When you see an enthusiast vehicle pop up from your hometown, it tends to spark some additional interest. I can’t explain it; maybe it’s curiosity about whether you know the owner or once passed by the car when it was in daily use. This 1980 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is a rare two-door diesel model, and it’s located in my old stomping grounds of Poughkeepsie, New York. The seller notes the diesel-powered Caddy has under 40,000 miles and has been kept in storage since 2006. Find it here on craigslist for $11,500.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Zen for the tip. The Cadillac is powered by an Oldsmobile-derived diesel V8 that does not enjoy a sterling reputation among enthusiasts. In fact, going back to the time in which it was made, most GM experts agree it was a poorly conceived engine design that did significant damage to the reputation of diesel motors in the U.S. Head gasket issues were rampant, and anyone keeping a car like this on the road has likely swapped out the original head bolts for upgraded aftermarket components. The seller doesn’t tell us much about this specimen, but is there a chance its low miles indicate it remains completely original under the hood? The interior certainly looks factory fresh.
The creamy yellow paint is period-correct and appears to be in excellent condition. The bodywork looks fantastic on both sides, and given how much snow Poughkeepsie gets each year, someone was clearly careful not to drive it in salt and muck. The original hubcaps show plenty of shine, and the chrome mirrors look mint. A thick coating of dust also suggests it has been stored indoors for over a decade. The question is: was it carefully stored because someone loved it, or because it was too troublesome to operate?
The Oldsmobile 5.7L produced 105 b.h.p. and 220 lb.-ft. of torque. A 3-speed automatic came standard, and 0-60 took over 20 seconds. That’s just astounding, not only for how sluggish it is but also because someone at GM allowed it to reach production. However, the hysteria over fuel economy and efficiency likely dominated the conversation at the time, much like the current push for EVs being everywhere despite the charging network being severely lacking. The seller will likely need to find the absolutely perfect buyer for a car like this, but hopefully, someone will enjoy this diesel-powered survivor.
Run Away…
Believe it or not… The Olds 260 V8 was 105 hp and 205 ft pounds of torque ( less than the 350 Diesel). And, it was installed in the full size Delta 88. ( I had one). That would have been one hilarious drag race to watch between my Olds and a Cadillac with the Olds Diesel. That being said, I dont think all the GM Diesels were bad. And by 1980 had many of the bugs worked out. I actually had a neighbor that had a white ’80 Coupe DeVille Diesel like this and it was a great commuter for him to go to work and back.
This one looks like a creampuff and I think if bought for the right price, would be a great Cars and Coffee conversation piece.
I love the Cameo Ivory paint! We had a Pontiac Bonneville safari wagon with a diesel, not a great winter car if you lived in NH!
I agree, the diesel got a bad rap from folks that weren’t really used to diesels, they required certain care a gas job didn’t need. I knew folks, trucks drivers mostly( and didn’t say where they got the fuel from, that semi truck got terrible mileage that day,,) with these motors with hundreds of thousands of miles, just not too quickly. Made for a time when diesel was about $1.05/gal. and typically cheaper than gas, and where the savings were allegedly anticipated. With diesel currently $6.09 in my area, diesel powered passenger vehicles are falling out of favor pretty quick. This, even with the diesel, is still a really nice car.
There won’t be many complaints about a lazy seller on this one, it’s the advantage of having a light colored car that doesn’t show dirt and dust. I wouldn’t trust that rust isn’t an issue without a thorough inspection, 26 years in Hudson valley New York is a long time, and the pictures in the ad aren’t detailed enough to tell. It’s basically a project after sitting 20 years, regardless if it’s in a garage or not. There is a lot of downside risk to a buyer at that asking price.
Steve R
” That’s just astounding, not only for how sluggish it is but also because someone at GM allowed it to reach production.”
Only 10 years earlier, their 472 engine was the most powerful engine they ever made in those years, and big Caddys with highway gears would still be as-fun-as-hell to drive. Then these came out. Nice, comfortable cars, but you’d want to open the door and use your foot to help it get moving. No wonder so many people went for Honda and Toyota.
Don’t forget about the 500 cubic inch Cadillac engine. It’s still powering many hot rods and sleepers today.
A guy I worked with back the late 1980’s bought a really nice and clean Pontiac Parisian that had a Diesel engine and it went bad after about a year of ownership. When he bought it his intention was to swap out the engine for a 350 engine which he did himself and it ran really good. He bought that car really cheap because no one wanted those junk diesel engines.
My father had a 1982 Diesel Olds for a few years. 12 months was the longest he ever got a set of head gaskets to last. In my opinion, they only got the bugs out of this junk engine when they discontinued it.
Hard pass. There’s just very little special about any of those.
If they had an engine adequate enough to move this car, them it’s something special! Cadillac has never been about sportiness, it’s always been a country club cruiser, just give it a quiet power train that doesn’t grenade and enough acceleration that it’s SAFE and you have a winner!
It’s nothing an LS swap wouldn’t cure lol
I had a 79 from Alabama. Not diesel but did have a swapped 472 engine with no cats. It was nicer inside with leather than this one.
I’d Love this car, but it’d have to be about $4500.00, as it would be pure entertainment.
I had a 1980 Olds Diesel Custom Cruiser when I was a teenager.
Yes, it was dangerously slow.
Yes, it smoked and stank.
Yes, the block eventually cracked.
I’ve told the story before, but long story short, my buddy and I were driving back from his parent’s cottage, and then we heard a loud “TING!!”, and I lost power. I was able to continue doing about 45 MPH or so, but it was struggling. Then these girls pull up next to us as we’re going down the road. We’re teenagers, so we’re thinking “Oh yeah…” The girls literally and actually hold their noses, and point to the back of the car – we’re billowing smoke. So, not so cool…
BUT, when it it worked, we got 30 MPG on the highway…
Good write up Jeff!! This car will definitely need an in person inspection by a person familiar with that ridiculous GM diesel. IF it was parked properly and will run OK this car can be used for weekend touring with no problem.. IF NOT you are looking at an engine swap. Second: RUST!!! New York is salt happy country, I would need a better history on how it was used in those 40k miles, and a good look from underneath. Basically this beautiful Caddy survivor is a welcome entry into the classic car hobby at a reasonable price.. Especially IF that diesel is good, as you have said, the buyer will a have a real conversation starter at Cars and Coffee when he opens the hood.
Shopping for a car like this is tantamount to shopping for a wife at a “house of ill repute.”
Jerked many of these out and put 350 and 403 Olds engines in their place.
Jeff..I lived in the town of PoK, 2002-12, out near Pleasant Valley, right off rt. 44… snow was certainly on the menu every winter… 🤣🤣
But not much of it.. I lived north of Syracuse in the lake effect area!! The average between Labor Day and Memorial Day was 250 inches, with more to the East of I-81….
Are Cadillac 425’s still haunting the junkyards, anymore? That would be the appropriate swap.
The problem was, GM didn’t develop a diesel engine, they diesefied a gas engine, which wasn’t designed to handle that much compression…for long.
pull the diesel and put a 455 in it else wise stay away.
Diesels stink!!
I had one of those three fifty diesels in an oldsmobile cutlass JUNK! And it could never be diagnosed properly.
They would say it was one thing or the other. They’d fixed one, but it would always be the other. A week later, another problem. I replaced it with a 350 Rocket
The way GM designed them Stunk! In order to save money, they took Gasoline blocks and modified the cylinder heads! The pistons couldn’t handle the Compression Ratio and shattered! The problem was so bad that GM sold gasoline engine conversion kits as a remedy ( they should have been free)! The Diesel era started a dark period for the general and especially Cadillac! Following disasters: Cimmeron ( they offered a diesel version), the 85′ downsize Deville debacle, the 86′ Eldorado/Seville debacle and the 4-6-8 cylinder deactivation disaster! It’s amazing that Cadillac is still in business!!
I had an Oldsmobile Cutlass with a diesel engine. Beautiful looking car, white over red velour. It was the absolute worst car I ever owned. I bought it new and sold it one year later. Living up north the fuel would gel overnight and I missed work. Even in the garage! Only diesel available at the time was at the truck stops. I always carried diesel fuel into the cabin with my shoes. The smell!