1980 Cadillac Seville from North America - Comments

I replaced the rear air shocks and the Throttle Position Sensor. I also replaced the front filler panels.

The 1980 Seville is one of the best Cadillacs. It looks like a million dollars and I got a thumbs up from a Silver Cloud driver the first week I got it.

The interior is a bit snug in back, but is luxuriously appointed, with more leather than most of its contemporaries, thick carpeting and a telescoping steering wheel.

A/C is very cold, as the Seville had the highest capacity unit in its year. R12 should be used to recharge.

Fit and finish was excellent, but beware of repaints over the original lacquer, as most modern paints are incompatible and can alligator.

The 368 Fuel Injected Engine is the only way to go with this car. Don't be fooled by the 145 hp rating, it has a lot of performance (0-60 in 8-9 second range) and is the smoothest, quietest engine made by Cadillac.

The 368 is the final generation of the Cadillac big block. It will get 20mpg highway at 75mph. Any other engine in this car is to be avoided.

The THM-325 trans is fairly durable and much better than the 82-25 325-4L, which was known for more frequent rebuilds.

The Seville is slightly firmer riding than larger Cadillacs, but it handles well, thanks to independent rear suspension. There is no torque steer and the highway stability is amazing, and it stops well, thanks to 4-wheel discs.

This car will also diagnose its own problems. The climate control unit will generate trouble codes from any system that has a sensor. The only issue with this car is availability of sensors for the FI system. They are discontinued and can be hard to find.

Are you crazy? The 1980 Seville is an oxcart compared to the 2001 - 2004 Sevilles!

Thanks for posting this review. 1980 models are quite rare these days and are most desirable among collectors. Newer models may be more advanced, but they lack the style, elegance, and durability of the 1980 model. It's surely not an oxcart compared to any vehicle; especially newer disposable Sevilles. Enjoy your car. You have one of the great ones.

I would say that from the perspective of a classic car, that is fairly reliable and gets good fuel economy, the 80 is the cream of the crop. It is the last in a long line of adventurously-styled cars from when GM was a style leader.

The 1998-2004 Seville has more modern driving dynamics, but it has a bland, lookalike quality to it. You have to look at the nameplate to distinguish it from the crop of luxury cars from this era. The interior is an underwhelming place to be, as compared to the comfortable, regal command post in the 80.

As for engineering, I doubt the Northstar, with its two-piece aluminum block and complicated valve train will last as well as the 6.0 Liter cast iron unit with its simple and proven technology.

I doubt the V8-6-4 engine in those Seville's is proven. I thought they had real problems with that. As for the newer Seville the interior is NOT bland at all. Both cars have a typical interior of a great division of GM. To compare a vehicle from 1980 to something from the 2000's is a waste of time.

The 1980 had a 368 V8 that ran on all 8 cylinders and was one of the best.

The 80 California Seville had an Olds gasoline 350 with Port Injection.

The V8-6-4 is from 1981, and I am not defending that engine as anything but a curiosity.

The 1992-97 Seville is a groundbreaking design, but in 98 they rounded the edges and took the style out of that model.

The 80 is a classic car and it would be hard to compete against a new Cadillac in any other areas than exterior styling and interior quality.

Cadillac used a grade of leather until 1992 that is superior to what they use today. Your feet will disappear in the thick carpeting. The steering wheel tilts AND telescopes.

Compare the 20+ year old interior of any 80's Seville to a 90's Cadillac and you can see the difference in longevity and richness. The 90's model will be worn through before the 80's model is broken in. Unfortunately, GM took a hit in interior quality in the 90's. I know, because I also have a 95 Fleetwood.

If the uncompromising style and pure luxury of a classic Cadillac are what you desire in a smaller size with more modern handling and economy, the 80 Seville will not leave you wanting more. If you want a daily driver, this is not the car.

Meh. If I wanted a Caddy that was "not a daily driver" I would get a real classic from the '50's or early '60s, like the 1960 model that was distinctive, without the flamboyance of the '59.

Not some 1980's model that looks not unlike an old Chrysler Imperial.

As the younger generation becomes older and becomes nostalgic for the 80's, the 1980 Seville will become even more collectible. While I love a 1960 Cadillac, there are few people who remember them when they were new or slightly used. They are now unattainable for a normal hobbyist. The '60 is beautiful to look at, but it doesn't handle well or run well with today's ethanol-laced gasoline. If a collector wants to get involved in Cadillacs, an 80 is a nice car that has some of that bygone magic, style and V8 grunt in a much lower price of entry. They get 20mpg highway and it is still possible to find an original example. The 70's Cadillacs have become bona fide collectors cars, as will the Seville.