1982 Cadillac DeVille Coupe review from North America

I put a new alternator in shortly after purchasing the car.

I put a new windshield in because the old one was chipped from age.

Was about to replace the exhaust system, which had rusted through, right before I got rid of the car.

It was the most reliable car I've ever owned right up until the day the HT4100 engine blew up at 86,000 miles and I had to scrap the car.

Other maintenance items it didn't NEED, but I had done because I loved the car:

- New thermostat

- Radiator drain and flush

- New spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor

- Regular (2500 mile) oil changes

- New PCV and air filter and breather

- New brakes

- New tires.

Cosmetic repairs I made:

- Rolls-Royce grille

- Limo-tinted windows

- New dashboard

- New hood ornament.

I know people say that with proper maintenance and care, these HT4100-equipped Cadillacs will last forever, but I don't think that is the truth. I knew about the problems with the 4100 and I took the appropriate steps: Radiator drain and flush, clockwork oil changes, etc., and my car still died on me. It never even showed signs of stopping or of future problems until the day it conked out.

I was driving to work and I heard a crunching, rough sound under the hood. In the split second it took for me to think "Hmm, that sounds bad, I should pull over and have a look," the car had died and I was drifting to the side of the road.

Other than that it was probably the nicest car I've owned yet. It gave decent fuel economy (15-22 mpg), it was extremely quiet, handled nicely, and got nice comments from everyone who saw it. The 252-cid V-8 was extremely underpowered for the size of car it was pulling, and it took awhile for the car to accelerate in situations like getting onto the Interstate. Once the car got up to speed, however, it rolled from 45 MPH and up without a hitch.

It was painted in a very attractive dark blue/black metallic color called "Twilight Blue Metallic." The interior was blue leather. It had excellent legroom and an attractive dashboard which made navigation easy. It even had a factory cassette tape deck!

This car really broke my heart. I used to spend hours cleaning and detailing the car and keeping it in tip-top shape. It died anyway. I tried selling it to someone who could afford to put a new engine in, but to no avail. I didn't have the $2000 it would have cost, so I had it towed to the scrap yard. I watched them crush it.

If I could tell a prospective HT4100 owner one thing, it would be this: Buy the car if you want it, enjoy it while you can, but don't get too attached, because you never know when the end is going to come.