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665 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  carnut 
#1 ·
Alright, here's the deal. A bit long, so bear with me.

Found a guy selling an '82 Coupe DeVille. Silver with red vinyl interior, sedan top. It has 97,000 miles on it, starts right up; brakes, tranny, suspension all feel good, and the fluids aren't leaking (it does need an oil change). The power options work, cruise control and climate control work, radio is an aftermarket cassette radio that sounds fine, though I would consider finding an original if possible. The exhaust system is fairly new, within the last couple of years I'd say. Good tires.

Here's the problems:

-Needs paint. The whole car is faded, but not rusty other than a couple of spots.
-Needs quarter panel extensions (the plastic filler between the tail lights and the chassis).
-Dent on the driver side just behind the door, fairly large one (about 5 inches across, maybe two inches deep)
-Needs a grill.
-Needs one reverse light.
-The vinyl seats have splits in them.
-Cieling is sagging slightly.

Now, here is where it gets more complex for me. The engine is a 4.1 liter v8, the HT-4100. I've been researching it and... well, I'm not pleased. As far as I can tell, the guy's grandfather drove this car around by himself, so it probably was never under a lot of stress. I've been reading that this engine struggles under load (six people in the car), which is a very likely situation if I buy it.

The guy is asking $800 negotiable.

Is the engine as troublesome as I've read? The wikipedia article highlighted overheating and subsequent manifold gasket problems (I encountered the latter on my '97 LeSabre). If the gasket has been replaced, is there still a potential problem? Also, if the engine is rebuilt (forgot to ask the guy), is it any better?
 
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#2 ·
No. The motor pretty much sucks no matter what. Its too small, and is attached to a small tranny and rear end. Its pretty much struggles whenever its moving. However, it is a award winning motor, being THE Worst motor Cadillac ever put in its cars!

If it runs drives and is decent, its worth it. The motors are and were troublesome... Im not going to praise it because its a cadillac coupe... it is what it is. The motor is made from aluminum.. i have see the headgaskets go, i have seen the block literally corrode from the inside out, and have seen them fail at low miles. Guess its just your luck. Some people havent had issues, but alot have.
 
#7 ·
The main issue with this engine, besides being too small in this car, is people not replacing antifreeze at 2 year intervals and the old coolant attacking the gaskets. If coolant is replaced (not flushed) and the mandatory cooling system sealant added every 2 years they are relatively an ok engine. The sealant is sold in pellet form at any GM parts dept and is the same as BARSLEAK Gold. The old coolant will eat away at the intake gaskets and coolant then washes over the camshaft, ruining it. To test for a flat cam, put the car in gear and "power brake" it. If the engine runs evenly and bogs, thats normal. If it pops thru the throttle body repeatedly, then the cam is most likely flat. Use an engine oil advised for a diesel engine 20/50 DELO is what I use. Has more zinc to protect the cam. You probably know this is in no sense of the word a rare or classic car. So spending money to do it right will never be regained.

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