1984 Cadillac Cimarron 4 door from North America - Comments

I have a 84 cimarron with 55000 miles and had few problems just this year (alternator, battery, electric windows, electric mirrors doesn't work, the motor can stop because it become too hot some times, loosing oil and gas, fog lights don't work, powerstering's strap broke..

It is my first car so I don't know if all this problems are normal, but I like this car.. very spacious!

I don't really care for the Cim either (personal experience), but it is a member of the Cadillac family and it was an innovative idea, even though it never really worked out. Nonetheless, I am looking for one to put in my Cadillac collection. It deserves to be there, no?

Some cars of every model are destined to fall apart. I'm convinced most of it has to do with the owner, but part of it is luck. I've owned several Cavaliers in my life, and now that I own a Cimarron, I can say that a simple rebadging is not all that Cadillac did with this car, though the later models certainly show this better than the earlier ones.

As for Cimarron becoming a sought-after collectible, anything is possible. In the right circles, a Cimarron in excellent condition could fetch some major bucks. I say "in the right circles" because too many people, a double-stamped nickel is worth five cents, but to a collector, it could be worth thousands, depending on several factors.

"The cimarron is the worst car ever.

OK, there might be worse american cars."

Yeah, the FORD CONTOUR!!!

I am no Fan of the Cimmaron (or american cars) but at least cimmaron did not have 18 RECALLS and wasn't an absolute piece of junk like the Ford Contour.

Hope springs eternal I guess.

Sorry, but unless you're able to dupe some 18 year old into paying "major bucks" for your Cimarron, it's going to be worth about $100 retail.

Yep the Caddy Cavalier is just a simple little car all dressed up, but that does not mean it is not a good car. I have not had the chance to own one yet, but I hope to be able to find a low mileage 1988 for less than $5,000 someday soon, I have owned a 1989 Chevy Cavalier with the 2.0 I4. I paid a grand total of $400 including all taxes and fees and in the year and a half I owned it it only left my stranded once when the starter went out on it, even after my wife tried to drive through a 1977 Jeep Grand Wagoneer the dang thing still ran. I also owned one of the five good 1980 Citations that had the 2.8 V6 that was also used on the Cimarron and had almost no problems with that car.

Since a previous individual stated "Sorry, but unless you're able to dupe some 18 year old into paying "major bucks" for your Cimarron, it's going to be worth about $100 retail." I decided to check current selling prices for Cimarrons on Autotrader. com and includding the on that doesn't run this is their breakdown.

$4,900 Highest price

$200 Lowest price

$2,827 Average price.

So I believe it would be safe to say that your chances of getting over $100 for your Cimarron would be quite good even if it needs to have a new engine put in it.

Well first of all I want to start off by stating the years this car was made. from 1982 - 1986 they had the 2.0L inline 4 engine piece of craps that never ran good. I own the 1985-1988 models with a standard V6 and a hydro-matic transmission. mine is an 85 with about 141000 miles and I couldnt ask for a better car. I paid a total of 500 for it, and the top was re-finished, the leather still in perfect shape, interior mint condition, exterior re-painted recently. runs great, only problem is there is a vacuum leak somewhere and I can't find it. and I need a new A/C compressor. other than that, I paid 500 for a great looking/running car, what else can you ask for for 500 dollars?

If you are here to insult people on their car comments or buying choices then whats the point of writing at all?

People generally come here to seek advice from people about their cars and automotive woes.

NOT YOUR OPINION ON WHAT KIND OF CAR THEY HAVE!!

Go get back in your BMW that you over paid 40,000 dollars for.

The cimmaron was no better or worse than any other small domestic FWD car from the era. ford tempo or dodge K-car anyone?

Oh for god's sake! The GM J-cars (I'm sure we all know what they are: Pontiac Sunbird, Chevrolet Cavalier, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, and of course the Cadillac Cimmaron.) All the J-cars were based on 1 Design that the 5 Divisions of GM tried to make better. Sure the cars were junk, but when they came out, everyone had to have one. It all depends on the year, and the division of GM that built it.

But there were worse ones than these. pretty hard to surpass, but they were there. The original Skyhawk (Mid-seventies), the Oldsmobile Starfire (or something like that.) The Chevrolet Monza. They all looked the same. They were the same design that was created for ech division to make better. They never really are successful. Why do they compete with themselves? All of the J-cars and these other three were cheaply made, underpowered, too expensive and various other reasons.

But why does everyone buy them? Just so they can complain about how crappy they supposedly are? It makes me really wonder why everyone wastes their time retaliating against another commenter? Why do I even bother. Why does ANYBODY bother?! something to do I guess. If you hate the J-cars, then don't buy them. So Nobody has to write long comments like I am. Shows you how much we all know.

If the Cimmarron and other GM J cars were so bad, then why did GM sell so many J cars?GM probably sold more J cars than Toyota and Honda sold corollas and civics combined. Reason is the cavalier and various other J cars were cheap and reliable transportation. Many car rental companies, utility companies, and various other companies bought fleets of these things at a time and you don't even have to look very hard to see J cars in abundance on grocery store parking lots, mall parking lots, highways, biways, etc..The cimmarron was not the worst car ever. GM used the same concept on the Cimmarron that they used on the Escalade;which is nothing more than a rebadged Chevy Tahoe/GMC Denali. But people don't seem to complain about this. In fact the Escalade is often glorified by the rappers, athletes and the media. So if you have a Cimmarron don't be ashamed of it.It's not a bad car. And for the 1 comment about the Cimmarron having a problem with a choke, that person couldn't have possibly had this car because the Cimmarron was never carbureted so it never had a choke.

Gad! The CIMMARRON! YIKES-What memories! The Ads on the billboards in 1982 said: Presenting Cimmaron by Cadillac-Put on your driving gloves!!" I had a brand new 1982 Cimmarron as a company paid car. (It was my only choice available). Dark silver metallic & Every option available, nice dual 6 way power black leather seats, power options for everything,& a weird factory installed "pop-up & snap-out" sunroof contraption. Sticker was nearly 15 grand in 1982 (for a car that didn't run very well.) In fact, the car was sooooooo absurdly gut-less that it was truly dangerous to drive in Los Angeles. Entering a freeway on ramp was an exercise in terror. I used to joke with my passengers that the car accelerated 0-60 in 4.5 MINUTES flat & did a quarter mile in a quarter hour. OK-so performance wasn't its best attribute... But Then it started leaking fluids... and the power steering system would cut in and out. Nothing could resolve the low quality parts issues & we were forever changing major components. The crappy transmission was shot at 22,000 miles, AC compressor was changed three times in 3 years, alternators galore. steering pumps, etc.. The Cadillac agency who leased this winner to me said, "Well it isn't really a Cadillac you know..."

The Cimarron is a wonderful car. Here in So. Cal, where everybody loves to buy import, the 1980s J car has almost been wiped off the face of the earth. Even the 1990s versions are becoming scarce.

Actually, the only small economy American 80s car here that is still easy to find somewhat would be mostly the 1980s Chrysler K Car, Ford Taurus, and Ford Tempo. Now, you can barely find any Cavaliers and most of the 80s J cars left here are in bad shape. I find it sad and unfortunate.

I rather like the body styling of the Js. However, there is one J car that whenever I see one, is usually in mint condition and I have thought of buying. I still see these now and again.

CADILLAC CIMARRON! I think it is a beautiful car.

I have been a service manager at 4 dealerships, both domestic and import, and the reason why I like the Cimarron is it you can usually find a low mileage example for low prices, and they are extremely simple and inexpensive to maintain.

I have found that while a Honda Accord is a good car, try to find one that has not been modified by a teenager for street racing under $1,000 is just about impossible unless the transmission is junk or the head gasket is blown.

I find that most people who hate the GM J car series have been the victim of shoddy mechanics. A basic set of Craftsman tools and a little mechanical aptitude is all it takes to keep these cars running.

I picked up an 87 Cimarron for $100 from a guy who just wanted to clear out his driveway, and drove it home by just adding gas and jump starting it after it had been sitting for months.

The V6 versions are very fast, and unfortunately my 17 year old son ran it into a pickup and crumpled the front. I bolted on a front clip from a Cavalier, and it looks a bit odd, but it still runs.

I latter picked up a 85 Cimarron with a V6 with only 35,000 miles on it, and it still runs and looks like new. I will not let my son drive this one, and it is noticeably better than the other 3 Cavaliers I have owned.

While the early carburated models were terrible, the fuel injected ones work well.

My latest Cimarron was found while I was looking for parts for the 87 my son damaged, and it was a 1984 with only 26,000 miles on it, and after I changed the ignition module, I drove it home. The fact that the mechanicals are based on the Cavalier makes finding parts easy, and much cheaper than any import. Things like water pumps, starters and alternators fail more often than the some cars such as an Accord, but getting these repaired by an honest mechanic is simple and cheap, and the design clearly lends itself to backyard mechanics. Changing a timing belt on my wife's Eclipse was a nightmare compared to changing a headgasket on my Cavalier.

The reason why the Cimarron did not have the long production run like the very successful Cavalier did, is because by the time it came out, the gas crisis was over and people wanted V8 power in the luxury market. When the gas shortages disappeared, so did the desire for gas mileage, and people in the luxury market turned to big trucks and SUV, and small luxury cars fell out of favor to the gas gulping giants, that now because of high gas prices, are being treated with the same bashing that happened to the Cimarron.

Come on people - you've got to have a little sense of humor.

When someone actually calls the Cimarron a "Great Car" or a "Highly Sought-After Collector's Car" you've got to expect some sarcasm.

The Cimarron was a gussied-up J Car, and GM actually did have the audacity to market it as an alternative to more expensive, more refined, better engineered European sedans such as Mercedes.

The Cimarron had a fancied up dash, fancy tail-lights, and Cadillac Wheel covers - other than that it was basically a Cavalier.

Perhaps the J Cars were decent transportation in their day, but I don't think they compare to a Mercedes or BMW.

All in all the Cimarron was over-priced and under-engineered, this is not the formula "Great Cars" are made from. Aren't most great cars over-priced and over-engineered?

Please keep a sense of humor - you can actually get some good info. and have a good chuckle at the same time!