Hey Wes! We have the same taste in cars.

[bullittandy]

I was looking at a Caddy Seville message board and who do I see with 8000 posts? Elwesso.

How many hours are in your day that you can have than many posts there, and here?

Also, have you owned a Caddy? How would you comapre it to a Q45? I drove a 97 Deville on my honeymoon and liked it alot.

[elwesso]

I helped start that site back in 2003. I put on about 8000 posts between 2003-2005 (mostly 2003-2004). I bought my Q in Feb 2004. I havent posted more than 150 times since 2005.

I was an admin over there for a while... Then, I felt like I was trying to dedicate myself to the forum, but I was the only person doing anything (including the owner), so i became less active. not only that, but I couldnt get anything done. I finally got the forum restructured but it was meant to be temporary, and instead its the clusterf*ck thats on there now. It got very frustrating for me, I am the 10th user signed up on that forum, I occasionally go there and look around, but dont post in the technical forums. I then pretty much stopped shortly after I became a moderator here on NICO.

However, I still do remember most of the cadillac stuff. basically, you could answer every post like this...

1. Did you check your codes? if not, press OFF and WARMER at the same time and it will start spitting codes out.

2. No you cant do the headgaskets with the engine in the car

3. no you cant take the motor out from the top.

4. Your shift solenoids are probably bad. they can only be bought as a complete package.

5. You have the dreaded case half oil leak. Godspeed getting it fixed.

6. Do a tuneup on your motor, it will run better.

Late 2002 I started looking for cadillacs. I signed up on GM forums and was totally new to this whole forum thing. I had no idea what I was into. I started searching for info about cadillacs, read stuff about them and then finally ended up on GM forums. Finally, I figured out that I could sign up for an account and post things... then Sal said he was starting a cadillac forum (really it was the first cadillac forum on the web). I said I'd help him start it up, because I really wanted to learn all I could about cadillacs...

I never owned one and probably will never own a seville, deville or eldo. The northstar is just too finicky. The thing is with me, I dont mind dealing with engines that need maintenance (like the Q), but I dont want to have problems with them after their well sorted. Well sorted northstars can STILL Give you troubles, and that doesnt interest me. Fortunately, northstars are becoming very well known and they can be made reliable, but IMO what you get isnt worth the headache.

Theyre incredibly sexy cars to look at.

Ive driven a northstar eldo, a 4.9 eldo, and a deville I think, and of course sat in my share of sevilles and so forth... the 4.9 is a great choice, its easily the most reliable cadillac only motor in contemporary time... If you analyze each piece of the car, you realize its not that great of a vehicle. but when you're in it, you feel like a million bux. The interior just surrounds you, its wonderful, nothing can compare to it in my Q.

The driving experience between, say a 97 eldo and a 97 Q45 (or even a G50 for that matter) is so different that its not even worht comparing. The caddy has super light steering (about like a golf cart). You can turn it all over the place and it doesnt move the car at all.

Like I said, its completely different... The cadillac wants to stay on the road, and if you want go fast in a striaght line. The Q wants to be driven how you want it to... Its like comparing a lincoln to a BMW. The cadillac isnt a car you throw around in the curves. The Q you can.

If I ever bought a cadillac it would be a 94 or 95 fleetwood brougham. 5.7L LT1 motor, simple, reliable, incredibly torquey, room for 6, 3-4 body trunk easy... Old school GM and its wonderful, my grandparents have a 95 FWB with 38k miles. What a fabulous car to take on road trips, theres nothing better. Bottom line is, every cadillac i've driven is a road trip car, and the FWB epitomizes that concept.

[maxnix]

....my grandparents have a 95 FWB with 38k miles. What a fabulous car to take on road trips, theres nothing better.

Maybe on the interstate at or below the speed limit with no curves, change in elevation, nor applicaton of brakes.

On any real road both G50 or FGY33 win hands down. The Cadillacs are jello whereas the Q45 are Prime Grade steak.

New rear drive STS I haven't been in yet, but the interior strikes me as plastic spartan flash.

[Jesda]

I actually followed Wes to the Caddy forum in 03. Nice forum through which I've met some fantastic people, though its quite a mess of disorganized stuff like NICO is slowly becoming.

I was looking at Sevilles before I got my Q. I wish I bought it instead of the Q, but then I wouldn't have met all the neat people on NICO, so its good in the end.

A couple weekends ago I rented a 2007 DTS and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was [arguably] quieter and smoother than the Lexus LS (the just-recent generation, not the new one) and had a sufficient amount of power and handling I'd at least categorize as secure and safe, if not outwardly sporty. It was so darn quiet and smooth that I nearly dozed off during the drive to/from Nashville. The build quality is many, many light years ahead of the Deville it replaced. They will make outstanding used cars.

Maybe on the interstate at or below the speed limit with no curves, change in elevation, nor applicaton of brakes.On any real road both G50 or FGY33 win hands down. The Cadillacs are jello whereas the Q45 are Prime Grade steak.

To follow your meat analogy, Cadillacs are the bad-for-you fatty parts while the G50s are tough and overcooked. G50s can be noisy and uncomfortable on long trips. I've owned two, so its not me, its the car.

90s Cadillac > 90s Q45 for road trips. The vast majority of a road trip takes place on flat, uninteresting interstates. No need for uncomfortable side bolstering or a firm ride in that situation. What you want are flat, wide seats, an excellent sound system, some isolation from the road surface, and lots of quiet.

90s Q45 > 90s Cadillac for touring mountains and coasts. The Q can snake through narrow lakeside roads fairly well for a heavy car, if you can keep the understeer in check.

I'd also put most mid and fullsize BMWs above the G50 and Y33 for long-distance driving, since the ride quality and handling are both superior.

Ideally, I'd keep a Miata at my dad's house in Washington and buy a Fleetwood for use here in middle America. The 240 convertible will suffice for now since its free to me. But in a perfect world, I'd have a 2008 AWD STS for all driving conditions, or an M35x if Infiniti could keep its customer service and build quality on par with Buick, Lexus, Cadillac, and Jaguar.
Modified by Jesda at 10:12 PM 7/30/2007

[Logan76]

It seems that almost all LT-1 motors must be dropped out the bottom, and doesnt the Caddillac version of the LT-1 have cast iron heads?

[elwesso]

Itd be interesting to see what you think (jesda) about a 94 on the open road. Wider seats, smoother ride and quieter might make it nicer for BOTH touring and long road trips.

It all depends what you want. If you dont want to carve through corners than who cares how it handles. Despite how floaty the FWB is, you can safely make emergency maneuvers.

[Peterofdevon]

To follow your meat analogy, Cadillacs are the bad-for-you fatty parts while the G50s are tough and overcooked. G50s can be noisy and uncomfortable on long trips. I've owned two, so its not me, its the car.

Shame on you!!!

A G50 uncomfortable? Noisy? Can I please have your NICO membership card for a mandatory two week suspension!!!

The last caddys I drove a 04 STS/ 04 CTS were nice but bland. Too soft for my taste. Its like when you ride a bike (bicycle)...the hard racing seat seems hard at first but after a 100 mile ride its perfect. The soft wide butt seats after a 100 miles give you saddle sores!

Evey g50 I've had has been great for long crusing. I took the black one to Lake Placid and back in July (from Philly) and I've never felt so relaxed on a drive. Mind you, this one I undercoated with soundproofing. Its a 96 and light footed.

Caddys look good but none of them come close in any other catagory to a G50, IMO.

And BTW, I have a minty cherry 01 540I 6 speed...I think I like the Black Q even better now that I've had the BMW for a year.

Peter

[superuber]

American trash! Just hope your oil pan on your north star doesn't leak.Oh, and great resale value.

[Fridge]

Well I have never driven one but I would just love to have a cts-v. 6 speed manual with a 400 hp corvette engine. There is even a company that will put a blower on it. Wow can you say 500 hp in a luxery car? And there are susension parts available to lose that spongie ride.