1985 Cadillac Deville & Fleetwood - Spectrum '85 Dealer Film

Digitized from laserdisc GM346, this video introduces the new FWD Deville & Fleetwood models.
06:50 Engineering & Manufacturing for Quality
11:41 Developmental Testing
16:58 Engine, Chassis & Suspensions
17:20 ECM, BCM & Diagnostics
22:26 Interiors: Luxury, Comfort & Functional Convenience

[@davidzornig1319]

Quick story on these. I was the fleet manager at Fanning Cadillac-Buick in Chicago at this time. These FWD Cadillacs and the new FWD Buick Electra & Park Avenue series were released in March 1984 as `85 models. This was done to build acceptance to the drastic downsizing according to our Cadillac zone rep. I remember our in-house mailer to past customers was folded twice, and opened up to 24 inches, the amount they had been downsized by. We even had a Lucite hood intended for the Cadillac in the showroom, to showcase the transverse mounted V8. It never got put on, and sadly went down with the building in 1993, still in it's box in the roof top parts storage room. There was a much great acceptance of the Buicks. I was able to order base model Electra 380's and dress them up with sim con tops and Vogue wheels, as switch cars for our customers who could not afford Cadillacs, but liked the Park Avenue styling. They even had 2 door models FWD Electra models. There were originally Electra 300 models with the 3.0 engine, but they were discontinued early on due to being under powered. The same mistake was made in `86 when the FWD LeSabres initially came out, and the 3.8 soon became the standard engine after that. One even made it to the Chicago Auto Show floor, which surprised our Buick zone rep when I pointed it out. Electra 430 was the diesel, and I only remember ordering one. `85 was the only year for the 2 door Electra T Type, but the 4 door T Type lived on through `90. Le Sabre T Types were 2 door only, and `87-`89 only. Note the Cadillac in the video has no high center mount stop lamp, as most of the early `85s did not. Later `85s had them, and I think they were made mandatory on all `86s as I recall.

[@igorest7122]

Very interesting info "from first hands". In my own expirience from 2010 - 1993 Fleetwood tbi motor, 1995 Deville Northstar and gorgeous 1978 Eldorado Biarritz (in 2013-14). Waiting my next old caddy. Now driving 1994 Intrepid. Best regards, from Russia 🤏

[@gabriel.954]

Thanks for that awesome First-Hand info. I knew about those 4.3 diesels, but never saw one in the wild. After the first OPEC crisis, my folks were "diesel-ers". Dad bought a new '80 VW Rabbit diesel 5 speed, and mom had an '81 Eldorado diesel. Being from Baltimore, we usually drove the Eldo to visit family in NY. Sometimes the Rabbit since it was easier to find a parking spot during the holidays. The only issue the Rabbit gave was with the power brake booster. The Eldo had quite a few trouble spots. In '85, I recall dad frantically disconnecting BOTH batteries because the starter remained engaged and ground itself to death (I was 11 in '85). Turn signal switch would break often, disabling the signals and high beams. And the injectors were replaced in '86 at 35k. Made a huge difference in performance. That Eldo was a comfy cruiser and easily returned 30 mpg highway.

[@tomjefferson3148]

this car was the reason i switched to Lincoln after 30 years a cadillac guy

[@Hodgesxoxo]

Why so? Those Cadillacs were a thing of beauty them days

[@tomjefferson3148]

@@Hodgesxoxo i came from cadillacs of the 50's/60's everything was really made back then. these new ones just fell apart in my hands. the care, craftsmanship and engineering was gone.

[@iluvcamaros1912]

I like Town Cars, but you could still get the RWD Cadillac as the Brougham. They didn't stop making the big Caddy till 1996.

[@LowEnd31st]

@@Hodgesxoxo85 caddies had the 4100… worst engine ever made

[@rayedwards4132]

My first car was a 78 Cadillac. When I drove it to high school my senior year in 1992 I even had teachers jealous of it.

[@retroguy9494]

Sweet! Mine was a 1977! Only I was in college. It was a triple burgundy Sedan DeVille D'Elegance and my fraternity brothers used to call it 'the pimpmobile!' LOL

[@daviddaniel387]

Funny my parents gave me their 84 Cadillac eldorado finest car I ever drove It was given to me in late 93

[@retroguy9494]

@@daviddaniel387 DAMN were YOU a lucky kid! Those cars were gorgeous! I got my mother's old Chevy when I turned 17! I had an uncle (by marriage) who bought an '84 Eldorado Biarritz brand new. White with red interior. He divorced my aunt that year, but being in college at the time, I used to drive by his house just to look at it! LOL In '85 he traded it in for another Biarritz. White with white interior. Stunning. So what happened to yours?

[@daviddaniel387]

@@retroguy9494 GOD I miss that car more than ever I had to give it up 1994-95 I was going to community college and it drank quite a bit of gas we traded it in on a bright red brand new 1995 Pontiac grand am coupe four cylinder

[@retroguy9494]

@@daviddaniel387 You traded a Cadillac for a Gran Am? DAMN! I don't blame you for missing it. Actually, those Cadillacs got pretty decent mileage for its day and even today compared to some vehicles. I have a 1984 Coupe DeVille (as a collector and not a daily driver). I can easily get 20 to 22 MPG on the highway with it which is about what a 2011 (last year) Lincoln Town Car gives you. My daily driver is a 2014 Cadillac Escalade and I'm lucky to get 15 MPG on the highway with that thing!

[@paultanber]

I got a tripple black 1987 Coupe deVille to take to college that fall. I know about all the problems with the HT4100 but maybe I just had a unicorn because that car was trouble free. I got it in Pacific Beach and took it to Arizona for school. It never overheated or even in the Phoenix heat. Besides being able to bring five friends with me sittin om a black leather cloud, it had Ice Cold A/C. I kmow i am odd for having fallen in love with cadillacs then I was a car obsessed 7 year old. Cadillacs were not the kind of car most kids would dream of. I had the white Lamborghini and red Porsche on my bedroom wall wioth my Star Wars poster but I was a closet case American luxury car lover. My parents had a few Mercedes Benz {600, 250C,450SL, 300SD, 560SEL, 300SDL, 560SL) while I was growing uop and I always wanted tem to get a Cadillac. Our beighbors on either side of us in LA had them as did my parents best friends down in Orange County. They were so quiet and the seats were so big and comfortable. I loved the chrome inside and out and the way the formal roof seemed to shield you in the back seat. you could see out but it was not easy to see who is in the baxk. This is probabluy related to current day and realizing that I love wearing a mask. It is hard to recognize someone with a mask and sunglases and I love the privacy in public. That is how the formal toof and smaller windows felt to me. Peace and quiet, comfort and privacy in a noisy and intrusive world. Like a heavenly cloud...too much? lol I later on bought a 1976 Seville that I restored and loved as well. Sadly , tha kind of old American luxury car does not exist anymore. The cadillacs of today are wildl;y impressive cars that are well made, great looking. reliable and offer performanxe that rivals the big three Germans. It is a totally different Caduillac than from my Childhood. If I hadnt grown up and fallen in love with the flawed yet in my eyes, beautiful Cadillacs of my youth, I could look at the modern drivers cars they make today and possibly be driving one. But today as Cadillac makes what is arguably the best car they have ever made, I drive an Audi A8L . Again, probably necause most prp[le dont notice it or know what it is. I get my comfy place wuth some anonymity and if that doesnt work i can get away with a 4.5 second 0-60...lol That is just the musings of a nostalgic manchild that is tryingh not to go full on curmudgeon.

[@CortezBurt]

I had an 85 fleetwood. One of my favorite cars.

[@retroguy9494]

REALLY? I thought they were pieces of crap. Small boxy design compared to the 'land yachts' of yesteryear. Bad engines too. I remember we had 2 neighbors up the street. One had a 1983 Coupe DeVille. Black with red interior. What a HOT looking car! The neighbor across the street from them bought a brand new 1985 Coupe DeVille, also in black. I thought it was the smallest, funniest looking thing! Especially compared to the 1983 the other neighbor had!

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

Cadillac DeVille and Fletwood 85-88 is my favorites cars. Authentic Cadillac Style. Comfortables, great space interiors, great engines and excellent mechanic. Great opotions of equipments

[@lasuvidaboy]

Great history of the new DeVille. The car’s appearance was greatly improved when Cadillac extended the rear end IMO.

[@mosesberkowitz3298]

Well, I wouldn’t say the end. Those engines were crap, and so were several others in that era. Then, the north star head bolt debacle. But the redesign of the Seville and El Dorado for 1992 give Cadillac a serious boost; there’s still beautiful cars. Then the Escalade was a gigantic hit. Cadillac has never been dead, but it has had some dramatic ups and downs

[@seanapfelbach2436]

I worked at a Cadillac olds dealer for years. The engine and trans were junk. I fixed so many of those caddy’s I could rewrite the service manual on those cars. Electrical problems on those cars were a nightmare. Yes GM they did not withstand the rust belt!

[@retroguy9494]

You can say THAT again dude! I was in college when these came out. I thought they were the silliest most ridiculous looking things for what was supposed to be America's top brand full size luxury car! And they WERE junk. I knew people who bought them, but they were wealthy enough to trade them in within 1 to 3 years before real problems began.

[@iluvcamaros1912]

@@retroguy9494 I think there is something inherently awkward about trying to fit big car styling on a smaller package. They should've leaned into a more modern look like with the Seville STS model which is probably the best looking of the small '80s Caddys.(Google 1989 Seville STS)

[@traderdan85]

My 91 year old mom can’t drive anymore but will not part with her 85 sedan de ville I bought her … she loves the black cherry color velvet seats

[@lancedukel3436]

That's very sweet, bless you both.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Fascinating! I was coming out of high school when those cars came out.

[@WSNO]

Currently driving a 1992 Sedan DeVille, but putting it up in the shop for a makeover before the end of the month, this model year Fleetwood is what I'm hunting for my next daily, next to the '77 sedan deville.

[@retroguy9494]

Go for the '77 bruh! That was MY first Cadillac when I was in college back in '85. AWESOME cars. The '77 to '79 Cadillacs (except for the Seville) were well built reliable cars and people basically ran them into the ground which is why there are so few available today. Stay away from the '85. They were pieces of crap. The engines and trannys were VERY bad on those.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

@@retroguy9494 Or just get both the '77 and 92' if possible and drive them alternately.

[@retroguy9494]

@@aaronwilliams6989 Well, he already HAS the '92. But yes, if he could afford it, I would het a '77 as well and alternate. Although they drive totally different. I was never a fan of the '85 to '92 FWD Cadillacs.

[@quantumphaser]

I can hear the Airwolf influence in the opening theme!

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

Had new in 85 four door Deville. Yellow on Yellow. It was a lovely car. I bought again in 1994. I haven't purchased since. Today Audi 5 AWD. I do own a 1998 Oldsmobile 98 Regency. She is my pride. Bought new. Miles since new in 2022 110K on clock. Just took a summer trip 10 states in 9 days. Not one issue.

[@retroguy9494]

Ahhhhhhhh so you're another one of the 'traitors' that bought American luxury cars but switched to the foreign "Eurosport' cars which is what led to American manufacturers ceasing all production of the traditional American luxury car which basically SCREWED my generation that always wanted these.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

95 was the final year for Olds 98.

[@retroguy9494]

@@TeeroyHammermill Actually it was 1996 dude.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

@@retroguy9494 Right it was. I'll bet 96's are rare.

[@retroguy9494]

@@TeeroyHammermill Well, I don't know about rare. I knew a guy who had one. But yet, he owned the dealership! LOL

[@my1vice]

Why do I love these baby Caddys? I've got a problem.... LOL Even when I was selling Chevys back in 1990, when one of these hit the used lot, that's what I'd be driving until it sold.

[@davidlocke1668]

Will never sell my grandads 86 coupe in rare color and custom 1:1 padded top - thanks for the vid

[@timmartin7664]

Wow I thought my 1990 Seville was state of the art. Didn't realize 1985 laid the groundwork for it's advance technology

[@retroguy9494]

Actually, the 'state of the art' Cadillac really began with the 1976 Seville. In fact, that was one of the reason for its poor sales. People just weren't ready for that kind of technology. Especially the upper middle age and elderly buyer which was typically who bought Cadillacs.

[@my1vice]

Caddy had an airbag option in 73? Maybe 74.... Somewhere in there.

[@timmartin7664]

@@retroguy9494 The 75 Caddy Seville was my dream car in middle/high school. lol

[@retroguy9494]

@@timmartin7664 I actually KNEW a guy who bought one brand new. He was friends with my aunt and uncle. Since all the other Cadillac models were still ginormous and the Seville so small and boxy but was the most expensive model at the time, I can STILL hear my aunt. "Ray must be crazy to pay that kind of money for that tiny little car!" LOL 🤣 Of course MY dream car at the time was the 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special Brougham. My 6th grade teacher had one. I have one too! It took me 35 years to get it, but its MINE! LOL The D'Elegance package too!

[@retroguy9494]

@@my1vice It was '74 dude. Offered on the Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile.

[@Paramount531]

It's one of those what should have been things. I had an 85 Sedan deVille, 4.1 notwithstanding I loved the car.

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

Apparently I was not the only one who hated the Downsized Cadillacs.. The sales dropped low enough to the ground that they had to Upsize them again!! The 80s, with the exception of the Firebird/ Camero and Corvette, were not good times to go GM!

[@retroguy9494]

You're not the only one dude! Having been a Cadillac buff since I was 8, being in college when these came out which meant it would only be a couple more years before I was able to actually buy one, I just about cried when I saw these pieces of crap! Yes, they DID upsize them again in the 1990's and the '93 to '96 Fleetwood Broughams were some of the best cars Cadillac made until the rebrand in 2000 when it basically ceased being a Cadillac. Which is why I STILL have my 1994 Fleetwood Brougham!

[@SuperBooboo02]

loved my 1987 Fleetwood dElegance, but the unfortunate 4.1 v8, was the only bad spot in 180000 miles....still drive a Caddy today CTS V Sport...

[@bobhill3941]

I was 16 reading about the CTS when it was new in 2003 in a copy of gm today, I thought the styling was really cool.

[@psfanboy79]

Goddamn man, that’s like king of the current Cadillac line up! Look at you ! I think this is the last year of the V isn’t it?

[@retroguy9494]

How could you even COMPARE the two? Since Cadillac's rebranding in 2000 where they basically only use the Cadillac name, that's like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Lamborghini!

[@retroguy9494]

@@bobhill3941 Glad to see the psychological marketing ploy worked on you dude! Because the CTS was specifically designed and marketed for younger people, in particular, new college graduates in an effort to boost Cadillac sales. Because ever since the rebranding in 2000, Cadillac lost most of its traditional buyers who were the upper middle age and elderly who switched to Lincoln. I remember attending a leadership conference in 2007 where one of the guest speakers spoke about the CTS and its marketing. It really wasn't that good of a car. He spoke specifically about that commercial where the pretty voluptuous woman gets in the red CTS and says "when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?" That sold a LOT of CTS to young horny guys! LOL

[@bobhill3941]

@@retroguy9494 Yeah it did, I do remember that commercial. That makes sense that Cadillac was going for a younger demographic and that traditional buyers at that time would go to Lincoln. That's interesting the CTS was marketed to college students, I was in high school at the time and I remember being drawn to the styling, even doing a concept drawing of one as a hearse!

[@albertbekassy2709]

Doc, we have to go back! When american cars were american.

[@joellamoureux7914]

My buddy Joe had an 85 sedan DeVille in that banana creme color. There isn't a more destructive driver than Joe on planet earth. That thing took his abuse for two years until he ran into a concrete light pole base at high speed. It was still driveable! Ended up getting overheated to death due to leaks from the crash. He paid almost nothing for it too.

[@davidgold5961]

9:37 there is a Ford Focus in the GM aerodynamics laboratory.

[@fredmertz8538]

It looks like a Ford Escort because I owned an '82.

[@dinocracchiolo996]

Unlike bulky, bloated. swoopy, massive plastic grills, small glass area, half minivan, half suv of today, 80s vehicles design, styling were practical and efficient great looking timeless designs.

[@gsfdallas3464]

The exterior design on the 85 was a disappointment to me. The car did not have the elegant look of the car it replaced, however the 1989 face lift was a big improvement. The 85 Oldsmobile 98 and Buick Park Avenue had a much more eye appeal than the Cadillac.

[@kerrybrucem.8967]

True Buick was ahead of the full GMline 85 to 87 with almost every car they had. Even had a car faster than a corvette in 86 87

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Even the modest tail light face-lift in 1987 was a great enhancement. The Buick was my favorite of the three until the 1989 Cadillacs came out.

[@jayson657]

The olds and Buicks of this era also had better engines than the Cadillac HT 4100 pos. I’d take an 85 Buick Rivera or Olds Toronado over the crap Cadillac was selling then. Buick also even had a V6 Turbo available….Cadillac should have borrowed it to offer in the Eldorado.

[@retroguy9494]

It looked like a childs toy to me! But if you think that the Olds and Buick had more eye appeal, you need to watch the Lincoln Town Car commercial from 1985. Its hysterical. I remember when it came out when I was in college and laughed like mad as I had been a Cadillac buff since I was 8. Basically, they were all the same car! Here it is; it starts at :31. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWKmqYGeq9uMfas

[@aaronwilliams6989]

I hated that car at first. It took a year to grow on me even though I still liked the old ones better. I sure remember that Lincoln commercial like it was just yesterday.

[@erichaley6776]

Thanks for sharing

[@chrislemaster2695]

With the Hook & Tow 4100 you'll be overheating before you leave the lot.

[@edwardluth7740]

On the 82-85 Big Caddy and Eldos. That 4100 nearly killed Cadillac thanks to that damn New cafe and emission bullshyt. They didn’t get that fixed until the later 80s. Sadly Cadillac only had a short comeback and then it became like all other American luxury cars. Not very good.

[@retroguy9494]

@@edwardluth7740 It had a short comeback in the 1990's yes. The 1993 to 1996 Fleetwood Brougham's were awesome! I have one! But in 2000, Cadillac rebranded itself. Basically, it only uses the Cadillac name. Its no longer the luxury car it always was since its founding.

[@edwardluth7740]

@@retroguy9494 I own a collector 95 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with just over 40,000 miles. It wasn’t as good as these 70s because many parts were already outsourced. And I’ve spent more money than I should on this car. Not nearly as luxurious interior either.

[@retroguy9494]

@@edwardluth7740 Well, mine is a '94 and it had 59K when I bought it. I used it often so it has like 88K now. You're right about the parts. My digital dash was flickering since I got it. Somehow, combined with a replacement key I got from a locksmith but the OHM's being slightly off, it shorted out the ignition which I had to have replaced but had to wait months to get the correct key from Cadillac in Detroit. My mechanic had the dash sent out to be rebuilt. But the flickering, in turn shorted out a module which made the car run. It hasn't run now in over a year and a half because he can't get the module with the shortage of them and all. He's even called Cadillac in Detroit who keeps emailing him that its on its way, but so far, no. But the only other thing I've done to it, besides a full major tune up including the opti spark distributor, which were known to go around 70 to 80K miles, is a water pump. Those were also prone to replacement due to its poor placement and water getting into them. Plus my CD player doesn't work now and I'm looking for a replacement without having to replace the entire unit. True, they aren't as luxurious inside. Rather plain inside truth be told. But the seats are SO comfortable! I have back and muscle issues and can't even sit in the new cars or SUV's without severe pain. But of the 4 vehicles I have which are a 1976 Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance, a 1984 Coupe DeVille and a 2014 Escalade, the 1994 Fleetwood is the most comfortable.

[@fredmertz8538]

I thought "HT" stood for "Hand Tightened".

[@kemicalx17]

Awesome!!!

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

The downsized '85's were the reason I've never stepped foot in a Cadillac dealership since '84!

[@BigTweez9]

Lovely

[@geneo317]

This is one of the reasons they put the HT4100 in the rear wheel dr models. It was meant for this downsized model.

[@SeanSmith-xp4pp]

Might fine car

[@loutruckmd]

I was a mechanic "tech" for Cadillac in the 80s. These cars killed Cadillac. They were a mess.

[@LowEnd31st]

How many 4100s did you replace

[@HandMadeRoyalty]

1981 fleetwood brougham next please

[@RaymondHaley-lv2mo]

I saw the first prototype front wheel drive85 Fleetwood in October 83,at the time the best engine for all 3 C,s was the LT7 4.3 Oldsmobile diesel, don't balk, Buick,s first fueling injected V 6 was hardly an engine built to luxury car standards,same could be said for Cadillac engine ht4100 used internals that came from toys R Us at least the Olds had balls and remarkable fuel mileage.❤

[@wnturck]

We all know how well that mid 80's GM paint worked. LOL!

[@retroguy9494]

Wasn't it still lacquer back then?

[@TeeroyHammermill]

@@retroguy9494 The Brougham still used lacquer, But all their paint was crap back then. The lacquer paint would fade and dull out, the base/clear would flake right off like a boiled egg shell.

[@retroguy9494]

@@TeeroyHammermill Makes sense. I have a 1984 Coupe DeVille. 25K original miles and I'm only the 2nd owner. And the paint IS in fact faded out in spots, one rather big spot on the hood and one on the trunk in particular. As its balboa blue (not my favorite color by a long shot) its not that noticeable unless you get up close. My very first car was a 1876 Chevy. It was burgundy. What would happen was that this cloudy whitish film would appear all over it, necessitating compounding once a year. It would bring the paint up nice, but MAN was that a chore to do!

[@jessesan2003]

10:12 Wearing a tie while checking running engine!

[@jetg2059]

The eighties where not a good time for GM the cars where terrible thank God for the Japanese they made GM change

[@socksumi]

The 80s were not the best years for Cadillac, but it gets worse... it could be a Cimerron.

[@edwardluth7740]

Every car company had trouble in the 80s. Damn Carter democrat years and cafe bullshyt

[@JonathanMoosey]

@@edwardluth7740 not the foreign car makers during the 1980s. I’m talking mainly the Japanese and German makes.

[@DrEvilTag]

I can see why the Japanese destroyed the American luxury car industry a few years later

[@mattmc8391]

Yep , while GM was building this crap , Toyota was busy developing the Lexus division .

[@edwardluth7740]

My family were all including many Relatives Big GM supporters from the 40s through the 80s. Then they started switching and went to Park Avenue once more in the 90s and finally many chose Lexus and Toyota in the early to mid 2005-06. Those were the best years for Lexus. I know I own a once new but now used 06 Lexus LS 430. No problems but a few hundred dollars at 118,000 miles. Very quiet. Fast V8 power.

[@robchamberlin4900]

Friends of the family had a black 86 with wire wheel hubcaps, Carriage roof and gold package. Not to mention an ugly luggage rack. They promised to sell to me when they were ready. They ended up giving it to some other friends of theirs son and the first thing he did was trade it in on a Camaro. Was pissed but it was ugly looking so no loss there

[@retroguy9494]

Don't feel bad bruh! It happened to ME not once, but THREE times! The first was when I wanted to buy my aunt's neighbors white 1976 Sedan DeVille when I was in college. I always LOVED Cadillacs and would have babied it an taken care of it like you have no idea. He sold it to a co-worker who only wanted it to tow a camper. The next was a family friend who was a multimillionaire and bought a new Coupe DeVille every year. I begged her to leave me her car. When she died, she was driving a new 1988 Coupe DeVille and left it to a big shot at the bank where she kept most of her money. The last was a neighbor up the street who had a black 1983 Coupe Deville. He was good friends with my parents and was even at their wedding. I had asked him to offer it to me when he was ready to sell it or trade it in. But he didn't when he got rid of it sometimes in the 1990s. All these people are dead now, but I'm still one pissed off boomer about it! LOL

[@mikeperry6794]

The 4100 was a piece of crap.

[@GunnyRaps]

I.e... the taillight won't fall off now!

[@cannabismoker707]

I literally came in here because i was thinking of purchasing one but after reading the comments not so much any more😭😭

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

the 4.3 diesel in these got 37 mpg on the open road.

[@attackb5349]

Well yeah, but since most of these lived in the shop their real world MPG was closer to 0

[@LowEnd31st]

@@attackb5349the 4.3 diesel was surprisingly reliable compared to the older 5.7 olds diesel.

[@F8Tributo]

The guy who designed the engine must have been stoned out of his mind! It was so bad they had to BEG customers to come back!

[@RenNakamura20]

I have an 1986 with 60,000 miles and no problems at all, very comfortable, quiet and floats down the road. I do like the previous gen as well but to be honest I always had a sweet spot for the fwd C body platform as well as the fwd H body platform. It may not be many people's favorite but I think this generation deville was a very handsome looking car. Sure maybe some of the 4.1 engines had its problems but I feel like long term overall its better then the Northstar for I've heard a lot of issues with those compared to the 4.1 motor.

[@F8Tributo]

​@@RenNakamura20I'm glad you had a good experience with yours! Not "all" of them failed! BTW, I had a '96 Northstar, and it was OK except that it started burning oil before it got "old". Having four early-wearing valve stems per cylinder made for a lot of smoke!

[@0utc4st1985]

Even if the 80s FWD Cadillac's aren't as good as the landyachts that came before they're still way nicer to drive than anything today.

[@ImmortanDan]

C-bodies and their derivative E/K-bodies were so ass. And not just because of the engines, shrinking your cars 20 inches in a single model year just doesn't work.

[@warrenspeed1173]

This car is a perfect example of why GM went from 51% market share in 1962 to 15% in 2020. They built ugly junk, were arrogant and refused to learn from the Germans and Japanese.

[@walterzoomie]

GM STILL builds ugly junk. Horrible company with horrible products that should have died in the 80s. 1972 was the last year GM built anything decent. An embarrassment...

[@Andrew-bb3lc]

In all honesty, GM was at their highest US market share in 1979 at 59%. They are still the #1 US automaker so I’m pretty sure their US market share is above 15%.

[@0utc4st1985]

This car was them trying to be like the Germans and Japanese, although not doing so successfully.

[@0utc4st1985]

@@walterzoomie The late 70's-early 80's land yachts (Delta 88's, 98s, etc) really were great cars. The Olds V8 from that era was one of the best GM ever built, solidly reliable. Yeah people talk about how underpowered the 307 was but that was because of government regulations. CAFE fuel economy standards were rising at a pace for too unrealistic. The BMWs at the time weren't as great as many think. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6O3nZJvh7ljnrc

[@walterzoomie]

@@0utc4st1985 I'll agree that most of the engines and trannies were outstanding (350/425/455) coupled to TH350/TH400...if they were donor powertrains for something else smaller and lighter. The GM A bodies '68-'72 (Cutlass, I owned one) were the best they ever made. Handled great for an American car, with plenty of V8 power and torque, but the downsides were the need for premium fuel and rust. 88s and 98s (Delmont/Delta 88, I owned 2) were lumbering barges that wished they were Cadillacs. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.

[@DannyNY]

I got one

[@michaelcharach]

I feel like techmoan could use the first 30 seconds of this video for a new intro

[@MSX98FMDnB]

gm went too far when it came to downsizing for the new 1985 fwd turds tbh

[@drjohn1084]

Those cars were so bad they should've fired everyone involved in designing it before they hired them. 🤣

[@KevinBarry-j8w]

And then there was the Cimmaron😢

[@tommywatterson5276]

Plastic fenders and all

[@maineiacman]

I got an '85 Coupe Deville and it handles and rides fantastically but the powertrain is completely garbage. The HT4100 is an aluminium trainwreck and the transmission can't even handle the pathetic power numbers the 4.1L V8 makes.

[@304lyfedtw7]

How many engines did they have to replace during testing. Those engines sucked.

[@pureheart4724]

20,000 miles

[@LowEnd31st]

Everyone involved in making this video should be going to hell for the blatant lies… calling the 4100 dependable and reliable lol

[@edwardluth7740]

I was young in the 80s. Last good culture. But the cars were not good like the 70s thanks to democrats and communists.

[@aaroncrawley5259]

I had one well 2 I really like them.but the north star motors not the best.cause the heads always crack.

[@davidjames666]

the heads to not crack, but rather the threads on the block that the head bolts clamp to turn to dust (aluminum block and heads). the threads there were just not aggressive enough. this can be repaired, and if do e correctly with the correct timecert kit, the engine will last forever.

[@johna.4334]

The POS 4100 cc engine is what killed this car.

[@cedjones1044]

I have one of theses but it’s the 1993 4.9 liter Sedan Deville.Check out my KZbin page n pleased subscriber

[@alphonso136]

i new these cars well.this was not the car Cadillac hoped it would be.i replaced many of the 4.1L. to 4.5.the ride was a jarring porpoising ride,the protruding steering column did not give easy view like the video claims. the camera angle of the instrument panel was deliberately deceptive.with the steering wheel centered, fuel data driver information center and climate controls were completely blocked by the wheel you would have to look around the wheel and reach under the shifter to see and set climate control.one nice thing about these cars was the very distinctive sound of there engine whether the 4.1,4.5,or 4.9 the sound was the same and exclusively the sound of a Cadillac

[@fredmertz8538]

A car for the future? At least until the engine suffers a catastrophic failure.

[@Pisti846]

Would have been better off using the 252 version of the Buick V-6

[@oscargeorge1]

No... because Cadillac had to have (rightly) a v8 but sadly gm was in fuel economy mode not performance... that, combined with a rush to market attitude, brought us the steaming turd that was the ht4100...

[@joe6096]

@@oscargeorge1 Hence it would have been better to use the 252 Buick motor.

[@joe6096]

@@oscargeorge1 Dude, a Honda Civic 4 cylinder would have had better performance than that dog of a 4100, let alone the reliability.

[@oscargeorge1]

@@joe6096 you enjoy your little Honda... while I'll try not to treat myself poorly...

[@joe6096]

@@oscargeorge1 You totally miss the point. I'm not a Honda guy. I drive a Chevy Camaro. You clearly are way out of your league here little boy. You probably don't even remember these engines when they were new lol

[@peterdaniel66]

These were a joke in every manner of the word.

[@curtcollett2893]

I had a 79 Caprice company car. I happened to drive a friends FWD 89 Fleetwood and was floored at how much more comfortable and smooth the Caprice had been.

[@neatstuff1988]

These cars looked OK as the hook but engine transmission we're junk. Had you saved your money and invested Microsoft March 17 of 1986 you would have had a 1000 fold by a year 2000. So the 25000 you spent would have brought you in 14 years later 25 million dollars.

[@michaelsavage6492]

Can I have one

[@kevinbarry7475]

Sadillacs😢

[@3713msg]

Worst cars ever made!

[@BruceEiseman]

I was a Cadillac Dealer when these junk cars came out. A BIG mistake from Cadillac

[@rudiknaus4139]

Sorry to say that, but they design was no highlight! 😫

[@johnrand93]

Worst cars ever designed and built!!

[@mickeyryder51]

garbage after 1976

[@jeffmiller3150]

Absolutely garbage!!!!😳

[@jermainec2462]

LOL all this shit talking about advancements and testing and they still got their ass handed to them when lexus hit the scene... Lol despite the video GM really could have done better especially with the designs remind me more of Delta 88 or as I call it short dog LOL

[@cadmanist]

To be fair, everyone got their ass handed to them when the LS400 landed. Ironically, Lexus is now at a similar crossroad to where Cad was in 85.

[@jermainec2462]

@@cadmanist I don't think so it's just people most spoiled in 2022 then they were in 85 and 92... If anything people bitched and moan and complained about Lexus being too boring for so long they switched it up and now people don't like how they switched up so I need people to kind of make up their minds...

[@marcusparks7282]

Terrible engines

[@runoflife87]

Design too. Almost LEGO-like outside and inside.

[@Tony_417]

Those parasitic unionized workers you see here on the production line eventually bankrupted GM. Serious quality issues also plagued this generation of car. Hope those workers today are proud of their contribution to GM