1975 Cadillac DeVille Sedan from North America - Comments

The Ignition Control Module failed in the middle of summer after going up a hill and it died in a left turn bay. I was lucky, a police officer on a motorcycle pulled up behind me and since he didn't want to push the 5200 pound beast, he radioed for a unit with a push-bar. I replaced the coil, and when that didn't help, I replaced the ignition control module.

It's hesitating now, as if it's not getting enough gas. I have to look into that soon.

This thing is huge: 19 feet 4 inches long, 6 feet 8 inches wide, and weighing in well in excess of 2 1/2 tons. It's the most comfortable car I've ever had the pleasure of driving or riding in.

It's from 1975 so the 8.2L 500cid engine is kind of neutered, but it's still 500cid and it can probably pull the car through a 1/4 mile in under 16 seconds. There are performance parts available to help the 500 get back to its true potential.

Again it's from 1975, so it has 8.5:1 compression. This lets me use 86 octane cheap gas. I may mill down the heads to get more compression and thus more power eventually.

I do get some weird looks since I'm 16 and in a big "old persons car," but I don't mind.

Weird looks...?!?! Old Person's Car!??! Man you knew what you were doing when you got that car? People are in envy, not jeer!

Hey man I have the same car, and I'm also 16. I have the 7.0L, though. I get the same looks, but maybe that's because mine is a crap brown color with a bent antenna and lichen on the canvas top. I don't care though; its whats under the hood that counts. I have the hesitation as well off of a complete stop. Hopefully cleaning the heck out of the carb., new spark plugs, an air intake hose (there wasn't one on the car when I got it) and a, shall we say, lack of exhaust system might boost the power a little. Although original is always better, performance is good too.

My boyfriend just bought me a 75 coupe DeVille and I was wondering if you have any info on the car at all... care and repair, manuals, whatever. Mine hesitates after stopping too and you have to warm it up before taking off. But any other info would be fantastic. jrsbethany@hotmail.com.

I bought a '75 Fleetwood (60 Special Brougham 4dr) about a year ago, and am very pleased overall with the car. It started out running a bit rough with a little hesitation, but most of that smoothed out after I found a number of vacum leaks, especially involving the self-leveling system for the rear shocks. Mine was converted to hydraulic shocks, but the leveler was still hooked up. Once I cut those lines and replaced a few others, it really made a difference. Also, the carb was rebuilt before I bought it. I recommend a tune up which is simple on this car, a can (or 2) of gumout in the gas about every 3 tanks, and premimum fuel (the book says at least 91 octane). If you're running regular, maybe the timing has been retarded so it wouldn't knock/ping. That will effect performance and fuel economy. It can also cause the car to run hot. All this should help with hesitation. Otherwise you'd need to look into the carb. BTW, my car attracts attention whenever I drive it - - lot's of thumbs up, smiles, and there's always someone who wants to tell you they knew someone who had one or they had one, and what a great car it was. They are a lot of car for what you can buy them for these days. Good luck.

Hesitation can be a problem on GM cars, my Pontiac Grand Prix would try to stall, especially when cold when you stand on the gas, a new accelerator pump on the carb sorted it, and improved drivebility.

I bought my 76 coupe about a year ago,all 4 tires were flat and the entire car was covered with years of dirt. After a good flushing of the tank, a carberator rebuild and a few timing adjustments this thing runs like a sewing machine, a 500cid sewing machine. After a good bath and a couple cans of carpet deodorizer and I got myself a pretty nice automobile. After finding out the condtion of the motor now I can sink a few dollars into chassis, body and paint.

"Get out of its way"-when it dies in turn lanes? More like you need to get it out of others' way!

"Huge and powerful"-well, it's huge, no doubt about that.

"1/4 mile in under 16 seconds"-hahahaha.

I've been driving a 1975 Sedan de Ville as my daily car for two years. I bought it as a toy, but then liked it so much I just drive it now. It is in very good original condition, and except for the cruise control it all works.

I've spent about $1700 in maintenance, and the performance and comfort are great, especially for a guy over 6' tall!

Sometimes I really miss driving a modern car, but I also enjoy taking care of this grand old lady from a by-gone era.

Too bad your "grand old lady" has a bit of a drinking problem, eh?

Dude, I'm 16 too! I just bought this car, with the 472ci. the one I got is gold, wth white top, and white/gold interior. I scored it on a deal from a guy who was gonna scrap it for a tax refund. he gave it to me for 200 bucks!

Feb. 26, 2006 quote:

"Too bad your 'grand old lady' has a bit of a drinking problem, eh?"

So do those large and ugly SUV's. Most people with classic Cadillacs don't drive them 10,000 or 20,000 miles per year, so fuel consumption doesn't really matter.

And there's a big difference driving a classic and stylish classic Cadillac than a modern box-like SUV.