fusion66 Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Recently acquired a 2003 CTS (base) with 8800 miles on the odometer. Was driving a perfectly adequate '11 Buick Lucerne but was never completely happy with its suspension (too wallowy) and transmission (never shifted quite smoothly enough). Was trawling the internet when I happened upon the CTS .Took it for a test drive, liked it, and made an even swap for the Buick.(Whomever buys that car will be very pleased with it-runs like a top) Did some research before purchasing and discovered that Pepe installed a set of new tires, flushed and replaced the coolant, replaced some fading window trim, and changed the oil and replaced the fuel filter. Carfax showed a history of consistent oil changes and servicing. The body appears straight to my untrained eyes and dings are conspicuously absent. The interior is remarkably clean (even the carpets) although the leather seats are beginning to crack. I paid for a complete transmission flush and refill before taking delivery. Likes: -rear wheel drive (my first) -five speed automatic that shifts remarkably smoothly. Apparently BMW used the same unit in their 5 series for a number of years. -taut, yet comfortable ride. Absolutely no wallow. -firm,communicative steering. -although no powerhouse, the Opel-derived 3.2L V6 makes an interesting noise and accelerates the car well enough. -power recline on driver's seat (absent on Buick and most of the cars I have owned) Dislikes: -the car has a tremulous, slightly lumpy idle. Could be normal, but I will take it back to the dealer for evaluation. -the doors are light and close in a manner that would be unacceptable for a German car. -not a mod friendly platform -bucket seats are not very supportive Wish me luck. Someone once told me that too few miles might cause more headaches than too many. The Buick had 79K at time of trade and the Cadillac <9k. So far so good but problems may arise with more miles. Wasn't looking for a car but when this one came up the the enthusiast in me pulled the trigger. Happy to be on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Welcome; congrats on the 2003 CTS. I hope you get years of good service from it. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted September 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 What is your opinion of the 3.2L V6? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2015 I think I have a valve cover gasket replacement in my future and my mechanic wants over $700 to do it. To anyone who has experience, how difficult is this task as a DIY project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 I would like to replace the stock exhaust on my CTS with something less restrictive (possibly converting to a dual-output system, if possible). Can anyone recommend a brand or a process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Woods Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 I think I have a valve cover gasket replacement in my future and my mechanic wants over $700 to do it. To anyone who has experience, how difficult is this task as a DIY project?That price seems on the high side. Is that for both or just 1 side? You can go to cars.com and they have a repair price estimator. They prices they give are pretty accurate for a dealership price. We have compared our dealer rates to what they estimate and its always close. I dont have any expierence with the CTS so I can't tell you how hard. Maybe look for a YouTube video most often there is a video for common repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Thank you for the referral. Yes, that quote from my mechanic is very inflated; according to the cars.com site Pepe Cadillac will do it for 25% less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Woods Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 I'm not sure about the dealers or repair shops that get work from the cars.com . I just use it to check prices. I know at the sealership I work at we get referrals from them. Its a Cadillac dealer you should be in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Thank you. it is certainly worth a try. Any ideas about an cat-back exhaust for my CTS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 I like the sound of the Corsa systems, and they do appear to offer for the 2003 CTS, but they are pricey. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barczy01 Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 Valve covers are no too bad to do once you get the intake manifold off. The ECM and bracket is a pain on the passenger side. Going back together is tedious, you have to check the back side of the valve cover gasket with a mirror to make sure it doesn't fold over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 I like the sound of the Corsa systems, and they do appear to offer for the 2003 CTS, but they are pricey. I'm not going to spring for a full cat-back system as the stock pipes aft of the resonator are mandrel bent and I don't want the drone; but I will invest in a high quality muffler-possibly Magnaflow or Corsa. A full dual exhaust conversion is an option of course, as you assert, pricey. Too bad there are no tuning options for the 3.2 Valve covers are no too bad to do once you get the intake manifold off. The ECM and bracket is a pain on the passenger side. Going back together is tedious, you have to check the back side of the valve cover gasket with a mirror to make sure it doesn't fold over. I will check the ignition coils for oil contamination this week (and change the spark plugs.) If needed, I might attempt the gasket replacement myself but I would be very hesitant to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion66 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 I fitted a Flowmaster muffler yesterday as a complement to the K&N intake I installed several weeks ago. It is louder than I expected (even with the stock resonator) but I perceive a modest performance improvement. The tremulous idle remains so I will examine the coils this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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