Let's talk Coupe de Ville

Every since I saw this car for sale over on ISSF, I've fallen in love with Coupe de Villes..


I know some years had a 4100 engine which I understand to be JUNK. What would be the BEST year coupe de ville, in this body style, to get? I know nothing about these older Caddy's..

Who cares what it comes with for a motor, buy one cheap with a good body and use the money from selling your car to put something cool in it.

Doug

There was a pair of them on CR in Billerica but I'm not sure if they're up anymore. Worth checking

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/ctd/2089654469.html

Not what i was referring to BUT looks good.

Unless somebody comes to me with 3500.00, ill be keeping my car.. im just looking to get something cool for the summer, and I like these.. B-body.. many parts interchange, I just dont know which engine/year would be best.. get one with a 425??

like doug said who cares what motor is in it.

they only ran that body from around 79 - 84.
it came as the coupe deville or fleetwood brougham coupe

certain years had different options for drive trains and motors.
A) their was a 6 cly option
B) the famous 4-6-v8 junk!
C) 4100 hook and tow more junk!
D) their was a diesel motor option
E) 307 olds motor or 305 chevy
F) early models had a 425
G) they even had a fwd option on the big body

so just find one ya like with a solid frame/body
cuz your power train option is endless
and body parts arent hard to find.

If it has the HT4100, run away. Run extremely far. who thought 4.1 liters was enough to move such a big car? the 307 in my cadillac has to be at wide open throttle to get to 60 in less than a decade....

the 368 (6.0) with V8-6-4 was a great engine except for the cylinder deactivation. you can disable that by unplugging one wire, and youll have a fuel injected cadillac big block with a good transmission and rear end. not much horsepower but plenty of torque. ive heard of people wiring in a switch so they can turn the selective displacement on and off. because there were so many problems with the selective displacement, it was only available for 1981 and thats what got it such a bad reputation.

if you get the previous bodystyle you can get the 425.... ive heard nothing bad about this engine from anyone.
http://ned.ronet.ru/0/1977%20Cadillac%20Coupe%20De%20Ville.jpg

the 368 and 425 are built off the same block as the 472 and 500. but no matter what, if you get a rear wheel drive cadillac made between 1977 and 1992, its going to be extraordinarily slow.

Wow... That thing is sick! I diggit!

Stop giving me ideas.

Good luck finding one. As mentioned, I'd worry less about the drivetrain and more about a solid frame and body and interior. Hell, just to "get it running", you could toss in a carbed SBC and a TH400 or something for short short money until you figure out what you want to do.

My first car was a 1980 CDV, navy blue. I learned to drive in it and want another, it was awesome. The car had the 368 in it, non-cylinder deactivation and it also was carbureted. This year is the first for that styling, but has the most simple mechanicals. I think it had some sort of a TH400 based tranny as well.

Who cares about how slow they were, that's not what these cars are about, and they really don't seem that slow when you're driving them. The power is sufficient. Going fast in a straight line in New England is pointless anyway, it's all cattle paths, state troppers, stoplights and poorly maintained roads! Ride and handling is what matters, and THIS is why you buy one of these cars:





The 4-6-8 system was only for 1981 but used the 368 w/EFI. They aren't bad cars just a little more troublesome. The 1980 I drove had a dead cylinder though, so what do I know.


If you want THAT body style Coupe Deville, you're gonna have to look for 1980 to 1984 models. They also had the 1985 FWB Coupe with that body, but it's pretty hard to find these days.

http://www.fleetofcads.com/85broughamcoupe.htm

I think they used the HT4100, which is a junk motor. SOME of the HT4100 cars actually have a big Buick 4.1 V6 in them, those are okay to drive compared to the aluminum v8. I guess the 307 was dropped in it's place the next year, but by then there was no coupe!

The early ones were available with no vinyl top, and I think it looked pretty clean that way.



The thing with the HT4100 cars is you can swap some other kind of a BOP engine in there to the BOP bellhousing on the trans, I believe. I've seen them with Olds 403s in them, even Chevy drivetrains swapped over. I think if you wanted to run a carb you could do it easier than it seems.

If you can settle for this 77-79 body style...



They are a much simpler car to have aside from the 1980s ones. More power, beefier trans, etc. I prefer the later one's styling but I like both. They're all C-bodies and have the bigger bolt pattern and applicable parts.

If you look for either one, make sure it's got a clean body (usually I see them in surprisingly solid shape except for a few white ones which looked like they had chip-prone paint and got rust circles all over them), because you're not likely gonna find the 2-door in a junkyard without searching a lot!

^^Goodfellas? lol

That CR post expired, too bad that car looked very clean. And like everyone says even if it has a junky power train as long as the body is clean and straight, grab it. You could always build a monster Cad 500

I think I want to trade my Caprice for another Cadillac. This thread got me going. Maybe I should trade the '74 Impala for an SS too.

Matt Trakker wrote:

I think I want to trade my Caprice for another Cadillac. This thread got me going. Maybe I should trade the '74 Impala for an SS too.

Probably wouldn't be too hard with the guys on here.

nick

phantom 309 wrote:

nick

ROFL

HOLY GAY BATMAN!

phantom 309 wrote:

http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/ambig_gay_penis_mobile.jpg

Matt Trakker wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/ambig_gay_penis_mobile.jpg

it kinda bothers me that you even know how to find cartoon pics of gay stuff,.

nick

^^^^^ hahahahahahahahaha ^^^^^^^ ..... i was thinking the same thing

LOVE this color combo!


This is nice...




Although... the 78's not so bad either...




The what now?

toomanytoyz wrote:

The what now?

LOL. I think I have that on 8-track.

I had a 79 Coupe. Black with red leather interior. Bought it in 91' sold it in 94'. Man I miss that car. I will try to locate pics. I think I mighta had hair back then.

[quote="toomanytoyz"]LOVE this color combo!


curses crovo!
ive been toying with the idea and you just confirmed it. i wanna run the copper top color on my hood and trunk like that.
Some cadillacs came with paint like that right from the factory, it has a package name i just cant think of it, most came black running down the middle with silver sides.

phantom 309 wrote:

Matt Trakker wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/ambig_gay_penis_mobile.jpg

it kinda bothers me that you even know how to find cartoon pics of gay stuff,.

nick

I'm bothered you've never seen Saturday Night Live before! Well, before it was "gay" anyway.

[quote="bowtiepimp"]

toomanytoyz wrote:

LOVE this color combo!


curses crovo!
ive been toying with the idea and you just confirmed it. i wanna run the copper top color on my hood and trunk like that.
Some cadillacs came with paint like that right from the factory, it has a package name i just cant think of it, most came black running down the middle with silver sides.

The 1980 I drove was originally that color scheme, you could tell when you opened the doors. It was originally the navy blue up on the top, and light metallic blue on the sides from the beltline down. At some point a previous owner repainted it navy blue with purple metalflakes in it.

[quote="Matt Trakker"]

bowtiepimp wrote:

toomanytoyz wrote:

LOVE this color combo!


curses crovo!
ive been toying with the idea and you just confirmed it. i wanna run the copper top color on my hood and trunk like that.
Some cadillacs came with paint like that right from the factory, it has a package name i just cant think of it, most came black running down the middle with silver sides.

The 1980 I drove was originally that color scheme, you could tell when you opened the doors. It was originally the navy blue up on the top, and light metallic blue on the sides from the beltline down. At some point a previous owner repainted it navy blue with purple metalflakes in it.

The last Caddy I had was a 59. It was one of the two most frustrating automobiles I ever owned. It was my own fault though because I am so bad with solving electrical problems. The Cad, and the other - a 66 Ford 7 liter Galaxy, both loaded to the gills, were plagued with electrical issues beyond my ability to repair. Local repair shops claiming the appropriate expertise only made matters worse. Those vehicles did not stay with me long.

Check out this Coupe De Ville with its left rear tire lifting clear off the ground! This is the one I would like, but does anybody know if this generation of coupes ever came from the factory with the 89-92 Brougham-style single headlights, which I feel looks much better? http://www.schwartzperformance.com/projects.aspx?projectid=22

Matt Trakker wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

Matt Trakker wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/ambig_gay_penis_mobile.jpg

it kinda bothers me that you even know how to find cartoon pics of gay stuff,.

nick

I'm bothered you've never seen Saturday Night Live before! Well, before it was "gay" anyway.

i used to watch it,. but when all the "cork"suckers started, i lost interest,
Why is it considered funny,.. all this gay stuff?
Why watch comedy thats centred around the gay way of life?

I have no interest in watching it anymore, the 'comedy' seems forced now,.

Nick

The show sucks now, that's for sure. It's a bunch of poseurs.

Dude, that 82 Cadillac is proof positive of what one can/should do with an HT4100 car. What an awesome ride!!!

The 90-92 composite single headlamps can be swapped over to the coupes. I think the headerpanel MIGHT be the same part, but I can't be sure. People also swap over the lower body cladding sometimes, they alter them to fit the longer doors and quarters.