@Gabzaiat, You must've not been around or were probably too young in the late '70s & Early '80s, There were quite a few of these cars around back then, The engines being Olds 350 gas engines converted to diesel weren't all that reliable though.
@ford9572 I wish I were too young :-(. I was a teen when these were new, and I remember being really fascinated with one that a neighbor bought (a 1980 Sedan deVille Diesel). I was really upset when he traded it back in for a gas model, and I think that's why I "had to" get this Eldorado. I've had it now for about 4 years, and just bought a 1983 Seville Diesel from the original owner, and this one looks like it just left the showroom.
@douro20 You got THAT right!! I just bought my Uncle Chuck's '80 Olds Custom Cruiser Diesel that he bought new and it still runs & drives great!! He's had it serviced at Pacific Detroit Diesel in Kent, Washington rather than the Olds dealer in Seattle where he bought it because he said the mechanics there really weren't all that familiar with diesel operation, It Just turned over 392,624 miles yesterday!!!
These engines were given a bad rap because they were underpowered in their stock configuration and the poor quality diesel fuel of the day didn't make matters any better. Despite the rumors this is not a diesel on a gasoline block; the block and heads were specifically designed for the application. These engines, if properly maintained, could run 500,000 miles easily.
I miss my 82 eldo diesel...has a sticker price of $30,000 in 1982 other than rust the only thing was a problem was the climate control computer died rendering the still functional heater useless 18 town 32 highway and plenty of get up and go. want to go fast and burn off the tires? wake up and get a fast car topark next to the caddy. You could have had 2 or 3 fast cars with all the money you spent on gas not driving a diesel everyday.
What an awful thing. Ugly as sin, huge, heavy, noisy, underpowered, unreliable and to top it all off when you open the hood it looks like someone took a shovelful of rusty scrap metal and dumped it into the front of the car. What kind of drugs where these people on when they came up with this thing?
@idontcare80 LOL What a miserable SOB you are. Try an overdose or a bridge, or better yet run in front of this 2 ton oil burning freight train while it's rolling 50 mph so your misery ends and spares us from your whining drivel.
@VitaminC440 Or, how about this: No one should ever complain about anything, EVER. We should all just sit around and talk about how great things are! Meanwhile, our lives go to shit because no one is standing up for their rights, our planet goes to shit because no cares about taking care of it and our children grow to hate us because of our unwillingness to acknowledge or address any sort of problem at all. How does that sound?
@TehWench Well, just drop on by and pick one up! On any given day there is at least one car like this broken down on the side of the road. I'm sure you could own one for a very small amount of money!
I have a chance to buy one of these diesel caddys. It's an 81 with 40,000 miles in drop dead mint condition not a scratch on it. Is it worth the 5 grand my neighbor is asking for it?
@thuntking Well, it's worth what someone will pay, and frankly I'd pay that if it's truly a 40K mile car in mint shape, IF I were looking for another one (which I'm not at the moment). Usually I see people on eBay asking $1200-$2500, but those are usually gone-around miles (no 100,000s digit), and they're usually needing paint or interior work, or have mechanical issues. But be warned, that even if the 40K miles is true, and it looks new, you could still have a blown head gasket, etc.
man this car brings back memories, grandmother owned a 81 eldorado Biarritz edition factory Diesel from factory floor, then gave it to me at age 16. was the same color as yours but with the white seats and doors. thing ran great till the water in the tank killed the motor. and the Biarritz option was an interesting touch for those years.
@fullfootnotch I have one. 1982 Biarritz diesel. Autumn maple firemist metallic with white pillow leather interior. It cost almost 30k sticker in 1982.. To all the olds diesel naysayers my caddy gets almost 30 mpg hiway. Damn good for almost a 30 year old full size car from the Detroit ghetto.
Great motors but people just beat the shit outta them and when it came time to fix them people had no idea how to work on diesels. Really gave diesels a bad name back then. I bought a wagon that sat for 10 years from a farm for 600$, in near perfect condition. The thing ran great and had no smoke. Slow as hell but man I sold it for more than I paid for it! Sad to see it, but my parents hated it lol Btw they werent gas motors turned diesel. That's a myth =p
My mom had a new one in 1983, a Olds or Chevy with one of those GM gas motors with with diesel heads that ran on diesel and it was a POS. The fuel pump went out the first week she had it. It was always breaking down and no one knew how to work on them. GM and their shitty diesels gave diesel a bad name in this country for 20 years. God damn you Government Motors!
@philvredevelt True... That's why there are so few of them still around. Believe me, I'd never try to depend on it, but it's fun to see people scratching their heads when they see (hear) it running. I also recently got a Buick front wheel drive '84 V6 Diesel (4.3/262 engine with aluminum heads). That one had been sitting in a junkyard in Phoenix for 11 years, so it's going to be a bigger job than the Cadillac to make it decent.
I don't know why you wouldn't "try to depend on it". Sure they misjudged a few things in the early engineering, but if you correct the weak head and main bolts, and add a water separator you have a phenomenal package. My '84 Olds 98 is no less reliable than any other 27 year old car, and better than most in my opinion. I've had Caddy's, Merc, Jag, Rolls, Porsche 911, Vette, Lincoln's and many more, and this Old's ranks amongst the top in driving satisfaction.
I would love to have one of those 4.3 v6 diesels. Very efficient. They have one big advantage over the v8. It has 3 cylinders(per bank)held down by 8 head bolts, instead of only 10 bolts holding down 4 cylinders(per bank) as in the v8.
@kx250rider661 I read about those, they built one for front wheel drive, beat the crap out of it at the track, their proving ground, had the program not been scrapped, it would have been the second generation diesel passenger car.
@compu85 That's the "WAIT" light, which stays on while the glow plugs are warming up. It's to let you know when it's OK to crank the engine. If you were to try to start it too soon with the glow plugs not hot, it would be very hard to start.
@compu85 I see the one you meant; sorry... That one is the "water in fuel" warning, which bulb-tests on startup. I would venture to guess that the 1981 & earlier models didn't have that light, as there was a big problem with no water sedimenter system (thus no warning light), which was blamed for a lot of the early model problems.
You should keep that car alive somehow...i mean, its kinda unique. As you said, that angine might be hated in the past, but who knows, it could become something small special in the future. A Cadillac Diesel... I would keep it alive.
But sorry man, i would prefere a Mercedes mid 80s Diesel engine if i would live in that time.
I mean, how many litres does this engine have? And how much HP it brings out?
Its a wonder how much more efficient american engines could be...
Olds diesel is not bad, if you know to have diesel engines. Good fuel economy for a large engine. Start the engine 10 minutes before you run and change oil every 1500 miles. The main problem was the mechanics who were not trained in diesel repair .....
You know what's sad? These are some off the nicest comments I have read about the Olds diesel on all off youtube. Keep her running man, these engines are great.
"I always like to get hold of something that everybodies says is terrible, and itll never run, and I like to take something like that, and than make it run. and prove em wrong sometimes". You are my new friend. Sorry you dont get a say.
I can't believe how ignorant people are. Diesels at that time weren't huge horsepower and they certainly didn't have the modern technology that the new ones do.
The oldsmobile diesel was gm's first attempt at a consumer diesel. They were not a converted gas motor. There were big differences. The fact is if you have one they are a very rare engine. Consumers did not treat the like they should have. The mechanics were not trained on them. And the diesel fuel in the early 80s was poor.
@oldsmobileguy81 EXACTLY! Water was a common diesel fuel containment back then. With no fuel and water separator ($35.00) part these engines were already on their way to failure. Once the Injection pumps had been damaged by this problem the timing was off and catastrophic failures added up quickly. It wasn't the engine but the A-holes who sold it with out prepping the public for it's up keep.
@KLewisChef So far, so good... I've driven it on a 100-mile round trip, and maybe a dozen shorter trips in the past year. No heating up.... yet! Right now, it's all apart for painting, and hopefully will be back together some time in August. It had a cheap repaint job (done by original owner), and I decided to re-do the job properly.
I'd say in the 25 mpg range, but I've only driven it on a little more than 1 tank in 2 years, so I can't be sure. It's very efficient, and definitely much better mileage than the HT4100
Never knew such cars had diesel engines ... some years ago I saw one of those with Front Wheel drive even. It may not have been a Cadillac, but at least same age and same looks (we dont have Cadillacs here). That must be quite an engine, US diesel from the '80s ... does it have a turbo ?
No turbo, but I've heard of people adding one. It's actually fairly powerful for a Diesel, and I finally drove it on the highway a couple weeks ago. This one is front wheel drive, with the same hydramatic transmission and sprocket chain drive final gearing as the other GM front drive cars.
Sir I appreciate the fact that you buy cars like the eldorado diesel to prove a point. However, my dad was good friends with our local olds dealer. He nearly went under switching diesels to gas motors for his olds customers that had so much trouble with there cars. GM agreed to take back the diesels. However, my wife and I bought a diesels beetle back in 2000. We got 55 miles to the gallon it was a 5 speed turbo. I would buy another in second.
Prices depend on a lot of things, like what part of the country, and condition of course. For a Cadillac collector, the car has to be just about 100% perfect and 100% original condition. For one like that, I've seen them sell for between $10,000 & $14,000. But if there's ANYTHING not original, or any rust, or it's been repainted, (basically like mine is), maybe $2000-$3000. If it's kind of banged up, but runs OK, maybe $250-$500.
I live in the UK. If I was to buy either car, I'd want it
for regular use. I don't want a car so pristine, that I wouldn't be able to drive it. On the other hand, though, I don't want a Caddy that's full of rust and virtually falling to bits.
My Grandparents on my Dad's side had a 1980 Seville Diesel that they bought used in '82 and kept 'til about November of '87, It ran like a champ the whole time they owned it and they had no problems whatsoever with it, They lived in Amesbury, Massachusetts and they used to drive down to their condo in Ft. Lauderdale in it, They found they did not need to stop for refueling as much as they did with their 1971 and '73 gas 472 V8 powered Fleetwood Broughams
Not in that one, but I do have my '96 Toyota 4x4set up for wvo with a two-tank system. However, I don't have anything on the truck that says so, as sadly, the whole biofuel movement has been hijacked by political causes with which I don't agree.
@kx250rider661 Yeah I just use biodiesel because its cheaper for me to get than regular diesel. I dont do politicks anymore, I just let them go over my head like smoke. I just like to get cheap fuel. hehehe.
I've seen a few of those, but never owned one. The Chevette itself was definitely a bare-bones cheap car, but the Diesel they used for it was the Isuzu 1.8, which was actually a good motor. The early Japanese small Diesels, like that one and the Toyota C and L engines, were very efficient and bulletproof. Not sure about the Isuzu, but the Toyota had 5 main bearings on their 4-cylinder Diesels, and all cast iron head & block.
MrRackensack: Your comment about the transmissions means??These diesel Gm autos came with TH 200r4s,3 speed TH350s,and this caddy here has the FWD 325- 4L transmission. The weakest one was the 200.Though if serviced properly could last a long while.
my 81 park ave. and 85 lesabre CE had problems with those transmissions. 1st seal would always have a problem, and reverse for some reason. i went though two of them in 85 lesabre CE. however these were GAS not the diesel.
The biggest problem I encountered with the olds diesel was that some techs/mechanics were not trained to work on them. My new '82 pontiac bonneville diesel never worked right from day one. The wait light never came on when turning the key to run and hence it never started. It spent as much time in the pontiac garage as it did in mine. My friend had an '82 cutlass supreme diesel and it ran like a top. The olds dealer had a mechanic that understood diesels and could keep them running as intended.
I agree, and also that the public in the USA had no idea how to drive a Diesel, nor maintain one. A long time ago, I bought another Cadillac Diesel from a gentleman who said he had left it sitting in his barn for 10 years after the dealer told him the injector pump was bad, and it wouldn't start. Turns out that all it needed was a couple feet of new fuel hose, and a set of glow plugs. Once I did that, it started instantly, and ran perfectly... Even with a tank of ten-year-old fuel!
Cool. I'm getting my 82 Eldorado Biarritz Diesel ready to roll for spring. Same color as yours with 1/2 white landau top,SS roof and white leather interior. A 30 mpg pimp ride followed by a cloud of smoke. =)
Folks complain how bad the Olds gas modified to diesel engine was correct! GM had a great idea of getting great fuel economy in a luxury vehicle. The problem was GM was and is still now GREEDY! Had they used the ARP head bolts as well as the proper number of head bolts the engine would not have blown head gaskets due to stretched head bolts designed for gas engines, gas engine has 9:1 compression vs 23:1 for diesel. And then no water seperater in the fuel filter.
@1foxtrot70 - The problem with no water seperator - well water does not compress this caused heads to crack, pistons, connecting rods and crank shafts to break, other than that they got 30 mpg and they were non-turbo charged. My question, "Just how much was saved on each engine by using the wrong head bolts, not enough head bolts, and no fuel seperater?" Gee...just think were we would be today were it not for the greed of GM!
amazing how quickly it started. It sounds very nice. I am shocked they ever put a diesel in a cadillac tho. Thats just the last car id expect it, being a "luxury" type of car. Many people (not me) hate diesels due to the noise and the smell. I however like it.
I have a 84 eldo,ht4100 and I drive it every day. It was minus -17c here this morning and it stars first crank every time! Its got about 58000 miles on it and about 10000 miles ago I did an over haul. Heads came off, new timing chain, valve seals, head gasgets, lifters, etc... Runns great, cant find a reason to get rid of it!
you're right, a lot of people were afraid of those early 80s Diesels, but its still better than the ht4100 fuel injected that came out in 82'... I have one, and it's 125horses on a 3800lb car... not too mention unreliable
There was just one sold on Ebay (34K miles) yesterday - LOT of people bid, showing the huge turnaround from gas-engines - even that the 5.7 Olds diesel has a very, very bad rap. I was wondering if its a really expensive job to put a modern, say F-350 diesel in one of these old Caddies? Done professionally, they would sell like cupcake. People find solutions that Ford and GM can't see for 30 years.
A water separater would have helped these engines greatly as they wouldn't have been any worse than other GM engines of the day. When water gets in the fuel and engine, it causes corrosion of the pump, lines and other parts handling the fuel. It can also hydrolock the engine, breaking head bolts and other internal engine parts.
I found a perfect 1981 toronado for sale and have heard nothing but horror stories about the diesel, I am not just looking to buy it but I want to have it as a daily driver running on biodiesel... is it reliable enough to be a daily driver?
There are mixed opinions on that. If it has the replacement DX block engine (says "GM Goodwrench"), then it's a little more reliable than the first one. I wouldn't personally drive one as a daily driver when there are Mercedes and other "true Diesel" vehicles out there in the same price range, and with plenty of parts available. If the Toronado you found is in super-nice shape, you can probably sell it on eBay to a collector for more than a daily driver would be valued at.
I was thinking of a Benz, but I like the land yachts with the big burly V8's, reminds me of our 81 Olds 88 Royale, and our 81 Caddy Sedan Seville we used to have. The only way I could drive an old land yacht everyday is if I could run it on used cooking oil, then I could afford the guzzler haha.
just bought myself an '80 sedan deville. aside from a bad oil cooler line, two fresh batteries, an a little diesel down the throttle body, it has NO mechanical issues! just the bodywork im going to get one in my shop.
sorry, i'm explained very bad, i'm italian XD i would to say that in america diesel cars at the time wasn't very common because gasoline was very very cheap. I know about the first diesel car and the first diesel engine
so, if nobody wanted one, was it worse than a mercedes diesel? but i like the sound, and the revenue cost of a car like this is too expensive in germany.
They're a higher precision machine, and need proper care. A lot of people dislike them, until they drive a good one, that is... I wouldn't drive this car as a daily driver, as the very reason I saved it is that it's rare to find one that runs in 2009. My daily driver is a Toyota Diesel, with over 200,000 miles on the engine, and runs like new with double the fuel mileage of a gas one. But it would be in the junkyard if I didn't maintain it correctly.
Well it kinda sounds like a powerstroke with that clack clack sound when you first start it up when it has been sitting a while. I knew it wasn't a powerstroke at first. But I just wanted to comment that it sounded like one.
I'm not a big fan of biodiesel, although I belong to the biodiesel board here in SoCal. Environmentally, when you think about all the power & heating it takes to process the oil and make B100, it's not so eco-friendly after all. It doesn't last very long in the tank, and that's a problem when it's a vehicle not driven much (this tank of Diesel a year and a half old, and still 2/3 full). I do have a Toyota truck which I converted to SVO (plain veggie oil), ad that's a big success.
I've never replaced one, but it looks to be about the same job as a regular GM power steering pump. Just a couple extra hoses. As a non-mechanic myself, I'd allow about 2 hours. On the mileage, I don't know yet since I'm still on the original tank of fuel that I filled at Christmas '07. I've only driven it 3 or 4 times, but now I guess I need to drive the rest of the fuel out in order to freshen it up.
I've had some thoughts of to one day, buy an classic car from the 50s(Cadillac -59preferly), a ''wing-car'' if you'd like that name, putting an 5.9 Cummings Diesel with belonging gearbox and maybe rear end inside it. I would also zinc the whole body to avoid any sort of rust in the future, and paint the car in classic red with white roof, and finaly using the car as a daily driver (exept in the winter). 'Why?' you may ask, well i want to drive the most luxurious car in my town, but cheap :)
Slow. But the torque is incredible on these. Actually, it's faster than the Cadillac HT-4100 V8 gas motor that was also available in this model, but that's not saying much. If the Olds 350D had been a "real Diesel", they could have put a turbo on it and it would have been fairly impressive. But this engine can't even keep the head gaskets intact without a turbo, so I see why they didn't do it. My '84 Toyota Camry turbo-Diesel is kind of slow from 0-60, but it's a rocket from 60-120.
The previous owner of my 85' Eldorado Biarritz ignored the cracked oil pan's leak and the leak lead to burning the HT-4100(4.1ltr) up. So what me and my father did was we got an oldsmobile 307ci(Bolted right in) rebuilt the heads and had it acid dipped and we dropped it in. We also had an 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood that had a 4.1 that we were going to pull out and drop in the Caddy 500ci that was pulled out of a 60's Deville but we sold that car and now we're thinking of putting it in our Eldo.
I've thought about a 500 retrofit (not for this car; I'm keeping it original). I think you'd have to use the Turbo 425 trans with it, as this one's a weak spot. I can't see a problem other than maybe some motor mount modifications. I had a '70 Eldorado with the 500 ci, 400-hp engine. Unbelievably fast off the line! all that cast iron weight on the drive wheels, and all that torque. Corvettes sit there spinning the tires, while the Eldorado glides to an instant and silent cruising speed :)
Thanks for the advice! My Dad knows a Tranny builder who builds race ready transmissions and can build yours to handle 825hp fully rebuilt. For now we might try adding some bolt-ons to the 307ci. The Eldo uses the same transmission as the Buick GNX but the only difference is the pick up tube. But we love our Eldo even though my Mom hates it. But who cares! :)
I believe it, it's natural for a diesel to have any goldy amount of torque. Diesels do sound gutted without the turbo, like a man with no kidneys. It's a shame, have you considered aftermarket components? Or is it non-existant in the aftermarket word?
Thanks for the compliment! I'd be scared to try to add a turbo to the 350DX, but if I were going to use this car regularly, I'd probably get a wrecked late-model Chevy truck with the Duramax (Isuzu-built) V8 turbo-Diesel, and install that engine, if I could figure out a way to adapt the bellhousing for the front wheel drive. And I'd use the bigger turbo 425 trans from the old 500-ci Eldorados.
people get pissed because of the smell alot of the time so im going with the gas motor now its to much for a rebuilt diesel engine $3,500 there is so much fucking smoke when you actualy gas it at any time its not like a regular diesel ok people were behind me and had to stop there cars they couldnt see lol like if i was burning out!!! but 84 and 85 catterpillar came in added heaters in the tank block and the fuel line fixed all.. the EPA came in cadillac had to stop diesels period polution facts
I know this engine is blamed for America not really taking to Diesel cars but they really should consider them instead of hybrids. My car is a Skoda (Czech company owned my VW) with a 1.9130 BHP TDI with 229ft/ib of torque and an easy 55mpg highway with low CO2 Emissions. Companies like BMW are making powerful Diesels with emissions as low as any Hybrid that are much more fun to drive. Smoke is not an issue now with particulate filters and the clatter soon dies down.
nice car i have 1 it quit at 230,000 miles now i have a 305 chevy for it. run yours in nice weather only and make sure that all 8 injectors going in the block dont leak i think thats why mine went i had 1 leak a little and i let it leak it was pushing out air bubbles replace if this happens quickly it went because the wrist pin snapen i half posssibly because of that leaking 1 more thing if it starts leaking oil after you go up a hill on the back of the block the rubber plug falls out sometimes.
As long as it's in SoCal, and if there's clear title.. I could use an extra one for parts, or if it's restorable, I might restore it. I'm not out looking for another one, but if it's what you say, I couldn't refuse at $100...
olds diesel werent to bad, its just most people back in the late 70's and 80's. especially old people and women that drove them didn't know how to drive a diesel!! plus the qualtiy of diesel fuel was shit back then. if u used good fuel, and drove it right, and let it warm up the gm diesls were actually pretty good. alot of them ran good
I drive a diesel van and love the sound. Hang on to that Caddy. That is a nice car.
fixinggrace 1 month ago
i guess now you are able tow a yacht to seaside yourself!
bluemoondiadochi 2 months ago
nice car!!
ScaleCarTV 5 months ago
Beautiful interior in that car.
auaiao9 5 months ago
@Gabzaiat, You must've not been around or were probably too young in the late '70s & Early '80s, There were quite a few of these cars around back then, The engines being Olds 350 gas engines converted to diesel weren't all that reliable though.
ford9572 6 months ago
@ford9572 I wish I were too young :-(. I was a teen when these were new, and I remember being really fascinated with one that a neighbor bought (a 1980 Sedan deVille Diesel). I was really upset when he traded it back in for a gas model, and I think that's why I "had to" get this Eldorado. I've had it now for about 4 years, and just bought a 1983 Seville Diesel from the original owner, and this one looks like it just left the showroom.
kx250rider661 3 weeks ago
I too love the odd stuff, sweet rattler
brian242 6 months ago
It's strange a Eldorado sounding like a truck! Freaking awensome car!! I've never seen one like this!
Gabzaiat 7 months ago
@douro20 You got THAT right!! I just bought my Uncle Chuck's '80 Olds Custom Cruiser Diesel that he bought new and it still runs & drives great!! He's had it serviced at Pacific Detroit Diesel in Kent, Washington rather than the Olds dealer in Seattle where he bought it because he said the mechanics there really weren't all that familiar with diesel operation, It Just turned over 392,624 miles yesterday!!!
ford9572 7 months ago
damd i want one of those babies really bad!!!
tarelll 7 months ago
These engines were given a bad rap because they were underpowered in their stock configuration and the poor quality diesel fuel of the day didn't make matters any better. Despite the rumors this is not a diesel on a gasoline block; the block and heads were specifically designed for the application. These engines, if properly maintained, could run 500,000 miles easily.
douro20 7 months ago
I miss my 82 eldo diesel...has a sticker price of $30,000 in 1982 other than rust the only thing was a problem was the climate control computer died rendering the still functional heater useless 18 town 32 highway and plenty of get up and go. want to go fast and burn off the tires? wake up and get a fast car topark next to the caddy. You could have had 2 or 3 fast cars with all the money you spent on gas not driving a diesel everyday.
lostbuffalo 7 months ago
What an awful thing. Ugly as sin, huge, heavy, noisy, underpowered, unreliable and to top it all off when you open the hood it looks like someone took a shovelful of rusty scrap metal and dumped it into the front of the car. What kind of drugs where these people on when they came up with this thing?
idontcare80 8 months ago
@idontcare80 That's why I have it ;)
kx250rider661 8 months ago 11
@kx250rider661 i have the same " disorder" and i enjoy every damned minute of it ( disorder= obtaining cars people dislike lol)
yamahonkawazuki 4 months ago
@kx250rider661
EXACTLY! = D
VitaminC440 3 months ago
@idontcare80 It was the 80s so most likely they were on cocaine.
holtcatblade 7 months ago
@idontcare80 : Opinions are like @ssholes get it??
VitaminC440 6 months ago
@VitaminC440 Doesn't change what this car is.
idontcare80 6 months ago
@idontcare80 LOL What a miserable SOB you are. Try an overdose or a bridge, or better yet run in front of this 2 ton oil burning freight train while it's rolling 50 mph so your misery ends and spares us from your whining drivel.
VitaminC440 6 months ago
@VitaminC440 Or, how about this: No one should ever complain about anything, EVER. We should all just sit around and talk about how great things are! Meanwhile, our lives go to shit because no one is standing up for their rights, our planet goes to shit because no cares about taking care of it and our children grow to hate us because of our unwillingness to acknowledge or address any sort of problem at all. How does that sound?
idontcare80 6 months ago
@VitaminC440 We all might as well shoot up heroin and take shrooms everyday so we can frolic in happy land with happy trees and smiling dog shit.
idontcare80 6 months ago
@idontcare80 : Not we, YOU!! bye..
VitaminC440 6 months ago
@VitaminC440 Oh right, sorry. I forgot that it's a bad thing to act like you're not a doped up, drooling moron.
idontcare80 6 months ago
@idontcare80 I'm from England.
I'd give my right arm to have this.
And my left to pay for fuel...
TehWench 4 months ago
@TehWench Well, just drop on by and pick one up! On any given day there is at least one car like this broken down on the side of the road. I'm sure you could own one for a very small amount of money!
idontcare80 4 months ago
@idontcare80 Believe me man, I'd love to.
I pay £3200 a year on a 22 year old 1.4 ford fiesta.
I think my insurance company would have a field day with that!
TehWench 4 months ago
@TehWench You would probably pay twice that much constantly repairing one of these pieces of crap.
idontcare80 4 months ago
I have a chance to buy one of these diesel caddys. It's an 81 with 40,000 miles in drop dead mint condition not a scratch on it. Is it worth the 5 grand my neighbor is asking for it?
thuntking 8 months ago
@thuntking Well, it's worth what someone will pay, and frankly I'd pay that if it's truly a 40K mile car in mint shape, IF I were looking for another one (which I'm not at the moment). Usually I see people on eBay asking $1200-$2500, but those are usually gone-around miles (no 100,000s digit), and they're usually needing paint or interior work, or have mechanical issues. But be warned, that even if the 40K miles is true, and it looks new, you could still have a blown head gasket, etc.
kx250rider661 8 months ago
The noise is what made them awesome! Inside.......true cadillac......whisper quiet :-)
mrbrandon71 8 months ago
man this car brings back memories, grandmother owned a 81 eldorado Biarritz edition factory Diesel from factory floor, then gave it to me at age 16. was the same color as yours but with the white seats and doors. thing ran great till the water in the tank killed the motor. and the Biarritz option was an interesting touch for those years.
fullfootnotch 8 months ago
@fullfootnotch I have one. 1982 Biarritz diesel. Autumn maple firemist metallic with white pillow leather interior. It cost almost 30k sticker in 1982.. To all the olds diesel naysayers my caddy gets almost 30 mpg hiway. Damn good for almost a 30 year old full size car from the Detroit ghetto.
VitaminC440 8 months ago
i'm deaf!
mystere485 9 months ago
Oh my god, your reasoning for getting cars like that is EXACTLY how I look at some things!
humanparody12 9 months ago
Cool car, I haven't seen one of these in years!
Cager98121 10 months ago
Notice it had 2 batteries, I had one of these, couldn't wait to get rid of it, beautiful car, loud as hell.
JOHNINCOLUMBUS 10 months ago
beautiful
jbdtaylor 10 months ago
Great motors but people just beat the shit outta them and when it came time to fix them people had no idea how to work on diesels. Really gave diesels a bad name back then. I bought a wagon that sat for 10 years from a farm for 600$, in near perfect condition. The thing ran great and had no smoke. Slow as hell but man I sold it for more than I paid for it! Sad to see it, but my parents hated it lol Btw they werent gas motors turned diesel. That's a myth =p
steelraptor 11 months ago
Is it at least efficient?
smellytoilet1996 1 year ago
Бог Я люблю тех, ELDORADO: D
B1MBER 1 year ago
My mom had a new one in 1983, a Olds or Chevy with one of those GM gas motors with with diesel heads that ran on diesel and it was a POS. The fuel pump went out the first week she had it. It was always breaking down and no one knew how to work on them. GM and their shitty diesels gave diesel a bad name in this country for 20 years. God damn you Government Motors!
TheCottonTop 1 year ago
I never knew that this car exist!! Cool!! very noisy, like a truck. But it's a gorgeous car
Gabzaiat 1 year ago
it is a gas tirnd to diesel it is junk you can not a dam thing out of it i know i work fom GM and thay will you that was a fuck up
philvredevelt 1 year ago
@philvredevelt True... That's why there are so few of them still around. Believe me, I'd never try to depend on it, but it's fun to see people scratching their heads when they see (hear) it running. I also recently got a Buick front wheel drive '84 V6 Diesel (4.3/262 engine with aluminum heads). That one had been sitting in a junkyard in Phoenix for 11 years, so it's going to be a bigger job than the Cadillac to make it decent.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
@kx250rider661 What kind of Buick?
legsbluetrain 1 year ago
@kx250rider661
I don't know why you wouldn't "try to depend on it". Sure they misjudged a few things in the early engineering, but if you correct the weak head and main bolts, and add a water separator you have a phenomenal package. My '84 Olds 98 is no less reliable than any other 27 year old car, and better than most in my opinion. I've had Caddy's, Merc, Jag, Rolls, Porsche 911, Vette, Lincoln's and many more, and this Old's ranks amongst the top in driving satisfaction.
ss0rca 1 year ago
@kx250rider661
I would love to have one of those 4.3 v6 diesels. Very efficient. They have one big advantage over the v8. It has 3 cylinders(per bank)held down by 8 head bolts, instead of only 10 bolts holding down 4 cylinders(per bank) as in the v8.
ss0rca 1 year ago
@kx250rider661 I read about those, they built one for front wheel drive, beat the crap out of it at the track, their proving ground, had the program not been scrapped, it would have been the second generation diesel passenger car.
Maples01 9 months ago
@philvredevelt : Time to put the pipe down. Save your last two brain cells for something.
VitaminC440 1 year ago
@philvredevelt No they are NOT gas engines, they are a different cast block, I'd love to have one.
Maples01 9 months ago
@philvredevelt Huh? Can someone translate this for the rest of us?
itookmypills 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@philvredevelt : "i know i work fom GM and thay will you that was a fuck up"
NO, You were Fucked up way before your failed GED exam.
VitaminC440 6 months ago
Cool, not many people know these exist
moneywagon1 1 year ago
Cant imagine how bad this is, americans building a diesel engine...
dhovado 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@dhovado Another yt imported douche blowing smoke out of his pie hole.
VitaminC440 1 year ago
What is the warning lamp which fades out not long after turning the key? My Audi 5000 has the same climate control system!
compu85 1 year ago
@compu85 That's the "WAIT" light, which stays on while the glow plugs are warming up. It's to let you know when it's OK to crank the engine. If you were to try to start it too soon with the glow plugs not hot, it would be very hard to start.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
@kx250rider661 I was referring to the light to the right of what I think is the wait light. Under the "Center" word in information center.
compu85 1 year ago
@compu85 I see the one you meant; sorry... That one is the "water in fuel" warning, which bulb-tests on startup. I would venture to guess that the 1981 & earlier models didn't have that light, as there was a big problem with no water sedimenter system (thus no warning light), which was blamed for a lot of the early model problems.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
What is the warning light which fades out not long after turning the key?
compu85 1 year ago
You should keep that car alive somehow...i mean, its kinda unique. As you said, that angine might be hated in the past, but who knows, it could become something small special in the future. A Cadillac Diesel... I would keep it alive.
But sorry man, i would prefere a Mercedes mid 80s Diesel engine if i would live in that time.
I mean, how many litres does this engine have? And how much HP it brings out?
Its a wonder how much more efficient american engines could be...
Schmatko89 1 year ago
how much it takes gasoline ?
1xura 1 year ago
the interior inside older cars like this are so nice
muiscnight 1 year ago
I love these cars but hate the truck like sound of diesel engines would changing mufflers or exhaust change this?
KHAN1350 1 year ago
Olds diesel is not bad, if you know to have diesel engines. Good fuel economy for a large engine. Start the engine 10 minutes before you run and change oil every 1500 miles. The main problem was the mechanics who were not trained in diesel repair .....
cadillac350diesel 1 year ago
You know what's sad? These are some off the nicest comments I have read about the Olds diesel on all off youtube. Keep her running man, these engines are great.
diskonectid1 1 year ago
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yooperd 1 year ago
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yooperd 1 year ago
"I always like to get hold of something that everybodies says is terrible, and itll never run, and I like to take something like that, and than make it run. and prove em wrong sometimes". You are my new friend. Sorry you dont get a say.
SCBianchi 1 year ago
I can't believe how ignorant people are. Diesels at that time weren't huge horsepower and they certainly didn't have the modern technology that the new ones do.
The oldsmobile diesel was gm's first attempt at a consumer diesel. They were not a converted gas motor. There were big differences. The fact is if you have one they are a very rare engine. Consumers did not treat the like they should have. The mechanics were not trained on them. And the diesel fuel in the early 80s was poor.
oldsmobileguy81 1 year ago 2
@oldsmobileguy81 EXACTLY! Water was a common diesel fuel containment back then. With no fuel and water separator ($35.00) part these engines were already on their way to failure. Once the Injection pumps had been damaged by this problem the timing was off and catastrophic failures added up quickly. It wasn't the engine but the A-holes who sold it with out prepping the public for it's up keep.
VitaminC440 1 year ago
Although I run petrol hatches, I actually quite like the sound of a Diesel engine. Not so much at idle but when you rev it, then it growls at you.
anessenator 1 year ago
i am sure the engine lasts a lot longer than your video
KLewisChef 1 year ago
@KLewisChef So far, so good... I've driven it on a 100-mile round trip, and maybe a dozen shorter trips in the past year. No heating up.... yet! Right now, it's all apart for painting, and hopefully will be back together some time in August. It had a cheap repaint job (done by original owner), and I decided to re-do the job properly.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
@armand1280, I'd be REALLY embarrassed to drive around in a Caddy that sounded like a bulldozer!!!!
ford9572 1 year ago
@ford9572 Why, they bout same
roaddiablo 1 year ago
@zitro72 So do I!!! Diesels RULE!!!!
ford9572 1 year ago
I love the sound of Diesel engines !!!!
zitro72 1 year ago
I don't care how efficient it is, thats not what a cadillac sounds like :P
ryfin2000 1 year ago
Nice piece of history. Too bad it sounds like a bag of hammers in a tumble dryer.
armand1280 1 year ago
Seems pretty cool. I heard alot of horror stories about GM diesels however. Is yours reliable?
watso64 1 year ago
How many miles to the gallon do you get out of this?I presume a fair bit more than on the petrols
fusilier45 1 year ago
@fusilier45
I'd say in the 25 mpg range, but I've only driven it on a little more than 1 tank in 2 years, so I can't be sure. It's very efficient, and definitely much better mileage than the HT4100
kx250rider661 1 year ago
@kx250rider661,cheers for the reply mate
fusilier45 1 year ago
@kx250rider661
I read that ur supposed to run these for 60 seconds before driving, maybe because the glow plugs come on longer?
tpvalley 1 year ago
Never knew such cars had diesel engines ... some years ago I saw one of those with Front Wheel drive even. It may not have been a Cadillac, but at least same age and same looks (we dont have Cadillacs here). That must be quite an engine, US diesel from the '80s ... does it have a turbo ?
qwerty123456789jhdtg 1 year ago
@qwerty123456789jhdtg
No turbo, but I've heard of people adding one. It's actually fairly powerful for a Diesel, and I finally drove it on the highway a couple weeks ago. This one is front wheel drive, with the same hydramatic transmission and sprocket chain drive final gearing as the other GM front drive cars.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
@qwerty123456789jhdtg
on paper these arent very impressive compared to modern diesels.
about 220lbft and 120bhp for 5.7 litres, they made a 4.3 with only 90bhp!
even an old landrover tdi has 111bhp and 200lbft for 2.5 litres but they r turbo'd.
tpvalley 1 year ago
2:23 what a sweeeet roaring beast
isadorus 1 year ago
Sir I appreciate the fact that you buy cars like the eldorado diesel to prove a point. However, my dad was good friends with our local olds dealer. He nearly went under switching diesels to gas motors for his olds customers that had so much trouble with there cars. GM agreed to take back the diesels. However, my wife and I bought a diesels beetle back in 2000. We got 55 miles to the gallon it was a 5 speed turbo. I would buy another in second.
Haagr4152 1 year ago
Diesels are for trucks, not Caddies. No wonder GM nearly went under.
ewd76 1 year ago
So did you make the 1984 Corvette run? Because I failed on that one.
Schectersch1 1 year ago
God and I thought a Mercedes OM616 was loud, lol.
ionoMaybe 1 year ago
sounds like a 6.2 GM diesel
teletubbykiller23 1 year ago
How much can I expect to pay for a '79-'85 Eldorado, or an '80-'85 Seville?
mccarthystuart 1 year ago
Prices depend on a lot of things, like what part of the country, and condition of course. For a Cadillac collector, the car has to be just about 100% perfect and 100% original condition. For one like that, I've seen them sell for between $10,000 & $14,000. But if there's ANYTHING not original, or any rust, or it's been repainted, (basically like mine is), maybe $2000-$3000. If it's kind of banged up, but runs OK, maybe $250-$500.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
I live in the UK. If I was to buy either car, I'd want it
for regular use. I don't want a car so pristine, that I wouldn't be able to drive it. On the other hand, though, I don't want a Caddy that's full of rust and virtually falling to bits.
mccarthystuart 1 year ago
My Grandparents on my Dad's side had a 1980 Seville Diesel that they bought used in '82 and kept 'til about November of '87, It ran like a champ the whole time they owned it and they had no problems whatsoever with it, They lived in Amesbury, Massachusetts and they used to drive down to their condo in Ft. Lauderdale in it, They found they did not need to stop for refueling as much as they did with their 1971 and '73 gas 472 V8 powered Fleetwood Broughams
ford9572 1 year ago
Hey did you ever run bio diesel in that?
I'd like to see how it would handle it.
Be sure to replace the fuel lines with
viton hoses tho if you do.
fuzzmew 1 year ago
Not in that one, but I do have my '96 Toyota 4x4set up for wvo with a two-tank system. However, I don't have anything on the truck that says so, as sadly, the whole biofuel movement has been hijacked by political causes with which I don't agree.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
It has been hijacked? How? Is it aginst the law
to make biodiesel now? Zorry if I don't understand
politic, I only understand tech stuff. Dang I guess
I will be a wanted man now. I can't quit my experiments
once I have started (long story).
fuzzmew 1 year ago
@kx250rider661 Yeah I just use biodiesel because its cheaper for me to get than regular diesel. I dont do politicks anymore, I just let them go over my head like smoke. I just like to get cheap fuel. hehehe.
fuzzmew 5 months ago
any body remember the Chevette diesel? and you thought the olds diesel was a piece of shit? lol
MrRackensack 1 year ago
I've seen a few of those, but never owned one. The Chevette itself was definitely a bare-bones cheap car, but the Diesel they used for it was the Isuzu 1.8, which was actually a good motor. The early Japanese small Diesels, like that one and the Toyota C and L engines, were very efficient and bulletproof. Not sure about the Isuzu, but the Toyota had 5 main bearings on their 4-cylinder Diesels, and all cast iron head & block.
kx250rider661 1 year ago
i could be wrong but i think they matted those with GM trannys. I think that is where the problems began.
MrRackensack 1 year ago
MrRackensack: Your comment about the transmissions means??These diesel Gm autos came with TH 200r4s,3 speed TH350s,and this caddy here has the FWD 325- 4L transmission. The weakest one was the 200.Though if serviced properly could last a long while.
VitaminC440 1 year ago
my 81 park ave. and 85 lesabre CE had problems with those transmissions. 1st seal would always have a problem, and reverse for some reason. i went though two of them in 85 lesabre CE. however these were GAS not the diesel.
MrRackensack 1 year ago
@MrRackensack
The Chevette diesel was an Isuzu "PUP" engine! One of the finest diesel engines out of Japan. A NON-interference 4 cylinder diesel engine!!
pace1960 1 year ago
The biggest problem I encountered with the olds diesel was that some techs/mechanics were not trained to work on them. My new '82 pontiac bonneville diesel never worked right from day one. The wait light never came on when turning the key to run and hence it never started. It spent as much time in the pontiac garage as it did in mine. My friend had an '82 cutlass supreme diesel and it ran like a top. The olds dealer had a mechanic that understood diesels and could keep them running as intended.
andytheman66 1 year ago
I agree, and also that the public in the USA had no idea how to drive a Diesel, nor maintain one. A long time ago, I bought another Cadillac Diesel from a gentleman who said he had left it sitting in his barn for 10 years after the dealer told him the injector pump was bad, and it wouldn't start. Turns out that all it needed was a couple feet of new fuel hose, and a set of glow plugs. Once I did that, it started instantly, and ran perfectly... Even with a tank of ten-year-old fuel!
kx250rider661 1 year ago
Cool. I'm getting my 82 Eldorado Biarritz Diesel ready to roll for spring. Same color as yours with 1/2 white landau top,SS roof and white leather interior. A 30 mpg pimp ride followed by a cloud of smoke. =)
VitaminC440 1 year ago
im shocked, a diesel in a caddy? wow...
30GB 1 year ago
Folks complain how bad the Olds gas modified to diesel engine was correct! GM had a great idea of getting great fuel economy in a luxury vehicle. The problem was GM was and is still now GREEDY! Had they used the ARP head bolts as well as the proper number of head bolts the engine would not have blown head gaskets due to stretched head bolts designed for gas engines, gas engine has 9:1 compression vs 23:1 for diesel. And then no water seperater in the fuel filter.
1foxtrot70 1 year ago
@1foxtrot70 - The problem with no water seperator - well water does not compress this caused heads to crack, pistons, connecting rods and crank shafts to break, other than that they got 30 mpg and they were non-turbo charged. My question, "Just how much was saved on each engine by using the wrong head bolts, not enough head bolts, and no fuel seperater?" Gee...just think were we would be today were it not for the greed of GM!
1foxtrot70 1 year ago
amazing how quickly it started. It sounds very nice. I am shocked they ever put a diesel in a cadillac tho. Thats just the last car id expect it, being a "luxury" type of car. Many people (not me) hate diesels due to the noise and the smell. I however like it.
torque395 2 years ago
GPs had '80 Seville Diesel
ford9572 2 years ago
I have a 84 eldo,ht4100 and I drive it every day. It was minus -17c here this morning and it stars first crank every time! Its got about 58000 miles on it and about 10000 miles ago I did an over haul. Heads came off, new timing chain, valve seals, head gasgets, lifters, etc... Runns great, cant find a reason to get rid of it!
kanukster 2 years ago
sounds awsome
saab900carlsson 2 years ago
you're right, a lot of people were afraid of those early 80s Diesels, but its still better than the ht4100 fuel injected that came out in 82'... I have one, and it's 125horses on a 3800lb car... not too mention unreliable
CoupeDeville23 2 years ago
beautiful car
mossbergtakedown 2 years ago
rattles like a kitten
sugarisgoodness 2 years ago
nice! diesel is always good stuff
LeandroMuntendam 2 years ago
There was just one sold on Ebay (34K miles) yesterday - LOT of people bid, showing the huge turnaround from gas-engines - even that the 5.7 Olds diesel has a very, very bad rap. I was wondering if its a really expensive job to put a modern, say F-350 diesel in one of these old Caddies? Done professionally, they would sell like cupcake. People find solutions that Ford and GM can't see for 30 years.
NorceCodine 2 years ago
@NorceCodine people swap duramax's into all sorts of gm cars. From camaros and firebirds to montecarlos.
25tab 2 years ago
that would be a fine engine if it wasnt in a caddy. it just sounds so strange and out of place among the leather
will2993 2 years ago
sounds like a school bus
runninfoo398 2 years ago
A water separater would have helped these engines greatly as they wouldn't have been any worse than other GM engines of the day. When water gets in the fuel and engine, it causes corrosion of the pump, lines and other parts handling the fuel. It can also hydrolock the engine, breaking head bolts and other internal engine parts.
WaltGe 2 years ago
I found a perfect 1981 toronado for sale and have heard nothing but horror stories about the diesel, I am not just looking to buy it but I want to have it as a daily driver running on biodiesel... is it reliable enough to be a daily driver?
crywolfe210 2 years ago
There are mixed opinions on that. If it has the replacement DX block engine (says "GM Goodwrench"), then it's a little more reliable than the first one. I wouldn't personally drive one as a daily driver when there are Mercedes and other "true Diesel" vehicles out there in the same price range, and with plenty of parts available. If the Toronado you found is in super-nice shape, you can probably sell it on eBay to a collector for more than a daily driver would be valued at.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
I was thinking of a Benz, but I like the land yachts with the big burly V8's, reminds me of our 81 Olds 88 Royale, and our 81 Caddy Sedan Seville we used to have. The only way I could drive an old land yacht everyday is if I could run it on used cooking oil, then I could afford the guzzler haha.
crywolfe210 2 years ago
just bought myself an '80 sedan deville. aside from a bad oil cooler line, two fresh batteries, an a little diesel down the throttle body, it has NO mechanical issues! just the bodywork im going to get one in my shop.
greezeyD 2 years ago
THATS AWESOME
chopperman1955 2 years ago
Beautiful car, I am hoping to find one like it, it's not every day you hear a Cadillac that sounds like a big rig!
dieselbadass1 2 years ago
Love that sound! I wish we had more diesels here in North America.
jaimehatespapi 2 years ago
wow very cool car! I didn't expect that exist a diesel car old like that!
MaurizioM89 2 years ago
Erm, the first diesel car was built in 1933.
TheEagle1 2 years ago
sorry, i'm explained very bad, i'm italian XD i would to say that in america diesel cars at the time wasn't very common because gasoline was very very cheap. I know about the first diesel car and the first diesel engine
MaurizioM89 2 years ago
so, if nobody wanted one, was it worse than a mercedes diesel? but i like the sound, and the revenue cost of a car like this is too expensive in germany.
zdrastvutye 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I don't like diesels, they sound uncomfortable, and don't last long.
wyecee 2 years ago
They're a higher precision machine, and need proper care. A lot of people dislike them, until they drive a good one, that is... I wouldn't drive this car as a daily driver, as the very reason I saved it is that it's rare to find one that runs in 2009. My daily driver is a Toyota Diesel, with over 200,000 miles on the engine, and runs like new with double the fuel mileage of a gas one. But it would be in the junkyard if I didn't maintain it correctly.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
In 2012,get another video of it to prove that it still runs after 30 years.
legsbluetrain 2 years ago
a diesel car don't last long only if you don't use it a lot! if you use a diesel car like a city car you're a moron!
MaurizioM89 2 years ago
Kinda has the international powerstroke sound to it. But nice car.
bigred42091 2 years ago
not really a powerstroke sound to it
legsbluetrain 2 years ago
Well it kinda sounds like a powerstroke with that clack clack sound when you first start it up when it has been sitting a while. I knew it wasn't a powerstroke at first. But I just wanted to comment that it sounded like one.
bigred42091 2 years ago
Бля дебилы американские,лучше бы экономные тачки делали и динамичные.
ExtremDonetsk 2 years ago
my god the old diesel cars had sound like a truck!
Gabzaiat 2 years ago 2
you should convert that cadillac to biodesil!!! run it on free almost gas!!!
GusTheBus82 2 years ago
I'm not a big fan of biodiesel, although I belong to the biodiesel board here in SoCal. Environmentally, when you think about all the power & heating it takes to process the oil and make B100, it's not so eco-friendly after all. It doesn't last very long in the tank, and that's a problem when it's a vehicle not driven much (this tank of Diesel a year and a half old, and still 2/3 full). I do have a Toyota truck which I converted to SVO (plain veggie oil), ad that's a big success.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
bio diesel is good when its reused waset veg oil.
Another flaw is that to grow bio fuels the land is land that could be used to grow food, so it has a knock on effect.
tpvalley 2 years ago
Hi I could get a 1980 eldorado diesel and I have a few questions if anyone could answer them.
How hard is it to replace the steering/brake pump?
What kind of gas mileage does it get?
Thanks!
cowsgoquack101 2 years ago
I've never replaced one, but it looks to be about the same job as a regular GM power steering pump. Just a couple extra hoses. As a non-mechanic myself, I'd allow about 2 hours. On the mileage, I don't know yet since I'm still on the original tank of fuel that I filled at Christmas '07. I've only driven it 3 or 4 times, but now I guess I need to drive the rest of the fuel out in order to freshen it up.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
I've had some thoughts of to one day, buy an classic car from the 50s(Cadillac -59preferly), a ''wing-car'' if you'd like that name, putting an 5.9 Cummings Diesel with belonging gearbox and maybe rear end inside it. I would also zinc the whole body to avoid any sort of rust in the future, and paint the car in classic red with white roof, and finaly using the car as a daily driver (exept in the winter). 'Why?' you may ask, well i want to drive the most luxurious car in my town, but cheap :)
Eddiemotor 2 years ago
Slow. But the torque is incredible on these. Actually, it's faster than the Cadillac HT-4100 V8 gas motor that was also available in this model, but that's not saying much. If the Olds 350D had been a "real Diesel", they could have put a turbo on it and it would have been fairly impressive. But this engine can't even keep the head gaskets intact without a turbo, so I see why they didn't do it. My '84 Toyota Camry turbo-Diesel is kind of slow from 0-60, but it's a rocket from 60-120.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
The previous owner of my 85' Eldorado Biarritz ignored the cracked oil pan's leak and the leak lead to burning the HT-4100(4.1ltr) up. So what me and my father did was we got an oldsmobile 307ci(Bolted right in) rebuilt the heads and had it acid dipped and we dropped it in. We also had an 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood that had a 4.1 that we were going to pull out and drop in the Caddy 500ci that was pulled out of a 60's Deville but we sold that car and now we're thinking of putting it in our Eldo.
kpj200 2 years ago
I've thought about a 500 retrofit (not for this car; I'm keeping it original). I think you'd have to use the Turbo 425 trans with it, as this one's a weak spot. I can't see a problem other than maybe some motor mount modifications. I had a '70 Eldorado with the 500 ci, 400-hp engine. Unbelievably fast off the line! all that cast iron weight on the drive wheels, and all that torque. Corvettes sit there spinning the tires, while the Eldorado glides to an instant and silent cruising speed :)
kx250rider661 2 years ago
Thanks for the advice! My Dad knows a Tranny builder who builds race ready transmissions and can build yours to handle 825hp fully rebuilt. For now we might try adding some bolt-ons to the 307ci. The Eldo uses the same transmission as the Buick GNX but the only difference is the pick up tube. But we love our Eldo even though my Mom hates it. But who cares! :)
kpj200 2 years ago
I believe it, it's natural for a diesel to have any goldy amount of torque. Diesels do sound gutted without the turbo, like a man with no kidneys. It's a shame, have you considered aftermarket components? Or is it non-existant in the aftermarket word?
Thanks for reply dude, I love your car. :)
TheLundExpress 2 years ago
Thanks for the compliment! I'd be scared to try to add a turbo to the 350DX, but if I were going to use this car regularly, I'd probably get a wrecked late-model Chevy truck with the Duramax (Isuzu-built) V8 turbo-Diesel, and install that engine, if I could figure out a way to adapt the bellhousing for the front wheel drive. And I'd use the bigger turbo 425 trans from the old 500-ci Eldorados.
kx250rider661 2 years ago
I wonder what the quatermile/0-60 time is, as long as the topseed.
TheLundExpress 2 years ago
0-60 probably about 20 seconds... haha.
saosurvive126 2 years ago
Cadillac aren't fast(unless you're gonna drop in a caddy500 like me) but they sure do ride like a dream!(I have an 1985 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz)
kpj200 2 years ago
Damn that thing started up before you could even turn the key! Cool car.
Tallerico500 2 years ago
wow that car is fantastic! especially for an '82
collinsup 2 years ago
Did the 350's ever have surge problems?
TSmirk 2 years ago
In Norway what he says is true.
Back in the late 70 and early 80 all the olds diesel was fit with a water seperator and had to be drained once a month.
Now i have driven my olds diesel allmost 100.000miles in 6 year and there has newer been any water in the seperator
I allso open the fuel filter to look for dirt but its allways clean.
The point that new diesel is dry you fix with 2 stroke oil in it...
Dieselolds 2 years ago
Love you car.
Dieselolds 2 years ago
My dad sold Olds cars through most of the 80s, and I remember those bombs really well. Very bad design and it's pretty amazing you have one running!
If they worked they weren't fun at all to drive. Hit the gas and it was like stomping on mashed potatoes, and about as exciting! ;-)
Fuel is way better now so that's probably half of the key there.
Anyway, nice job keeping her running! I enjoyed the video.
nakamichiguy 2 years ago
people get pissed because of the smell alot of the time so im going with the gas motor now its to much for a rebuilt diesel engine $3,500 there is so much fucking smoke when you actualy gas it at any time its not like a regular diesel ok people were behind me and had to stop there cars they couldnt see lol like if i was burning out!!! but 84 and 85 catterpillar came in added heaters in the tank block and the fuel line fixed all.. the EPA came in cadillac had to stop diesels period polution facts
midnitesquirldog 2 years ago
I know this engine is blamed for America not really taking to Diesel cars but they really should consider them instead of hybrids. My car is a Skoda (Czech company owned my VW) with a 1.9130 BHP TDI with 229ft/ib of torque and an easy 55mpg highway with low CO2 Emissions. Companies like BMW are making powerful Diesels with emissions as low as any Hybrid that are much more fun to drive. Smoke is not an issue now with particulate filters and the clatter soon dies down.
mattbod 2 years ago
nice car i have 1 it quit at 230,000 miles now i have a 305 chevy for it. run yours in nice weather only and make sure that all 8 injectors going in the block dont leak i think thats why mine went i had 1 leak a little and i let it leak it was pushing out air bubbles replace if this happens quickly it went because the wrist pin snapen i half posssibly because of that leaking 1 more thing if it starts leaking oil after you go up a hill on the back of the block the rubber plug falls out sometimes.
midnitesquirldog 2 years ago
anybody want one? 100 bucks runs and drives. silver with no rust
manicmechanic86 2 years ago
As long as it's in SoCal, and if there's clear title.. I could use an extra one for parts, or if it's restorable, I might restore it. I'm not out looking for another one, but if it's what you say, I couldn't refuse at $100...
Charles
kx250rider661 2 years ago
i; give u 150 for it. im in northern california near sacramento
rsr530 2 years ago
olds diesel werent to bad, its just most people back in the late 70's and 80's. especially old people and women that drove them didn't know how to drive a diesel!! plus the qualtiy of diesel fuel was shit back then. if u used good fuel, and drove it right, and let it warm up the gm diesls were actually pretty good. alot of them ran good
rsr530 2 years ago