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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.....}
 
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#141 ·
Got any good picts of them?
 
#144 ·
These were not made by Cadillac, they were made by an aftermarket limo company that stretched them out. NO company like that will post info that lucrative because they spent all the time researching how to do it themselves, they won't just turn that over to a competitor.
 
#145 ·
#146 ·
Can you help the newbie?

Greetings all from the newbie.

I have a need for a large good riding vehicle and of course you can see what has come to my mind. I am generally performance oriented and this is a bit of a switch for me. I have even thought about an engine swap if needed. The general use will be transporting my elderly parents to/from doctor, etc. so the added rear room of a limited will be nice.

I have a number of immediate options available to me. One is a '98 limited -- Superior. It has been repainted (1st class) with a new sunroof and roof vinyl. 86k miles on the original engine.

Since I am new I have lot's of questions.

If the ride on the '98 is too harsh can anything be done to make it ride more like a '99 or better?

When did HID lighting first appear? This is very desirable for me.and will be retrofitted if needed.

What are the weak spots to look for? This one has " a need for an A/C charge" However the current owner did not know if the compressor was coming on, only that there was no cold coming out. hmmm!

Where can I find what was standard equipment? I read the first post, but am curious about other things.

What is the HP/Torque on the 4.6L used here. OK, I am being lazy with this one. Tell me to go look it up.

I am thinking that a well maintained drive train with 85k miles on it should have a few more miles in her until rebuild/swap.

I am afraid I may have a problem with this owner with the price $6500, he thinks of it as an investment car. While the numbers may match, I can't think of this car that way. There are too many changes. Paint, shaved trunk lock, new sunroof, new roof cover, '08 fender vents. All of this has been done correctly but I feel it takes away from its collectable value. Do you have an idea of its fair value? New tires and A/C are all that's needed before I see it on the 6th.

I have found a good looking '96 DeVille with 160kmiles for $2000 and a '00 with 116k that needs a new engine (or head gasket) for $1000. Anyone loaded a crate engine or other performance modded mill into these? will the tranny take it? I can do the mechanical work no problem.

I really do appreciate all opinions Thanks in advance.
 
#147 ·
Re: Can you help the newbie?

If the ride on the '98 is too harsh can anything be done to make it ride more like a '99 or better?
Cannot say I ever noticed a ride quality difference between my '98 and my '99s (one of my '99s has the non-commerical chasis).

What are the weak spots to look for?
Bought my first '99 with 75k on it. It is now in the low 90s. First I had to replace the tranny. And then the rear head gasket went. Car has been sitting since early 2006. Got me another with 39k on it and life has been much smoother.

What is the HP/Torque on the 4.6L used here.
275hp off the top of my head. Don't know the torque number.

Anyone loaded a crate engine or other performance modded mill into these?
GM came out with a new engine for these maybe 2 years ago. Supposedly solves the head gasket problem. I think they were $5k. There is a thread about it in the DeVille section. I don't believe the engine is a performance upgrade.


Something you might want to consider is looking for a used limo. I have found it is easier to find ones with low miles when compared to Fleetwood Limiteds. Last year, I was able to get a '98 6-door with 43k for $5900. To me, low miles are the key with these cars. My 75k and 160k cars quickly turned into money pits.

KC
 
#150 ·
A substitute/upgrade for a Limited is a DES. This is a DHS stretched 6" by Accubuilt in Ohio. Google their website and you can see all the options that were available. They made these from 2000 to at least 2003. I test drove a '99 Limited and there is no comparison to a 2000+. Check ebay for a DES, that's where I bought my 2003 DES. And for the owners looking for tables - contact Accubuilt directly or write me and I can get you specs or pictures.
 
#151 ·
A substitute/upgrade for a Limited is a DES. This is a DHS stretched 6" by Accubuilt in Ohio. Google their website and you can see all the options that were available. They made these from 2000 to at least 2003. I test drove a '99 Limited and there is no comparison to a 2000+. Check ebay for a DES, that's where I bought my 2003 DES. And for the owners looking for tables - contact Accubuilt directly or write me and I can get you specs or pictures.
 
#152 ·
A substitute/upgrade for a Limited is a DES. This is a DHS stretched 6" by Accubuilt in Ohio. Google their website and you can see all the options that were available. They made these from 2000 to at least 2003. I test drove a '99 Limited and there is no comparison to a 2000+.
You're right. There is no comparison. Mostly because when I tried to take a 2000 DES for a test drive, my knees were jammed into the dash, so I could not take it for a test drive. The '99 has WAY more leg room.
 
#163 ·
I don't care for the blue interior, but here's another 99 Fleetwood on ebaY http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
That car was previously listed on eBay in December 2007. That seller said the car had 70k miles on it. Maybe he was rounding up. Had a starting bid of $5k and a BIN for $7,795. Was ended early cuz it was "no longer available for sale." So I figure this latest owner is not losing his shirt selling it for $5500. I do wonder what problems the car has. Neither seller was big on details and the prices have been low for that many miles.

KC
 
#165 ·
I'm about to purchase a 98' fleetwood limited for $2k. I would like to know what are the problems with that engine? Are there any problems with the oil leaks like the 1st. gen. north stars? After reading this entire thread, all the talks were about the chassic. I want to know about the performance and are there anyway I can move the seat tracks back. The one I'm persuing, has a little over 40k miles on it.
 
#166 ·
Move the seat tracks back?? What are you? 7'6"? I'm 6'8" with a 39" inseam and I have at least 4" between my knees and the dash. I'm thinking there is something wrong with the power seat in the car you're looking at.

$2k for a '98 with 41k miles? Sounds like someone trying to unload a blown head gasket to me. And blown head gaskets are your main worry. Other problem I've had on 2 of the cars is a 741 code for the tranny.

I have/had three plus a '98 limo. None have leaked oil but they burn it.

I've been happy with the performance of my cars. They move when necessary. And, I've even been able to squeeze 30 mpg out of them if I keep it at 55 mph on the highway.

KC
 
#167 ·
Hey Clark, I don't think so. A friend of mines father's cousin had it. He was an elderly man who died the other week. He hardly drove the car. I'm 6' 7" with 38" inseam. I like to stretch my legs out on long trips lol. I've never had this year or model. I was thinking out loud about the seats. There's so much room behind the seat when it's all the way back, so I was wondering if you could move it a couple more inches. So, are you saying that the tranny on them go out before the engine?
 
#170 ·
Hey Clark, I don't think so. A friend of mines father's cousin had it. He was an elderly man who died the other week. He hardly drove the car.
So why are we even having this discussion? ;) For $2k, I'd buy that car so fast it would make your head spin. You are getting a steal IMO.

So, are you saying that the tranny on them go out before the engine?
My first '99 had already had a head gasket blow before I bought it. I was not up to speed on Northstars yet so I did not know what was involved in fixing it correctly. I talked to the mechanic that did the fix before I bought it and I know now he did not do what was necessary. Anyway, first '99 went engine, tranny, engine. Second '99 is tranny first. My '98 had lots of problems but it also had 160K+ miles. My '98 limo has less than 50k miles and no major problems yet.
 
#169 ·
Radiator fluid was leaking into the tranny fluid. Caddy dealer replaced tranny and radiator for a tad over $5k. That was June 2005. Then the head gasket went in March 2006 and I have not driven the car since (car was at a shade tree mechanic's since March 2006 - finally got it back last month, unfixed and minus the cats which were cut off). Bought another '99 in October 2006. Got an extended warranty on it this time. Currently setting 741 codes. Dealer says it is the torque converter this time. Extended warranty company is doing everything they can to keep from paying. Required the dealer to tear it apart to take some readings, put it back together, reset the codes and told dealer to see if the code would come back. Dealer doesn't have time to have a tech drive it everywhere so I went and got the car. Took me 6 days to get the 741 back. Warranty company was unhappy that I was driving the car instead of the dealership (I'm currently on the hook for all these tests the warranty company wanted and the warranty company probably figured the code would not come back during the limited driving the dealership would do so, no code would show up and I'd have to shell out $600 for the tests). Warranty company is sending someone out to look at the car. Warranty runs out in June 2011 and I do not drive the car during the winter. I do not like where this is going.

KC
 
#171 ·
Wow, thanks for the info kc. That was informative and it's well appreciated. I was thinking of getting it and driving it until about 80k miles, then getting rid of it. This is the prime reason I've been sticking to the earlier Cadillacs, due to that North Star engine. I stuck with the 4.9's, because I've been successfully able to work on them myself. I will seek to be purchasing this vehicle by next week. Thanks again for you input on the reliability of the 98 Fleetwood Limited.

OlHump
 
#174 ·
Hey Hartford, I have that same white one.

My findings:

I found that it's with the HDuty commercial chassie, with 46K miles and runs excellent. I find that it has lots of minor cosmetic deficiencies in the interior. I found that the headliner needs replacing, door handles are loose, front carpet needs cleaning, driver seat is worn the hell out like a big person was living in that seat. Front headlights are broken and needs replacing, also they are very hazed. Has 5 brand new Michelins tires including spare which still has the blue white wall and on regular rim in trunk. I did noticed that there were some noise coming from the suspension when hiting a bump. Something like a sway bar loose or linkage bushings needs replacing. I turned the a/c on and it was out of refrigerant. finally I pulled these history codes:

PCM - P0603
PCM - P1189
PCM - P1350
PCM - P1520
PCM - P1527
ACM - B1348
IRC - B1771

Can anyone tell me what are these codes referencing or where can I find these codes on this forum? The car will need painting soon. I hope I haven't bit off more than I could chew when I brought this car.
 
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