I Should have run away

[STUNO]

A few weeks ago I was dreaming about buying a Mercedes, but was not man enough to bid. So I then went a bit silly and bought this--------------

A 2003 Cadillac CTS 3.2 litre V6 done 190,000 KM's

So far it is a very nice drive, rides well, very little road noise , everything works that I have pushed, pulled and twiddled. time will tell how good or bad it is.

It has been sitting about for a year almost, so took a new battery to liven it up, one brake caliper was binding (ok now after some use) and a rear wheel bearing is a bid noisey. Also will do the cambelt as there are no records of a change.  It'lldo !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

An oddball choice. How are fuel prices in NZ at the moment? Hope you're well.

[sutty2006]

Especially in RHD. The jealousy of Aus, NZ and SA getting all the good stuff in RHD gives me a headache some days. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

12 minutes ago, sutty2006 said:

Especially in RHD. The jealousy of Aus, NZ and SA getting all the good stuff in RHD gives me a headache some days. 

We got these, there’s always a couple on Autotrader. I think @cort16had one, although I don’t think he likes to be reminded.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204193917232?hash=item2f8ae7e930:g:aIIAAOSwa8Zj9dbr&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4J%2BBITSsPKSAgfQSVejqIJ65uYO2EwaCVgDnTEJqEXqo6mfc2jfsdIdB%2FZfGXTcKjifYGjm3%2FcZzXK%2Fm9696eMOSmoO4s87GtYM3CODAVmYrbuap0MYqcCQIjQj6%2BkYIIB8Zf7YsvRV%2FurP4I1GiK0p7%2BsmdOovFXBsgC3Stms8uD%2FBLfqx0FzPrw5hhj9d5ncECV6en28KdJY5OLqCWhDwgzIf0UZU91RfMTy9wrBO0DB2WnGIVvHecyg2sdMRcYFh%2B7Vb7NrTggZwZLoPe0svOmXGJ2cnoBKTdkg1mYVAb|tkp%3ABk9SR8KFqqjrYQ

 

ok, none on Autotrader, although there are a couple of RHD SRXes, which was even more random. But you can share the misery with @STUNOwith this beauty on eBay.

[STUNO]

50 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

An oddball choice. How are fuel prices in NZ at the moment? Hope you're well.

Definitely oddball but they were sold here for some years. Fuel is around $2.30-2.45 a litre in this area, tax was lowered to help with prices. Otherwise all is well and I keep up with your antics regularly .

[sutty2006]

Meh. 
 

 

[STUNO]

Cambelt kit has been ordered from Rockauto, so that's going in soon after it arrives. Thanks to Jon for the recommendation

[JMotor]

Oooh! Nice buy.

Didn't realise the CTS's came with the euro (without looking it up an X32XE or Z32XE?) V6's. 

[Schaefft]

I really like the first gen CTS (and all the following gens), it was a huge deal for Cadillac and GM back in 2002 and the car chases they were hero vehicles in are iconic (Bad Boys 2 and Matrix Reloaded). I was extremely close to buying one (naturally) with faulty immobilizer and undesirable 2.8, what are the chances of finding a replacement control module for a UK market one though.

The huge letdown was the interior material quality though, which was a significant step down from anything before it (incl. the Omega B based Catera it replaced), it still boggles my mind that the car that was a renaissance for Cadillac had plastics like this.

Also, keep a very close eye on the oil level of the 3.6, (the 3.2 was just an Opel engine I think), they are prone to consuming oil at a rate that kills most of them). Yours should be a pretty capable durable car though, I'd have one just for the sake of owning a milestone in Cadillacs history alone.

[D.E]

Great lawnmowers, these.

 

[cort16]

1 hour ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

We got these, there’s always a couple on Autotrader. I think @cort16had one, although I don’t think he likes to be reminded.

I bought mine purely because of this

 

[STUNO]

I will try the Matrix driving on the way to work next week !

cort16 how did you find the ownership experience went ?

[hairnet]

so.

many.

buttons.

 

are you schaefft is disguise

barge but diffrint

 

[cort16]

8 hours ago, STUNO said:

I will try the Matrix driving on the way to work next week !

cort16 how did you find the ownership experience went ?

It kind of thought it was a car that’s meant to be a copy of a bmw made by someone who’s never driven a bmw .

Most comfy seats I’ve ever had on a car

amazing air con 

the 3.6 puts out a fair bit of power but it’s not fast or great on fuel nor does it handle amazingly (it’s certainly not bad though ). Not sure if it’s overly heavy or not .

the interior really lets it down its just so cheap and scratchy and the central screen constantly pesters you with annoying messages .. I had to take the dash binnacle out for something and there was a huge lump of roughly cast pig iron behind the dash . I’ve no idea why .

[STUNO]

I was fitting some floor mats in the rear yesterday and discovered the RH floor was very wet. that will be dried out and investigated. just hope it has not come via the sunroof drains if it does have any. I have not tried to open  the roof yet because of the unknown about what to do if it all goes wrong.  Should I just climb under and drill a hole in the floor !

[Schaefft]

Just get a sunroof cleaning tool and open the sunroof to clean them... If it gets stuck clean the rails and lubricate them with an appropriate grease.

[STUNO]

MAY have solved the sunroof problem.  A look at it showed that the roof was not sitting right in the LH rear corner . A small push from inside moved the corner back up to close the gap. I will see how that goes. There is an obvious weather seal which should stop any water getting past the roof so I think there will be no drains. I have the owners manual but not a workshop one yet so a lot of guessing needs to be done.

It is obviously American, the manual has 13 pages on how and why you need to wear seatbelts, and 1 on the complicated to operate radio/cd player.

[kfsgo]

On 4/7/2023 at 12:29 AM, sutty2006 said:

Meh. 
 

 

Lucky someone if it goes for that - anything with the 7.3 over here is highly desirable (by reputation more than reality these days as they're all ancient) to the point that it'd probably be worth shipping it to a different continent again...

[sutty2006]

5 hours ago, kfsgo said:

Lucky someone if it goes for that - anything with the 7.3 over here is highly desirable (by reputation more than reality these days as they're all ancient) to the point that it'd probably be worth shipping it to a different continent again...

It’s one of my bucket list things to do but I don’t have the disposable cash to fly over, miss something, spend two weeks hunting for another then come home empty handed. 

[horriblemercedes]

I didn't know that that 54 degree V6 came in these either. I'm pretty sure none here did, which probably would've been good as that engine was common in Omegas and in other displacements common in Vectras too 

[Schaefft]

The 3.2 and 2.8 were the launch engines in all markets, the 3.6 replaced it later.

6 hours ago, STUNO said:

MAY have solved the sunroof problem.  A look at it showed that the roof was not sitting right in the LH rear corner . A small push from inside moved the corner back up to close the gap. I will see how that goes. There is an obvious weather seal which should stop any water getting past the roof so I think there will be no drains. I have the owners manual but not a workshop one yet so a lot of guessing needs to be done.

It is obviously American, the manual has 13 pages on how and why you need to wear seatbelts, and 1 on the complicated to operate radio/cd player.

Every sunroof needs drains, the weather seal alone wouldn't be enough to keep water out of the cassette, especially when it's open. And those drains will need cleaning eventually. It'll be the same process as with every single other car that has a sunroof in the last 30 years, a quick google will tell you how.

[Dave_Q]

On 07/04/2023 at 09:57, hairnet said:

so.

many.

buttons.

 

On 07/04/2023 at 05:52, STUNO said:

I presume the 1,2,3,4 buttons are in case you need to declare a Thumb War on the steering wheel as a sort of In-Car Entertainment?

[STUNO]

1 hour ago, Dave_Q said:

 

I presume the 1,2,3,4 buttons are in case you need to declare a Thumb War on the steering wheel as a sort of In-Car Entertainment?

They are programmable buttons , I don't yet know what they do other than you prog. them each to carry out some specific function like turn the radio on. They seem to be just a gimmick but will investigate soon. The big round R H one is for the very Good Bose sound system volume.

[hairnet]

sunroof - it never rains in southern california northern waikato

does it do 11's

[STUNO]

Mr Hairnet, as you should very well know I live in the SOUTHERN Waikato where it rains every day at present. 

And in other news the Cam belt kit I ordered on Good Friday from Rock Auto in the USA was delivered today Wednesday. Very very good service !

[barefoot]

On 4/7/2023 at 8:07 AM, NorfolkNWeigh said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204193917232?hash=item2f8ae7e930:g:aIIAAOSwa8Zj9dbr&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4J%2BBITSsPKSAgfQSVejqIJ65uYO2EwaCVgDnTEJqEXqo6mfc2jfsdIdB%2FZfGXTcKjifYGjm3%2FcZzXK%2Fm9696eMOSmoO4s87GtYM3CODAVmYrbuap0MYqcCQIjQj6%2BkYIIB8Zf7YsvRV%2FurP4I1GiK0p7%2BsmdOovFXBsgC3Stms8uD%2FBLfqx0FzPrw5hhj9d5ncECV6en28KdJY5OLqCWhDwgzIf0UZU91RfMTy9wrBO0DB2WnGIVvHecyg2sdMRcYFh%2B7Vb7NrTggZwZLoPe0svOmXGJ2cnoBKTdkg1mYVAb|tkp%3ABk9SR8KFqqjrYQ

 

ok, none on Autotrader, although there are a couple of RHD SRXes, which was even more random. But you can share the misery with @STUNOwith this beauty on eBay.

I had a serious look at that, but £695 VED!

[Jon]

For all the mention of the 3.6 versions on here, I'm happy to say that this is the 3.2 version (in 2003 launch year) - a relief, as I forwarded a Rock Auto link for the 3.2 cam belt kit!

But in double checking this detail on Carjam, I found out it was imported from Japan in 2011 and in 2014 received the much coveted and highly respected number plate BIGJEF.

Said large Geoffrey is obviously a connoisseur of highly regarded All American sedans (with German underpinnings), as he transferred the plate in 2016 and has been wafting round since, in a 2007 diesel 300c.

Class in a glass.

[Jon]

Oh, and road tax for the CTS here should be the standard fare - just over £100 for the year!

In a refreshingly simple idea, you can buy from anything from 1 day to 12 months of rego - none of this buying per month block tosh.

[stuboy]