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Author Topic: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS  (Read 6796 times)

Offline ktm525

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Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« on: March 18, 2011, 01:26:17 pm »
The G8 shattered it's sunroof  so I am borrowing a 2005 STS. I am enjoying the ride. Smooth and soft over the rough stuff but the magnetic shocks really tighten things up in the corners. It is nose heavy but she likes to cruise. Stereo is decent and the seats are comfy. Hmmmm for $7500 perhaps she will become mine full time.


« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 01:46:54 pm by ktm525 »
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Offline sailor723

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Re: Driving a 2005 Cadillac STS
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2011, 01:35:29 pm »
$7500?  Is that the price or an estimate of the annual repair costs? ;D
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Offline ktm525

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2011, 01:37:09 pm »
 ;D

Sorry it is a 2003. The "old" style. Surprisingly this car has been trouble free outside of regular maintainence.

And since it is a 2003 (wow 8 years old ) my new offer is $5k.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 01:47:49 pm by ktm525 »
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Offline mrthompson

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2011, 01:59:28 pm »
~1/12th of the price when new? ;D
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Offline ktm525

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2011, 02:20:07 pm »
I was there when this car was purchased. The MSRP was $72k. The magna-ride was an expensive option etc. It was an end-of-year sale and my father walked out the door for $49k after all the discounts and incentives.


So 1/10. ;D
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Offline Erik

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2011, 02:38:54 pm »
I was scarily close to STS ownership at one point. Was even scarier than Jaguar ownership when it came to electrical issues!
But they did run nice enough tho!
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"The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive." - Sir William Lyons

Offline ktm525

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2011, 02:40:22 pm »
It's got 80k kms of old people mileage. I have been blowing the carbon out today. ;D
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Offline Erik

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2011, 03:19:45 pm »
Careful you don't blow the head gasket out with the Carbon. :)

( you'd never guess I was a disgruntled former N* owner, would you? :)  )
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Offline ktm525

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2011, 03:37:28 pm »
Quote from: Erik on March 18, 2011, 03:19:45 pm
Careful you don't blow the head gasket out with the Carbon. :)

( you'd never guess I was a disgruntled former N* owner, would you? :)  )


I think the 2003's got the long head bolts. ;)
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Offline Erik

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2011, 03:43:18 pm »
Still didn't matter. Yeah, it was better (the thread pitch was actually changed to a coarser one), but there have been signs of problems through 2004 at least. The actual issue was the crap quality material used in the block. The bolts pulled right out of it!!!!
After 2000 things did get better, but never enough better for GM's flagship engine, IMHO.
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Offline dr_spock

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2011, 03:45:06 pm »
Quote from: ktm525 on March 18, 2011, 02:40:22 pm
It's got 80k kms of old people mileage. I have been blowing the carbon out today. ;D

Keep driving it old person style and you should have many more years of driving out of it.  ;D


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Offline tortoise

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2011, 03:49:19 pm »
My grandfather had an 1st Gen STS with the Northstar, it was a pretty cool car when I was younger.

I don't know if it gave him much grief, but he's now driving a Camry.
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Offline ktm525

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2011, 04:25:31 pm »
Quote from: Erik on March 18, 2011, 03:43:18 pm
Still didn't matter. Yeah, it was better (the thread pitch was actually changed to a coarser one), but there have been signs of problems through 2004 at least. The actual issue was the crap quality material used in the block. The bolts pulled right out of it!!!!
After 2000 things did get better, but never enough better for GM's flagship engine, IMHO.


I much prefer the power delivery of the L76 6.0L in the G8 over the Northstar. The Northstar feels a little soft in the low RPMs. Smooth though.
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Offline Erik

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2011, 05:25:52 pm »
Yeah, the Northstar is a weird one. Pretty well untunable ( except for one guy maybe out in Alberta - none of the tuning software out there will do a N*, except for the newest ones.), having talked to guys "in the know", they say the timing has been backed off insanely. That's why it just never seems to come to life.
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Offline Ex-airbalancer

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Re: Driving a 2003 Cadillac STS
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2011, 05:32:51 pm »
I had a 99 STS
I was a great highway car
Did a trip to TBay , the car just eat the miles up
The only problem I had was the radio die a couple of times
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