The tenth generation of the Cadillac Eldorado has now plummeted into the depths of used car values, with fewer still on the road in respectable condition. This is a common plight of luxury cars, what with their ambitious electronics and other complicated systems that made them attractive when new, and now a headache to own years later. However, this particular Eldorado ETC has just 5,000 miles on the clock and is likely one of the few chances to buy one in new condition. Find it here on Autotrader.com for $25,000.
I can still remember the ads touting “The Northstar System”, which felt like it belonged on a satellite or an exotic passenger train. Instead, it described Cadillac’s overall suite of features built around the 300 b.h.p. high-output V8s. Variable valve timing, “Road Sensing Suspension,” “Magnasteer” power steering, four-wheel disc brakes and more. Honestly, with names like the ones above, it’s not surprising Cadillac’s target age demographic was still boomers and retirees in the late 90s. That branding feels like it was lifted straight from Don Draper’s playbook.
This example remains in outstanding condition, with an oatmeal leather interior that appears brand new. One has to wonder if this was a retiree’s car that saw limited driving activity until the owner passed or could no longer drive. I doubt too many folks held onto these as collector’s items or second cars as they were supremely comfortable daily drivers with good power and feature-rich cabins. As mentioned, all of those components tend to break down over time, rendering cars like this scrap-pile worthy after soldiering on with owners of increasingly limited means.
Not this one. The engine bay shows no visible signs of soiling on the valve cover. This generation of the Eldorado was a looker, but also broke from the traditional big V8 coupe recipe by sending that power through the front wheels – an engineering decision I always felt was a mistake, especially on the coupe. The Northstar mills are also interference motors, which always raises the stakes a bit, and you don’t have to Google too hard before seeing the words “midblock reseal” associated with the flagship engine. Still, if you have to own one, it’s best to consider pricey examples like this, as the $3-$5K cars at the corner used car lot will likely bleed you dry in a hurry.
With a car this fragile, you have to ask why it only has 5000 miles and where it was stored.
They were nice when new, and an electrical nightmare as they aged. Good luck to anyone who does buy it. If the new owner decides to replace the heater hoses, be VERY careful of the steel tubes they connect to that run along the back of the engine. The tabs they use to mount to the engine are a weak point, and will leak from any pushing and pulling to get new hoses on and off. I found this out the hard way. Cadillac wanted to drop the whole drivetrain, the only way to get back there, to replace the tubes. I ran hoses instead, bypassing those tubes. The water pump has it’s own little belt, and the starter is under the intake manifold. It may be a nice collectible, but I’d bet it would be an unreliable daily driver.
But those head gaskets, tho!!
Someone is going to get victimized with a $4000.00-$5,000.00 dollar oil leak repair.
Yep !
Do not forget also, if the air conditioning goes out ( compressor, condenser , even a small gas leak ) the car shuts off. Computer malfunction code – no more driving today for you GM fan…
Are you serious?
Don’t walk away from this one………RUN! I know, I had a beautiful looking (don’t let good looks fool you like I did), low mile (50k), cream puff, black on black, 99 Cadillac Eldorado ETC coupe. These are an absolute NIGHTMARE to own! The steel head studs like to pull out of the aluminum block and blow head gaskets, the fix isn’t easy or cheap. The electronics are a nightmare!
That is right JTMike !!
Remember 95% of the time the engines can not be rebuilt after 40-50k miles.
Trashy car.
Lotsa GM stuff from back then was great for the first owner, and greater for the second owners’ mechanic. My late dad bought 14 new Cadillacs from ’71 to ‘2013, stayed away from the ‘exotic’ drivetrain experiments they foisted onto the heritage customers. In the ’80s, Cadillacs were dream cars… for Lexus dealers.
I had one, when cars get older ie 275,000 miles You expect the engines to get worn and you can live with that and baby it a long.. But with the North Star the sensors Are the main problem they fail or they shut the motor down to protect it. I was always putting sensors in it. But I loved the ride and I loved the stereo in that car.. It would go from 0 to a 100 and back to 0 in no time for a luxury car
I always thought they should have described this car’s features instead of just calling it the “etc.” Always thought that was kind of lazy.
Do not forget to change the alternator …. yuns remember how to do that ?
What a junky P.O.S. Along with every other thing listed above for 1993+ onwards Cadillac’s . GM shoulda been dissolved for carp like this.
( fyi, the alternator is under the intake manifold )
(( and it takes half a day to get to it))
Barnfinds ………….. please do not list any more trash such as this.
mad enough my taxmoney ” bailed out” GM because of this
wait – It was the starter motor, sorry.
Jeepster get emotional with these trashy cars, being that I used to be an engineer with a tier 2/3 supplier for GM. We had 1 Eldo like this one and 2 STS Seville’s that the owners/family drove. Everything listed above happened and then some, with all of them. Cadillacs from this era make me furious – These cars suck !!!
Here !
instead of listing late 1990’s dexcool GM crapcans
( pre union buyout plan )
list something fun and weird:
how about a vintage Jeepster Commando someone altered to electric drive.
What? Why? no way –
https://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/d/1970-jeepster-commando/6602707890.html
Hahaaa! $25,000??? That’s only about $20,000 more than it’s worth, even with the low miles. I feel terrible for anyone who doesn’t do their due diligence on this and pays anything even close to that ask. These are JUNK! Beautiful junk. Buyer beware never applied more than it does here. GM deserved to go bankrupt after selling this krap. RUN, do not walk away from this garbage.
No love here for this one, we’ll deserved….awful car. Maybe worth 3k
The fit finish and paint quality on Cadillacs of this generation was very impressive, the cost of ownership…. fa geta bout it. I would pay $8k for this beauty they are a blast to drive.
Not a Ford guy, but this gen Eldorado is not even in the same league as the Mark VII/VIII.
My grandmother drove one of these when I was a kid. I have some great memories in a 98, Red with a cream interior. Super comfortable seats, great stereo(she put the Polka on full blast), and plenty of acceleration. My father fortuitously had her trade it in for a newer Chevy Impala. I guess he was right about the car. His reasoning was the cost of repairs to maintain. At the time it needed struts. We luckily never had to deal with the other Gremlins fortunately. I’d love to own one just like it, but it sounds like it’s not worth the hassle.
Fun Fact. That Impala is still on the road and about to head to the 4th owner within the family.
I have a ’99 Regal GS that we modified the drivetrain, brakes and suspension on about 5 years ago with 160k miles on it. One of the most unassuming, low-key, reliable cars I’ve ever owned. And fun. Absolutely has surprised people with it’s overall performance
Northstar powered cars of this vintage should be treated like light bulbs. Bought cheap and discarded when they stop working.
Thank you all for the warnings above. These have been on my wish-list to own, and now that values are down (well, except for this one) I’ve looked at a couple. One here in town was for sale for $1000. I called the number and even left a note on the door of the seller’s home but never heard back. Next time I drove by, it was gone. Looks like I dodged a bullet (or three)!
It’s funny, I had a 99 ETC and other than replacing the AC, heater core and fuel pump, it was a fantastic car. Everything worked and the motor was cherry. Although I will admit it only had 116k miles on it when I sold it… That’s a lot of stuff to replace given the mileage.
25 years of lot rash really.
That low mileage is no guarantee of reliability. Time and rot from lack of use will cause their own problems.
Guess I’m the only one who bought an ETC used, treated like a normal vehicle and had no trouble for five years. enjoyed it, thank you GM.
No read my comment below…I have owned mine for 23 years! Just going to retire it now by giving it to my son. Live Long & Hard the series 1 Caddy STS’s & Eldo’s!
I have a friend with one of these, nice color, runs great….90,000 miles and had it forever with no problems. He asked me if it was collectible……HA had to burst his bubble and told him..NO…..he has been lucky with it….
I read lots of nasty comments about the Eldo & it’s big brother the STS… I have owned a 1995 STS since new & currently has 321,000 KM’s on the clock. I have never touched the engine other than maintenance stuff; 2 sets of spark plugs/wires, one coil pack, 2 starters, 1 water pump, heater hoses (& all others hoses) & 1 motor mount. Original exhaust system up until May this year when the ‘Y’ pipe went & decided to also install 2 MagnaFlow mufflers, everything else is original to the car! Yes of course brakes, struts, sway bar links….stuff that any car would need after such mileage. I live in Toronto, Canada so the weather can be brutal…it got me to work & back a 65 mile round trip every day to Downtown Toronto & back, bumper to bumper traffic everyday…idling for almost 2 hours every day in each direction!!!! It never let me down & one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned!! I am a car enthusiast & know how to care for a car…do ‘extreme maintenance’, if something doesn’t sound right check into it & fix it before it manifests its self into something bigger. Find a first class mechanic that is honest & do your research on the internet before bringing to the mechanic. My youngest son will inherit the beloved STS this summer to add to his car collection while I move on to a Maserati. The body on the STS is in showroom condition & the oyster interior shows only light wear…cleaning of the leather & plenty of Leather Food is the answer! The Caddy can be seen on the STS/Eldo fan club/forum…still gets lots of attention on the road & at car shows!
Now I know why my ’93 Allante with the first Northstar, based on the Eldorado, is worth so little, despite being a convertible, 6-60 in 6.1 seconds (according to the car magazines of the time), magnetic rear suspension, comfortable, fast, handles well, only leaks are from the gasket for the oil level indicator and the top of the gas filler tube if I fill to the very top, and, at least to my eye, very good looking. It has been at the bottom of its market for at least 5 years now, or so I have been hoping, but, absent a great deal on a Studebaker built, supercharged, not rusted, Avanti, I am keeping it. (And I think their market is tending down, relatively speaking, so there is hope.)
Reputation is all and GM’s of the era are clearly not Toyotas or Hondas of the era.. But think how much it costs to maintain and fix a comparable Mercedes, Audi, Porsche let alone a Jag.
The issue is investment vs. the pleasure of driving. If investment is your goal, this is probably not a good one, nor was my Allante. But if it is driving something that is fun, why not?
Yes, the Allante, which is all GM except the sheet metal, interior, and a few details like the power window switches, has it faults, the wind noise, top up, top down, or hardtop on, is a lot more than a Camry. All the electronics except the OEM radio work (aftermarket unit in the trunk when I bought it). Paid $3000, five years ago, plus $2500 to shop to replace all the hoses, gaskets, rear brakes, and plastic radiator. Now 25 years old, with 140,000 miles, leather is torn on driver’s seat cushion and foam is clearly dead, a few dings and a few scratches in the clear coat, especially on the plastic, flexible parts, but otherwise it presents well. I drive it locally, a few times a week. Needed new cat to pass CA emissions test this year (4th year of ownership), so another $1300 but I replaced both on my 2002 Audi for considerably more $ each 5 years ago.
So, if you are going to keep it, and drive it, and enjoy it, not a bad deal, and yes, you are taking a chance on the Northstar, but change the oil and don’t over rev it.
Jags from ’90-up are better/more reliable than MB or BMW…except the nyliner 4L V8’s in the US.
Still nothing to rave about, but better and less expensive to own
This one is perfect if you wanted to go cruise the Bingo Halls, Retirement Communities or American Legion Auxiliary Meetings for blue haired women with loose morals. Plenty of room in the back seat for the oxygen tanks. Otherwise it’s a pass.
The reason there are not many of those eldorados and their sister car rivierras,they were unsellable.GM had so many unsold in stock,they cancelled production and scrapped the rest of them.Way too many problems and totally unreliable
The 1995-1999 Buick Riviera has a much better engine. The 3800 series II is different than the Northstar. Loads of trouble free 3800 powered cars still on the road.
Favorite problem with Northstar engines? There are two thread insert kits for the head gasket issue. One for the first repair and a second one for the rework when the first one fails. Stud kit from the shop in Canada is the way to go but the kit itself is almost a grand. Add maybe another 2g’s labor. Nice cars when they’re right but a huge wallet drain when they’re not.
To quote Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail.
“Run away, run away!!!”
These are horrible cars. Fast and luxurious, but that’s it. The Northstar engine was the worst engine ever to come out of GM and showed the total disregard GM has for its customers. This engine was built from 1992 to 2004 without barely any engineering resolution to the horrible head gasket condition. I know because I worked in the industry then. Even with meticulous maintenance these engines failed. I will most likely never buy another GM car. I had a 1996 Cadillac Seville STS that had engine head gasket failure at only 75,000 miles. Plus all the other stupid things that were constantly going wrong with the car. Horrible, Horrible.
Bland styling and other problems. Not one of my favorite Cadillac series.
I on other hand love the looks. They out di themselves on the mechanicals & should B avoided (nice 4 the 1st yr of ownership).
“…Jeepster Commando someone altered to electric drive…”
All the lefty weftys there, colleges, yuppies, etc. No worries, I dont think they’re any where near U.
Jeepster normally carries a M82A1 Barrett 50 in the farm truck,
Since he is a neighbor 5 miles away from Murfreesboro, TN.
Willamson County, TN native since 1790
Calm down guys I think price is in Pesos!!
The Northstar is the exact reason that I bought a 92 Eldorado. The 92 and some 93’s had the 4.9 in it. It had 49k on the clock and the only problems that the car had was from not being driven. 1500 worth of problems (the a/c, 2 injectors, the headlight switch) that the previous owner paid for to be repaired. I had a one week warranty in writing from him and he did live up to our agreement. Once I worked those bugs out, it has been a pretty good daily driver. It is still a head turner whenever anyone sees it. I have recently retired it with 125k now on the clock. I do drive it every week or 2 though to keep it in decent running and driving condition. A 1999 car with only 5k on the clock is going to have numerous and expensive problems for sure.
That’s why I bought a ’90 Eldorado Biarritz hence avoiding those Northstar problems.