1982 Cadillac DeVille from North America - Comments

When I first bought the car the transmission needed to be rebuilt it had 82000 miles on it when it went out. so I let it set for about one year until I got it rebuilt. it got rebuilt about 2 months ago and has been running decent. of course after all that setting I knew id have to change plugs,

oil,

flush the radiator

stuff like that nothing big.

And for the longest time I thought I needed to do my timing cause when I tried getting on it it would pop through the trottle body.

So I did the timming in it got it set and it still pops.

So after that I was at a loss then my dad suggested to me that the cam could be flat. before I attempt the change it out tho id like to get some one else opoinion first.

And I would also like to know if I should just get rid of that engine cause I've heard a lot of bad things about the HT 4100 and see if I could put a 350 in it somthing simple easy to work on and have more power.

I love the car and everything rides smooth.

Very comfortable

Like the body style.

No rust.

Go for the 350. It was an option, according to this site:

http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1980/cad82d.htm.

I bought a low mileage 84 Deville in 1990. At about 41K miles the camshaft went flat because of a defect in the head gasket. The dealer fixed this very expensive problem, even though it was out of warranty. We had about 110K miles on it when we traded for a 94 Fleetwood. The 4.1 engine was woefully underpowered for such a large car. Save your pennies and buy a 94-96 Fleetwood with the 5.7 liter LT1 engine. Mine now has over 200K miles on it and the engine has never been touched. It uses no oil between oil changes. You can get a high mileage Fleetwood pretty cheap. If it has been well-cared for, you need not be concerned about high mileage.

I have a 1982 Coupe Deville. I absolutely love this car. Obviously, it doesn't have a ton of power, compared to some of the newer models with 5.0 and 5.7 liter engines. I bought it with 104k miles... it just hit 110k the other day. After I bought it in 2003, it sat for two and a half years.. incarceration if you must know. When I came out, all I did was flush the radiator, and put new oil in it. It also needed front shocks, new brake lines, you know- the little stuff that needs replacement with any car that sits. Since then I haven't had to put a single dollar into it. I change the oil every 2,500 miles.

Problems? The climate control works when it wants to, and I think it only blows hot if anything. The headliner sags, but other than that the car is flawless.

My only advice to someone that wants to keep this car running for a long time, and is aware of the many flaws in the design of this engine, DRIVE IT SLOW. I drive with a feather foot - trying not to touch either pedal and just coast if possible. I slow traffic down, but these days if you go over the speed limit, cars are still right on your tail. Just drive it easy, only pushing the gas pedal lightly when needed. Use the weight of the car to get around.