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Honestly, is a Northstar Cadillac a wise purchase for a ~20 year old?

5K views 47 replies 25 participants last post by  Haleykeek 
#1 ·
I've been thinking, let's say I find a nice, low mile (>100k) 1993-95 STS (my favorite Caddy ever) in great condition for $7000 when I have about $9000 saved in the bank for a new car. Is a Northstar Cadillac of this magnitude and age a wise choice for a car that is being purchased by a 20 year old who is trying to get a car that's gonna be cheap to own and reliable? Or would I be walking on thin ice with this purchase? Cadillacs tend to be expensive to fix and maintain, compared with other cars, and there's more stuff to go bad, all the electronic goodies and whatnot. Now my Cadillac is relatively simple, as far as newer Caddies go, but compared to other cars from that time period, it's quite complex.

Now I've had pretty good luck with mine, the majority of the stuff that's gone bad is regular maintenance stuff, but I've heard loads of horror stories about many, many things going wrong on the newer Northstar Cadillacs. So would it be in my best financial interests to wait off on the Northstar Cadillac I so desire until I am more financially established or just splurge on it now?

So basically, let's say I find a near mint, low mile, '93-'95 STS that's been owned by a person who's kept up on the maintenance religiously for $7,000...or a near mint, lower mile 97-99 Riviera or Park Avenue Ultra for $9,000, which car would be the better buy for a 20 year old who's very concerned about saving as much money as possible for the future and a house?

Now granted the theoretical STS is $2,000 cheaper, yes, but it might need $2,000 worth of work or maintenance in the upcoming future. Also, there's a lot more to go wrong on the STS than there is the Ultra or Riviera.

The hardest part is trying to find an STS like I described, all of the ones I like (1993-97) are getting to be over 100k, and one of my priorites on my next car is to get one with under 100k on it...preferably 60-80k. Otherwise it's hard to find any nice STS or Northstar Eldorado or Deville Concours with under 100k on it, for under $9,000.
 
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#2 ·
I'm your age and I own a Northstar Caddy. I feel as long as you can work on it yourself you will save alot of money. That's what I found out personally. I'll never go back though. I came from the 4.5 motor to the 4.6 N*. My next Caddy will be the 2000 and up model Seville. Honestly, my only problem is that I can't work on my car right now because college takes up too much time, and I have no where to work on it. You can't just drop an engine in the dorm parking lot...lol.

It's up to you on that....If you can foot the chance, time, and have the experience go for it.
 
#3 ·
Well I'm not mechanically inclined, so working on it myself is beyond me. I've got family that is mechanically inclined, two uncles worked for Chevy dealers in the '80s and '90s, but the Northstar is much differnt than what they're used to tho, and they told me they don't wanna work on any Northstars.

Luckily, I work in a dealership that is one in a chain of dealers, one of the other dealers is a Cadillac/Pontiac/GMC dealer. I could get any work done there at a discount on parts and labor.
 
#4 ·
I suggest keeping the deville, those are bullet proof cars, I have a '93 and it still runs great, never lets me down. I also have a '97 eldorado that I bought around a year ago for 5 grand with 75,000 miles. I'd say if you can find a deal like the one I got go for it and then you will have some money left over for repairs should it need them. Just make sure to check the car over carefully before buying, test drive it for a while and then check for codes in the computer, make sure its not overheating and there are no bubbles coming up from the overflow tank indicating a head gasket problem, maybe even check the coolant for signs of carbon contamination (get it analyzed) to cover yourself, make sure the trans shifts ok. If all this checks out, go for it and then sell your deville. If you follow these steps, I think you will be ok, once you have the car just make sure to change the coolant every 3 years or so and maintain it well. Just dont rush into something and keep driving you deville in the meantime until the right one comes along at the right price. Follow ebay and check your local car classified magazines. The biggest mistake you could make would be to pay 7 grand or more for one that has over 100k miles and has existing problems that you overlook. If you are unsure how to check for problems with these cars and you think you found a good one, see if you can get a dealer mechanic from the Cadillac affiliate you work for to check it out for you and pay him 50 to 100 bucks or something.
 
#8 ·
I suggest keeping the deville, those are bullet proof cars, I have a '93 and it still runs great, never lets me down.If all this checks out, go for it and then sell your deville. If you follow these steps, Just dont rush into something and keep driving you deville in the meantime until the right one comes along at the right price.
The deVille is going, one way or another. That car is at the point where it's nickle and diming me, and my parents and I have decided the time is coming to get something new. I have been consistently putting $150-$200 a week away in my bank account towards a new car, I believe right now I'm at about $2700, which is pretty good considering I've been saving up for about 4 months or so. So yes, I'm in no direct hurry to get something new, but it's my next big purchase, as I will be buying a new car before I move out. Honestly, I'd like to get the new car by December '07, I feel that is a plausible date, at 150 a week, times 4 weeks in a month, times 10 months...that's about $6000 give or take a few hundred for various stuff that I may need to do. Now with the $2700 I've already got, that's about $8700..give or take a few hundred. I can buy a pretty nice car for $9000..whether it be a Cadillac, Buick, Nissan, Pontiac or what have you.

But yeah, if I do somehow get my parents to approve the Northstar, which would be very hard, I know there are many things you have to check for when you're test driving them to make sure you're not gonna buy a soon to be opened can of worms.
 
#5 ·
depends on how much you can afford truely, and what parts you put on it. The key is not going to a shop where as soon as they see a Cadillac, the see $$$. Happened to me a good year, wanted 60 bucks for a gatorback belt, 90 to put it on!, got the same belt at a parts store for 25 and an hour of my time later the belt was changed.

The biggest expense the car asked for is brakes, tires (any car will ask for that), and a waterpump...if I was a little wiser when I first went hunting for waterpump info I could have done it myself.

The suspension components can be a bit pricey if they are active suspension, otherwise just the regular stuff (with auto level) isn't really that bad.

If you can get the work done cheap, its a great car. But remember it is very old at this point and as any car ages it runs up the bills quicker, I personally think 7 grand can get you something newer (7 is kinda high for that age caddy I would think) with a similar power train, like an 4.0 Northstar Aurora and it wont have the expensive stuff at the corners. If it has all its service history documented and it looks like the big expensive stuff has been replaced, then it is worth a consideration.
 
#7 · (Edited)
$7K is a lot, for that age. I have a feeling it would be closer to $5K.

I paid $8995 2 years ago, for a 98 ETC with 68K. It now has 101K.

I say the big thing is the cooling system maintenance, and if you could get a garage-kept it would mean the car aged less (less exposure to extremes which age the rubber/plastic components).

I did purchase an aftermarket warranty, which I've only used once. It cost about $1600, which may be pricey since I've only used them for a $450 claim so far and only have 5K miles to go on it. That should speak about the reliability of the car. It did help with the peace of mind, as my main concern was headgaskets (from reading this forum). I see that problem may be about 1-2% on the forum, possibly less than that, which means out in the real world it may even be less than that.

My biggest expenses have been the blower motor fan (it was under warranty but I R&Rd myself for $200), the radiator ($70 on eBay, OEM old stock!) since the side tank sprung a leak, and the generator which was the recent one which I paid $300 and the warranty co. paid $450 (included an 07 DTS loaner for a day). The reason I paid so much was the warranty co maxes out at $75/hr for labor and my Caddi dealership was a whopping $125/hr.
 
#9 ·
its all about what you can afford, honestly.

I get shit all the tim for driving a CTS-V at 25. But hey i can comfortably afford it, so who's to say any age is too young for any car. If you can afford it witout taking handouts from mommy and daddy ... more power to you

just evaluate all the costs, fuel, regular maintenance, and whatever mods you plan on doing.


just have fun, my motto is do it now while you can before you have a house and rugrats to worry about, thats why i'm gonna have my V paid off before i buy a house, all part of my 4 year plan

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!
 
#10 ·
'93 to '95 STS's with < 100,000 miles around here are $1500 to $3000. I would strongly recommend NOT purchasing one of these unless you own a complete set of tools, feel comfortable doing your own repairs, and have plenty of spare time. There are many better choices for a young person who does not want to work on his own car and is concerned about saving money for the future.
 
#11 ·
For anyone who thinks Cadillac is a grandpa car and a young driver should drive a sports car. Do they ever consider average age for the sport cars owners ?
Porsche owners are above 40,Ferrari owners well past 45 and Lamborghini should be same neighborhood as well.
I don't care anyone can buy any car at any age .Should I say more any lol
Back to the thread, I think the best looking STS models are around 98-04 . For that money I mean 7 Grand, I would recommend you to buy those years.I came from '96 to '00 and there is almost a night and day difference . Gauges are nicer and much better looking,seats are much smoother and comfortable , ride is out of this world . I can gladly put same comments for lade as well.
May be what makes me say that I bought a car that I shouldn't . Because that car was a trouble bag so to say .Perhaps, had I known this site earlier prior to buying that car , I wouldn't have bought it .Thankfully my current is excellent and I just love it .
You can also consider FWB but Northstar is a nice engine when you rev it up you can get much better what I stress on .
Anyway, good luck for your choice and hope you will enjoy it ;)
 
#12 ·
If it was me and I had $7000 to spend on a car, I would buy a 2000 or newer Seville which does NOT require Premium fuel. Also they are more advanced after 2000, so reliability and dependability will go up because it will be a newer car. You also have a better chance of finding a car that is around the mileage you are looking for.
 
#13 ·
I'm not concerned about the proper age of a Cadillac owner, nor have I ever been. I've been driving "old farts cars" as long as I've owned cars and it doesn't bother me one bit, I think matching a car with a certain age group is juvenile and close minded, it's stupid.

I've heard that the 2000 Northstar was improved in the areas of reliability and efficency, that sounds like it's been much improved since the motor came out back in '93, am I correct? If I were to go newer than 2000, I'd be going Eldorado. The 00+ Deville is ugly in my book...too bloated and rounded and the 00+ Seville (which dates back to '98) never did anything for me. They lost the sharp, european lines the gorgeous 92-97's had..they kinda remind me of Nissans or Toyotas.

Cadillacboy, yes I've considered the FWB, and as a matter of fact, I still am. I've owned a Roadmaster, so I know what those B and D bodies are like, but I'll have to drive another to see if I like 'em or not. I've discussed those with my dad and he didn't say no to them, but they're not his top choice, nor are they mine right now...too big and too simple...Cadillacs should have more gadgets than those do, also, I wish they had more in the way of instrumentation...I'm sick of cars that only have a fuel guage and speedo, I want a tach, a speedo, temp guage and fuel guage, atleast.
 
#21 ·
I've heard that the 2000 Northstar was improved in the areas of reliability and efficency, that sounds like it's been much improved since the motor came out back in '93, am I correct? If I were to go newer than 2000, I'd be going Eldorado. The 00+ Deville is ugly in my book...too bloated and rounded and the 00+ Seville (which dates back to '98) never did anything for me. They lost the sharp, european lines the gorgeous 92-97's had..they kinda remind me of Nissans or Toyotas.

Cadillacboy, yes I've considered the FWB, and as a matter of fact, I still am. I've owned a Roadmaster, so I know what those B and D bodies are like, but I'll have to drive another to see if I like 'em or not. I've discussed those with my dad and he didn't say no to them, but they're not his top choice, nor are they mine right now...too big and too simple...Cadillacs should have more gadgets than those do, also, I wish they had more in the way of instrumentation...I'm sick of cars that only have a fuel guage and speedo, I want a tach, a speedo, temp guage and fuel guage, atleast.
I talked to one of gurus on this instrument panel issue.He told me that average age of the owners of those cars were above 50 and + .So, they wouldn't need such gadgets unlike us like tachymeter that's why Cadillac made it so basic and readable as much as possible.What would you expect from retired people lol .
Anyway, what makes me more sick is those cars seem underpowered and by no means I wouldn't accept that even though I know those earlier FBWs weren't meant to be so fast but at least they should compete a Jag Series III. My most fave instrument cluster is what 90-97 Jaguars have .
I also considered and been on the fence on what model to buy next a '00 STS or '95 FWB .It was a very tough decision and still is for anyone imho.
Those cars damn too long and owing to maneuverability issue STS seems sharper on the turns .
 
#14 ·
Just thought of something.

The "good" Northstar came out in 2000, 2000+ Eldorados are still over 10k, whereas the 2000+ Park Avenue Ultras are below 10k, that's enough to push me in the Buick.
 
#16 ·
I've been driving "old farts cars" as long as I've owned cars
Hey,hey :tisk:

've heard that the 2000 Northstar was improved in the areas of reliability and efficency, that sounds like it's been much improved since the motor came out back in '93, am I correct?
2000 runs on regular, got roller followers and longer head bolts I believe.

I want a tach, a speedo, temp guage and fuel guage,
Seville, Eldo, DHS & DTS all equipped as mentioned above.
 
#17 ·
(To what Jesda said) Well in that case, Buick. It's the more logical choice for somebody of my age and seeing as how I'll be paying for everything myself, and even though I work full time, I'd like to save up for the apartment, which is the next major purchase.

I had to wash a '95 Park Avenue the other day at work, and I almost bought one of those over my deVille, and the entire time I'm in that car, I'm thinking "boy, I really should have bought one of these, so cheap to own, cheap to run, reliable, efficent"..the only thing my deVille has over that car is the additional power and the exterior design, along with some little stuff. Basically the Buick would be the more logical choice, and the Cadillac is a dream car...for now.
 
#18 ·
Hey, I got a 97 ETC with 101k miles for 5 grand at the age of 17. I am mechanically inclined, but I still say: Why be so darned afraid of the Northstar?! What is there more to go wrong with this car then others? Sure they have a lot more electronics, but it's rare, if at all that any of the "brains" of the car kicks the bucket. If it's electronic, it means you gotta replace the spark plug wires. That counts as electronics right? :D Other then that, these Cadillacs have just the same things to go wrong as any other car! What I've gone through is a window switch, a trunk pull down, an A/C repair (which I didn't realise was bad when I bought it...) and I think thats it. Obviously I've done brakes and tires. But all cars need those eventually. What could really go wrong that you, yourself, couldn't fix? As long as you're not "afraid" of turning a wrench, or getting your hands dirty, you can do almost anything you'd need to on this car. Almost all repairs that you might have to do is just as easy as an oil change: Untwist old part; twist on new part. There you have it! :yup: (A FSM helps!)
 
#19 ·
I got a N* car at 17 years old, they're not that expensive to maintain/repair if you can DIY, hell I wrecked mine, transferred the steering box, trans, and engine seperately onto a new subframe and replaced the oil pan as well for a total cost of around $220. But if I had to have a shop do it the bill would've been well into the 5 digit range. If you can't work on it yourself go L67 or Mark VIII.
 
#20 ·
I say if you can afford it, buy it. Things never go as planned with cars anyways. If you buy a new car, your making payments on it. If you buy a used car, you do maintenance and repairs on it. You're going to have to dump money into any car you have one way or another, why not put it into something you really want.

I'm on my first Northstar and I love it. I'm only 3 years older than you, work on the weekends while going to school and have no problem keeping up on repairs and maintanence.

I say go for what you originally wanted.
 
#23 ·
a tach and temp gauge really isn't a big deal.... surely not one that I woudl let me decide what kind of car I would get, or to sell one.

Especially on an automatic, non-race daily driver car... a tach is cool to look at, but not very useful other then diagnosing some problems, in which case the on board tach on my Coupe was always handy.

Most of all.. these can be added... and are better then factory when they are. I added a small tach to my '79 DeVille... when the car got wrecked, I took my tach and it is now on my Isuzu (base model... no tach) and it is a whole lot more handy with a 5spd... even though I drove it fine with no tach when I first got it.

The temp gauge is handy too.... I guess I used to wish my Coupe had one too... I was going to mount a triple gauge cluster (oil press, volts, and temp) under the dash... make it all cool... that was going to be my next big project... car got stolen before that. But really, a temp gauge is... well... just that... I stare at the one on the Isuzu everyday.... in the morning it is on the bottom below C, I drive around it goes about 1/3 the way up and stays there, I stop for a few hours, it goes back to C, I drive, it goes back up around 1/3 the way etc.... Great to see for an overheat... but then again the cars have the light too.... although I like the temp gauge.

For volts... my radar detector (Escort Passport 8500 X50) has a system voltage feature.... really neat, it'll display the cars electrical system voltage on the display all the time... I've used that to diagnose plenty of problems on both the Coupe and the Isusu. Oil pressure is redundent... either its pumping oil or its not.... and again, for that there is a light... the light comes on, pull over and check it out.

Only idiot light I ever had come on was the no charge light on the Coupe... when my power cable for my amp broke the tie down and rubbed against the power steering pump shorting everything out... nothing was damaged though, just replaced a section of the wire and rerouted it.

Even the tach on the Coupe... which I did want, I was going to hook up in the car really neat.

A-pillar gauges are not ricey.... a huge 7" tach screwed the the top of the dashboard when there is a tach in the dash already on an otherwise near stock Accord is ricey, but a nice 3-pod A-pillar gauge set is not.... I was going to rig up something for the Coupe, and even on the Isuzu.... well, there are other places I can put gauges... but the A-pillar would be a great spot too.
 
#24 ·
and... whats wrong with learning to work on a Northstar? spark plugs are spark plugs etc... sure the starter is in a different location... but... its a starter... not like they are repalced every week anyway.... plus they rarely fail on Northstars.

The 4.9 is a perfect engine to learn to work on.... though it can be tight due to the engine compartment, it is still very good to learn with....

modern engines really don't require much "work"... I know... I get bored fast... though I am kinda lucky... the Isuzu has no hydraulic lifters... so the valves get to be adjusted :).

Anyway, the only "work" that a Northstar needs is regular oil changes (no different then any car) regular coolant changes (no different then any other car) spark plugs/wires (I would do every 50k or so and..... no different then any other car) air filter and fuel filter (both of which are..... the same as any car) and thats it! no distrubutor or carburator to worry about nor is there a timing belt or a timing system that even wears much at all... I mean, really thats it... 3 important systems... fuel delivery, ignition and timing... are nearly eliminated from any maintenace at all on this enigne. This engine was made to be low maintenace and thats what it is.

Cadillac says the green coolant needs to be replaced every 2yrs or 24k miles...

I just got a brand new owners manual for my Isuzu in the mail today... which thumbing thru it.... at the maintenace part... Isuzu reccomends that the coolant in the 2.6 I4 to be replaced every 3yrs or 36k miles.... and really, all the manufacters said the same... its just.. .people would neglect the coolant change (as with alot of other stuff on the car) and the Northstar is more tempermental to it then other engines.

But here we have a top of the line luxury car, and on the other side... a down to basics truck... both with very similar service scheduals(?.... I'm tired) Except the Northstar dosn't have an AIR pump, a distrubutor, valves that need to be adjusted (according to Isuzu every 15k) a timing belt that needs to be rpleaced every ~80k etc.... none of this stuff bothers me anyway..... I actually think its.... fun.

And if it makes anyone feel any better.... Cadillacs aren't the only brand tempermental to overheats.... My Isuzu 2.6 dosn't like overheats either... the head is known to warp and crack if it gets too hot. So you know what is funny? Here on the Caddy site when somone asks about a Northstar (or 4.9) everyone says "make sure the cooling system was maintained" and.... get this.... on the Isuzu site, when someone asks about a Rodeo or Tropper with the 2.6.... everyone says "make sure the cooling system has been maintained" For me, I don't need to worry about that, I have a brand new water pump at the time of timing belt change (since it was staring right at me) new radiator hoses, thermostat and fresh coolant.... and a temp gauge to keep an eye on it all ;) :).

A car is a car, all engines operate the same way. If you compare a Cadillac 500 to the Northstar, the Northstar is a whole lot more complex... but somehow in the mix of things, it became a whole lot more simple in its own right.

On top of that the car will tell you if its low on oil, time to change the oil, low on tranny fluid, time to change the tranny fluid, low on coolant, coolant hotter then normal etc....

I am back to looking at 1995 Eldorado ETC as my next car (keeping the Isuzu tho) and I once again am looking forward to owning a Northstar.

The Northstar would not be the primary enigne powering Cadillacs for over 15 years if it wasn't any good.... how long service life did the HT4100 have, or the V8-6-4 (although I disagree with the common reasons why that engine was bad)

Ah well, I'll get off my soap box now.... I am just looking at this ~1995 Seville STS and Eldorado ETC.... and what you can get for $5,000 is truely amazing.... step up to $8,000 and you are in a ~2000 Seville STS.... practically a brand new car.... its pretty pathetic the way the value drops thru the floor... but awesome for buying a car.

I think buying a 10-12 year old car is awesome... get it so cheap, and all the normal wear items (brakes, suspension etc...) are worn, which ticks the current owners off... but when I get a car, I'd rather put new shocks/struts in it and new brakes.... and have peace of mind it was done correctly, using quality parts, with stuff that is all new.... then buy a car that is 6 years old with factory stuff that is just going to wear out in a couple years.

If I bought a 1995 Northstar Cadillac for $5,000, I would have $1,000 set aside for repairs... simple as that.

I used the same logic on my Isuzu... and I now have a 13 year old truck with 126k miles on it that runs, drives, and performs like new, that will give me years and years of trouble-free service all for about the same cost it would be to insure a new truck for 1 year ($1,800 for truck plus maybe.... $800 in various stuff? $2,600 is a darn good price for what I've got)

Thats the same way I worked with on the Coupe.... although on top of that I had the mentality that I was never going to ever get rid of the car... so it was a bit more.

When I worked at Advance Auto, I had alot of free time some days, and I would sit there looking up prices of parts for all types of used cars..... Here is what I have come up with:

Imports are quite a bit more to repair then domestics... atleast Mitsu/Honda/Toyota/VW/Volvo etc... (Isuzu isn't too bad at all actually... atleast the 2.6) Ontop of that... out of GM.... the difference for a given part between a Northstar to a 3800 to an Ecotec is very, very slim... witht he 3800 leading the pack in most cases (due to larger demand) but thigns like water pumps? all around $40-$70.... $30 difference in a water pump isn't anything near choosing what type of car to get... batteries.... they all use the same types of battieres.... shocks.... all the same, even Caddys and Buicks with air leveling struts... very similar (around $50 each for the nice ones.... if a complex strut, up to $80 each) brake pads are all the same ($40/set for nice ones) rotors will get ya.... $20-$50 depending on car... starters are $100-$250..... alternators are the same.... spark plugs and wires are all the same unless its those Ford modular things, then its like $20 each (there are 8) but $30 for a set of wires is common... air filters... $10... fuel filters.. $5 etc....

It's all the same... the biggest in a cost *difference* would be around $150, and thats comparing an alternator from a 1983 Chevy van (like $60) to a late model luxury car etc.... check it out for yourself... go to advanceautoparts.com and compare prices... it really isn't all that different.
 
#25 ·
Well I talked to my dad about this earlier today, and his responce wasn't as bad as I'd imagined.

I posted the hypothetical question to him about having $9,000 saved up for the next car, and told him about finding some nice, low mile (under 100k) Rivieras and Park Avenues for $8500-$9000...and hypothetically finding a nice, well maintained, low mile (again, under 100k) Northstar Eldorado or STS for $6500-$7000. I asked him "well because the Northstar Cadillac is cheaper to start, wouldn't that make it the smarter buy, because you're saving $1500-$2000 right off the bat? He said something along the lines of "yeah, I suppose but it's more expensive to maintain the Northstar." Then I said "yeah, but I could do a lot of possible repairs and maintance with the $1500 or $2000 I initially saved" then he said "yeah, but you won't keep that money, you'll spend it". I can't feasibly see my self spending money out of my savings account, especially not that much. I mean, sure, maybe if I wanted to do something aftermarket to the car, but there's nothing available for the Northstars, so I'd just keep the money in savings, keep adding money into it, for the next major purchase I'd buy, whether that be a Laptop or an apartment or what.

He never said no to the Northstars, but he actually said and I know this is funny, "Wouldn't you rather have the Buick?" We both know how good of a track record the 3800 has, but he seems to think that the Northstar doesn't have a good track record...maybe not the early ones so much, but they wouldn't have kept making the Northstar for 14 years if it wasn't any good. I know the Northstar (especially the post 2000 model) is a great engine, and I've been told that by some mechanics I've spoken to, but the thing that'll kill that engine is how it was maintained by the previous owner. If it was maintained well, like stated in the manual, it'll be a great engine. If it wasn't, I'm gonna have problems...expensive problems and I will avoid any without extensive maintainance records.

I think it's possible to sell him on these, tough, but possible. When I get the necessary money for the next car, I'll bring him on my test drives...I'll look at a Riv and an Ultra, but also I'll look at a STS or Eldorado in good condition, show him what the Northstar is really about and maybe that might help him see the appeal to me. Thanks to this site, I know what to watch for on a test drive to make sure the Northstar is in proper running condition.
 
#27 ·
Yes, those are good too, but I'm not sure if I want anything that large and plain, technically speaking.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Buy whatever you want buy definetly keep a couple grand set aside.. ESPECIALLY, If you dont have a lift/garage and need to go to the mechanic.
The labor is what they kill you with on the Northstar, the engine compartment is tight so getting to stuff isn't always easy. Even the battery is a bitch to take out if it doesn't have a handle mounted on it.

So here's my first car story.. I bought my 94 Eldorado 2 1/2 years ago for $4700 with 59K on her... She now has cost me over $14K (over course that includes cosmetic stuff) Great deal I figured, got it checked by 3 mechanics and everything was fine except rusted exhaust & waterpump which made me feel "safe" about spending the cash I had left on wheels,tires,stereo.
So everything was ok for a couple months, then all this happened (*note* I baby this car and never skimp) :
- Entire suspension started going out.. had to replace everything (struts,mounts,linkss,bushings, ball joints)
-Stupid stuff started breaking.. Oil filter adapter, oil switch,sensor
- A&B Solenoids went on the tranny
- Very bad half-case leak.. makes alot of smoke
- Coils/Plugs blowing
- Radiator Went
- Engine/Tranny Mounts have gone bad
- My brake lines now need replacing
-Car squeaks unexplainably
-Panels warping

Overall if you like things to be perfect.. a 10+ yr old car isn't the smartest move. My friend who is a pilot laughs and says this Eldorado gets treated like a plane.. couple years the only original thing on it will be the frame and (please God) the drive-train. I'm not saying this will happen to you but there's always a chance. Either way.. always put money aside for repairs, if you dont end up using it, you'll just be that much richer.
 
#33 ·
- Entire suspension started going out.. had to replace everything (struts,mounts,linkss,bushings, ball joints)
-Stupid stuff started breaking.. Oil filter adapter, oil switch,sensor
- A&B Solenoids went on the tranny
- Very bad half-case leak.. makes alot of smoke
- Coils/Plugs blowing
- Radiator Went
- Engine/Tranny Mounts have gone bad
- My brake lines now need replacing
-Car squeaks unexplainably
-Panels warping
Been there, done that, with the brake lines. Its interesting that my 16 year old beater import has the brake lines coated in plastic so they won't rust but my babied GM Flagship STS with only 56,000 miles had metal brake line failures. What kind of garbage metal are they made of that they rust so quickly?
Other items that typically need attention around or before 100,000 miles on these are the A/C compressor bearing (most places typically want to replace the entire compressor instead of replacing just the bearing), water pump, alternator, (PITA to replace), power window motors, CD player (if equipped), serpentine belt idler pulley, tensioner pulley and front hub bearings.

If you can do the work on these items yourself and you have the time, go for it. If you have to pay someone else to do it, it can get prohibitively expensive very quickly. These cars just won't go 200,000 miles with most of the original parts like many of the imports will.
 
#30 · (Edited)
With $7-9k, you should DEFINITELY be able to get one with less than 100k. With that much cash, I would be looking at 96 and 97's. Have it checked out for any signs that the head gasket is in less than great condition and see if the coolant looks reasonably fresh. Otherwise, I wouldn't be too nervous about them.

The head gasket is really the only thing short of the transmission blowing up that would cause problems for a 20 year old on a budget.

Suspension components are going to go on any car and could last until 100k.
If you could find an STS (much more car than SLS) for $6-7k, the extra cash will be WAY more than enough to cover a new [passive] suspension.


A&B solenoids are NOT an expensive repair. Ignition components you will prob want to replace upon purchase anyway, just as part of a tune up.
 
#32 ·
A&B solenoids are NOT an expensive repair. .
True.. that is IF you actually find a decent shop that wont try to kill you on the price. When mine went everyone wanted $450+.. and the dealership wanted to pull the tranny. :annoyed: I was screwed until a fellow local caddy member on the board saved my ass and did it for me. :highfive:
 
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