1988 coupe de ville/value and any issues?

[delicatedelinquent]

Hi i am looking at a 1988 cadillac coupe de ville and was wondering what the value of it might be and whether there are any issues i should know about. Gas mileage? it has 70k miles and the seller wants 2800 for it. only problem i can see is a dead battery

[maxwedge]

Stay away, too much money and 22 years old and the were problematic when new.

[MagicRat]

This car might be worth a look, but first, what are you looking for in a car?

If you want just cheap transport, stay away and get an older Toyota. But if you are enthusiastic about older Caddys, and are willing to put up with some quirks, these are neat cars.

The problem areas mostly relate to the engine and some electrical issues.

These engines have oil pumps that wear out quickly, resulting in low oil pressure. Without replacement, engine damage eventually will result. Fortunately, pumps are reasonably cheap and relatively easy to install.

The cooling system need maintenance; a flush and fill every 2 years or so, and the use of AC Delco stop-leak tablets in the coolant, whether or not the engine is actually leaking. If the system has been neglected, expect coolant leaks, blown head gaskets, etc.

The only other problem area is electrical. There are many electrical devices. Age, weather, road salt etc will corrode some connections etc and allow for some electrical components to stop working. Expect the occasional failure oflittle stuff. Chances are, if you fix and maintain it yourselfm you can keep it going without breaking the bank. But expect to be nickel-and-dimed to death if you have a mechanic do all your work.

Good points? This was the only year for the 4.5 liter aluminum V8, which was a huge improvement on the 4.1 that came before it. More power and more reliability. Performance is decent and these cars are nice and comfy to drive, but not sporty, though.

Generally, only consider this car if it is in truly exceptionally good condition. Get everything checked out by a mechanic first. And negotiate the price down a bunch if you are still interested.