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Which Models Were Available Without Northstar Engine?


CadillacAss

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Sorry if this has been asked a gazillion times b4, but I couldn’t figure out how to narrow a search for it. 

I want to buy a BIG older Cadillac. 

Due to 2006 and 2008 Northstar improvements, I was looking at cars only after 2006. But today I just stumbled across a beautiful 1995 Seville with a factory (5.7L?) non-Northstar. I didn’t even know there WAS such a thing! This changes everything!

Is there a list of 90s models that were available with non-Northstar engines?

Sure, I’d love the speed and all the modern conveniences of a 2008 DTS, but I think I’d rather be rollin’ large in a biggo 90s Boss Hogg-mobile, if I can do so without the constant fear of catastrophic engine failure. 

Thanks for your time

kelly

 

 

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The Northstar powertrain arrived in 1993 but only on certain models.  The 200 hp 4.9L OHV V8 from 1992 continued in 1993 in the base model Seville for example, and in base Devilles through 1995. The 1993-1996 Cadillac Fleetwoods had variants of the Chevrolet small block V8 during those years, and that may be what you are thinking of.  The 1994-1996 Fleetwood was a nicer cousin of the Impala SS of that era -- larger and more luxurious but same LT1 260 hp engine.  The 1990-92 Fleetwood had the Cadillac 4.5 or 4.9L OHV V8.

Bruce

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Mmm, Bruce. I could kiss you! ? Great info! 

Base models? Pff. Might as well buy a buick, am I right?

Those ‘94 -‘96 Fleetwoods sound sexy. Gotta have the ponies. 

In a perfect world, 1979 Eldorados would do 0-60 in 6.4 sec, but we work with what we have. 

Thanks a bunch!

kelly

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Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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a 5.7l... In a Seville. I want to see a picture of that.

The Fleetwood is the best. Big boat with a chevy engine. 

Northstar are great engines though. Good power and run so smooth

Good luck, keep us posted

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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Rockfangd-   I wasn’t sure about the liters. That’s why there was a question mark. 4.9 maybe?

Anyway, it looks like everyone is hep to the 90s LT1 Fleetwoods. They cost more than a 2008 DTS with comparable miles. A lot more. ? So... back to the drawing board.

So tell me, Guys, am I wrong to fear the pre-2006 Northstars?

Rockfangd seems to like Northstars, but I’ve heard all the horror stories. They overheat, they warp, the bolts strip, and now you’re selling it for parts. Or trying to foist it off on the next victim by placing an ad- "Immaculate condition. It was running beautifully, then it just started to overheat. I don’t have time to find the problem. My loss is your gain.". ? Riiiight. 

The DTS is not my favorite, but it’s been too long since I’ve had a car with any real muscle. If I avoid the pre-2006 Northstars I’m going to be going back to about 1970 to get anything with guts. Thank you 80s gas crunch.  

Was there a powerful reliable Northstar in any of the old big Daddies? 

I just want a Cadillac from the last 25yrs, long enough to land a small plane on and fast enough to not take any crap, and it has to come in at around $7000 without a gazillion miles and cracked leather seats. 

Oh, and I’d like the moon in a jar too please, so if we can make all that happen I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks Guys

 

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I love the Deville. I have had 2 so far and I drive them hard every day. 

I like the pre 2000 northstar for the fact that I have not had one yet that used oil. At least mine dont.

I know of many 00+ with unhappy owners because of the oil consumption.

I also like the pre 00 because there is no secondary air injection. Not a fan of that.

If you look for a Deville get a 96. By far the best one of the 90s. 

Northstar powered. Great body, great interiors, very classy, minimal emissions, not cheaply made by any means.

Both of my Northstars get about 21-22 mpg as DDs. I drive them hard too. Like they were designed to be.

They run so smooth and quiet but have plenty of smooth power. Headbolt issue aside engine is pretty bulletproof.

My 96 had over 200k on it before the Head issue occured. I decided against fixing it because of rust but it was incredibly reliable.

 

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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Thanks again Rock. I’ll definitely give that Deville some more thought. 

It would be nice to have another Caddy with a hood ornament. Why did they stop making those??? They were iconic.

Just watch. They’ll bring it back for an anniversary edition 10yrs from now and everyone will ooohhh & awwwww like it’s so fresh and clever. 

I honestly have no idea why I love them, but I do. 

My aunt says, "They help me steer.". Ha! ?

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There is just something about looking down a long hood to a nice ornament. Especially at night with the reflection

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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Mmmm. What color?

I’ve had three ‘85 eldorados. A silver one, a tan one, and my favorite- the rare Bordeaux red touring coupe, which was kind of a metallic black cherry with black rocker panels, aluminum mags, no vinyl top, with much of the chrome painted. It was an aggressive look. Interesting interior. 

Those old girls were like solid iron. Heavy as a garbage truck and floated like a dream. They could plow through 10" of snow like it wasn’t even there. 

I came around a bend on a particularly fast highway once only to find a woman in my lane going about 30mph. She was OLD! With cars on each side of me, all going about 80, all I could do was lock up the brakes and think of Paris. 

No ABS, no fancy computerized traction control,... that old girl skidded to a smoking halt just as straight as an arrow. I didn’t have to turn the wheel at all. It was a remarkable feeling as I naturally expected the nose to drop but everything remained level. 

Beautiful cars. 

Funny how you can miss cars like people sometimes. 

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Oh yeah. Know the feeling. 

For being so heavy they stay well on the road.

It was 85 coupe deville. White with red landau from the quarter windows back

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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Ah. One of those strange little boxy Cadillacs that somehow retained much of the earlier interior space and enormous weight. 

I read that the company was told to expect gas prices to skyrocket, which inspired that bleak shrunken style shift in anticipation of people wanting smaller, more efficient cars. Then gas prices didn’t shoot up as predicted and Cadillac sales plummeted. 

They’re certainly a quirky reminder of a different time. 

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By 85 we had already had 2 gas crisis', the 80s to me were a transitional year for GM, the entire decade, has little in common with what went before the 80s nor did it have anything is common with what came after the 80s.  It's sort of a huge black eye in my opinion.  And I apologize to those who love the 80s GM vehicles.  GM took many chances, made monumental mistakes, came out with innovational ideas, ie, 4/6/8,  but they pushed forward.  To me, 1991, was their rebirth

However, it was transitional, and MANY changes were made in engine, electrical, emissions, computers, materials, etc.  GM also had union, falling market share, CAFE, profitability and foreign competition to contend with.

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Black eye. More like a blight. 

Every car was not only shaped like a bread box, they were all about as fast as one too. Trans ams with 4.9L engines with just 155hp. The 6.6 dropped to 185hp. Corvettes weren’t even fast, really. The glorious Cadillacs were shrinking down and blending in with Plymouth reliants and Chevy caprices. "European Styling" became the new sales catch phrase, as european cars were the only ones that still had any style at all. Automatic seat-belts that were forever trying to strangle people, every interior panel covered in hard injection-molded plastic with faux leather grain, fumbling for a key to unlock your gas cap every time you needed gas, flat tires with locking hubcaps, the key for which was always lost. 

But it certainly was transitional, with all the designers and engineers practically starting from scratch, trying to lower emissions and fuel consumption while developing and incorporating new computer technology and trying to figure out how to bring it all together in a way that satisfied the public eye as well as the EPA. 

Must have been a very stressful time to work for The Big Three. Half the executives were probably running on cocain, cigarettes, and instant coffee. 

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And guess what?  It was environmentalists, politicians, congresses fault, just when foreign competition began to kill the automobile industry with small, light, fuel efficient appliances they introduced the CAFE standards in 1975, read this for the impact it had.  The first gas crisis was 73/74 people (me) were siphoning fuel from cars.  Inwas stranded on an away basketball trip with the team because we couldn't get fuel.  Gas stations were out of fuel.  Leave it to the government to make things worse, think Savings and Loans, banking mergers, healthcare, education, public transportation, airline industry

This was not the big 3, this was the government forcing them to change.

GM was the size of the titanic, to get them to change direction and culture would take years

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy

 

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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I was 20 in 73, people were dying from sucking fuel into their lungs

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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I am not a fan of many 90s vehicles, even early 90s. Only what was left of the 70s was good in the 80s.

There were many many ugly cars in the 80s, quite a few had trouble because of all the emissions crap they couldnt keep up with.

 

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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I am a huge fan beginning with 91 obd1 4.9

I just spent 3 months working on an 89 350 ci TBI system, all the controls were there but the interface was antiquated as it flashed codes like my oil burner lol

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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