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Newbie questions on 1997 Seville STS

Started by bobash, February 20, 2020, 07:12:27 PM

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bobash

Hi all!
I'm about to pull the trigger on my first ever Cadillac â€" a 1997 Seville STS that a friend of mine is selling for a very reasonable sum. I haven't seen it yet, but I have no reason to doubt what he says is true. The car was apparently one-owner until recently, bought new by a doctor in Sweden who later returned here to Czech Republic. After a while, she sold the car as she was too old to drive. Changed hands twice during that time, which would make me fourth owner. Something over 120,000 miles, seems to be technically okay, looks nice in pictures. So far, so good.

Now, the questions.

1) Generally, what to look out for, and what to do to keep the car in a good shape? I understand that Seville STS is much closer, servicing-wise, to high-end European cars of the era than to a typical, simple American car, and I fully expect that paying a rough equivalent of $2,000 for the car is just the start. What are the most important things to keep in mind?

2) Specifically, I've heard horror stories about the Northstar. Overheating, blown headgaskets, the lot. What shall I do to preserve it in its current, fully operational condition? From what I read, using the right oil and changing it often (one year/5-6k miles, maybe?) is crucial. Anything else I can do? Some preventive measures to be done with cooling system? Going all-out and replacing the headgaskets and bolts with aftermarket stuff from Northstar Performance? Does it even make sense to shell that much money for a preventive fix? Isn't it easier to hope for it to fail and be prepared for a rebuild if it does?

3) Shocks. The 1997 STS should have electronic adaptive shocks. I don't know yet if it still has them or not, but I don't really like the idea of converting to "dump" shocks. Is there a way to keep the electronic ones? I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere, no matter the price. Any tips?

And generally, what to look out for, what to do and what to avoid to keep that thing rolling for another decade. Any help will be very much appreciated!

Dave Shepherd

Certainly the 97 N'star was subject to oil leaks and headbolt/headgasket issues ,expensive job, cost more than the cars value.  If this occurs, on a 2k car its done, value wise. Regarding the shocks, if they fail regarding the adaptive  ride feature, they could be driven without that feature working, if they need replacement  for non function wear issues, you could research a standard replacement, struts in the front of course. Carid online has the ft. Struts 600.00 each. Plenty of online info about methods to redo the rear suspension .

cadillacmike68

NorthStars wouldn't overheat unless you ran them out of oil or blew a head gasket First. They were specifically designed to run for 50 miles at 50MPH with ZERO coolant in the system. They did this by shutting down cylinders in rotation. It would get you home or to a service facility to repair the cause and also change the oil which by then would be degraded.

I had a 2000 Eldorado conv and a 2009 STS both with NorthStars. The 2000 (FWD) leaked a little oil but never had any other issues. The 2009 (RWD) never leaked oil and would rocket down the road.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

James Landi

I owned a '97 Seville, and it was basically a four door Eldorado. THey are lovely cars, and I believe, aside from the adaptive ride, mine had automatic windshield wipers-- something very new for the time. I suspect, if the car was loved and stored inside, it will provide you with many more miles if driven with care. I owned mine for four years, and aside from twice yearly preventative maintenance, it was pure  joy.
I sold it to a friend, and he had it through the 2007. I would caution you about the replacements of the adaptive shocks, as there are several models of shocks that will NOT provide you with a smooth ride over harsh surfaces. If you need struts and shocks, ask for specific advice on this site. When I occasionally see these models on the road, they are now "standouts"    Good luck with your new purchase, and post some pictures here so we can enjoy your car as well.     James

cadillacmike68

Yeah, I'd still like to have another 2000-2002 ElDorado with a Coach Builders convertible conversion. That 2000 hard boot I had was Great.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

bobash

Quote from: Dave Shepherd on February 21, 2020, 11:18:52 AM
Certainly the 97 N'star was subject to oil leaks and headbolt/headgasket issues ,expensive job, cost more than the cars value.  If this occurs, on a 2k car its done, value wise. Regarding the shocks, if they fail regarding the adaptive  ride feature, they could be driven without that feature working, if they need replacement  for non function wear issues, you could research a standard replacement, struts in the front of course. Carid online has the ft. Struts 600.00 each. Plenty of online info about methods to redo the rear suspension .

I know that the engine job, or finding the right struts, would be more expensive than the car's purchase price. I don't care. For one, truly pampered Seville STS in Europe would cost something more like 6-8k EUR, which gives me a lot of space, for two, they are old luxury sedans. They are cheap because the maintenance gets expensive and if I can redo the head bolts/headgaskets and be confident that the engine will be reliable from that point on, I'm fine with paying a couple thousand euros for the job.

To put it in perspective, my other car is a '01 Jaguar XJ8, which is, at the moment, probably the most reliable car I have ever owned, just because I'm willing to put money into it.

bobash

Quote from: James Landi on February 21, 2020, 03:43:43 PM
I owned a '97 Seville, and it was basically a four door Eldorado. THey are lovely cars, and I believe, aside from the adaptive ride, mine had automatic windshield wipers-- something very new for the time. I suspect, if the car was loved and stored inside, it will provide you with many more miles if driven with care. I owned mine for four years, and aside from twice yearly preventative maintenance, it was pure  joy.
I sold it to a friend, and he had it through the 2007. I would caution you about the replacements of the adaptive shocks, as there are several models of shocks that will NOT provide you with a smooth ride over harsh surfaces. If you need struts and shocks, ask for specific advice on this site. When I occasionally see these models on the road, they are now "standouts"    Good luck with your new purchase, and post some pictures here so we can enjoy your car as well.     James

As for the strut replacements â€" I have yet to find out if it still has the original adaptive ones, of if it has already been converted to "dumb" ones. If the originals are still there, I will try to keep them and if they fail, I'll be looking for correct replacements, knowing that they're expensive.

I don't have many pictures yet, as I haven't had time to go see the car and finish the transaction, and I don't have one online yet so I can link it here, but I will do as soon as I get some.

cadillacmike68

#7
The Northstars had more problems with the head bolts than the gaskets. Avoiding the need to ever remove the heads is preferred.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

bobash

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on February 22, 2020, 08:06:12 PM
The Northstars had more with the head bolts than the gaskets. Avoiding the need to ever remove the heads is preferred.

It will get proper oil and coolant changes, gentle treatment and everything, and if it blows the gasket anyways, I'm going for the Bulletproof Kit from Northstar Performance.

cadillacmike68

Good luck with the car and keep us posted!
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike