I buy 3 times a year. Cool cars, and because of the front-wheel drive even more versatile, but Fleetwood is another world! Such a detachment from the surrounding reality does not give any car. But everything is clear with the steering: the steering wheel is light, but completely uninformative. Somehow unusual and slightly exciting. I don’t remember if the plastic on the instrument panel slipped through with a finger, how natural the wooden inserts were, etc., but it all looked chic and with minimal care with the help of appropriate products, showed no signs of wear. When they tried to “soak” it in a soapy solution and the water acquired a characteristic color … they got scared … they remembered the reputation of Cadillacs in the States, films of the 80s about the mafia, the purpose of these machines in the early 90s with us … On the Moscow Ring Road I run into the limiter constantly (176k / h). Since there is no experience of communicating with the Americans, we call the guys we know who are involved in this technique. I arrive… I would venture to say that up to 110-120 kilometers per hour are few equal to him in comfort. The first turn was braking. And the car itself is not conducive to this: soft and slippery seats, a large steering wheel, dimensions … I want to share my experience and impressions of owning the last of the real American cars. (Please do not offend friends from the Ford camp. more LT-1 engine, 5.7 liters. 265 HP (Thank God they put 130 in PTSe). It’s much better on a straight and even level, but where can I find it … I will not sing songs about accelerating dynamics and fuel consumption. speeds. You swim on it, but you don’t ride! You control it, but you don’t steer it! But come on, enough enthusiastic snot. On roads with worse quality, it’s better not to show off. Four men who ran away from the rain (that is, we) are frying the barbecue in a frying pan. Inside, everything that should be in a car of this class: leather, full power accessories, very good music (CD cassette) with a normal tuner step, auto-dimming mirrors, heated and pumped seats, etc. Generally not loaded engine. At 120 rpm, the rpms are about 2100-2200. I haven’t had any problems yet, but 4 heated lambdasondas and a $300 trombler cover are not encouraging in the future (with our dampness and gasoline). And in normal modes, the car “kept the mark”. That is, by definition, it will not work to play checkers. I think those who traveled will understand me, I advise the rest to try. It was 2004, the “six” did not ask for money (it was bought three years earlier from a pensioner who had driven about 48,000 km on it for 21 years of ownership), and Sergey (that was the name of the main character) was only thinking about buying a BMW. Express diagnostics of the automatic machine did not present any surprises either. The capacity of the car – which is not surprising given its dimensions – is at its best. 6 seats
of course, they are very arbitrary – that is, with two broad-shouldered passengers in the front row, the driver will be uncomfortable (and the convenience of the average passenger is, by definition, very conditional) – but for five adults the car is very comfortable. Slush, fog, the yard of the service station (part of the territory of the former taxi depot), dark blue Zhiguli under a canopy from thirty meters is not visible, as, in fact, the canopy itself. Hello everyone. Over 120k / h it is desirable to move only on a familiar track. The story began, as usual, by accident. And driving performance, and comfort, and reliability pleased, fuel consumption – not depressing. The manufacturer recommended gasoline with an octane rating of 87, filled with 92nd, bought at half price in the garage of one organization))). Therefore, in the evening we went, as usual at the end of the week, to a picnic, and the next day we were going … but fate decreed otherwise. 11 pm. Speaking of feelings. It is especially strange because the headlights are very dim and they obviously shine where they wanted to, and not where I need to … I approve from the experience of owning three MB-S classes of different years and two BMW-7 series. I can only say that it was more than enough. 11/20/2008 Hello friends. As it turned out later, the previous owner of the car was engaged in the processing of bovine meat cattle, well, he didn’t disdain sometimes to deliver it to the place of processing in the trunk (monster!) … the stain was not removed, the floor was pasted over with carpet in color, it became like the original. . And a year later, the car, unexpectedly for the owner, also became a breadwinner. Yet, and suddenly the car, sharply upturned nose, with a roar "went to the point." More precisely, only a slight hum of the exhaust and a disgruntled baritone of the engine reached the salon, but the whole yard looked at me as if I were testing an atomic bomb. All electric drives work, the air conditioner cools, the stove heats up, the body seems to be whole too … we take it! I get behind the wheel. Periodically, he twitches and gurgles through the exhaust system, which makes sounds like when washing his throat (he later eliminated himself). Well, weekdays rushed. The suspension was not touched: although the car looked squat, the clearance was measured as much as 17 cm. Both that and another for this car not the most important. And grandfather was the hero of the day … Design … In general, if you drive smoothly (not slowly, but smoothly) – it is very good; if it’s assertive, then the engine will roar out of place, then some thumping sounds will come from the suspension, or even the automatic transmission will twitch … but it was so a pity to drive, so we limited ourselves to experiments. It turns out that he cannot give back the money, but he offers an exchange: he gives Seryoga a Cadillac, and Seryoga gives him a six and forgives the debt. They chose the one that was made of metal. I want to share my experience and impressions of owning the last of the real American cars. (Friends from the Ford mill please do not be offended.) Frame, rear-wheel drive full size. The body itself is well protected from corrosion. We meet in the morning. On the upholstery of the trunk floor with
From the very beginning there was a huge brown spot. At speed, Kadi will not notice the open hatch, but after a smooth hole, you will catch it for a long time. Of the ass-saving systems ABS, TC, 2SRS and two meters of iron in front. Comfort is the highest, in my opinion. In general, they collected, refueled, started – it works! The delays in the reaction of the motor to the right pedal disappeared (well, almost), on the new oil (Mannol semi-synthetics), the sound of the engine became nobler, in general, a fairy tale. Operation began. Eternal. The smallest on the wing is $175, the door ones are $275-305 each. Moreover, the drive circuit (again, I don’t remember what: either
oil pump, or valve mechanism), in which it was involved, quite allowed for alterations to something more reliable than a textolite gear, but Sergey rested: they say, the car ran under 200 thousand like this (there were so many on the odometer), and to redo this design is not allowed! We were already thinking about going to the turners at the plant next door and trying to negotiate with them: well, these details were nowhere to be found … when suddenly one day a grandfather came to us – a former employee of the former taxi depot where the service station was. More mundane about behavior on the road. For replacement, some kind of bushing in the steering, pads, for revision – an injector and drive sprockets, either a pump, or a valve mechanism … Ergonomics, of course, are specific, but we make allowances for the fact that we can’t adjust the seat: someone’s legs rested behind, and their owner is in blissful semi-forgetfulness … In general, I park this barge under the owner’s window, I hand over the body itself with signs of alcohol intoxication to the hands of my wife, and I myself jump into
Nissan (“How great it reacts to gas! How comfortable it is to drive here! How amazingly easy it is to screw into turns!” …) – and I’m going home. A huge black carcass stands in front of us, softly illuminated by the marker lights, Haddaway’s “WhatAboutMe” song is heard from the cabin, and drops of water flow down the vinyl-covered roof … the hood opens – and our eyes are not small (although we expected more) V8 engine, crowned with faded lettering and a cunningly curved plastic air filter box. I was very surprised by the scattering of vacuum-luminescent green displays on the instrument panel, but they did not experience any inconvenience because of it. Consumables are very affordable. I like it! Not handsome, like the Alfa 159 or the old Jaguar XJ, but solid, solid and looks more expensive than it costs. Even the Delco generator was naughty, but stoically endured 3 months until it was changed. And if you turn the steering wheel to the side a quarter of a turn at high speed and immediately return it to its place, then the car will sway, but it will retain a rectilinear trajectory of movement.

Guidelines about Cadillac Fleetwood

Hello friends. The light, by the way, is quite human, the glass headlights are not overwritten. The wood and leather in the cabin, let’s say, bear traces of operation, but there are no complaints about the condition. The trunk is huge. In the steering wheel, they changed the bushing, some kind of seals, fluid and valve (it came up, like from Record or Omega). , but half of the cells turned out to be simply impassable – hello from the drained slurry!). Vinyl roof, plenty of chrome, etc. in short, everything that makes a car solid and recognizable from afar. But the cost of some attachments is not encouraging. The electrical part was cleaned, sometimes washed, soldered in places. Some kind of uterine, rumbling sound is heard, and something large and black gently rolls into the courtyard of the service station. But since most of the time we are driving at a different speed, see
first paragraph! Therefore, I round off. Okay, we calmed down, drank coffee, called back yesterday’s experts – specialists in Americans, listened to the details of yesterday’s inspection. Surprisingly, the car behaved much better than the owner had expected from the beginning of operation. The picture is as follows: devoured by a terrible hangover syndrome, with traces of a heavy night and deep thought on his confused face, our hero examines his cruiser and asks (I quote the censored part of the monologue): “WHAT did I buy? What did we buy? It’s… [the end of the world]!” I look at Woody (I don’t know why, but the owner’s sister called this device that way, and the name stuck), and I myself think: “What a bastard, this middleman! I slipped the illiquid!” – well, and further in the same vein. There are problems in the driver’s foot area, where there is dampness from the rugs. I was walking from a dacha not far away, I decided to go in to hide from the rain – well, as a former mechanic, I couldn’t help but understand. "Anu-ka wait!" – says – "a minute." Disappeared somewhere, and then brought a handful of these same products: different calibers, with different teeth (straight, oblique), textolite, plastic, cast iron, light alloy … there were camshaft drive sprockets from the 408th Moskvich, some parts from the Tatras, and the sea of ​​everything. Rings, valves, cylinder mirrors – everything was like after a break-in (except for two points below) The injector (let them brand me, but by God, I don’t remember what kind of injection it was!) succumbed to washing with Hi-Gear’s “native” American chemistry , and also demanded a replacement of the sensor (like temperature – also came from the old Opel). I don’t even know how describe. Of course, the suspension “lift” (perhaps only he), age, mileage played a role – but who made GM engineers
to complete the car with high-profile tires on fifteen inch wheels?! Who was responsible for the road tests?! Even on a good track, after overcoming the milestone of 140-150 km / h, the car was poorly controlled on arcs, the steering wheel was “empty”, and I generally keep quiet about the work of the suspension at random (buildup of all stripes)! In general, the limiter works at 180 km / h, but the instinct of self-preservation – 30-40 km / h earlier. Of course, Fleetwood can put the impudent on the road "in place" at 11-12
liters will fit if necessary. In the city with air conditioning – from 14 to 18, depending on the driving style (and almost regardless of speed). Luckily everything was in stock. The next morning, having barely had breakfast, I receive a call from Seryoga: “Come urgently!”. Luzhkov’s experiments with anti-icing compounds were reflected in the chrome moldings. Pneumatically pumped rear shock absorbers, a different suspension and steering setup – noticeably distinguish Fleetwood from other GM full sizes. Now about the body. Our "experts" in overseas technology were inclined to believe that the paint was refreshed, maybe so. On Monday, having taken his sister to school and having caused a wave of genuine interest in the car, Sergey set about … buying an instrument. Call from the carrier. It is worth mentioning the electric drives of everything and everything (the owner listened to mockery for a long time like “where does the ashtray electric drive turn on?”),
highlighting almost the fifth point and other benefits of civilization. And if in the cabin the biggest problem was to wipe the ceiling above the driver’s seat and pull out chocolate-covered dragees with a vacuum cleaner from under the front seats (children?), then the trunk made me nervous. More precisely, one star. Manageability – sufficient to keep on course, but nothing more. A little more, nothing. The notorious stars remained. And all this was lying in a landfill in a wooden box! The two pieces fit perfectly. In principle, it is not audible, only a slight vibration at idle gives out with light twitches the work of eight rather big
"pots". The only thing I consider a serious omission of the designers is the behavior of the car at high speed. It is for another life. I have a lot of respect for the Whims, but the driving experience is completely different. Let’s say that the S-class, similar in length, has much more of it. Therefore, phrases, cries and slogans about the unreliability of American cars remain on the conscience of their authors. Of course it’s hard to kill him. Not critical, of course, but still unpleasant. But in any case, no corrosion was observed. Noise isolation … The new owner of the territory of the taxi depot demanded such a rent that the repair If you do not demand from the car fast acceleration and deceleration, sharp maneuvers and speeds prohibited by traffic rules, then everything is in order. Let’s start with reliability. We started washing. Suspension and transmission parts are cheaper than front-wheel drive Cadillacs. I give it gas, nothing. The brakes, by the way, pleasantly surprised: the information content is at the level of the Zhiguli, but the efficiency is much higher than expected (no, it’s silly to compare with BMW and Peugeot brakes, but overall it’s very good). The cost of maintenance is ambiguous. Although, judging by the motor, without a limiter, the maximum speed would be over 200, but on this machine on a non-straight or rough road it is really VERY DANGEROUS. Kids emblems are not allowed to rust. Yes, and the dealer disappeared somewhere. Along with the spare parts in need of replacement, they ordered a manual, some adaptations, etc. For 123,000 km NOTHING broke! That is, the oil, filters, pads, candles, light bulbs, battery, consumables in the chassis changed, but never so that the car did not drive, or stood in the middle of the road. The motor, surprisingly, turned out to be in PERFECT condition. They are coming too. Ergonomics requires habit and a certain fit behind the wheel, but in principle not bad. How a frame car moves along our roads, only the one who drove will understand! Before Fleetwood, I had two De Villes. Now for the practical side. More difficult on the engine. The thrust of the motor increases smoothly, but it is enough to “insert” the upstart on the roaring engine of a small bucket if desired. Interior trim materials are also nothing to scold. In principle, all the main functions were performed, but the appearance of the "subsoil" inclined to the fact that prevention would not be superfluous. The radiators were washed with chemistry inside (only coolant) and with water outside (both) – what can I say, a herbarium was collected, worthy of a botanist or an amateur entomologist, and the slurry drained from the bowels of the cooling system was hardly a standard antifreeze. We raise the car, and the lift engine squeals as if it is being cut (to pull such a mass uphill …). Firstly, on a dead road, despite the buildup, it is impossible to break through the suspension (more precisely, if you set a goal, then everything is possible, but why?), the seats are sofas, the steering wheel does not transmit shocks and shocks at all … I start the engine, it shudders and immediately stops. Like a boat on the waves. I’m trying to change tactics: I do all the maneuvers “with a margin”, the steering wheel is sweeping, I slow down smoothly … an idyll! Broken roads become smoother, downstream neighbors become friendlier, mood is better. But this is not his path. Being a fan of the brand, he was not going to take frank "firewood", and there was no money for a more or less "live" and not old car of this brand. I translate the selector into Drive, lightly press the gas, the car starts off smoothly, but there is a hill ahead. Although, of course, there could be more legroom for rear passengers. Either the previous owners achieved such a result, or he was such from the factory – it is not known (they simply did not know how it should be). An acquaintance, the owner of a small service station in an industrial city in central Ukraine, he is also a master in all types of work, the owner of an ordinary VAZ-2106, lent money to a familiar car dealer. To be honest, maneuvers in the yards caused me the greatest fears, but, oddly enough, nothing happened. They again depend on the driving mode. I would call the pluses complete phlegm to the side wind and moderate drifts on an icy road (on all-weather tires!). The shape is not ideal, in some places slightly stupid (hinge covers, stiffeners), upholstery is impractical – but WHO in the GM concern could have thought that their offspring of this class would be used for trips to the country, to the market, to transport auto parts (in fairness, I note that treat the car as carefully as possible) ?! And for transporting suitcases – an excellent "cargo compartment". Nobody came the next day. Engine compression is ok. https://cars45.ug/listing/mitsubishi/raider The chassis is in good condition, the bottom is intact, although deep scratches are clearly visible on the suspension arms. Tired of waiting, Seryoga called his wife with the condition: either the next day he gives the money, or the next day we will decide something. The presence of a frame from global problems saves for a long time. What can I say … in the process of overhauling, if he didn’t require intervention, then almost every node urgently asked. Eyes at
Earrings light up. From there came the brake discs taken from the Buick – the same age. Depends on driving style. In addition, the brakes are not designed for aggressive driving either: after two or three sharp braking at a decent speed, their effectiveness decreases. Or rather, not even so: if the car was originally supposed to be sold after restoration, then the longer it was operated, the less often this desire arose. When driving on the highway at a speed of 90-110 km / h in the "laces on the gas pedal" mode – 11 liters per hundred without air conditioning. Driving performance. It starts to rain, slowly turning into a downpour.