1986 Cadillac Brougham from North America - Comments

69K miles: Replaced Throttle Position Sensor, one rear tire, Oxygen Sensor

83K miles: new exhaust (part of it), cleared windshield wiper sprayers of dirt

88K miles: Replaced front tires, realigned, replaced factory temporary spare with full size spare and extra rim for safety, new arms in front part of suspension

89K miles: new brakes

91K miles: full tuneup: new plugs, wires, distributor cap, carb rebuild, kickdown cable, rear air shocks and front shocks.

I replaced my 1987 Crown Victoria with a 1987 Cadillac Brougham. I paid more than blue book value because it was in mint condition, had been in a heated garage, had no threatening rust on the underbody, and to prevent the potential buyer who pulled up at the house as we were about to close the deal in an SUV blasting rap music from buying it and "pimping it out" which is really beneath this car's dignity (as well as at cross purposes with its intended market). I had always wanted one, as my grandfather had driven Cadillacs since the 1950s and I'd always loved them.

Good aspects of the car:

*PRICE: Originally a $30K car in the late 80s, I've never seen one priced for more than $5,000 today. Considering what you get for options and quality even if the car is only in fair condition, I say the price is right.

*RIDE A Cadillac Brougham reflects every aspect of the legendary Cadillac ride. On bumpy roads, the bumps are heavily softened. On the highway, you sometimes forget you are in a car, the ride is that smooth. The air shocks in the rear are attached to a pump that creates a level ride depending on passenger load. It does wallow a bit over bumps, and in cold weather, creaks over big bumps on secondary roads. In my experience this is typical of independent suspensions.

*APPEARANCE/HEAD-TURNING It certainly is an ego boost. Despite being old, if well maintained somehow a big Cadillac never loses its panache as a status symbol. That vast expanse of hood with the shining ornament makes the driver feel powerful and the passengers important. I continue to pull up to hotels, gas stations, and the like, and am treated as if I had pulled up in a new Mercedes. Friends always say how, no matter how unimportant/depreciated in value my car actually is, they still feel "important" when they get out of or are picked up in a public place by the Brougham. Nothing beats driving it to a black tie event.

The Brougham is a people magnet too. Old people and young of all backgrounds approach me in parking lots, with stories, memories, or admiration, or offers to buy. To own a Brougham is to own a piece of history that means a lot to a great many people. They don't make Cadillacs like these anymore, and while the new models are certainly technologically superior, they lack the Brougham's character and style.

*SMOOTHNESS/QUIET: The Oldsmobile 307 V8, when properly tuned, is smooth as silk. You won't win any races with it, but this isn't a race car. You can barely hear the transmission shift gears, and the engine is nearly inaudible at highway speeds. You can have a normal conversation with rear seat passengers at any speed.

*COMFORT: The Brougham properly seats six.. The leg room in front is excellent, but so too is the rear legroom, something that even many big cars do not provide. The leather is notably softer than leather I have encountered in Jaguars and Lexuses. The jury is still out on whether that softness actually is more uncomfortable on a long trip than a slightly more firm upholstery (perhaps with more support).

*AMENITIES: For the 1980s, quite well equipped. Power everything, heated rear view mirrors are a plus in cold weather, 6 way front seats, excellent sound system (Delco-Bose), electronic climate control, ice cold air, outdoor thermometer highly adjustable steering wheel, and the power steering, is of course above par since it must pilot an 18.4 foot car around. Seatbelts are nice and easy to put on, unlike some cars where you have to fiddle with the buckle to try to force it into a chintzy plastic lock. That brings up another point. While there are some plastic components on the car, there's a healthy amount of metal, which is nice to see. Also, the interiors in those days came in colors other than grey.

It's true, it doesn't have heated seats, or navigation systems, or a built in DVD player so your kids can stare at a television instead of taking in scenery or engaging in real conversation, but they can learn, and you can use a map.

*COST TO REPAIR Is quite low, because many parts are interchangeable Oldsmobile and other GM parts. No crazy European electronics, or air conditioners installed behind engine blocks. The engine codes are easy for mechanics to diagnose and the 307 seems easier to work on for them than the Ford 302 did on my Crown Vic. It's no 1950s engine, but at least you can still see where the spark plugs are and change the air filter yourself.

SAFETY: Despite the subsequent invention of air bags, I'd say if you wear a seatbelt, you're in pretty good shape unless you are up against a semi or a Ford Excursion. This is a BIG car. There's a lot of hood between you and the metal bumper, and those doors are pretty heavy too. My '87 Crown Vic protected me very well in a side collision, I would imagine that the Brougham, a heavier car, would be even better.

Negative aspects of the car:

GAS MILEAGE: It's not great. I'd say about 16-17 overall in mixed driving. That said, it puts in impressive highway performance. I once coaxed 28 mpg out of it in cruise control on a flat highway over several hundred miles. Usually I get more like 22-25 highway. On the whole, it won't win any Sierra Club awards, but it still bests many SUVs in that department.

HANDLING: People never bought cars like the Brougham for their handling, they bought them for the roominess, size, and soft ride, and it shows. This is not a car to race around on curvy mountain roads. Nor can one zip into (or out of a parking space). It handles deliberately. There is no hint of "road feel". To a first time driver, the steering wheel, in comparison to, say, a Toyota Camry, will feel like it is not attached to anything. The best way to drive this car is within the posted speed limits, thinking about where you want it to go before you try to go there. Then just turn the wheel, and it will obey.

ACCELERATION: A 140 HP engine, even a V8, will not make a 4100 lb car go fast. 0-60 is about 14 seconds. That said, it does seem to have more than adequate passing power. While I think some complaints about acceleration are justified, the other side of the coin is, this is an enormous Cadillac (with minimal book value at that)...why would you want to go fast in it? It's no Mustang. It's not even a sport suspension Lexus. It's a big canoe! It is a car to drive calmly, sedately, enjoying the scenery and cruising along at a healthy speed. Use another car for going 100 on the expressway... stick to 65-75 and take in the sights, there's no better car for a long trip.

REAR VISIBILITY: The class exuded by the limousine style "formal" rear window is also a bit of a liability when it comes to backing up, changing lanes, and parallel parking. It takes some getting used to. The best thing you can do for yourself if you have just bought a Brougham is get others to help you back into spaces until you develop a sense of how much room there is behind you.

*Carburetor: The 307 V8 is a carbureted engine, last used in 1990. This in and of itself is not, on a Cadillac, a real disadvantage. The problem is if you ever need a new one, carburetors are not made new in any great volume, so the likelihood is you'll have to get a rebuilt one, which can be problematic. My suggestion, based on a brief, bad experience with a rebuilt and a subsequent trip to a better mechanic who removed the defective rebuilt carb (for which I luckily got a refund) and replaced it by rebuilding my original, is to try to have the original Rochester carb rebuilt before you think of getting a factory "rebuilt" one.

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In sum, I think the Cadillac Brougham is a great old car and that you should buy one before it ends up on Pimp My Ride, robbed of her stately dignity.

The Fleetwood Brougham was the last Cadillac that conformed to the traditional Cadillac virtues of size, softness, and rear while drive. The new Cadillacs are supposedly well made, but are not, in the classic sense "Cadillacs". THESE are. Broughams are a classy throwback to an automotive age that will probably never come again.

Though I will, as soon as law school ends and I am in practice, purchase another car for daily driving, I hope to maintain the Brougham as my second for as long as possible. There's nothing (save perhaps an even bigger 1959 Fleetwood or '76 Eldorado convertible both of which get a block to the gallon) that I'd rather drive.

Having just written the above, I note it has the year listed as 1986. While the car was built in December, 1986, it is an '87 model.

This is the kind of article I like to read: detailed and well-written. I do have a question. What is a secondary road?

A secondary road is a road that is not a highway or interstate. A side street. A back road. Not Route 1 or I-95. Usually with a speed limit under 40 mph. Often with pavement irregularities and one lane on either side.

That is one hell of a review! That is exactly what I am looking for when I come to this site!

To the person who wrote above. I own a 1988 brougham and have spent less than 2000 to get it fixed and inspected. I also get less than 16 mpg overall because it was probably not well taken care of. I also don't know what your problem is with custom broughams. I bought one with daytons, tinted windows on four sides, and a custom gold grille. This is the main reason I bought it and it gives the appeal of a younger more stylish person driving it, not an old man. It is also a classic lowrider model. Long live the custom cadillacs!

To the poster immediately above:

Nobody thinks old man about an unmodified, mint Cadillac. They think the same thing they do about an old Jaguar, Mercedes, or Lincoln: classy.

Everyone (except other white trash or folks in the ghetto) thinks badly about one with a CUSTOM GOLD GRILLE.

My God, you have no taste at all... how could you do that to a Cadillac. It probably looks like something the Notorious BIG would drive. Riff-raff.

To the poster bashing custom rides above, that's pretty funny considering that I am neither white trash nor from the ghetto. I just don't know what your problem is with people who are riding in style with accesorized cars. As far as the Notorious-BIG comment, don't disrespect rappers and black people in general, just because middle to upper class whites don't "approve", doesn't mean it is defiling the Cadillac name.

Aside from all this custom talk, and yes, way to go for the first post of 87 borugham. I am currently looking at buying a blue 87 4dr brougham with blue leather interior. The asking price is $300. and it needs some mechanical driver door work. Any tips to look for? Has 150,000kms.

I agree I have one also with 55K on it.

Wouldn't trade it for a new one.

Danny Thomas.

I have a 1986 brougham that I got from my 104 year old grandma it has 56 thousand miles.

This is the best review I have ever seen... Cadillacs are the best car out there and people shouldn't disrespect them... I am thinking of buying an 84 Fleetwood Brougham out of Nashville tn. for $600... don't know why it is so cheap... runs like a dream and rides like your floating on a cloud...

I am only 18 years old, but I love an old Cadillac that floats like an enormous boat out at sea... I would recommend anyone to buy one... is there anything bad about the HT4100 engines though? Maybe you could email me at bubba_17_21@yahoo.com

Yes, the HT 4100 was a very unreliable engine. Just like every other attemt by GM to be 'modern' or 'high tech'. GM did one thing well - build my favorite cars on the planet: comfortable full frame large cars with smooth cast iron pushrod V8s.

Stick to the 307, which is one of the more durable and trouble free engines in any car.

I have a 87 Brougham with 79,000. I got it after my in-laws passed away. I had to put 2000 dollars into restoring it, but since then have been offered 10,000. I would sell my soul before I ever sold this car. As far as pimping it goes, I put a system in it and that is all I will do. It is totally original and it will stay that way as long as I am still breathing.