A rookie question

Michael Mykulak said:
Well I did look over those coachs as well because Todd said they were soon to retire. Both were very good condition last I looked at them. I was at JW on a mission and that was to find a coach that was the right size for Dawn. The 1992 Cadillac Elite is one of the only vehicles that she has ever really fought to keep. Several times I have asked if the novelty has worn off and still no loss of interest. I get the same answer that she likes how comfortable it rides and the interior suits her well. One more of those spools for the curtain rods and one more rod, we will on the road to getting curtains made and installed back into the coach. Just have to find the remaining parts we need and I can hear it now, she is going to say she liked it better without the curtains.
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Be perpaired, she may never want to give it up! I love my 85 Superior FWD. I have owned it for 12 years, put well over 100,000 more miles on it, (currently has 180,000) and Its still one of my favorites and have NO plans of parting with it anytime soon! The scary thing is, I may part with the 49 S&S before this one goes, but it would be tough.

1985 Superior Sovereign 74.jpg
 
Simply stated......

John, your coach is hands down gorgeous!! I have loved it since the first time I saw it. On some coach's I still prefer factory wheels, but I am the kind of person that can always find something on any vehicle to change to make it more personalized. I might change those wheels out for a set that have some black in the design. I also would let go of the 49 before this gem. Are we both nuts? Most folks I believe would let the 85 go before the 49. How fortunate for you, that you can own both! I understand that some FWD engine sizes were better than others, what do you know about the FWD engines pro and con? So far we have done a waterpump on the coach, second one I understand to have been replaced in 60,xxx also Danny did a A/C compressor on it and a freon change over. Brakes have been done once and I can tell they still are not right so it will go in for brakes next. The rear struts were just done so $650.00 for those recently. Then the oil pan gasket is leaking and that was estimated at $350.00 to repair that. Same with any older coach I guess. Curtains and rods were removed and tossed so that is another project. Jeremy Moberg got the first three curtain rods to me to start the search, so cool that Jeremy has been so generous and another very good friend by the name of Mike provided a few more curtain rods I now have almost all the curtain rods I need althought they need to be sized to fit and I am still looking for the spool device that the end of the curtain rod slips around. So one spool and one rod to find and then I have to start getting in gear starting the curtain business for the society and myself. I need three sets of curtains currently so my needs will be the inspiration. Hope you are having a good day John, I have been thinking about you on a daily basis lately because my back has been giving me alot of pain. Then I usaully reflect that you are usually in greater pain so I quit feeeling bad for myself.
 
If my memory serves me, Cadillac came out with the down sized FWD DeVille about 1985. The Deville and Fleetwood were the same body, however the Fleetwood had aprons over the rear wheels. The full sized, RWD Cadillac was called the "Fleetwood Brogham". Later the Fleetwood name was dropped and the Cadillac "Brogham" was used. In the 90's, the name Fleetwood was given back to the real wheel drive and not used for the front wheel drive. Between 1997 and 2000, there was only the FWD deville. In 2000, the original names were dropped and the DTS and DHS were introduced. The DHS had more options. The DHS was later dropped also. Today, we just have crap from Cadillac.
 
I have a 87 Eureka Cadillac with a 4.1 engine. the 4.1 was not a great motor ( head gaskets) It was more of a cooling issue then a oil issue but if you change the anti-freeze every two years and use a additive in the coolant and keep fresh oil and new oil filter you shouldn't have a problem. mind you I have only 40,000 km on it ( approx 22,000 miles ) and when I bought it it only had 32,000 km on it.

they replaced the 4.1 with a 4.5 I think in 1989 ??
 
Mike Boyer said:
I have a 87 Eureka Cadillac with a 4.1 engine. the 4.1 was not a great motor ( head gaskets) It was more of a cooling issue then a oil issue but if you change the anti-freeze every two years and use a additive in the coolant and keep fresh oil and new oil filter you shouldn't have a problem. mind you I have only 40,000 km on it ( approx 22,000 miles ) and when I bought it it only had 32,000 km on it.

they replaced the 4.1 with a 4.5 I think in 1989 ??
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I have the 4.1 in mine and it runs like new. I have only changed the coolant once in 12 years, when the plastic radiator tank cracked and had to replace it. Never once have I put additive in the coolant. Never any cooling issues yet. The water pump has been changed once, and I change the oil every 7500 miles.

1988is when the FWDs got the 4.5.
 
Bill Carlin said:
If my memory serves me, Cadillac came out with the down sized FWD DeVille about 1985. The Deville and Fleetwood were the same body, however the Fleetwood had aprons over the rear wheels. The full sized, RWD Cadillac was called the "Fleetwood Brogham". Later the Fleetwood name was dropped and the Cadillac "Brogham" was used. In the 90's, the name Fleetwood was given back to the real wheel drive and not used for the front wheel drive. Between 1997 and 2000, there was only the FWD deville. In 2000, the original names were dropped and the DTS and DHS were introduced. The DHS had more options. The DHS was later dropped also. Today, we just have crap from Cadillac.
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Correct, 85 was the first year for the downsized FWD Fleetwood and De Ville. The FWD Fleetwoods got the fender skirts (aprons) in 1989.
FWD Fleetwoods were avalible through 1992.
 
Michael Mykulak said:
John, your coach is hands down gorgeous!! I have loved it since the first time I saw it. On some coach's I still prefer factory wheels, but I am the kind of person that can always find something on any vehicle to change to make it more personalized. I might change those wheels out for a set that have some black in the design. I also would let go of the 49 before this gem. Are we both nuts? Most folks I believe would let the 85 go before the 49. How fortunate for you, that you can own both! I understand that some FWD engine sizes were better than others, what do you know about the FWD engines pro and con? So far we have done a waterpump on the coach, second one I understand to have been replaced in 60,xxx also Danny did a A/C compressor on it and a freon change over. Brakes have been done once and I can tell they still are not right so it will go in for brakes next. The rear struts were just done so $650.00 for those recently. Then the oil pan gasket is leaking and that was estimated at $350.00 to repair that. Same with any older coach I guess. Curtains and rods were removed and tossed so that is another project. Jeremy Moberg got the first three curtain rods to me to start the search, so cool that Jeremy has been so generous and another very good friend by the name of Mike provided a few more curtain rods I now have almost all the curtain rods I need althought they need to be sized to fit and I am still looking for the spool device that the end of the curtain rod slips around. So one spool and one rod to find and then I have to start getting in gear starting the curtain business for the society and myself. I need three sets of curtains currently so my needs will be the inspiration. Hope you are having a good day John, I have been thinking about you on a daily basis lately because my back has been giving me alot of pain. Then I usaully reflect that you are usually in greater pain so I quit feeeling bad for myself.
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The reason for these rims is because the originals have lost their coating and look very bad. The ones on it now have Cadillac centers and most people think its supposed to be that way. I also need one of the spool pieces for the drapes.
 
John Royark JR said:
I have the 4.1 in mine and it runs like new. I have only changed the coolant once in 12 years, when the plastic radiator tank cracked and had to replace it. Never once have I put additive in the coolant. Never any cooling issues yet. The water pump has been changed once, and I change the oil every 7500 miles.

1988is when the FWDs got the 4.5.
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I heard through the "grapevine" ( on a Cadillac owners website ) that because of the Aluminum heads that you should use a coolant additive ( like Barrs or something...even GM says to ) and to change the coolant every two years. John....your pushing your luck ! lol
I have heard that some cars have gone well over 100,000 without no problems but I know three guys up here who have had to replace their engines before 80,000 all cracked heads they replaced them with either a 4.5 or a 5.0 L

maybe its the way some people drive them ?
I just don't want to take any chances...
 
Mike Boyer said:
I heard through the "grapevine" ( on a Cadillac owners website ) that because of the Aluminum heads that you should use a coolant additive ( like Barrs or something...even GM says to ) and to change the coolant every two years. John....your pushing your luck ! lol
I have heard that some cars have gone well over 100,000 without no problems but I know three guys up here who have had to replace their engines before 80,000 all cracked heads they replaced them with either a 4.5 or a 5.0 L

maybe its the way some people drive them ?
I just don't want to take any chances...
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I have heard that too, but with almost 200,000 on it, over 100,000 miles for sure not being done and as hard as I drive it, I will take my chances, if it was going to go it should have by now. Plus its been in 2 front end collisions, a tree fell on the rear, causing damage that needed to be repaired, so my luck was pushed with it long ago. To see some of what this coach has been through see post 67-69 of this thread http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7821&highlight=worse&page=7
 
Completely understand

John, the coating coming off the wheels is something I can sympathize with as the 1992 is suffering the beginnings of the same wheel issues. They are not bad enough to capture your eye, but I am thinking about sanblasting and powder coating the wheels white. Dawn's coach has the 4.9 in it and I like it alot. lots of power to merge in traffic, yet with the cruise control on in over drive it will get about 26 according to the milage miser on the dash.
 
David's original question:

"Were any front drive Hearses built on the Deville chassis from 1994 through 1996?"

The answer is yes. There was ONE Cadillac hearse built on a 1996 front-drive Deville chassis by CCE, Inc. of Norwalk, Ohio (Eureka / Miller-Meteor.) This was a landau coach, white with a blue interior. We were able to "borrow" it for the 1996 PCS International meet here in the Twin Cities. After the meet, this prototype car was returned to Norwalk where it was reworked to look like a 1997 with revised frontal styling and open rear wheel wells.

Photos coming shortly...
 
Photos

Here are the promised photos of the prototype 1996 Eureka Cadillac front-wheel-drive hearse, as seen at the 1996 PCS international Meet in St. Paul, MN.

I was still selling hearses then and it was a "big deal" to see this car; we knew there would be no more of the large Fleetwood hearses for 1997 so this was our first look at what we could expect in the way of funeral coach styling and dimensions.

This hearse captured some attention at the meet too. I remember Gregg Merksamer requesting to ride with me in it as I led the procession over to Forest Lawn Memorial Park for a professional car photo shoot. On the return trip, Mike Barruzza offered me his 1977 Superior Cadillac ambulance so he could take a turn at the wheel of the prototype hearse.

(Paul Saether collection)
 

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Tony Karsnia said:
Here are the promised photos of the prototype 1996 Eureka Cadillac front-wheel-drive hearse, as seen at the 1996 PCS international Meet in St. Paul, MN.

I was still selling hearses then and it was a "big deal" to see this car; we knew there would be no more of the large Fleetwood hearses for 1997 so this was our first look at what we could expect in the way of funeral coach styling and dimensions.

This hearse captured some attention at the meet too. I remember Gregg Merksamer requesting to ride with me in it as I led the procession over to Forest Lawn Memorial Park for a professional car photo shoot. On the return trip, Mike Barruzza offered me his 1977 Superior Cadillac ambulance so he could take a turn at the wheel of the prototype hearse.

(Paul Saether collection)
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Tony, Isnt this the one that was in a TPC issue sitting in the weeds at the factory, left to rot? dont know the issue offhand, will have to dig it out.
 
I have seen one 1996 DeVille hearse about 5 years ago. It was a prototype or test mule built by Federal. It was sitting in the yard at the Fort Smith plant covered in dirt from sitting. I didn't look to see if the interior was finished out or not.
 
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