Newbie needs help buying used Seville or Eldorado

sflrainmaker01 said:

What years seem to be the most problematic?

Click to expand...

It's all posted in threads using about your same title - in here, Deville, Northstar Performance and Discussions; Item Specific, and in each of those forums, in the sticky posts at the top of the main threads page. To re-type it all would take a volume the size of a NYC telephone book.

You might want to go to Engines, Northstar Performance and read through the sticky post at the top of the threads forum - the informal survey on head gasket failures by model year. 1998 and 1999 are (non-scientifically) the worst years for problems in that department.... and for the non-mechanic that's a $3,000 - $5,500 repair.

Then look at the Northstar compatibility sticky and figure out the timetable for head bolt length and thread pitch as well as block casting and metallurgy changes.

Hah ! If you put it all in context, there are FAR more 1998 - 2002 Northstar Cadillacs putting around in great condition than there are in the junk heap. When you're in an internet forum where people come for help, all the nasties are compressed and it appears that ALL Cadillacs are junk - not so.

BUT, forewarned is forearmed.............. I would have absolutely no qualms over buying a decent 2002 ETC.