With winter fast approaching, I'm curious as to what you all think would be a great winter car. I'm not in the market (yet), but I'm just curious. A winter car, for me should be cheap, efficent, simple and no worse on gas than your main car. It shouldn't be something you don't care too much about, but still something you like, and something durable and good in snow.

If I was in the market for a "winter beater" heres what I'd be lookin' at...

1990-93 Honda Accord
1985-89 Lincoln Town Car
1995-99 Monte Carlo
1980-92 Electra, Park Avenue/ Ninety Eight
1992-96 Grand Prix/ Cutlass Supreme
1991-96 Ciera/Century
1979-85 Toronado/Riviera

How about you guys?

Something from Sweden. A Saab or a Volvo. Maybe a German car like an Audi with Quattro or something. AWD is important to me. For American cars...I don't know, maybe a 4WD SUV or something?

The best 2 cars I had in the snow were my 90 Fleetwood, totally amazing.

And my Ex Wife's 88 Plymouth Sundance.

I suppose if I was gonna go with an SUV, it'd be an old Blazer/ Jimmy or an old Cherokee.

An 80's, early 90's FWD U.S. car would be cheap, easy to fix and get good traction. Plenty of pick and pull parts available.
Imports cost more to fix when they break.

I'm partial to the Rivs and Toronados you mentioned but they are heavier on gas than some of the others. :thumbsup:

late 90's used Subaru Imprezza or something similar. My dad used to have an Imprezza Outback that was great in the snow. The first week he had it, we drove up to Vermont to go skiing and went driving through a blizzard with no problems at all. Great car....learned to drive stick on that thing actually.

WRX http://www.usacomp.com/images/MO%20WRX.jpg Your only choice!

Winter is coming....70 degrees....BRRRRR:D!

If I was in an actual winter climate, I'd go with a 4WD SUV. Of what you're willing to spend, possibly a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Ford Explorer? Both are plentiful and can be had for cheap.

My favorite winter beater was a 1963 Ford Country Squire wagon I bought from a guy in 1978. White with a red interior and acres of vinyl woodgrain. It had a bad oil pump, and I paid $50 for it. Replaced the pump, drove it three years, had a friend with a body shop touch it up, took it to a car show and sold it for $1500.00

http://greene-shipman.org/63FordCountrySquire.jpg

Yeeha!

Doc will get you there!
http://www.cinemalogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/BV_Cars-220.jpg

My '93 K5 Blazer was really great in the snow. Never had a single problem, kicked ass actually driving IN the snow too :stirpot:

My SLS has been through one winter so far, and it's pretty good in the snow too. The first night I had it I parked outside, perfectly cleaned and detailed from the dealer, and the next morning it was blanketed in an inch of snow :thepan:

got a 2000 Jimmy 4x4 great winter beater, tons of cheap parts available.


F

There's no other car I'd rather be driving in the snow.....

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/DopeStar156/1999%20Chevrolet%20Malibu%20LS/malibu5.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/DopeStar156/1999%20Chevrolet%20Malibu%20LS/malibu6.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/DopeStar156/1999%20Chevrolet%20Malibu%20LS/malibusticker1.jpg

It's proven it's reliability year after year after year. This thing trudges through the snow like a set of well tracked boots.

Last winter on Route 80 going from Hoboken, NJ back home at 3:30 in the morning. Three inches of snow on the road and the car drove straight as an arrow with very minimal slip. Nothing has proven it's reliability year after year after year better than my trusty Malibu.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/DopeStar156/1999%20Chevrolet%20Malibu%20LS/malibusnow.jpg

I had a 93 Bonneville that was awesome in the snow and parts were cheap. I remember once i was on the NJ turnpike during heavy snow and a really overconfident guy in a Grand Cherokee was following me he spun out of control behind me and smacked into the dividing wall. A few mile down the road on the opposite side of the turnpike another wrecked Grand Cherokee must have lost control as well. I also had a 92 accord dx coupe that was also kick ass in the snow, it was the base model (no a/c,no power anything excep steering and brakes) it was the perfect year round beater and never broke down sold it to a friend (big mistake it was the most reliable car i've owned), he sold it after 180k miles w/ nothing wrong he just needed a change.

80s Sentra. Why? The sound deadening is so poor that you can hear exactly what the tires are doing or what you're driving over. It was simply outstanding with all season tires and very nose-heavy. Plus, you didnt care about how bad the salt was, because its not a car that inspires coveting.

Otherwise, crappy car.

My former Maxima was fantastic through the snow. I drove it across the country in the dead of winter through the nastiest great plains ice storm in almost a century.

Balogna!! Do it right!

http://usera.imagecave.com/BobsWork/dcp_0235.jpg

My 1988 Sedan Deville with over 340000 miles showing on the old ODO!

The nice thing about the FWD "E-Body" '79-'85 Toronados and Rivieras is that they're FWD, with a V8 and they're built solid so if you do hit something, it's not gonna do any major damage, and they're cheap as hell nowadays, and still like a Cadillac. But they have a real problem with rust, and that's a major drawback in the snow.. I like the early '90s Accords too, just because they're cheap, efficent and nice, but nothing too nice. '85-89 Town Car...it's big, luxurious, reliable, and extremely cheap. With RWD it's not especially good in snow, but it's not bad at all with all of that weight, same with the '77-'84 Electra/Ninety Eight. The 88-96 Electra, Park Avenue/ Ninety Eight are great like the Toronado/Riviera are great, but they've got the better motor, are better on gas and don't rust up nearly as bad, and have all the safety features I like so much..like ABS and Airbag(s).

^Not a bad idea. Get a smaller 86-88 sedan deville. Honda is pretty pricey even for a winter beater in useable shape.
Id go with the 91-96 century/cierra. Good reliable car. Not bad for winter and fairly cheap.
Im going with my 92 taurus. I put about $800 into the tires, brakes, and suspension so I have a decent beater as long as the engine and trans hold up. 4 wheel disc makes a world of difference in early 90's cars IMO.

In 1976 I spent the winter in Oswego, New York, driving a 1973 Buick Electra. I didn't have any problems, once I learned how to drive in the snow, (340+ inches for the season, record was 54" in 24 hours).

The best car for the winter is a "beater". This hopefully will keep the people who don't know how to drive in the snow, away from you. Regardless of how well you can go in the snow, there is always someone out there who is determined to ruin your day. 4 wheel drive helps you go, it don't help you stop.

Hmm..somebody said their dream winter car is a mid '70s Toronado. Big enough where people get out of your way when you start sliding, but heavy enough to have plenty of traction in the snow..

Im going with my 92 taurus. I put about $800 into the tires, brakes, and suspension so I have a decent beater as long as the engine and trans hold up. 4 wheel disc makes a world of difference in early 90's cars IMO.


Watch out for that 3.8! It'll get ya! An older Cadillac is a good idea, but I'd avoid the 4.1 at all costs.

I know all about the damn 3.8. Might sell that within the next few weeks and get myself the coupe I want and then use my 89 for the winter but I'd need to get some non leather seats for the cold weather.

I would buy a 4.1 again. Yes they are not as reliable as 4.5/4.9 but 86 and 87's arent that bad. Good enough for a winter beater at least. There's much worse than a 4.1 like a 3.8 ford for example.

LOL too true. Is that '89 Coupe still for sale?

I'd vote for any GM FWD car made between 1979-1993. That should keep the cost down and open the door to a lot of possibilities.

Down here we don't have to worry about such things. There will be maybe two days this winter that I won't be able to climb back up my driveway.

My wife has a '98 Volvo S70-T5 with traction control. I haven't seen it fail going up that hill yet. Unbelievable.

Most of these would be great winter cars. Still, haven't mentioned Jeeps yet. My dad's 95 Wrangler with 219,000 has never gotten stuck, and it's nothing more than a $500 corn-flaked piece of shit! Still, love to drive it in the snow in 2wd and drop it into 1st or 2nd going about 40, back-end comes around real nice!

I go to visit my friends in Duluth quite frequently. For those who aren't familiar with the area, Duluth MN gets tons of snow, and it's very very hilly. On the days it snows a lot, the only vehicles that can get up those hilly streets are the Wranglers. But on the days that it isn't snowing so bad, most cars can navigate those streets pretty easily. My best friend has a '98 Ranger 2WD with the 2.5 I-4 and stick shift. With the 31" tires he has on there, he can do Duluth's winter streets pretty easily, except when they're at their worst. But that's where my friend Evan comes in with his '98 Wrangler SE.

See, I'm thinking, if I choose to buy a Mark VIII next, I'm gonna need a winter car because a VIII will be so lousy in even the twin cities snow, which pales in comparison with Duluth's snow.

Most of these would be great winter cars. Still, haven't mentioned Jeeps yet. My dad's 95 Wrangler with 219,000 has never gotten stuck, and it's nothing more than a $500 corn-flaked piece of shit! Still, love to drive it in the snow in 2wd and drop it into 1st or 2nd going about 40, back-end comes around real nice!

True, but I've never been one for Wranglers. They just don't feel like a real car to me, they feel like an oversized power wheels to me.

Pow pow power wheels!

LOL too true. Is that '89 Coupe still for sale?
Yep. Still for sale. It's a 90 though. Screw this. I gotta sell my taurus for that. :crybaby:

Yep. Still for sale. It's a 90 though. Screw this. I gotta sell my taurus for that. :crybaby:

Is that that brownish one with the front end damage? It'd be cool if you got that and fixed it up and made your '89 the winter car!

Its black. That's pretty much what I want to do but I gotta see if things start to pick up financially around the house.

If you, for some crazy reason, need to drive in Duluth in the ice and snow then a wrangler is a nice choice but you probably wouldnt use it very much.

Most unstoppable 4wd vehicle- Jeep, any jeep. When they say theyre built for offroad they aint bullshittin ya! The only better 4x4 is a hummer h1 or land rover. Before I had my CTS i had a 97 jeep grand cherokee with 2 inch lift and 30" BFG AT KO tires. I went off-roading fairly often and that car was unstoppable- never got stuck EVER. One of my country friends drove it once off road and said it was the best 4x4 hes ever driven and hes drove lots of 4x4s off road. I drove in 20 inches of snow no problem at all. I drove through mud holes that trapped lifted dodge rams that came along later. My next car is going to be a 2000 or 2001 grand cherokee. The best part aboout most jeeps (not new models) is that they dont have independant suspension on any of the wheels- this makes for better performance in off road and snowy conditions.

This post makes me kind of miss my jeep.....

I had a 73 delta 88 that did pretty well in the snow also and it could turn some mean donuts and 180s! My ritual on snowy days during high school was to hit a 180 coming into the parking lot. Seeing a 4500lb boat hitting a 180 is a beautiful sight to see!!!

Well, I despise Wranglers for daily driving. They're really only good off road, and in terrible terrible snow. They're noisy, uncomfortable, slow, rough riding, lacking in creature comforts, ugly and cramped.

I'd have to use any winter vehicle I'd buy for daily driving. I think I'd do it where I could only drive my main vehicle from April to September and then from October to March I'd drive only the winter car.

Most unstoppable 4wd vehicle- Jeep, any jeep. When they say theyre built for offroad they aint bullshittin ya! The only better 4x4 is a hummer h1 or land rover. Before I had my CTS i had a 97 jeep grand cherokee with 2 inch lift and 30" BFG AT KO tires. I went off-roading fairly often and that car was unstoppable- never got stuck EVER. One of my country friends drove it once off road and said it was the best 4x4 hes ever driven and hes drove lots of 4x4s off road. I drove in 20 inches of snow no problem at all. I drove through mud holes that trapped lifted dodge rams that came along later. My next car is going to be a 2000 or 2001 grand cherokee. The best part aboout most jeeps (not new models) is that they dont have independant suspension on any of the wheels- this makes for better performance in off road and snowy conditions.


One of the vehicles I'm seriously considering buying next is a '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited. I looooove the ZJ Grand Cherokees, and the 5.9 Limited was the best of the ZJ's, and a great way to end that model run! If I did get the Grand Cherokee, I'd need a 2nd vehicle not as a winter car, but as something to drive when I don't feel like putting $60 in the tank of the GC weekly!

My dad loves his Wrangler. That's his work vehicle, he drives the Lexus on the weekends. But then again, he's visiting rail yards and plugging meters for a good chunk of the day, so the Wrangler is great for him. He calls it a go-cart for yuppies.

I am looking into getting a Jeep Cherokee Sport. I like the boxy look to it and that 4.0 engine it has alot of pick up and go. My cousin has a 1999 one and he has almost 200,000 miles on it and it is running strong. The only problem he has had with it is the oxygen sensors. It looks like they go out more frequently than other cars.

David

From what I've heard, the AMC/Jeep 4.0 I-6 is one of the most durable motors of the last 25 years. The 4.0 started production in 1987, but the block dates back to the '70s I believe, if not earlier. It makes good power in the Cherokee and Wrangler, but is a dog in the Grand Cherokees.

Whatever you buy just buy a set of dedicated winter tires.

From what I've heard, the AMC/Jeep 4.0 I-6 is one of the most durable motors of the last 25 years. The 4.0 started production in 1987, but the block dates back to the '70s I believe, if not earlier. It makes good power in the Cherokee and Wrangler, but is a dog in the Grand Cherokees.

Durable ain't the word for it. They routinely go 250K without even breathing hard.

The 4.0 liter I-6 goes back to 1964, when AMC designed it for the Ambassador as the 232. Later it was stroked up to the 258, and became the standard engine throughout the Jeep line. The same basic block design was carried over to the 4.0 liter series engines, which were built through 2006.

Best part is, '84-'04 Square-o-kees are everywhere - and cheap. My neighbor just sold his beat to crap woodgrained '94 Wagoneer with 56K for $1200.

So it went from the 4.2 I-6 to the smaller 4.0? Cool!

If i ever went back to a place that had snow , this would be my weapon of choice :

http://amceaglenest.com/images/1981AMCEagleSX4.jpg

before subarus "outback" this monster sported 4wd and a jeep esque powertrain ...Avaiable as an AMX , a hatchback 2 door , a 4 door sedan , and a station wagaon these things were unstopabale ....they were to say the least ahead of there time ...They acually competed in germany at the 24 hours of the nurburgring , and did fairly well ....they also enjoyed a life as a rally car ....and still do ....

In Northern Michigan i've had my 96 Sebring Convertible which is great, and has taken me through plenty of snow storms without a problem. Wide tires. Before that it was my 89 Deville which was awesome. The 98 Seville last winter was terrific. Always go with Front Wheel Drive in the snow. Stay away from RWD in snow. I have all season tires on both cars.

70% of the vehicles I see up here that have gone off the road and into the ditches are SUV's. I hate to say it, 4 wheel drive is over rated. I had one of the newer Trail Blazers last winter for a day and it was awful on the snow and ice, maybe it had bad tires.

just my 2 cents.

If i ever went back to a place that had snow , this would be my weapon of choice :

http://amceaglenest.com/images/1981AMCEagleSX4.jpg

before subarus "outback" this monster sported 4wd and a jeep esque powertrain ...Avaiable as an AMX , a hatchback 2 door , a 4 door sedan , and a station wagaon these things were unstopabale ....they were to say the least ahead of there time ...They acually competed in germany at the 24 hours of the nurburgring , and did fairly well ....they also enjoyed a life as a rally car ....and still do ....

I wanna get behind the wheel of one of those things. They're so 80's!

70% of the vehicles I see up here that have gone off the road and into the ditches are SUV's. I hate to say it, 4 wheel drive is over rated.

Nah, I think people with 4x4's get too cocky about their 4WD, drive too fast and lose control.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/rolex/Maxi-mog.jpg

Unimog. :thumbsup:

Hello...

My 1981 Chevrolet Citation served me well under Michigan winters. :thumbsup:

Actually the AMC 4.0 I6 goes back further then 1964.... in 1964.... well, from multiple articals I have read, AMC bought the rights to a 30's-era tractor engine, and "updated" it, thus becoming the AMC I6.... but, the actual engine goes back to the 30's....

I like Jeep Wranglers (specially TJ's) for all the reasons listed why they wouldn't be a "good" daily driver.

My mother had a 1985 AMC Eagle wagon, 4.2 I6, carbed, 4wd..... she got that and sold her trusty Chevette, simple cause we would go camping alot, and it would take 2 trips with the Chevette to gaul all our stuff, the Eagle only took one. That car was literally a lemon, problem after problem after problem after problem.... and, to top it off, the 4wd never, ever, ever worked. It was black with a red interior (IIRC... maybe it was black interior) I liked it tho, as it was a neat car... I remember going to a yard sale with my mom and some guy was said to us "is that your car?" then he was saying how it's gonna be rare and worth something in the future and stuff. Multiple transmissions, over heats, radaiators, 4wd never worked, over drive never worked, lotta electrical problems.... and more.

My '89 Olds Eighty Eight is a bear in the snow.... never got stuck... it would just chug thru the snow... even when I would be off having some fun in a field with the snow coming up over the hood.

I tried plowing thru a 8-10" snowbank in a parking lot once. I got stuck :(
Maybe if I had been going faster....

If i ever went back to a place that had snow , this would be my weapon of choice :



before subarus "outback" this monster sported 4wd and a jeep esque powertrain ...Avaiable as an AMX , a hatchback 2 door , a 4 door sedan , and a station wagaon these things were unstopabale ....they were to say the least ahead of there time ...They acually competed in germany at the 24 hours of the nurburgring , and did fairly well ....they also enjoyed a life as a rally car ....and still do ....

Here's a V8 Eagle project if you're interested
Flying with (V-8) Eagles (http://users.nac.net/gr/eagleweb/v8eagle/)

Where I live, I'd pick a 75 Deville, 94 Mark VIII, and 95 ETC. Since I don't have to worry about snow more than once, MAYBE twice a year.

If I did, I'd get a 4.0 Cherokee. My friend has one of those. I like it. Fun to get it dirty.

Nah, I think people with 4x4's get too cocky about their 4WD, drive too fast and lose control.

Actually, most newer 4 wheel and all wheel drives lure drivers into a false sense of security. You really have to do some slides in an empty parking lot to learn how to handle a 4wd. The point of no return line is very thin, and by the time you're aware you've reached it, it's already too late.

Up here in the northern lower peninsula, I can always tell if it was a woman or a man driving the Trail Blazer/Yukon/Expedition/Explorer. The women put them in the ditch - the men put them on the roof.

BTW, don't buy a Wrangler for winter driving. Wheelbase is too short and they'll spin like a top on icy roads.

Actually, most newer 4 wheel and all wheel drives lure drivers into a false sense of security. You really have to do some slides in an empty parking lot to learn how to handle a 4wd. The point of no return line is very thin, and by the time you're aware you've reached it, it's already too late.

Same thing with AWD. My friend has that '91 Talon TSi, and in snow it's great in a straight line, and from a stop, but if you give that too much throttle in a turn, you'll go sideways very easily! We used to do it in parking lots all the time!

Anyways, my #1 choice for a winter car would be a '79-'85 Toronado. Cheap, luxurious, reliable, comfortable, durable, FWD & heavy, underpowered so it won't be easy to spin the tires, and very very solid in case of an accident, and it's big, but not too big. There are three drawbacks from the way I see it: not good on gas, but neither is my '92, it's a carburator, and the E bodies love to rust!
http://encyclopedia.classicoldsmobile.com/toronado/84.jpg

But right now, if nothing serious happens to the '92, I'll use that as the winter car after I get my next car.

True, but I've never been one for Wranglers. They just don't feel like a real car to me, they feel like an oversized power wheels to me.

Pow pow power wheels!

That may be because they ARENT a car!!!!

Its a jeep

Take a look at mine and tell me its a car......

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m92/JodeanSS/stuff/Bigtires.jpg

They feel like oversized power wheels to me. Nothing else feels like that to me.

the absolute best winter beater is a plymouth horison. Skinny ass tires that cut through the snow and slush like rails....citations were pretty good too or a lebaron. all mid to late 80's cheap good on gas if you find a maintained one and like I said great in the elelments.

Same thing with AWD. My friend has that '91 Talon TSi, and in snow it's great in a straight line, and from a stop, but if you give that too much throttle in a turn, you'll go sideways very easily! We used to do it in parking lots all the time!

Anyways, my #1 choice for a winter car would be a '79-'85 Toronado. Cheap, luxurious, reliable, comfortable, durable, FWD & heavy, underpowered so it won't be easy to spin the tires, and very very solid in case of an accident, and it's big, but not too big. There are three drawbacks from the way I see it: not good on gas, but neither is my '92, it's a carburator, and the E bodies love to rust!
http://encyclopedia.classicoldsmobile.com/toronado/84.jpg

But right now, if nothing serious happens to the '92, I'll use that as the winter car after I get my next car.
This car is the same as an eldorado. Just different engine.

I would buy another 1989 Olds Delta 88 in a heart beat again. Awesome car, period.

As a winter car, it was great, never lost traction, stoped great, would plow thru snow like no tomorrow and would blast out copous amounts of heat. Great car.

underpowered so it won't be easy to spin the tires

Not quite.... on slippery conditions, its VERY easy to spin tires, espcially snow, slush and ice.... my moms Brougham would spin the tires with studded snows without much effort at all if the driveway wasn't clear. On the same note, my 120hp Isuzu will spin the 265/75 A/T tires on dry pavement.... engine power and tire spin aren't directly related, espeically when you factor in winter driving.

They feel like oversized power wheels to me. Nothing else feels like that to me.

Gosh that is the most awesome feeling, I used to love my power wheels Jeep, and driving a TJ, is just awesome, it has that same fun go anywhere, do anything feel... the biggest reason why I like them.... kinda like a Miata-ish car, but its a 4x4 truck..... another reason why the Isuzu is so awesome, it has that same feeling... just a little more carlike inside then a similar year Wrangler (YJ) but still kicks butt off-road... even with 2wd.

This car is the same as an eldorado. Just different engine.

No shit, they're the E-bodies. Eldo, Riv, Toronado. I wouldn't wanna put an Eldorado thru the snow and salt..

Here's an idea for a winter car: '85-93 FWD Deville!! I almost bought a '93 Deville with 78K last week for $1900, nothing like riding in style and with FWD to boot. But the last thing I need is another car right now.

That's a great idea too, but I wouldn't wanna have two of the same car. Besides, you don't wanna get a Caddy all rusty and stuff, leave that for the Olds/Buick!

the best winter car I ever owned was a 1973 Buick LeSabre Sedan. In NY, we get some bad snow and this car could make it up a steep hill with a foot of snow with no problems. It had the Buick 350-4bbl/turbo 400 and was an indestructable package. It was fast, handled well and almost got 15mpg!!! I paid $400 for it, put it through 2 winters and sold it to a collector for $700.

I have always thought that the 79-85 Toronado/Riviera/Eldorado were nice looking cars. The only problem I have with the 1979-85 E-body is the Turbo Hydramatic 325. It's a weak tranny, especially in the overdrive 1982-85 version. I looked at 4 of them with under 100k and all had slipping problems My tranny rebuilder says to stay away from them. In the good weather, it's not as much of a problem, but when the wheels are still spinning forward on the ice and you accidentally put it into reverse, you wish it was you bleeding on the ground because when your car does it, you're SOL.

I currently use my 95 Fleetwood in the snow. It's an animal as long as the traction control is turned OFF. That system is made to cause accidents. I've had it through two winters and I wash the bottom whenever there is a warm day. It hasn't rusted in that time.

You can't beat an American RWD full size car wih a solid axle for reliability and when the weather's horrible, that's not the time to break down.

Was that THM used in all of the 79-85 E Bodies? I always thought they used something stronger in the 79-80 models..

E bodies from 79-81 and the Seville from 80-81 used a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic 325. From 1982-85, an overdrive unit, called the 325-4L was substituted. From what I understand, these were FWD variants of the Metric 200.

I owned a 1980 Seville with 35k documented miles, and the TH-325 tranny slipped and hesitated to go into 2nd. I called my tranny man, who has been in the business for 30+ years, and he said that it was the second worst transmission made, with the worst being the 325-4L. He was able to adjust the TV cable to relieve some of the hesitation and a fluid change helped, but didn't fully solve the uphill slipping.

I desprerately want to love the 79-85 Eldorado and 80-85 Seville. They are in my top 10 of the best looking cars ever made. The interiors are also very comfortable and decadent. However, the engineering and build quality were so bad that those cars are what de-throned Cadillac as the Standard of the World. They were painted with dispersion lacquer that was guaranteed to dull and crack, they had underpowered, unreliable engines and transmissions, except the 79 olds 350, the '80 368 and the 81 368 w/o V8-6-4. the 368 was reliable, just underpowered. In addition, these cars were electronically complicated. If you got an Olds or Buick, it was a slow V6 or a slow 307, both reliable.

I think that with dedication, careful driving, routine servicing and using technical workarounds for some of the worst flaws, these cars can be rewarding classics and the Caddies, for all their problems, are already appreciating in the marketplace. But to flog one around in poor conditon is just asking for failure. :banghead: Better to learn RWD, buy a heavy one (over 4000 lbs) and enjoy a relaible, cheap to fix winter beater.

I desperately want a 79-85 Eldorado Biarritz, and if I was to get one just to have as a weekend cruiser, I'd have to have a 79-81 model, just because the 368 is so much better than the HT4100. The Olds 350 used in the '79 was an *alright* motor, but I use that term loosely because it was better than the HT4100, but it has some problems with journals of some sort. We discussed this motor in a different thread, the problem was stated but I don't remember the exact problem.

The Rivieras and Toronados used the Buick 252 cid (4.1 Liter) V6, the Olds 307 V8, and only the Riv had the special Turbo 3.8. So If I did get one with the Turbo 3.8, it would be decently quick..I think the 0-60 for that model is in the mid 8 second range, which isn't too bad considering the time it came from. But I'd stay the hell away from the 4.1 V6, just because it makes less power than the HT4100, and I'd most likely end up having the 307 if I went down the Riv/Toro route, just because that was the most common engine ordered. It's not a fast engine by any means, but it does alright for daily driving...0-60 in the mid 9- low 10 second range I'd imagine.

I'd really like to build up an E-Body so it would have atleast 300 hp. The engine work would be the easy part, use a 403, 425, 472 or 500, as I believe these were almost bolt-ins. The tough part would be finding a tranny that wouldn't cave to all that power.

That's a great idea too, but I wouldn't wanna have two of the same car. Besides, you don't wanna get a Caddy all rusty and stuff, leave that for the Olds/Buick!

For the price difference I would take a 4.5/4.9 FWD Deville (Fleetwood or Sixty Special a plus) and have a comfortable winter ride. You can get decent examples for around $1500.

You can get decent examples for around $1500.


Looks like I paid $2,500 too much. :(

Looks like I paid $2,500 too much. :(

You could have had a '94-96 RWD Fleetwood for $4K! :D

Not a good, low mileage, highly optioned one. All the good ones in the MN area are atleast $6,500.