Another cool feature: the Delco UX-1 radio features Motorola C-Quam AM Stereo. If you push in the "Am St" button, the audio quality on the AM band will improve, and if a station is broadcasting in AM Stereo, the STEREO indicator in the display will light up and you will hear stereo sound, on AM!
@@careful...Icarus There is music on AM, too. Especially now that AM stations are allowed to add an FM translator, there are actually more music stations on AM today, playing more modern music (not just Oldies and Big Band crooners) than there were 15 or 20 years ago.
@@vwestlife Whoa! VWestlife… I feel like I’m unexpectedly running in to you at some kinky bar, and I’m not sure what to say. “Eh, so you’re in to GMs? Do you come here often?”
You know: it never ceases to amaze me how GM seems to be able to perfect a car minutes before canceling it. Honestly if this had been the Cimarron for 1982, I don't think it would have been the 5 alarm, fire engine red belly flop it is well known for having been.
Similar to the 1st gen FWD C bodies in '90 Olds Ninety Eight/Electra Park Ave. Finally had bulletproof LN3 3800, no more steering issues and beefier/more reliable trans.
Oh, come on. I don’t think it was a bad car, but it was never going to be anything that really appealed to Cadillac owners of the day. As far as a smaller, more economical work car….I like it, and it did have some nicer touches over the cavalier and other J cars. There were a couple of J cars in my family, and they were good, reliable, economical. As far as perfecting something just before axing it, well, GM and other manufacturers tend to make a certain amount of improvements over the life of the car, and sometimes that continues up to the last model year.
Same with the 88 Fiero as well. And the hugely successful FWD A bodies were just the X bodies with all of the bugs worked out. Hell, they even share much of the same floorplan stampings as the X cars did. Or the more recent Cadillac Blackwing engine that GM spent millions to develop and cancelled after 2 model years to shift their focus to EVs that nobody wants...🙄
What a little gem. Growing up in Ontario, Canada, I don’t think I ever saw more than 1 or 2 on the road. Extremely rare here. Just like that “Ripple cloth and Leather” (for credit) seating. I see that’s how they describe it in a 1985 Cimarron brochure. Thank you for sharing, and giving us a look at this little Cadillac.
This video illustrates well Adam’s approach. After watching, I have a better sense of how/ why a car like the Cimarron came to be. An element that makes the channel engaging is the tone: it’s inquisitive and respectful versus smug, superior or dismissive of the car or the people who designed it. That tone leaves room to find the interesting elements of a car. Thanks Adam!🙏🏽
Thanks for the memories, Alex! Mine was a navy blue over silver 1986.5 dealer demo and it had a few thousand miles when my dad gave it to me...I was 17 and pampered that car...it had the exact same interior color and cloth/ leather bolsters. Analog "gages" and the luggage rack. Because it was the '86.5, it had the euro headlamps, which was a big improvement...I drive a big Mercedes now, but this little car reminds me of a time when life was carefree. Thank you again!
Not gonna lie, if I saw this car on the street I probably wouldn't look twice. But, Adam's in-depth review changes everything and turns this car into a fascinating period piece of the 1980s! Would really enjoy seeing you go for a ride with John Manoogian in this car.
Had a 1986 Cavalier CS sedan 2.0L, with the optional 5 speed. That cost $75. Basic gauges, no AC, AM-FM-cassette. Over-sized tires, heavy duty suspension and larger radiator. I think it was setup for towing. In 86, the I-4 models could tow 1000 pounds, the V-6 was not allowed to tow due to overheating. I think I still have my owner's manual. Put 125,000 miles on that little car, it was my only brand new car. Test drove it with 5 miles, brought it back with 35 miles. About a decade later, I found a base wagon version, 2.0L, 3-speed auto, AC, and gauges (except the tach). I really miss that little wagon. Super useful, easy to drive, and cheap to fix..... till the rod knock finally let go at 141,000 miles and blew a hole in the side of the block. Nice to know that my little Cavaliers had a connection to Cadillacs, they used the same vents, both AC and non-AC. The door pulls are the same, both front and rear, as your Cimarron. Both had tilt wheels. Odd the sedan had tilt, but no AC. Wish I had just put a new engine in the wagon instead of buying a 95 Aurora.... Which was nice till I had to fix it.
I didn't think I would find a video of a Cimarron interesting but Adam proved me wrong. I didn't think much of these cars when they first came out but now I look at them through the lens of nostalgia and like them. I'm looking forward to the driving video once the engine's kinks are worked out. Another fascinating car for the most eclectic collection in the YouTune universe.
One point you missed, the gauge cluster was the same as the upscale (with optional instruments) Pontiac and Chevy cars, but with different trim for the faceplates and colors/lighting of the instruments. The Olds/Buick had a different instrument panel with 4 large circles and different placement of the radio.
Never understood why Cadillac used the Cavalier dash as the basis for their J-Body when the Buick and Oldsmobile dash was so much nicer in styling and build quality.
This reminds me so much of my 1982 Cavalier. I was fresh out of college and it was my first new car. I got the F41 package which majorly changed the character of the car towards the sporty side (stiffer shocks, bigger anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, faster-rate steering gear, better tires), and the manual (couldn't afford to waste any of the few horses the engine had). It was a good first car for me and I got a decent price when I sold it.
Having rode in 4 cylinder Cimarron a few times as well as a Z24 Cavalier ... a real blending of the two is a very appealing thought. Nice interior and chirping tires in 3rd gear 😊
One of my neighbors had one of these when I was little. Even at that young age, I knew it was a dressed-up Cavalier but I was still fascinated by it. I would love to own one of these nuggets someday.
I remember back in the late 80's a guy I worked with at the grocery store told me his father-in-law was giving him a Cimarron. He asked me what I thought of those cars, I told him they were garbage. I still remember the look on his face!
Great video to watch while I roll one. I had an 87 Cavalier CS and really liked it. Got it in about '98 with 80k miles on it. Should have never let it go.
That Delco radio unit has AM Stereo. The “AM-ST” enables a wide-band frequency response when listening to AM, and is capable of decoding Motorola AM Stereo broadcasts (if you can still find a station). The AM stereo, coupled with the Loudness audio pre-emphasis enables those Symphony Sound Delco units to be one of the best sounding automotive AM radios. Take a drive out to Ionia,MI and tune into WION and enjoy some great sounding music in AM Stereo.
Nice video. I saw a white one here in Curitiba, Brazil. Speaking of Brazil, the J car was a huge success here and was the number one selling car in Brazil for the 85,86 and 87 models. In Brazil was sold as a Chevrolet Monza. It ran from 82 through 96 with one major facelift in 91. It was a twin of the Opel Ascona in Europe and the Vauxhall Cavalier in Britain. The 1.8 and the 2.0 Chevy engines were built in Brazil and sent to the US and Europe for the J cars.
They were here in Argentina too, but you didn't see them so often. Today is rare to see one. These Monzas were used by our very corrupt police force, too.
Adam - thanks for the walk down car memory lane. One thing I noticed is that the ribbing and vertical panels on the doors and seats reminds me of those on the 1976 Seville.
At 37 years old, I wasn't as well-preserved as that car is. Lol. Frankly I think it's a better, more comfortable and probably more pleasant car to drive than most of the cars on the road today. It's stealthy. Sure, it's missing safety features like adaptive cruise, airbags everywhere, etc, but I'll bet that AC will be ice cold once you fix it, and that's a real dashboard with a real set of working gauges. The ride should definitely quiet down with modern tires and you could even consider changing the shock absorbers and bushings - maybe even springs if they're available - to tune it. That beefy rear antisway bar is a big part of the reason it handles so well, and I know that bushings are key. Once you get the miss taken care of I'd really love to know your average MPG. The EPA said 16 City/23 Highway/19 Combined but I think it might be better with new tires and a good tune up, modern oil, etc. It's a real four-door albeit the rear seat legroom is nothing to write home about, but I'll bet they're comfortable to sit on. Finally the trunk puts a lot of modern cars completely to shame, and the car doesn't look like a toy. The doors and trunk close with a reassuring heft and sound. I don't know: 37 years have passed and a lot of advances have been made technologically (it won't do Apple Car Play!) but you can work around that for relatively little money. Put some brand-new, midrange speakers in it and I'll bet the stereo is awesome. I'll guarantee Crutchfield has something that will do it justice. So despite being almost 40, that's a heck of a nice original car. Congratulations on the find and the astounding condition it's in. I'm looking forward to the ongoing saga; with the fixes and real paint correction, it'll be a jewel.
I saw this car when Tony's Car Care channel previewed it, before Adam had it brought to MI. This little underdog Cimarron cleaned up very nicely. A great find at ~9,000 miles. Thanks for your thorough description and show/tell, Adam. Nice work as always.
Great time capsule from the mid 1980s. I remember Car & Driver magazine having a rendering of a future Cadillac compact. The rendering had squared-off wheel well openings, vertical taillights and as I recall front wraparound cornering/side lights. Very different than the Cavalier body production model. I noticed the power antenna may not be operating. Not surprising as GM power antennas from the 1970s and 80s usually failed within a few years.
Once a joke of the industry, now has quite a charm of its own! Love how 'doors closing well' is an admirable feature.. haha! Love your channel. Love how you keep the camera on the cars (as a car review should be).
It is just amazing how similar all the j bodies were. Pieces have just cosmetic differences. I could take all the interior pieces and plug them into my 86 sunbird. The worst thing about this car at the time was that it was a cavalier at cadillac prices. I still love it. Beautiful car!
Definitely GM badge engineering at it's best! Or would that make it worst? 🤔 Although to be fair, it at least had more effort put into differentiating it than some others did back then. The Reliant/Aries were identical except for the grille and headlight surrounds, taillights, and whichever plastic badge got stuck in the dashboard going down the assembly line that day. 😂 Same for the Omni/Horizon, and same era GM trucks.
My girlfriend had an 86 or 87 back in the 90's that she inherited from her grandmother. It was only about ten years old at the time. Seeing this one brings back some memories. I always liked the look of the later models.
I think the reversible floor mat things is cool, very practical. Those of us who don't baby our cars with an eye to collectibility do let our floor mats get dirty, and being able to reverse a badly discolored mat would be a welcome thing.
When Adam zoomed in to look at those Goodyear Eagles I instantly recognised that particular tread pattern. I used to run those same tyres on some of my vehicles back in the 90's.
Hello Adam, thanks for these neat vlogs on your new Cimarron, good luck with it as well. The earliest Cadillac that had fog lights (besides yours) was the 1992 Cadillac Seville STS.
I knew one of the former general managers of Cadillac in the 80s, and a VP of General Motors, however I never knew he was until I saw him in a Motorweek live stream and immediately went “hey that’s John Grettenberger!” Unfortunately he died a few years ago.
I believe those are standard Cavalier vents. We had '84 and '85 Cavaliers in the family and they look about the same..although those are gussied up with the chrome trim, and maybe the split top. Cool car! I still find it very odd that Chevy put completely different dashes in the 1st gen Cavalier Type-10s and Z24's. I cannot think of another car that had a completely different dash for the same car, just with a different trim level.
I had the same thought about the vents. My Grandmother had an '84 Cavalier, and I later got my license in it. There's a lot that's very familiar about this car (fancied up, of course).
These Cimarron videos are a very interesting look at a car that Cadillac would of course like to forget. If they had released a car like this one when the Cimarron first launched, it might have had a chance, as it looks like this 1986 model is finally distinguishable from the Cavalier. The interior trimming looks much better than some of the early models, too.
When a car is this small and boxy and has to share so much sheet metal between divisions, it’s nearly impossible to make them dissimilar from one another.
Despite it being so flawed there’s something I find very appealing about the Cimmaron somehow. Looking around especially the sides I can clearly see Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 - unsurprisingly as it was a J-Car stablemate. I like the Cadillac-ization lol. Great video and look forward to more things about it
Thanks for the video, so GM. I cant believe this car was made. Front mats must have been interchangeable from drivers side to passengers to help even out the wear.
Great video. FYI the locking fuel door was available on other J-cars. A dealer training video for rhe 1982 Cavalier full-line - available here on RUclips - shows it on all of the body styles that year.
My mother had an ‘86 Cimmaron that had the metallic dark grey paint, with a black simulated convertible top and a trunk mounted luggage rack. It sounds dumb by today’s standards, but for the ‘80’s, it worked for this car. It was optioned to the hilt ( but had the analog gauge package), plus it had the 2.8 engine, so it could move along pretty good as well. It was a bit tight to go on any kind of long trip and even though she liked this little Caddy, she wound up trading it in on a brand new ‘89 Sedan De Ville which was a huge step up in my opinion for highway cruising and around town driving. Had GM given it a few more years, I think they might have figured out what identity fit the Cimmaron best and it could have gone on to be a decent import fighter, but it wound up dying on the vine. This is the same time frame Buick was building Turbo T Types and Grand Nationals, so GM can build decent stuff when they want to.
I have the rack on my 89 Electra... I want to find just the right basket for it -- but yeah, haven't figured how to attach bungees, etc. At least on C/bodies, the number of "strakes" varied from 5-6 for seemingly no good reason.
@@patrickmasterson3848 There are holes at the ends of each bar. You can see them in the video, when you pause it. I’ve had these before though, and remember them. You can hook bungee cords through those holes, and to the back (flat, horizontal) bar.
John Manoogian is cool. I don't blame him for anything. He never had the final say so on anything and had orders to follow like anyone else. I do feel he did the best he could given the hand he was dealt. I enjoy a lot of the cars he was involved with.
1:10 Near-vertical backlight!? My, how creative a link. (Looks about a 50° angle to me.) One would have to say the exact same about Cavalier and siblings.
Hi Adam. Two points, first being those J cars were notorious for leaking evaporator cores which is the likely cause of the A/C not working. Of course, it’s almost forty years old, so it could be anything. Second point, when I worked at a local Cadillac dealer and we needed obsolete parts, we would often use Cadillacs Only out in California. Give them a try for your front bumper caps. They aren’t necessarily cheap, but they might be able to help you obtain what you’re looking for. Good luck and thanks for the videos!
The floor mats in my '89 Fleetwood FWD have the grippers. The A-pillar and center pillar are cloth covered. I've looked everywhere I use for old Cadillac parts for those fillers with no luck. Possibly the Cadillac King salvage yard out in CA might know of a source.
My Plymouth reliant K had the flip-emblum to reveal the lock on the trunk lid. Another neat feature was the seesaw gas cap door. Instead of a grab notch you pushed in 1 side to flip the door open for the gas cap. Ive never seen any car that has that and its cool cuz it gives you a flush surfice with no grab notch sticking out.
Luggage racks were a very vogue accessory in the mid late 80s even on Park Avenues and Ninety Eights, I have seen various gaudy sometimes even gold toned ones on Cadillacs. Nice car. That’s for “winter and summer” low pile for winter or dirty conditions long pile for summer or urban conditions. Was standard on the 87 deville.
I noticed in this video, nor in the previous video, you haven't shown the engine. Any reason? I'd like to hear that 2.8 exhaust. Unmistakable sound. Some of the 3.1 motors also sound quite good. Aaah. Now I remember you saying it had some misfire / possible fuel injector issues. Hopefully we'll get to hear it after it gets fixed.
I like your Cimarron. I test drove a 1-year-old '82 back in the day. Didn't hate it at all. Little underpowered in that year. But opted for, '82 Firebird. I think you had one of those on the show a few years ago.
A quick footnote....is. in 88 as per. Brosure....the 88s...the Fwd Sixty Special....was longer... y 4 inches....from the FWD stock Fleetwood....yes....and as per brosure...was stretched by than Hess and Eisenhart...a rare known fact....a d Cadillac did not capitalize on this...a friend had one...there are overhead lighted vanities above both outboard rear seats....one year later Caddy built them at the GM plant. Early VINS were custom...88 for sure. You ought to get your hands on one! So you❤🎉
I remember back in the day when they first came out, you could get a Cimarron with a manual transmission (1982?) By the time 1986 or 1987 rolled around they were decent cars for that time. I believe they had a V6.. They were pretty sweet at that time given the competition and the price point. Thanks for saving her.
Adam, fog lights were optional on Cadillacs of the ‘50s through 1962. I cantr recall what later Cadillacs had them for sure but I think the Eldorado Touring Coupes and the related de Ville Touring of the same era had fog lamps, about concurrent with this ‘86.
If they would have given it a unique dash layout, standard power sunroof, rear head rests and more sound insulation (including in the doors for a more solid “thud” when they’re closed. Also maybe a turbo charger?
Are you sure about that 0-60 time? All the sources I've found show the V-6 in the 10-11 sec. range and the I4 at 13-14, which seems to me to be more in line with its respective power output...
I remember when these cars were introduced it was noted in the press that the valve stem hole was drilled in the wheels at the place to least likely to affect the balance of the wheel or done to reduce any unbalance of the wheel.
I love white letter tires. Maybe go for a set of BFG Radial T/A white letter tires. I have a set of those on my 85 Toyota Celica and they look amazing.
I loved your comment about the seats being narrow and really "hugging" you. Those were normal seats for a car like this circa 1986. In the past 37 years Americans have become wider in the beam on average. All the Mega Monster Gulps, sugar, sugar, sugar and superfatty fast foods. People who are genetically predisposed to be heavy (or are just lazy and don't exercise, sitting in front of a screen all day long) have really taken it out on their bodies and the number of diabetics and prediabetic people are a testament to that.
If you ever need parts or anything for older caddies or Lincoln. This guy only sells low mileage one owner caddilacs or Lincolns the full size 80s and 90s he gets some beautiful cars. His favorite is the older caddies Fleetwood broughams coupe DeVilles beautiful cars. He knows a place to get everything for parts to emblems filler panels etc. His name is Anthony he's in pelham Nh. His dealership is run just by him and his dad they do everything. Speciality motors and that's also his RUclips channel name specialty motors in Pelham New. He will definitely be able to help you
Thank you Adam. The downsized Deville Touring Sedan had fog lights. I think that was 1985 or 1986. The 1984-1985 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe also shared the same bucket seats with the Cadillac Cimarron. It is amazing to me how GM used to share so many parts among models and I think they still do. Cadillac did it on a budget. Just think if they had did it right like they did 1975 Cadillac Seville.
@@RareClassicCars You are right about the 1983 having fog lamps. I saw a photo just now. I recalled the Cimarron D'Oro package. I rode in a fully loaded version of this car. It had digital gauges. By the time the 1988 model year came, they were getting it right, but the CT4/ATS showed up years later. They finally got the formula right.
I'm pretty sure the Cimarron was the 1st Cadillac to feature fog lights. For this 1986 model year however, they were also included on the Deville Touring coupe and Touring Sedan models.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Another cool feature: the Delco UX-1 radio features Motorola C-Quam AM Stereo. If you push in the "Am St" button, the audio quality on the AM band will improve, and if a station is broadcasting in AM Stereo, the STEREO indicator in the display will light up and you will hear stereo sound, on AM!
Woo hoo local news,religious zealots and conspiracy theorists in stereo...sweet!
@@careful...Icarus There is music on AM, too. Especially now that AM stations are allowed to add an FM translator, there are actually more music stations on AM today, playing more modern music (not just Oldies and Big Band crooners) than there were 15 or 20 years ago.
@@vwestlife Whoa! VWestlife… I feel like I’m unexpectedly running in to you at some kinky bar, and I’m not sure what to say. “Eh, so you’re in to GMs? Do you come here often?”
I only see ONE here in Munich in the late 80‘s and it was quite outstanding! 🏁
The yellow blinkers… very German !
You know: it never ceases to amaze me how GM seems to be able to perfect a car minutes before canceling it. Honestly if this had been the Cimarron for 1982, I don't think it would have been the 5 alarm, fire engine red belly flop it is well known for having been.
Similar to the 1st gen FWD C bodies in '90 Olds Ninety Eight/Electra Park Ave. Finally had bulletproof LN3 3800, no more steering issues and beefier/more reliable trans.
Oh, come on.
I don’t think it was a bad car, but it was never going to be anything that really appealed to Cadillac owners of the day.
As far as a smaller, more economical work car….I like it, and it did have some nicer touches over the cavalier and other J cars.
There were a couple of J cars in my family, and they were good, reliable, economical.
As far as perfecting something just before axing it, well, GM and other manufacturers tend to make a certain amount of improvements over the life of the car, and sometimes that continues up to the last model year.
1988 Fiero. I hope Roger Smith is hunted in Hell by hungry packs of them.
Same with the 88 Fiero as well. And the hugely successful FWD A bodies were just the X bodies with all of the bugs worked out. Hell, they even share much of the same floorplan stampings as the X cars did. Or the more recent Cadillac Blackwing engine that GM spent millions to develop and cancelled after 2 model years to shift their focus to EVs that nobody wants...🙄
I agree. While no BMW the late Cimarron could compare to a Buick Verano, Acura ILX/Integra, or Audi A3 "premium FWD compact" type of car.
What a little gem. Growing up in Ontario, Canada, I don’t think I ever saw more than 1 or 2 on the road. Extremely rare here. Just like that “Ripple cloth and Leather” (for credit) seating. I see that’s how they describe it in a 1985 Cimarron brochure. Thank you for sharing, and giving us a look at this little Cadillac.
This video illustrates well Adam’s approach. After watching, I have a better sense of how/ why a car like the Cimarron came to be. An element that makes the channel engaging is the tone: it’s inquisitive and respectful versus smug, superior or dismissive of the car or the people who designed it. That tone leaves room to find the interesting elements of a car. Thanks Adam!🙏🏽
Thanks for the memories, Alex! Mine was a navy blue over silver 1986.5 dealer demo and it had a few thousand miles when my dad gave it to me...I was 17 and pampered that car...it had the exact same interior color and cloth/ leather bolsters. Analog "gages" and the luggage rack. Because it was the '86.5, it had the euro headlamps, which was a big improvement...I drive a big Mercedes now, but this little car reminds me of a time when life was carefree. Thank you again!
*Adam
Not gonna lie, if I saw this car on the street I probably wouldn't look twice. But, Adam's in-depth review changes everything and turns this car into a fascinating period piece of the 1980s! Would really enjoy seeing you go for a ride with John Manoogian in this car.
Had a 1986 Cavalier CS sedan 2.0L, with the optional 5 speed. That cost $75. Basic gauges, no AC, AM-FM-cassette. Over-sized tires, heavy duty suspension and larger radiator. I think it was setup for towing. In 86, the I-4 models could tow 1000 pounds, the V-6 was not allowed to tow due to overheating. I think I still have my owner's manual. Put 125,000 miles on that little car, it was my only brand new car. Test drove it with 5 miles, brought it back with 35 miles. About a decade later, I found a base wagon version, 2.0L, 3-speed auto, AC, and gauges (except the tach). I really miss that little wagon. Super useful, easy to drive, and cheap to fix..... till the rod knock finally let go at 141,000 miles and blew a hole in the side of the block. Nice to know that my little Cavaliers had a connection to Cadillacs, they used the same vents, both AC and non-AC. The door pulls are the same, both front and rear, as your Cimarron. Both had tilt wheels. Odd the sedan had tilt, but no AC. Wish I had just put a new engine in the wagon instead of buying a 95 Aurora.... Which was nice till I had to fix it.
I didn't think I would find a video of a Cimarron interesting but Adam proved me wrong. I didn't think much of these cars when they first came out but now I look at them through the lens of nostalgia and like them. I'm looking forward to the driving video once the engine's kinks are worked out. Another fascinating car for the most eclectic collection in the YouTune universe.
One point you missed, the gauge cluster was the same as the upscale (with optional instruments) Pontiac and Chevy cars, but with different trim for the faceplates and colors/lighting of the instruments. The Olds/Buick had a different instrument panel with 4 large circles and different placement of the radio.
Never understood why Cadillac used the Cavalier dash as the basis for their J-Body when the Buick and Oldsmobile dash was so much nicer in styling and build quality.
Oh, one more thing: If you press neighbor buttons on the radio presets, you get three more presets for seven total! Free upgrade.
This reminds me so much of my 1982 Cavalier. I was fresh out of college and it was my first new car. I got the F41 package which majorly changed the character of the car towards the sporty side (stiffer shocks, bigger anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, faster-rate steering gear, better tires), and the manual (couldn't afford to waste any of the few horses the engine had). It was a good first car for me and I got a decent price when I sold it.
Having rode in 4 cylinder Cimarron a few times as well as a Z24 Cavalier ... a real blending of the two is a very appealing thought. Nice interior and chirping tires in 3rd gear 😊
One of my neighbors had one of these when I was little. Even at that young age, I knew it was a dressed-up Cavalier but I was still fascinated by it. I would love to own one of these nuggets someday.
I remember back in the late 80's a guy I worked with at the grocery store told me his father-in-law was giving him a Cimarron. He asked me what I thought of those cars, I told him they were garbage. I still remember the look on his face!
Great video to watch while I roll one. I had an 87 Cavalier CS and really liked it. Got it in about '98 with 80k miles on it. Should have never let it go.
That Delco radio unit has AM Stereo. The “AM-ST” enables a wide-band frequency response when listening to AM, and is capable of decoding Motorola AM Stereo broadcasts (if you can still find a station). The AM stereo, coupled with the Loudness audio pre-emphasis enables those Symphony Sound Delco units to be one of the best sounding automotive AM radios. Take a drive out to Ionia,MI and tune into WION and enjoy some great sounding music in AM Stereo.
My 88 Cadillac Brosure....has the FWD Sedan de Ville Touring....it has the same factory fog lamps. Rare car indeed....it was a "sport" model.
Nice video. I saw a white one here in Curitiba, Brazil. Speaking of Brazil, the J car was a huge success here and was the number one selling car in Brazil for the 85,86 and 87 models. In Brazil was sold as a Chevrolet Monza. It ran from 82 through 96 with one major facelift in 91. It was a twin of the Opel Ascona in Europe and the Vauxhall Cavalier in Britain.
The 1.8 and the 2.0 Chevy engines were built in Brazil and sent to the US and Europe for the J cars.
They were here in Argentina too, but you didn't see them so often. Today is rare to see one. These Monzas were used by our very corrupt police force, too.
Adam , a beautiful car and birds singing in the background, what a nice day!!
Adam - thanks for the walk down car memory lane. One thing I noticed is that the ribbing and vertical panels on the doors and seats reminds me of those on the 1976 Seville.
Wow, this one doesn't even look like a Cadi on the outside. Thanks for sharing with us!
At 37 years old, I wasn't as well-preserved as that car is. Lol. Frankly I think it's a better, more comfortable and probably more pleasant car to drive than most of the cars on the road today. It's stealthy. Sure, it's missing safety features like adaptive cruise, airbags everywhere, etc, but I'll bet that AC will be ice cold once you fix it, and that's a real dashboard with a real set of working gauges.
The ride should definitely quiet down with modern tires and you could even consider changing the shock absorbers and bushings - maybe even springs if they're available - to tune it. That beefy rear antisway bar is a big part of the reason it handles so well, and I know that bushings are key. Once you get the miss taken care of I'd really love to know your average MPG. The EPA said 16 City/23 Highway/19 Combined but I think it might be better with new tires and a good tune up, modern oil, etc. It's a real four-door albeit the rear seat legroom is nothing to write home about, but I'll bet they're comfortable to sit on. Finally the trunk puts a lot of modern cars completely to shame, and the car doesn't look like a toy. The doors and trunk close with a reassuring heft and sound.
I don't know: 37 years have passed and a lot of advances have been made technologically (it won't do Apple Car Play!) but you can work around that for relatively little money. Put some brand-new, midrange speakers in it and I'll bet the stereo is awesome. I'll guarantee Crutchfield has something that will do it justice.
So despite being almost 40, that's a heck of a nice original car. Congratulations on the find and the astounding condition it's in. I'm looking forward to the ongoing saga; with the fixes and real paint correction, it'll be a jewel.
It'd be awesome if you could take it to Mr. Manoogian and he'd go over some of the little features and 'styling' in person. 😁
The Cadillac Power Dome hood. Love that you bought one. :)
Power dome?
I saw this car when Tony's Car Care channel previewed it, before Adam had it brought to MI. This little underdog Cimarron cleaned up very nicely. A great find at ~9,000 miles. Thanks for your thorough description and show/tell, Adam. Nice work as always.
Great time capsule from the mid 1980s. I remember Car & Driver magazine having a rendering of a future Cadillac compact. The rendering had squared-off wheel well openings, vertical taillights and as I recall front wraparound cornering/side lights. Very different than the Cavalier body production model. I noticed the power antenna may not be operating. Not surprising as GM power antennas from the 1970s and 80s usually failed within a few years.
Add a 5 speed, Vista Vent and digital dash and it would be mine! Even as equipped - this would be a fun retro car to own. Great video!
Once a joke of the industry, now has quite a charm of its own!
Love how 'doors closing well' is an admirable feature.. haha!
Love your channel. Love how you keep the camera on the cars (as a car review should be).
It is just amazing how similar all the j bodies were. Pieces have just cosmetic differences. I could take all the interior pieces and plug them into my 86 sunbird. The worst thing about this car at the time was that it was a cavalier at cadillac prices. I still love it. Beautiful car!
It's so interesting to see how the platform evolved in other parts of the world. Every GM division except GMC (including Isuzu) had one.
Definitely GM badge engineering at it's best! Or would that make it worst? 🤔 Although to be fair, it at least had more effort put into differentiating it than some others did back then. The Reliant/Aries were identical except for the grille and headlight surrounds, taillights, and whichever plastic badge got stuck in the dashboard going down the assembly line that day. 😂 Same for the Omni/Horizon, and same era GM trucks.
My mom was at the dealership to buy one of these and they had just received a 1987 Toronado Trofeo Thank God and she got it.
Could have had a Cadillac
The 1979 Continental Collector Series and Mark V Collector Series all had that felt covered trim, front to back.
That's a nice looking little Caddy! I was always surprised they never did a 2 door version.
I bought my 1986 Cimarron in 2000 for $550.00 and drove it until 2007. I owned it for 13 years. I Loved that car!
My girlfriend had an 86 or 87 back in the 90's that she inherited from her grandmother. It was only about ten years old at the time. Seeing this one brings back some memories. I always liked the look of the later models.
I’d like to find a later model.
I think the reversible floor mat things is cool, very practical. Those of us who don't baby our cars with an eye to collectibility do let our floor mats get dirty, and being able to reverse a badly discolored mat would be a welcome thing.
When Adam zoomed in to look at those Goodyear Eagles I instantly recognised that particular tread pattern. I used to run those same tyres on some of my vehicles back in the 90's.
OWL "Outlined White Lettering" . What a bitch to clean, but looked great shined up
Hello Adam, thanks for these neat vlogs on your new Cimarron, good luck with it as well. The earliest Cadillac that had fog lights (besides yours) was the 1992 Cadillac Seville STS.
I think the sedan DeVille touring with blackout package had fogs in 86-87ish
Knocked it out of the park... Again. A great video !!🎉
Yeah, except for the hood never being opened.
I knew one of the former general managers of Cadillac in the 80s, and a VP of General Motors, however I never knew he was until I saw him in a Motorweek live stream and immediately went “hey that’s John Grettenberger!” Unfortunately he died a few years ago.
1958 Cadillac had a factory fog light option. They were just above the turn signals and had a tab switch on the shaft of the headlight switch.
They were offered on the ‘57 models too.
Wow! That is in great shape. Awesome find Adam. 👍✨
I believe those are standard Cavalier vents. We had '84 and '85 Cavaliers in the family and they look about the same..although those are gussied up with the chrome trim, and maybe the split top. Cool car!
I still find it very odd that Chevy put completely different dashes in the 1st gen Cavalier Type-10s and Z24's. I cannot think of another car that had a completely different dash for the same car, just with a different trim level.
I had the same thought about the vents. My Grandmother had an '84 Cavalier, and I later got my license in it. There's a lot that's very familiar about this car (fancied up, of course).
I had a 1987 Cavalier. I'm all nostalgic watching this.
These Cimarron videos are a very interesting look at a car that Cadillac would of course like to forget.
If they had released a car like this one when the Cimarron first launched, it might have had a chance, as it looks like this 1986 model is finally distinguishable from the Cavalier. The interior trimming looks much better than some of the early models, too.
It's still MUCH too similar to Cavalier and J2000 Pontiac, along with the Olds and Buick versions.
When a car is this small and boxy and has to share so much sheet metal between divisions, it’s nearly impossible to make them dissimilar from one another.
@@Primus54 I'm not blaming Cadillac designers. Their hands were tied.. They did the best they could with the terrible hand they were dealt.
@@MarinCipollina I didn’t think you were being critical, I was agreeing and adding to your excellent comment. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. Cheers! 👍
Fog lights were standard, the twilight sentinel and white letter tires were optional.
Love the blue color, which is my favorite.
The sound system is optional, AM/FM stereo was standard.
Despite it being so flawed there’s something I find very appealing about the Cimmaron somehow. Looking around especially the sides I can clearly see Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 - unsurprisingly as it was a J-Car stablemate. I like the Cadillac-ization lol. Great video and look forward to more things about it
Love it simple decent size and very comfortable
You are the best Adam. These videos are gold.
Thanks for the video, so GM. I cant believe this car was made. Front mats must have been interchangeable from drivers side to passengers to help even out the wear.
LOLOLOL
No shit?
Great video. FYI the locking fuel door was available on other J-cars. A dealer training video for rhe 1982 Cavalier full-line - available here on RUclips - shows it on all of the body styles that year.
My mother had an ‘86 Cimmaron that had the metallic dark grey paint, with a black simulated convertible top and a trunk mounted luggage rack. It sounds dumb by today’s standards, but for the ‘80’s, it worked for this car. It was optioned to the hilt ( but had the analog gauge package), plus it had the 2.8 engine, so it could move along pretty good as well.
It was a bit tight to go on any kind of long trip and even though she liked this little Caddy, she wound up trading it in on a brand new ‘89 Sedan De Ville which was a huge step up in my opinion for highway cruising and around town driving.
Had GM given it a few more years, I think they might have figured out what identity fit the Cimmaron best and it could have gone on to be a decent import fighter, but it wound up dying on the vine. This is the same time frame Buick was building Turbo T Types and Grand Nationals, so GM can build decent stuff when they want to.
Seeing those luggage racks on the trunk I always wondered how you secure stuff down? I don't see any hooks to use a bungie cord or twine
They have holes to hook a bungee though.
They work great.
I have the rack on my 89 Electra... I want to find just the right basket for it -- but yeah, haven't figured how to attach bungees, etc. At least on C/bodies, the number of "strakes" varied from 5-6 for seemingly no good reason.
@@patrickmasterson3848
There are holes at the ends of each bar.
You can see them in the video, when you pause it.
I’ve had these before though, and remember them.
You can hook bungee cords through those holes, and to the back (flat, horizontal) bar.
John Manoogian is cool. I don't blame him for anything. He never had the final say so on anything and had orders to follow like anyone else. I do feel he did the best he could given the hand he was dealt. I enjoy a lot of the cars he was involved with.
I agree!
Same reversible mats with grip squares...on .y 88 Eldorado....thick pile and flip them...still nice but a lighter pile. Very nice
1:10 Near-vertical backlight!? My, how creative a link. (Looks about a 50° angle to me.) One would have to say the exact same about Cavalier and siblings.
The glove box door is padded, exclusively Cadillac!
Hi Adam. Two points, first being those J cars were notorious for leaking evaporator cores which is the likely cause of the A/C not working. Of course, it’s almost forty years old, so it could be anything. Second point, when I worked at a local Cadillac dealer and we needed obsolete parts, we would often use Cadillacs Only out in California. Give them a try for your front bumper caps. They aren’t necessarily cheap, but they might be able to help you obtain what you’re looking for.
Good luck and thanks for the videos!
The floor mats in my '89 Fleetwood FWD have the grippers. The A-pillar and center pillar are cloth covered. I've looked everywhere I use for old Cadillac parts for those fillers with no luck. Possibly the Cadillac King salvage yard out in CA might know of a source.
I believe the 59 offered the Fog Lights as an option.
Cadillac had optional fog lights dating back at least to the 1940s. They fell out of vogue for many years however.
My Plymouth reliant K had the flip-emblum to reveal the lock on the trunk lid. Another neat feature was the seesaw gas cap door. Instead of a grab notch you pushed in 1 side to flip the door open for the gas cap. Ive never seen any car that has that and its cool cuz it gives you a flush surfice with no grab notch sticking out.
I’d be more than happy to daily that Caddy
Keep these videos coming!
Luggage racks were a very vogue accessory in the mid late 80s even on Park Avenues and Ninety Eights, I have seen various gaudy sometimes even gold toned ones on Cadillacs. Nice car. That’s for “winter and summer” low pile for winter or dirty conditions long pile for summer or urban conditions. Was standard on the 87 deville.
My 1988 Mustang GT convertible has one.
@Eric Ruud
For bungee cord hooks….
Another great video Adam, thanx.
Note: Can we assume to make the Cimarron appear more European the designers at GM decided on amber rear turn signals?
Please check the 1954 to 1956 for built in fog lamps in the of the directional signals
Seperate bulbs but the same light pod but they were optional
I noticed in this video, nor in the previous video, you haven't shown the engine. Any reason? I'd like to hear that 2.8 exhaust. Unmistakable sound. Some of the 3.1 motors also sound quite good.
Aaah. Now I remember you saying it had some misfire / possible fuel injector issues. Hopefully we'll get to hear it after it gets fixed.
I was disappointed that the hood was never opened, too.
It looks like a Cavalier. Cool to see and amazing it only has 9,000 miles.
Hey be nice! It's a Cavillac 😜
I like your Cimarron. I test drove a 1-year-old '82 back in the day. Didn't hate it at all. Little underpowered in that year. But opted for, '82 Firebird. I think you had one of those on the show a few years ago.
I’m obsessed with these cars. Lol
Looking forward to seeing more i think mine must be a 1985 model?
A quick footnote....is. in 88 as per. Brosure....the 88s...the Fwd Sixty Special....was longer... y 4 inches....from the FWD stock Fleetwood....yes....and as per brosure...was stretched by than Hess and Eisenhart...a rare known fact....a d Cadillac did not capitalize on this...a friend had one...there are overhead lighted vanities above both outboard rear seats....one year later Caddy built them at the GM plant. Early VINS were custom...88 for sure. You ought to get your hands on one! So you❤🎉
I remember back in the day when they first came out, you could get a Cimarron with a manual transmission (1982?) By the time 1986 or 1987 rolled around they were decent cars for that time. I believe they had a V6.. They were pretty sweet at that time given the competition and the price point. Thanks for saving her.
“Caddy Dij” we called that radio.
Adam, fog lights were optional on Cadillacs of the ‘50s through 1962. I cantr recall what later Cadillacs had them for sure but I think the Eldorado Touring Coupes and the related de Ville Touring of the same era had fog lamps, about concurrent with this ‘86.
Ahh, I miss 80's cars 😢
5:35 finally I've been waiting for the underside... The underside always tells the full truth of the car.....
This is the car that put the last nail in the coffin for Cadillac branding being seen as world class luxury automobiles.
I know the 1986 Buick Riviera had the same type of floor mats with the reverse gripper.
If they would have given it a unique dash layout, standard power sunroof, rear head rests and more sound insulation (including in the doors for a more solid “thud” when they’re closed. Also maybe a turbo charger?
An interesting piece of automotive history! Can you imagine a Lincoln that was a badge-engineered Ford Tempo??
????
Well, they had a Lincoln Versailles, that was a damned Ford Granada, soooo….
@@patrickflohe7427 Yes, they did try their luck with that formula a bit earlier on a rear-drive platform!
I would also LOVE to own a Cadillac Catera. 😊❤
I remember this car as a turd. Today I realize I was off point . I’d proudly drive this car every day. Great video 😎
Those seats were also used on the El Dorado Touring Coupe for a couple of years.
Are you sure about that 0-60 time? All the sources I've found show the V-6 in the 10-11 sec. range and the I4 at 13-14, which seems to me to be more in line with its respective power output...
I remember when these cars were introduced it was noted in the press that the valve stem hole was drilled in the wheels at the place to least likely to affect the balance of the wheel or done to reduce any unbalance of the wheel.
Hey Adam, I thought that the 86 Cimarron had composite headlamps!! Did that not start until 87 or was it an option for 86?? Thanks.. 👍👍🙂
I love white letter tires. Maybe go for a set of BFG Radial T/A white letter tires. I have a set of those on my 85 Toyota Celica and they look amazing.
I normally have seen the reversible floor mat with plush on one side and a tight weave on the other.
Is the seatbelt chime working?
I loved your comment about the seats being narrow and really "hugging" you. Those were normal seats for a car like this circa 1986. In the past 37 years Americans have become wider in the beam on average. All the Mega Monster Gulps, sugar, sugar, sugar and superfatty fast foods. People who are genetically predisposed to be heavy (or are just lazy and don't exercise, sitting in front of a screen all day long) have really taken it out on their bodies and the number of diabetics and prediabetic people are a testament to that.
Gee, thanks for the update.
Tail lights look very "Thunderbirdy" to me.
I thought 🧐 the same as well!
@@christianheidt5733 they did it on the biggies too after 84
If you ever need parts or anything for older caddies or Lincoln. This guy only sells low mileage one owner caddilacs or Lincolns the full size 80s and 90s he gets some beautiful cars. His favorite is the older caddies Fleetwood broughams coupe DeVilles beautiful cars. He knows a place to get everything for parts to emblems filler panels etc. His name is Anthony he's in pelham Nh. His dealership is run just by him and his dad they do everything. Speciality motors and that's also his RUclips channel name specialty motors in Pelham New. He will definitely be able to help you
Aqui no Brasil esse carro era o Chevrolet Monza, um carro de extremo sucesso!
Era derivado do Opel Ascona , excelente carro.
Thank you Adam. The downsized Deville Touring Sedan had fog lights. I think that was 1985 or 1986. The 1984-1985 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe also shared the same bucket seats with the Cadillac Cimarron. It is amazing to me how GM used to share so many parts among models and I think they still do. Cadillac did it on a budget. Just think if they had did it right like they did 1975 Cadillac Seville.
You’re right, but I think the Cimmy had them in 83
@@RareClassicCars You are right about the 1983 having fog lamps. I saw a photo just now. I recalled the Cimarron D'Oro package. I rode in a fully loaded version of this car. It had digital gauges. By the time the 1988 model year came, they were getting it right, but the CT4/ATS showed up years later. They finally got the formula right.
I'm pretty sure the Cimarron was the 1st Cadillac to feature fog lights. For this 1986 model year however, they were also included on the Deville Touring coupe
and Touring Sedan models.
The early 90s seville is sweet too
Ppl say ah nice Cavalier but I’d rock one!
Adam,talk to Anthony with Specialty Motor Cars.He replaces bumper fillers on Cadillas all the time.Mike the Greek
You don't live in that little red bungalow in Center Line anymore? Looks like you have some nice new digs.