Opinions on used car

Ricardo

My son is turning 18 in a few weeks and I've been looking for used cars; found this one which is local, and emailed the seller to see if I can go take a look and a ride.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___1998-Cadillac-Seville-northstar-low-miles-58-000-new_W0QQitemZ270281502458QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270281502458&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C65%3A7%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Looks in great condition and I've heard mileage on these V8's is actually very good. Any thoughts on why should I NOT buy this?

Thanks!

strider

I would think insurance would be high for an 18 yo driver on a car with a V8. Other then that all that power stuff scares me out of warranty, not cheap to fix. Neither are 17" tires cheap to replace.

Deadof_knight

Ricardo,

my friend is a gm expert an I will ask his opinion in the morning. He started with us about a year ago before that he was a gm goodwrench mechanic for like the last 15 years at a local dealership.


insurance is high for any male under 25 driving anything... I have 4 kids and their all graduated each having one gooooood wreck a piece... instead of a builder I became a rebuilder as well.

However being a caddy it will be a little more to repair than regular gm stuff ...but cheaper than imports

Dennis Gardner

Very low miles for a 10 year old car. If the service records are good, that car has another 100,000 left in it.

Ricardo

strider wrote: »

I would think insurance would be high for an 18 yo driver on a car with a V8. Other then that all that power stuff scares me out of warranty, not cheap to fix. Neither are 17" tires cheap to replace.

Hmmmm... I guess this is a car I would like to drive.....so the low miles called my attention, but you have very good points. Thanks!

Ricardo

Dennis Gardner wrote: »

Very low miles for a 10 year old car. If the service records are good, that car has another 100,000 left in it.

Exactly what I thought. I'll see if I can see it and will definitely check on the insurance.

Ricardo

Deadof_knight wrote: »

Ricardo,

my friend is a gm expert an I will ask his opinion in the morning. He started with us about a year ago before that he was a gm goodwrench mechanic for like the last 15 years at a local dealership.

Thanks Russ.

treitz3

No opinions on the car, but do yourself a favor. Check out the sales source. There have been many issues with E-Baymotors that have been documented. I would hate to see your hard earned $$$ go to a criminal.

If you can't find anything, PM me. I'll be glad to share what I know. Good luck regardless.

Ricardo

Thanks for the tip Tom; I am not buying anything that I can't see (and with a vehicle history check).

wz2p7j

Ricardo,

That's a great looking ride with low mileage and good condition. Since your original post called for reasons to NOT buy the vehicle, I would only offer that many of the things that might go wrong with that ride are EXPENSIVE. The big tires have already been mentioned (maintenance) but stuff like electronics on a beast like that get to be expensive if there is a problem. Multiple crank sensors, basic Caddy electronics, etc. Just my 2 cents - good luck - Chris

BeRad

I hope he's got the cash for gas because most teenager's behind the wheel of a V8 are going to peel out and fishtail everywhere. The mileage doesn't mean **** when the pedal is down on the floor.

This is strictly hearsay, but I have heard that those things have weak transmissions if not taken care of (ie tranny flush) and/or rodded. Apparently they are pretty expensive to fix as well. My local transmission guy gave me this info when I was inquiring about one for sale next door to his shop.

If it were me, I'd get your son a nice small Japanese 4-banger that he can easily and affordably tune up and trick-out. Two pluses this way. Chick's dig tuners, and it will have him learning about engines, bodywork, accessories etc... and at the same time continue to build problem solving skills without him even knowing it.

A decent used car that can become a tuner can be had for VERY low prices.

ben62670

I am running a 96 Pontiac Grand Prix SE with 160k. It has decent protection, and gets an average of 30mpg with the six.
Ben

brettw22

Personal preference here...........but holy HELL is that an ugly **** interior.........and EVERYTHING is that color............

Past that, I think it's too much car for an 18yo, but that's just me........

exalted512

Older cadillacs start to have a lot of elec. problems and air ride problems. Id shy away, but thats my opinion. I deal with them a lot, but on the other side of things, the customers who bring them in usually dont take the best care of them either.
-Cody

ben62670

brettw22 wrote: »

Personal preference here...........but holy HELL is that an ugly **** interior.........and EVERYTHING is that color............

Past that, I think it's too much car for an 18yo, but that's just me........

I agree. My dad had a caddy, and all that weight likes to keep going the direction it is going rather than turn when the crap hits the fan.
Ben

brettw22

Admittedly though, those STS' are pretty nice. I don't know if the Norstar engines had the ability to cut off some of the cylinders or not, but I seem to remember that being around back then with Cadillac.

michaeljhsda2

My dad has the Concours model and if the car you are looking at has the stability control system your looking at replacement shock absorbers that cost 1000 each (installed).

VR3

Coming from a teenager that started out in a very front heavy V8 vehicle...

This vehicle is a big no no --- V8s are WAY to much for a first time driver...

Even though I did not get in any wrecks, I did alot of stupid things that could have led to wrecks...

My other issues with my first vehicle was related to the truck aspect of it rather than the motor...

But like I said, I just would not suggest that size motor to any young driver...

cmy330go

strider wrote: »

I would think insurance would be high for an 18 yo driver on a car with a V8. ....

I would think the SLS wouldn't be too bad. The STS would probably be pretty high though.

exalted512 wrote: »

Older cadillacs start to have a lot of elec. problems and air ride problems. Id shy away, but thats my opinion. I deal with them a lot, but on the other side of things, the customers who bring them in usually dont take the best care of them either.
-Cody

Actually as much as I hate to say it....Cadillacs were pretty stinking solid by the late 90's on. No major reoccurring issues that I recall. Cadillac really hasn't had too many issues with their adjustable suspension either. Not like the crap that's under most old Lincolns.:rolleyes: You can barely find a used Lincoln that doesn't have it's tail pipe dragging on the pavement.

It amazes me how bad the depreciation is on these cars. I can't believe anyone would buy one new. Oh well.... Great for the used car buyer!:D

cmy330go

BeRad wrote: »

I hope he's got the cash for gas because most teenager's behind the wheel of a V8 are going to peel out and fishtail everywhere....

Fishtailing is gonna be a little tricky in a FWD car.;) Don't get me wrong it can be done, but it usually doesn't end well.:eek:

exalted512

cmy330go wrote: »

Actually as much as I hate to say it....Cadillacs were pretty stinking solid by the late 90's on. No major reoccurring issues that I recall. Cadillac really hasn't had too many issues with their adjustable suspension either.

Like I said, the customers who bring in these cars dont always keep them up that great, but it always seems like theyre leaking air and constantly adjusting itself or have some kind of elec. issue.
-Cody

BIZILL

short answer, too much car for a youngin'.

BeRad

cmy330go wrote: »

Fishtailing is gonna be a little tricky in a FWD car.;) Don't get me wrong it can be done, but it usually doesn't end well.:eek:

I have but one thing to say... Put it in "R," for Rockford!

exalted512

cmy330go wrote: »

Fishtailing is gonna be a little tricky in a FWD car.;) Don't get me wrong it can be done, but it usually doesn't end well.:eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxnOUDIm9VQ
-Cody

danger boy

i'm thinking your son may want something a little smaller and sportier perhaps?

what kid young or old doesn't want like a Camaro they can fix up and baby?

Maybe i'm just old or old skool. but in my day. when I was 18 yrs young. I only wanted a two door car.. the smaller the better.

What is your son into? that right there could say a lot about the kind of car he would like.

audiobliss

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

This vehicle is a big no no --- V8s are WAY to much for a first time driver...

Even though I did not get in any wrecks, I did alot of stupid things that could have led to wrecks...

A great friend of mine had a 5.0HO for his first car (still drives it) and is very responsible with it.

But that being said, EVERY new driver is going to a lot of stupid things that could or should lead to wrecks unless it's just an exceptional child.


I would definitely like to have that car. I like the styling of those Cadillacs, though I would greatly prefer the 2-door. The color's not the best, but hey, when you're 18 and talking about a first car, you can't be but so picky. It's heavy, big, and well built; should be very good in a wreck. Sure, he can get in a lot of trouble with the V8, but hopefully he's smart enough not to push a heavy, FWD, floaty Cadillac too hard before he knows it really well.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy it for him (assuming it all checks out when you go see it in person) and your son wouldn't be totally mortified to be seen in it. And on that note, I agree that the parent has the say so, but it'd be horrible to drive a car you hate because your parents bought it for you and didn't care what you thought about it.

ESavinon

Get him a 4 cylinder vehicle.

Northstar engines are pretty reliable. They require premium fuel.
They eat water pumps and starters regularly. Caddies have issues with electronic sensors and coil packs going bad. Any minor repairs on a caddie will set you back a minimum of $1000 at the dealer which is the only place i recommend they get fixed.

My olsdmobile aurora has all the electronics that the cadillac has along with the Northstar engine.
I do all of my repairs on it to save some cash.

shadowofnight

Another vote for a nice 4 banger

The first car I had at my disposal was my moms Delta 88 with the Rocket 455 V8 and positraction rear end....actually blew tires up spinning them so much...how I didnt get arrested or dead I'll never know.

Ricardo

Thanks for all the comments guys. I am going to pass. This could be a great car that will last for years, but it could also be a nightmare in maintenance. I don't want that and appreciate all the comments. As I said, this would be a car I would love to drive (the red interior reminds me of my first car, a '68 Rambler American ) so probably got carried away.

My son has been driving my car for over a year now and I think he's a conscious driver; of course he's still a teenager and you all know what that is

I'll keep on looking. Thanks again for all the input!!

Serendipity

Lots of generalizations here...

I'm the same age as your son and you could give me a Mustang/Camaro/Corvette/etc. and I'll still drive at a reasonable speed. I've said on the forum many times that I never get any tickets because I'm always going at or under the speed limit.

So the young = speeder isn't always going to be true.

exalted512

I'm 4 years his senior and still drive like a bat out of hell
-Cody