1981 Cadillac Seville from UK and Ireland - Comments

Plenty has gone wrong. Owning an ageing American car in the UK means you are an enthusiast and have an open mind, but I feel that the seville was not developed properly in the design stage.

My seville is one of the relatively few remaining still equipped with the 350 olds sourced diesel engine which was definately not without problems. almost as if by magic, as soon as the odo got to 80,000 miles the head gaskets failed big time. (the head bolts stretch, a common fault with this engine)

The rear brakes and the parking brake siezed up, the support for the trunk lid failed. paint has peeled on the bonnet due to engine heat. reverse gear went awol. at time of writing it still isn't fixed, its not a linkage problem. The rubber seals around the window frames split and leaked (there are no window frames on the doors)

You either love or hate the Bustleback cad. Its easy to see what cadillac was trying to achieve with this car, but it was poorly executed with inadequate testing at the development stage. They thought people wanted downsize and in this respect it delivers, it still feels like a big car, but is not much bigger than a UK model Ford granada. The engine however is a disaster, in this day and age an engine of 5.7 litres that produces only 100 bhp would be unacceptable, the car will just about crack 100 mph, but due mainly to the ludicrously high gearing (2:1) which the car struggles to pull as shown by the slow acceleration. however, when it was running it would do 30 mpg which for a big old bus is not bad at all. following additional reading it seems the diesel engine was plagued by problems from day one and head trouble is to be expected. The alternative 6.0 V8 petrol was not entirely trouble free either, with the 8-6-4 arrangement. Its surprising they made these as long as they did.

The car is very comfortable to drive, and is best suited to motorway cruising, although handling is far superior to the same-year chevy caprice I owned previously.

Very plush inside, with full leather, air con, sunroof, cruise etc etc.

I don't think these were built with longevity in mind. mine is currently resting in the garage, I am fixing it up as and when funds allow.

I'm sorry you are having problems with the Old Caddy. It's a love it or hate it design. Hope you fix it all soon!

You are right on the dime regarding the Olds diesel engine, which saw life in several GM products of its time (Olds Cutlass, Caddy Seville and Chevy trucks inter alia). I understand that GM developed it in great haste and was put in the market somewhat "undercooked". It was quickly replaced by the 6.2 liter diesel V-8 which was later used in the Hummer H1 and which was reportedly a great improvement. I owned a 1979 Chevrolet Silverado diesel for 20 years and it came with the same 350 engine as yours (see review on this pages). Totally and helplessly unreliable, too loud (although the engine's aggressive, bassoprofundo, big ol' American V-8 sound is kind of cool), and unbelievably slow. I should have swapped it for a normal, time proven 5.0 (305 inch) or 5.7 (350 inch) Chevy petrol engine (NOT the V-4-6-8 one though), but actually swapped it for three consecutive 350 Olds diesels which were invariably unreliable.

If I could fit a chevy small block to my caddy I would do- I can't see how to fit it to the cad bellhousing though.

Best luck on fixing your diesel Seville. I am restoring my Seville and got into a problem: namely I lost the layout of vacuum lines from the vacuum pump on. I am trying to locate another owner so I could get from him some guidance, providing his vacuum lines are complete. Regards, Thad.

Sorry I can't help, I wrote the original review above, but after throwing buckets of money at the cad I had to give up and sold it on ebay. the new guy said "I know these engines well, I'll get it going"

it turned up on ebay again some months later, still not going!

Thad, if you read this get in contact with me. I have a '78 Seville that I am also restoring, and I have vacuum diagrams and anything else you may need.

I won't put my email up in public, but I'll post up my 'myspace' link so you can contact me through there, and I'll send you my email. Its www.myspace.com/lumpy_goat

Cheers.

Oooer, I've just retrieved a 5.7 diesel out of a ten year hibernation with 68.000 on the clock. My last one with a V6 4.1 the engine died, so I got rid. It was a money pit, but this one is mint, and apart from being very noisy on tickover, seems OK, so looking forward to sluggish performance, and good mpg. I woudn't mind having a decko under another's bonnet as I have no hot air from the heater, just blows cold. MOT next week!!

No hot air is probably due to a vacuum pipe split/leak on the temperature control valve. there are miles of vacuum pipes on these things for heating/air con etc.

On the road now and running fine, more or less smoke free, not much performance but it's OK. Has anyone out there (lumpy goat??) have a diagram of the vacuum, pipes? When I take the air cleaner off, the vacuum pipes are all disconnected, a picture of an engine showing these would be a big help, many thanks.