Faults:

The car hadn't been driven since 1989 so I had to fully service the engine and hoses; including the water pump, radiator, power steering system, and belts. One thing about this car is the belt system is extremely temperamental, it is best to get them changed by a professional that can gauge the tension. I went through the wiring harness and fixed and reconnected the V8-6-4 system.

General Comments:

These cars are great for daily drivers, they are comfortable to drive and extremely reliable when properly maintained. The V8-6-4 system is not as bad as they say, and the only bad comment I have about it is that going 70+ with it sucks, so I wired a shut off switch for those speeds.

This car had the rare posi-traction which made it excellent to drive in harsh northern winter conditions, I never got stuck.

If you smoke or have kids with phones to charge, this car is plentiful with cigarette lighters and ashtrays, one for every door.

Faults:

The valve train and most of the oil galleries were plugged with sludge due to failure to change the oil. 14 16 valve push rods needed to be replaced as they were plugged solid. All valve lifters were replaced as well along with the camshaft. Timing components such as timing chain and gears were also replaced.

The water pump and radiator was replace just as insurance.

The lower end (oil pan) was checked for damage and none was found. The main and rod bearings were like new with very little wear. The oil pickup screen was also replaced.

The headliner was replaced due to factory glue failure.

General Comments:

The 368 (8-6-4) is the last of the cast iron blocks Cadillac produced. With proper maintenance, this engine will last forever. Most people complain about being underpowered, and this is true. But, once you get this baby up to cruising speed, she'll shift into 4 cylinder operation and give you 23 MPG all day long.

Faults:

The water pump failed and needed to be replaced. This was inexpensive and easy to do myself.

The air conditioning system didn't work. I never had this fixed though I later discovered that the fix would have been easy had I any knowledge of auto mechanics at the time.

Had a spark plug oil fouling problem which eventually cured itself for unknown reasons.

Trunk pulldown motor was wearing down when the car was sold.

The headliner was also sagging badly.

General Comments:

This car was built like a tank. I have no doubt that it is one of the most noble cars I will ever drive. It underwent a lot of abuse from previous owners including infrequent (if ever) fluid changes. Car still ran fine at 130,000 miles when I sold it.

Cadillac's notorious boatlike handling was not missing from this vehicle. It suffered from severe body roll in hard cornering, and pitched badly under acceleration and braking.

The 6 liter engine was torquey enough to haul the car around at a decent pace, but produced a neolithic specific output of 23hp per liter. This was no doubt mostly due to the archaic emission controls which strangled the engine. This hampered acceleration greatly.

The 8-6-4 cylinder deactivation system performed very well. This is apparently rare, and the system was plagued by problems in most cars which were so equipped. The system shut down the right amount of cylinders at the right times, and helped noticeably with fuel economy.

This car's features combined to make the driving experience incredibly comfortable. Leather covered most surfaces of the car. The front and rear bench seats were huge. The car had power everything imaginable. The 8-6-4 system, cruise control, and trip computer were well ahead of their time.

Overall, very well suited to its purpose as a luxury cruiser. I miss that car, but I don't miss how slow it was.