Cadillac Owners Forum banner
124K views 228 replies 65 participants last post by  1999fleetwood 
#1 · (Edited)
THE absolute LAST Time I am doing this!!
___________________________________.

Made by Superior Coachbuilders of 2550 Central Parkway in Lima, Ohio 45804, under CONTRACT with Cadillac Motor Division for two (2) model years, 1998 & 1999, to offset run-a-way sales of Lincoln's larger & roomier Town Car. Ths car began as a Sedan de Ville and was shipped to Superior Coachbuilders, whose MAIN BUSINESS is limousines, Livery Sedans, Flower Cars, and Hearses.

Cadillac made up a SPECIAL oprion for cars that there going to go there to be converted into FLEETWOOD LIMITEDS .... it was a "Mandatory" option, meaning you could NOT get one of these without the option, BUT this option was NOT included in the base list price! THE Option:-
Code WC7 = "WC7 Package" {It's name}
Heated Front Seats
Power Front Seats with 4-Way Lumbar Support
Electronic Compass Rear View Mirror
Theft Deterrant System
Homelink Garage Door Opener

Now, the second Cadillac-Installed Option AT the Cadillac Plant was Code WC3 = Concours Appearance Package, consisting of the Concours' Black-Out Grille with hood ornament removed and the Cadillac Wreath & Crest placed IN the grille's center (on the grille itself).

The third and FINAL option FROM Cadillac, installed ON the Assembly Line was Code U1S; that being the Trunk Mounted 12-Disc Compact Disc AutoChanger.

Now....

From Superior came the following "OPTIONS" ~~
Fender Skirts
Chrome Grille Cap (available on either Grille ~ looked terrific on Concours Grille)
Single or Dual Fold Down Rear Seat Writing Tables
Simulated Convertible Roof
Rear Seat Footrests (dual)
Full Length Padded CLOTH roof
Rosen DVD/TV Monitor Fold Down from Rear Headliner
Gold Ornamentation Pkg.

A Full Length Padded Vinyl Roof was included at no charge from Superior.

Listed as "Delayed availability" {Unknown if ANY were ever made} was a 6-Way Power Option for the rear seat. No Code & No Price ever listed.

Dealer installed options:-

Power Glass Moonroof
Hands-Free Cell Phone (G.M.)
On-Star System (G.M.)

Production:- (Most dealers number are wrong or "guesses" ~ THIS IS EXACT !!)

1998 = 314
1999 = 467
Total = 781

All exterior paint colors were available on them. Parisian Blue was the rarest, with 2 made.

PRICING:-
$ 49,330.00 = Price of Base Unit incl. a $4,000 reduction for items omitted by GM, that would be discarded by Superior anyway.

$ 00,885.00 = Destination
$ 00,727.00 = WC7
$ 00,000.00 = WC3 (No Charge)
$ 00,450.00 = Fender Skirts
$ 00,336.00 = Chrome Grille Cap
$ 00,427.00 = Single Rr. Writing Table
$ 00,848.00 = Dual Writing Tables
$ 00,425.00 = Simulated Convertible Roof
$ 00,215.00 = Rear Foot Rests (this for 2)
$ 00795.00 = Full Length Padded CLOTH Roof
$ 02,498.00 = Rosen DVD / TV Monitor
$ 00,190.00 = Gold Ornamentation Pkg.

There was no set price on the 3 dealer installed options:
Moonroof / On Star and/or Cell Phone.

COLORS:-

Mulberry 88 & 89
Silver Mist 88 Only
Moonstone 88 & 89
Baltic Blue 88 Only
Frost Beige 88 Only
Emerald Green 88 & 89
Dark Adriatic Blue 88 & 89
Cotillion White 88 & 89
Sable Black 88 & 89
Shale 88 & 89
Gold Firemist 88 & 89
Polo Green 88 & 89
Crimson Pearl 88 & 89
White Diamond 88 & 89
Sterling 89 Only
Cashmire 89 Only
Parisian Blue 89 Only

Only Cadillac Dealers across the country who were signed up for Cadillac's Limousine and Professional Car Sales Outlets were able to order & recieve these cars. The VINs on them denote that as it left Cadillac's final assembly plant that they were incomplete, not yet roadworthy cars.

The two most popular colors were Black and white, in that order. Parisian Blue of 1999 was the rarest at 2 made. One was on e-bay about 18 months ago. The owner never knew......

Some cars had custom chromed wheels and or Vogue tires. Again these were selling dealer added.

{Never again am I doing this !!} Save it, if you want it. Print it. Wallpaper your closet with it......whatever.....}
 
See less See more
#28 ·
Re: '98 & '99 Fleetwood Limited (MAKE A STICKY)

mccombie_5 said:
I didn't see this reply, but yes, he did.
The issue of what "specific" model gets used for a limo conversion has nothing to do with what the customer wants unless he or she wants to go with what's basically considered a "bandit car".
Both Cadillac and Lincoln have specific programs that are committed to the professional vehicle market. To this end they both developed programs that were aimed at controlling what cars got converted by coachbuilders. The reason for doing this was mainly to be able to exercise at least SOME control over end product safety. Lincoln has the QVM (Qualified Vehicle Modifier)program, and Cadillac has the CMC (Cadillac Master Coachbuilder) program. These groups are made up of people who "specialize" in professional vehicles and have been charged with making sure that anyone who converts their respective base cars into limousines, does so along strict guidlines developed by the OEMs (in this case GM and FORD). In order to get the properly developed chassis, technical support and warranty coverage, coachbuilders must be certified by the OEMs. The OEM sends people out on a continuous basis to monitor the coachbuilders and make sure they maintain certain levels of quality control and overall build quality.
If for some reason, let's say a customer wants a certain vehicle stretched that is NOT offered by the OEM under their respective coachbuilder program. That customer will have to go to a coachbuilder that is NOT a certified one and risk having a car that is not only most likely unsafe but is without factory support of any kind. THESE are the "bandit cars". Personally, I wouldn't even get in a car built by a NON-certified coachbuilder. I've seen the differences up close and believe me they CAN be down right scary!
 
#29 ·
Im not sure how it was done, i do know that it was already stretched when it arrived in the UK, i also know that he bought two Lincolns that are the same. One he kept as a standard wheelbase for use as a discreet limousine, and he had one "super stretched" This, as far as i can see is a good quality conversion. I havent looked closely, but it semms to have been done well,

I am unsure of how the other cars were converted, but they are all "executive" series cars.

I doubt he would risk his business on buying a poorly converted and unsafe car though....
 
#31 ·
mccombie_5 said:
Im not sure how it was done, i do know that it was already stretched when it arrived in the UK, i also know that he bought two Lincolns that are the same. One he kept as a standard wheelbase for use as a discreet limousine, and he had one "super stretched" This, as far as i can see is a good quality conversion. I havent looked closely, but it semms to have been done well,
I am unsure of how the other cars were converted, but they are all "executive" series cars.
I doubt he would risk his business on buying a poorly converted and unsafe car though....
Unfortunately, most customers have no clue about the quality or safety of their cars. Even fewer customers of the services that buy these cars from lesser quality coachbuilders have a clue about the cars they are paying to ride in.
Do you know what the name of the coachbuilder is? I can probably tell you a little about them.
 
#32 · (Edited)
No, no, no, guys - my '97 Deville is just that - a Deville - no Fleetwood.

However, the car was taken to Coachbuilders Limousine in Florida, before final delivery to the dealer (Port Ritchie, Coastal Cadillac). It has all the heavy duty accoutrements that you already mentioned, but also has regular 5 bolt wheels.

Once again, my '97 is NOT a Fleetwood
 
#33 · (Edited)
Okay, I know that company. They do nice work. They are the company that makes all of those custom convertibles, Edorados and 4-Dr '05 de Villes. The difference is this:

The cars we are speaking of were made BY Cadillac to certain specs., and then sent to Cadillac's personal aftermarket convertor, Superior .... which did
the work and returned the car TO Cadillac for their final inspection and then shipped it. Everything incl. the conversion is warranteed BY Cadillac. As far as the ultimate consumer is concerned, it's all Cadillac and nobody else was ever involved.

Cadillac has their people at Superior all the time as Superior makes trhe hearses, flower cars, and the
corporate limousines.
 
#34 ·
Whew, thanks for clearing that up.

The car was ordered with all these extras (incl leather interior, the build sheet spec'd cloth!), then refused by the original purchaser, at the last minute - the car sat on their lot from April/97 'til October/97 when it was finally bought by the next guy - I bought it from him July/04 when he drove up to Ottawa and traded it in for a Buick Rainier up here in Canada - then he turned around and drove back to Florida in the buick - curious, non?

But I gotta say, this car has it's share of of oddities, mostly pointed out to me by the dealerships up here. I can't tell you how many times I've been told "American caddy, eh? Well, it's different than the ones we sell here"
 
#35 ·
Katshot said:
Unfortunately, most customers have no clue about the quality or safety of their cars. Even fewer customers of the services that buy these cars from lesser quality coachbuilders have a clue about the cars they are paying to ride in.
Do you know what the name of the coachbuilder is? I can probably tell you a little about them.
Well this may be, but i seriously doubt that he would risk anything on this. I cannot remember the name of the coachworks he used, I'll ask when i next see him, but he used to convert cars in the UK himself, he used to own a coachbuilding 'shop. In 1964 he did some work on a Damiler for a customer, and the customers business went bust, so he took the car itself as payment for the work he carried out, he began to drive the car and made as much and at one point more than he was converting cars, so he became a full limousine company in 1972, offering no bodywork or repairs. From then the business expanded and he is where he is now, he personally flew out to America ( I THINK it was a dealership in Florida that he bought the two Lincolns from, so he probably used a coachbuilder there) and dealt with the whole thing himself, which he doesnt normally do.
 
#36 ·
Frost said:
No, no, no, guys - my '97 Deville is just that - a Deville - no Fleetwood.
However, the car was taken to Coachbuilders Limousine in Florida, before final delivery to the dealer (Port Ritchie, Coastal Cadillac). It has all the heavy duty accoutrements that you already mentioned, but also has regular 5 bolt wheels.
Once again, my '97 is NOT a Fleetwood
I think you'll find that the car is just a standard Deville. Do you have a picture of the SPID label? It would be a snap to tell you what the car has if we could see the label.
Also, do you have any info on "Coachbuilder's Limousine"? That name doesn't ring a bell. There are a lot of little customizers around the country that do custom conversions. I've seen a few in Florida that specialize in top-end cars like Cadillacs. Some do decent work, some don't. All in all, I would say that if you want a Cadillac or Lincoln customized, I'd stay with a coachbuilder that is certifed by the OEM. It's your best shot at getting a good car.
 
#37 ·
#39 ·
Sandy said:
Nice! DUAL tables & Footrests & skirts !
I have to admit, if I ever get tired of my 94 Fleetwood, I might consider trying to dig up one of these 98-99 Fleetwoods! They are interesting!

Now, if it was only V8 RWD with an 6.0L LQ9 with a 4L65E....
 
#41 ·
there is this guy in my town that has a fleetwood limited and its pearl white color and i think it's a beutiful car, i'd die to get one but i'm still on the look out for a 99 deville in pearl white, cause that's one of my goal cadillacs.

i was looking at the guys fleetwood about a month ago cause he goes to my friends shop to get fixed, he has a florida plate and he does have vogue tires on this baby.

this thing looks sick.
 
#42 ·
I hear you re: those Vogues, big-guy. I have a set of fender skirts being painted up and plan to install them in the Spring on my '97 SDV, and if I'm in a position to afford them, I'll also be putting on the mustard 'n mayos,,,,,,along with a set of their "stardust" 17 inch rims.

you want to talk about "sick"..........
 
#45 ·
#47 ·
Of all the ones that I've seen either in person, or on E-Bay, that's the first one with the optional grille cap that I've seen ON the chrome grille! I have seen 2 on units equipped with the "Concours" Pkg. featuring the black out grille and chrome Cadillac wreath & Crest in the grille's center. I like it beter with the black-out grille, than on the chrome grille.
 
#48 · (Edited)
I hear you Sandy - I bought a used '98 concours grille for my '97 SDV and then pried off the older crest/wreath emblem and epoxied the newer "Arts/Science logo into the centre portion. some people think it looks weird as I also have the newer emblem on the hood, but I don't really care - prefer the newer emblem over the older one any day - replaced all of them on my car within the first coupla months of owning it.

I plan to repaint the car sometime over the next year or so (thinking of going with a newer GM colour called "ice blue" and may even get it done in acrylic enamel as opposed to the bc/cc system - better durability) and will probably remove the hood ornamament and fill it in but for the time being, it is what it is,,,,,
 
#50 · (Edited)
Yes, horrible sound, isn't it? Actiually, I saved my originality-anal-retentativeness for my 1972 Mustang coupe with 39,740 original miles (photos attached) - that one is bone stock.

But for this '97 Caddy, I want to have a bit of fun and set it up the way I know I''ll enjoy it - and if that means re-jigging some of the General's thoughts and ideas, then so be it.
 
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