How do you go from a sleek sport coupe from an automaker with a sterling reputation to a faded sedan with an obsolete — some might say tacky — interpretation of luxury from an automaker that had sullied its once-sterling reputation and has been working to regain it ever since? And then for that rolling equivalent of Nora Desmond (which had 271,000 miles when the photo above was taken in 2012!) to become one of your favorite cars? It’s complicated.
In 2005, my marriage fell apart. In the long run, it was for the best, but in the short run, I needed to get out from under making car payments. My sister Susan offered to buy Pugsley, my 1999 Honda Accord EX coupe. My niece Chelsea was about to get her driver’s license, and this would be her first car (she ended up driving Pugsley for another 10 years).
But now, I needed to find a cheap car I could pay cash for.
Based on my past experiences with two virtually flawless Hondas, I started looking there. A friend went with me to scour the beater lots along SE 82nd Ave. in Portland. I quickly learned that what I could pay cash for would not get me very much.
There was an ’87 Accord sedan, the generation with the pop-up lights I liked so much. The bottom of the dash was ripped off, with a tangled knot of wires dangling under the steering column. The white hood looked like it had been painted with Liquid Paper. Using the brush. I didn’t even bother taking it for a test drive. I wasn’t sure it would make it off the lot.
Another lot had an ’89 Acura Legend sedan with a 5-speed. This one didn’t have so many cosmetic flaws as it did mechanical ones. Neither the power seat nor the air conditioning was working. The shocks were shot. After every bump, the Acura bobbed and weaved like a 70s Lincoln. It needed way more work than its price could justify.
When I parked the Dramamine-inducing Acura, I noted a slightly faded red 1990 Cadillac Sedan de Ville at a slightly lower price. It gave me an idea. Instead of sorting through various trashed Hondas, why didn’t I start looking for some old lady cars that might have been better cared for?
I found a few ads that looked promising. But one of them leaped out at me: 1991 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, $999. Hell, I could put that on my debit card. I went to look at the car, and it was in far better shape than either the Accord or the Legend. The rear bumper was dented, but the Sapphire Blue Firemist paint still had some shine to it. The leather on the driver’s seat had a couple of cracks, and some stitching had come undone, but otherwise, the interior was in perfectly acceptable shape for a car of its age.
The problem was the odometer: just over 200,000 miles.
I remember the days when a car was considered worn out at 100,000 miles, and my ’74 Celica’s nervous breakdown when all its numbers rolled over did nothing to dispute that idea. Still, this appeared to be the nicest car I had come across so far.
I took it for a test drive. Cadillac’s much-maligned HT4100 engine had been enlarged to 4.9 liters in 1991 and now had multiport fuel injection, good for 200 hp. The car moved smartly. The ride was smooth as expected, but it didn’t feel sloppy when changing direction. It was a hot day in July, and the automatic climate control blew copious amounts of gloriously cool air — typical GM. All the power windows went up and down as they should, the six-way power seats moved all six ways. The stereo and power antenna worked. GM’s famous four-note horn announced its presence with the authority of a speeding locomotive. The car even had a moonroof.
So I bought it. And yes, I used my debit card. I immediately named the car Cruella. Cruella de Vil has long been my favorite Disney villain.
Before I drove Cruella home, I needed to get gas. But after I filled her up, I turned the key and got…nothing. No click-click-click of a dead battery. The warning lights all illuminated as they were supposed to when you turn the key, but the engine wouldn’t even try to start. It’s a good thing I had kept my AAA membership current.
When the tow truck brought us home, I didn’t relish trying to push Cruella up my driveway. So I tried starting her again. The engine fired right up on the first try, like nothing had happened.
My $999 divorce special and I were off to a rough start.
I knew that with a car this old and with this many miles, there were bound to be some deferredmaintenance issues and that things would wear out. But having the car refuse to start and then run perfectly fine a little while later had me baffled. And it was so random. There was no pattern to when Cruella would refuse to run.
In these pre-social media days, there were online car forums where owners could go for help diagnosing and fixing problems. I joined CadillacOwners.com, and with help from more knowledgeable owners, I learned the problem was with the ignition control module. It turned out to be easy to replace, even for me with my very limited mechanical skills. The Hall Effect switch was also mounted inside the distributor housing, and while it was harder to reach, I managed to replace that as well. Cruella tended to eat Hall Effect switches. It got to the point where I could swap one out in 30 minutes.
By November, it was becoming evident that the heating part of Cruella’s automatic climate control was not working at the same level as the air conditioning. I learned via CadillacOwners.com that all you had to do was pull out the glovebox to get to the heater core. What I didn’t know was how hard it would be to disconnect and reconnect the heater hoses without the right tool for spring clamps. It took four freezing hours in my garage to finish the job, but now Cruella could blow enough hot air to keep Heat Miser happy. My Dad was very impressed when I called to tell him.
I later managed to swap out the dented rear bumper with one from a junkyard. It took about 2.5 hours on the hottest weekend of the summer, but I was in a “dammit, I’m doing it anyway” mood. The job itself wasn’t hard, but those bumpers are heavy!
CadillacOwners.com turned out to be more than a resource for keeping Cruella running. I ended up making a bunch of friends, and more than 20 years later, I still keep in touch with many of them. We’ve even met up in person multiple times, including for a wedding. For that first meetup in 2007, I drove Cruella with my Dad and my dog Hoover from Oregon to Des Moines and back. She performed flawlessly.
In fact, once I had addressed neglected maintenance and made some necessary repairs, Cruella turned out to be remarkably reliable for a car of her age and mileage. I honestly enjoyed the car.
Part of Cruella’s charm was that she maintained many of the good characteristics of old-school Cadillacs, like a smooth ride, spacious interior and emphasis on comfort. By 1991, GM had stretched the FWD C-body and improved the styling so that Cruella looked like a proper Cadillac.
She never let you forget it, either. The car had 19 wreath-and-crest emblems, counting everything from the seat belt buckles to the hood ornament. Plus five Cadillac scripts.
Over nearly five years, I put about 60,000 miles on Cruella. After I bought my next car, I drove Cruella 1,600 miles to North Dakota and gave her to my niece Laura. Once again, the old girl ate up the miles without a hiccup. Cruella had about 272,000 miles on her when some electrical issues finally did her in.
I bought Cruella out of necessity. But during a difficult time in my life, she turned out to be one of the bright spots. It wasn’t just that she ended up being a good car. I learned that I could actually fix something on a car instead of making the problem worse (which has happened). And I made some lifelong friends that I certainly would not have otherwise.
Cruella had character. Personality. Moxie.
I think I got my money’s worth.
Related Reading
1990 Cadillac Sedan De Ville And Fleetwood: Cadillac At The Crossroads
Vintage Reviews And Commentary: 1989 Cadillac Sedan DeVille – Be Careful What You Wish For
1989 Cadillac Fleetwood – Deadly Sin or Greatest Hit?
Curbside Classic: 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille – Almost Doesn’t Count
Curbside Classic: 1991 Cadillac Sedan de Ville – Save Me!
Curbside Classics: 1989 Cadillac Coupe de Ville & 1990 Sedan de Ville – Better As Time Goes By?
COAL: 1991 Cadillac Sedan de Ville – I Can’t Help Myself
Curbside Classic: 1991 Cadillac Coupe de Ville: Triple White Birthday Cake
CC Outtake: Caddys Of The Distant And Not-So-Distant Past
Choosing a Cadillac over an Acura? Oh boy the comment section is going to be interesting.
I for one totally get it, given its price. Out of favor cars can be great bargains, and he certainly got one with Cruella.
I owned a 91 SdV myself……not with as high mileage though. Made me feel 16 every time I got in it and the last modern car I could work on. Replacing the alternator on the side of the road was the only major repair. Lost her in an accident and they still could drive her onto the flatbed wrecker. Someone bought her and restored her – saw her on Craigslist about 5 years after
I’m right there with you! Some of my best cars were the kind favored by the AARP set. That generation took care of their cars and didn’t keep them too long. Hondas and Toyotas were great cars, but as used cars they were always expensive.
You found the secret combination: sound basic design, not terribly popular as they aged, and well maintained.
There’s a great deal to be said for nice sized comfortable cars and one’s like this can be a bargain. After moving 1800 miles west we need a car to keep at our lake place that will only be used for 5 or 6 weeks a yea:, dependable, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, so the primary candidate is a Buick with 3800 V6, the challenge will be to find a good solid one in the salty NE climate. A big, comfortable, simple-ish, and dependable car like this Caddy fills the bill.
I spent over a decade in Victoria BC, which is a retirement city on Vancouver Island. There have always been granny-wagons available. I bought many for taxi use.
The featured car is really nice. By that time, GM had the reliability issues that plagued GM’s downsized C Bodies solved. You car is proof that said problems were taken care of.