This 1982 Cadillac Coupe DeVille definitely qualifies for our “Nicest One Left?” series. This one is located just southwest of Missoula in Lolo, Montana, and is posted here on craigslist. The seller is asking what seems like a very reasonable $7,500 or possible trade for a smaller, older GM product. Thanks to T.J. for sending in this tip! Here is the original listing.
It would be epic (do they still use that term in 2022?) to fly in and drive this car home and I can hardly think of a more gorgeous area to do that in than around Missoula, Montana. It’s got relatively low miles, all or at least most of the luxury that you’re used to, and would be a crazy nice freeway cruiser for the ride home. Or better yet, take two-lane highways instead. This one has brand new Coker tires and all new brakes so no worries there.
The fifth-generation Coupe DeVille was also made as a four-door… I’m kidding, they were all called DeVilles, either Coupe or Sedan. The 1977 model was GMs downsized version of their full-sized cars and most owners didn’t notice a difference in anything but the exterior length and a little bump in MPG. They were made until 1984 but this body style would come back in the 1987 model year until the early-1990s as the Brougham and they all really were and still are very nice cars.
As I was trying to avoid college after high school, I worked in a medical office building parking garage, washing and parking cars for doctors and dentists mostly. One of them had this exact same car, at least the same looking, not the same exact car, of course. I was driving a rusty, teal green former Sears delivery van, a 1974 Dodge Van at the time, and getting into this gorgeous butter yellow two-door Coupe DeVille was like entering another world for me.
I’m not a fan of the steering wheel cover at all but it must be protecting the steering wheel. The seats look like new both front and back but the seller does say that the headliner is sagging, the radio works intermittently, and the gas gauge reads overfull. It sounds like those are the only issues with the interior. The exterior is almost perfect other than a couple of small nicks or chips maybe from someone working under the hood.
The engine should be Cadillac’s 249 cubic-inch, infamous 4.1L “high-technology” HT-4100 V8 with 125 horsepower. These engines usually come with some interesting stories due to bi-metal construction and possibly not following through on the correct coolant and/or maintenance procedures. I had one in a Seville that was trouble-free but other owners had trouble. Anyway, this one runs great but it has a slight exhaust leak in front of the catalytic converter that shouldn’t be hard to fix. Hagerty is at $6,300 for a #3 good condition car and $12,500 for a #2 excellent condition car this one may be right on the money. Have any of you owned a fifth-generation DeVille?
This thing is gorgeous and for once I’d like to say worth the price. My Step Father had an 82 sedan Deville that went 260k+ after replacing the warped heads. I had that back seat all to myself as a kid and it was like a floating living room! When I could sit in the front I could play with the digital climate control which Inhad never seen before or again until recently. I’d love to have this cruiser.
There was no interruption in production for the big, body-on-frame Cadillacs. It’s true that the Coupe DeVille went front wheel drive for 1985 and never looked back, but the Fleetwood Brougham was available as a coupe and sedan in 1985, then as a sedan only in 1986.
one hundred twenty five horsepower? In this car?
Low HP but torque was quite adequate. We had an 84 deville 4 door stretch limousine with the HT4100 and it was relatively trouble free and while no speed demon it was adequate. My 81 Ford Thunderbird by comparison was only rated at 130HP from its 5.0L V8.
These Cadillacs are stylistically a large car but based on actual dimensions and even weight are smaller and weigh less than a lot of modern crossovers
Yep. It’s weak. A buddy had an ’82 Seville, and the first time I drove it, I was surprised at how lively it felt off the line. Then, it shifted into second gear. I thought for a moment that we had stopped.
Worth the sellers asking price.
I used to know someone with one in this color combination. He told me it was called the “Sunshine Edition”, or some such.
The first engine warranty companies would not cover.
Very nice car! Brings back memories when I was engaged to my ex-wife. We went to visit an aunt and uncle of hers in SW Virginia who had this car in white. They took us to dinner in n Kingsport, TN. We were trapped in the back seat, no windows, “flying” through the mountain roads and highways. My soon to be uncle in-law, being local, drove like a moonshine runner. It took everything I had to avoid puking in his Cadillac. I was also introduced to fried bologna and egg sandwiches with onion, mayo and tomato on that same trip
My Mom had several Caddys. She had a 1977 Coupe Deville, triple white with red piping on the interior that never had a speck of dust on it for the 3 or 4 years she drove it. Riding in it was like going down the road on a cloud. If you’re even thinking of it, buy it and enjoy!
A 77-81 Coupe deVille would be an entirely different driving experience to one of these with the HT 4100 engine. Those earlier ones actually had some power under the pedal.
At the start of Scotty’s excellent article I were thinking this gorgeous car might have the 500 cubic inch engine, were not prepared at all for a V8 half that size.
Dad’s Fleetwood was the same year and color. It was easy to find in the mall parking lot during the late 80’s, the tail stuck out 2 feet past all the other cars. Mom isn’t into cars, but still raves about how great that Caddy was.
Those motors were very weak cannot tell you how many times the heads would melt
Dad had an ’82 Sedan DeVille. He loved it right up until the day the engine burst into flames. He was very happy to get out before the rest of it burned.
Pretty old car but can’t keep up.. Take a 125 horsepower engine and place it in a full size luxury car with a curb weight of 3924 pounds. That gives me a power to weight ratio of too damn slow even for my old man safe driving. I love the yellow color. Today’s cars are silver gray and black with dismal gray and black interiors..yuck! And Cadillacs had great equipment even back four decades ago. Today’s Civic or Corolla are much quicker with modern safety upgrades to offset their smaller size so I guess I will have to live in the present not the past even with an attractive malaise era car.
My parents went looking for a new ’82 Eldorado late in the model year. They really wanted this yellow, but none could be found so they “settled” for sky blue. It was an OK car until the check engine light became a frequent issue. Traded it for a white ’89 Sedan de Ville de Elegance. That was a great car!!🚘
H T = Hook and Tow ….
I could never figure out why when these caddys, impala, t-bird, etc. shrunk in size in late ’70s/early 80s why they got rid of frameless side glass!
To me this car looks like a bloated fancy ’79 2 door impala!
Is this caddy & that impala indeed essentially the same platform underneath?
Pehaps the Impala is faster with biggest v8?!
The 1982 Impala did offer an optional 305cid 5.0 V8 rated at 145 horsepower (20 more than the Cadillac). I read the 350 was available probably for police, high altitude and wagon applications. The Chevrolet was a little lighter too. So I will bust out the time machine, skip past the Cadillac dealer, option out a Caprice or Impala and get a new GM car that is cheaper and drives better.
Folkowup: The 5.7 liter civilian 1982 Impala V8 was a diesel so would not provide strong performance. The 5.0 liter 4bbl V8 was the way to go in 1982.
This one is gone, which one of you grabbed it?!