Faults:
Mind you, the previous owner treated this car like utter crap, so a few things were wrong, but nothing unusual.
Master cylinder, rusted muffler, alternator, starter motor, and shocks, all within 150-155k miles when I first got the car.
Rehauled carb at 160k.
Slight leather wear in front seats, and some rust in the undercarriage, but for a 30 year old car with 160k miles in the rainy NW, it's normal.
General Comments:
This car is just an absolute dream. I picked it up for 1000 bucks from a couple whose father died. They just wanted to sell the car fast, and I bought it fast. I use it as a daily driver, and get 15-20 MPG in the city if I drive normal.
The car has never given me trouble besides the repairs listed above, but mind you, this car sat for 2 years in the rain, not driven at all, and the previous owner should be in jail for the way he treated his Cadillac. I've been restoring this.
The level ride system still works with no problem.
Carb is in the greatest shape ever.
Cylinders still have high compression, doesn't burn oil, and every time I change the oil, it's clean.
Everything else is Cadillac-tank tough, no problem at all.
The body has a few defects, and has a different year door ('78), so it must've been in an accident. But you couldn't tell by the looks of it. The paint is in great condition. Undercarriage will be undercoated soon to deal with rust, but still, a less amount of rust than usual.
If you don't believe this review, just take a look yourself: www.cardomain.com/id/adam_mcd
The only restoration I plan to do is new paint job, new vinyl, and fix the headliner. A friend cheered me up saying it was "draping it like a sultan's palace".
2nd May 2005, 06:52
Undercoating will not stop the rust, it will just cover it up.
Underneath the undercoating, the car will continue to merrily rust away unless you remove it first...