2000 Catera with 63k miles; he traded it in a few months ago.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Full-size car Sedan

My dad also replaced his Omega a month ago after reaching 280k km. I'm still a happy owner of my Cat with 84k miles on it now.

What was replaced on my car (not chronologically):
- brake pads and rotors front and rear, calipers rear,
- front right spring,
- tie rods,
- head gaskets at 58k, then engine oil cooler and gaskets at 83k miles,
- multifunction relay (random radio, On-Star, and trunk release problems are gone since),
- engine coils (ACDelco) and spark plugs (Bosch Platinum IR Fusion),
- oxygen sensors (Bosch),
- crankshaft position sensor,
- timing belt,
- instrument cluster bulbs (now orange) and headlight/tail light/blinker bulbs,
- fuel filter,
- oil and oil filter every 3-3.5k miles,
- coolant a couple of times,
- cabin air filer (Bosch),
- engine air filter (K&N),
- fuel cap,
- battery,
- left mirror (previous owner cracked it a bit),
- wiper blades a couple of times.

Fixed:
- A/C recharged with a refrigerant-sealant mix,
- refinished right headlight (in and out),
- sealed right fog light and a new connector put in.

In December of 2011, I hit deer which resulted in a 2-3" crack in the bumper, cracked headlight and its bezel, loosened fog light, cracked grill, and a dent in the hood. The car was repaired professionally with brand new parts (luckily they couldn't find used ones and the insurance covered everything).

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Headlamp Luxury vehicle


To be replaced/done:
- shocks front and rear (I bought Monroe),
- pinion and axle seals (they're still OK),
- black brushed aluminum vinyl wrap for radio/A/C bezel and transmission shift bezel (the rubbery stuff started coming off, I got grayish patches after removing it).

Things that don't work and I don't really care about:
- gear shift indicator LEDs while lights are on,
- below 20 degrees, I need to warm up the car in order to shift into gear -- I'm guessing that the transmission lock freezes.

Upgrades:
- 18" factory GM wheels from Pontiac G6 GT/GXP (showroom takeoffs; offset different by 1mm) with Uniroyal Tiger Paw 225/45 tires, aftermarket lug nut covers, and Opel center caps,
- DDM Tuning 35W 5000K HID Kit in headlights,
- DDM Tuning 35W 3000K HID Kit in fog lights (the only way for the right fog light to stop blowing halogen bulbs due to rusted casing which is the negative connection),
- white LED strips over headlights (just installed those a few days ago),
- Opel stickers and Cadillac "V" logos,
- Opel license plate frames.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sedan Cadillac

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Executive car Sedan

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sedan Cadillac catera

Headlamp Automotive lighting Light Vehicle Car


Abandoned ideas (at least for now):
- lip spoiler,
- new radio with GPS navigation,
- LEDs in tail lights (every time I turned the lights on with LED bulbs in tail lights, one of the LEDs in the middle break light would light up!).

I'll take nicer pictures once the weather gets a bit better. For now, just a small collection of older shots of my parents' Omega, my Catera at various stages, and my cousin's Catera. Hope you'll find those interesting.



-- Matt
 
#167 ·
Hello Guys! i made some Strips on my Cat and want to know what u think about it!
Currently only hood, front bumper and grill is done, strips on the side and through the whole bumper from left to right u painted on my phone Galaxy Note, just to see on picture how its gonna look like if i will paint front and sides.




pictures that were just drawn:



Please let me know what u think!!!!! Thank you
 
#169 · (Edited)


A Little Memento I'm gonna keep, and created, to remember this adventure into a "new" car with most everything wrong on the list after 4months of ownership when purchased... to reading endlessly, as well as spending, so I could attempt too many 1st Time crash courses in things I've never touched before... and watching it all come together while too many said nothing positive the entire way... As i've been troubleshooting final pieces still as solo as the beginning (Locally that is.... :D This forum freaking rocks!!) I'm still loving this car, Still keeping it now that I know it better than any other, Still Saving tons from my own hands and able to when nothing else couldve been an option. Excited to put it back to pavement........ and attaching an audio file currently, to the Overhaul Progressional Picture, of my rebuilt engine's firing up to a strong idle and a little fun after, which will be sent to my supportive and uplifting friends, family, and co-workers who "believed" in me :histeric:
 
#171 ·
Hey guys, Today was pretty nice and I got home from school early. So I decided to take some pictures of my 01' Cadillac Catera.

Specs:
Black in color
Body Damage (from previous owner)
The cheapest rims Discount Tire offers, with Pirelli P6's.
04 GTO springs in the rear.
New rear differential
New CPS and ECM
And many small things that I dont remember.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sedan Executive car

Tire Automotive tire Vehicle door Automotive exterior Vehicle

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Automotive exterior

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sedan Compact car


Cosmetic wise I plan on making her all aggressive looking. New, or, repair the headlights and install some HID's. Dark tint on the rear half with a light tint on the front. Lowering springs. Also some 25mm wheel spacers, with new rims and tires of course. I also need a new front passenger fender, and that bottom
headlight housing (small black strip thats between the bumper and headlight itself. The fog lights only seem to work when the corresponding turn signal is on. I might keep the rear bumper ziptied. (Kinda gives it a grunge look in my honest opinion.

Mechanical wise She needs new valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gaskets. Once I have everything taken apart I'll clean up the upper engine bay.

The hood doesn't close all the way. The battery is to big Whoops :p and the hood release doesn't work.

If anyone could point me in the right direction for some running boards and the jack caps that would be be great.
 
#172 ·
First off, Welcome to the nuthouse. Second, the lights that come on with the signals are turning lights to illuminate the road you're turning onto. Yeah, completely useless but there they are. The fog lights are inboard of them.

Love the color. Too bad about the damage though. Your best bet as far as the parts you need is to find someone parting out their Catera here or on the Yahoo Catera forum.
 
#176 ·
I use Presta products, body shop supply shop or online only.

But you need a rotary buffing tool to use the types of polish I'm talking about. A hand polish isn't going to take off sand scratches very well. If you don't have the polisher and proper pads (I'm assuming you don't), just buy a kit.
 
#177 ·
I've polished mine using a kit I bought at Advanced Auto. It's called Crystal View and comes in a silver foil package. It did a good job on mine but admittedly they weren't that fogged. I've seen Youtube videos on headlight polishing. They might be worth a look.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top