1983 Cadillac Eldorado - Everything It Could Have Been.

From the fuel injected, gasoline fired Oldsmobile 350 of 1979 to the Cadillac 368 in 1980 that became the V-8-6-4 for 1981, the HT4100 that debuted for 1982 and even a Buick V-6 in 1981 and 1982, of the bevy of engines you could find in these 1979-1985 Cadillac Eldorado's only one was available through all seven model years - the 350 cubic inch Oldsmobile Diesel V-8. Our black beauty here was born with one and hails from 1983. 

With the gas crisis of 1973-1974 taking Detroit by surprise and GM especially hard since at the time they pulled more than fifty percent of sales in this country, GM charged their Oldsmobile division with developing a diesel powered engine. The first one debuted for model year 1978 to much accolade since cars powered by them could purportedly get up to thirty miles per gallon. Pretty heady stuff for an America still ouching from the 1973-1974 gas crisis. 

Problem was  Oldsmobile under engineered them. Using a similar sized block with the same bore and stroke as their venerable gasoline 350, Oldsmobile used the same head bolts on the diesel engine they used on their gas engines. With a compression ratio some three times higher than a gasoline engine, the gas engine head bolts had a propensity to not only stretch but many times snap leading to head gasket failure. What's more, Oldsmobile didn't employ a water separator. Unlike gasoline, diesel fuel is subject to condensation. Water in the fuel meant water in the engine and rusted cylinder bores, pistons and fuel pumps. All these issues in addition to general drivability challenges since the engines made no more than one hundred twenty horsepower and two hundred twenty pounds of torque and were tasked with moving some cars weighing north of two tons. 

A class action lawsuit reimbursed owners for up to eighty percent of the cost of a replacement engine upon failure and spurred creation of early lemon laws. 

Speaking of replacements, sometime over the last thirty six years, our lovely '83 here had it's Olds diesel replaced with an Oldsmobile gas 350. Breathed on somewhat with a pricey Edelbrock Performer intake, heads and camshaft, it's lumpy idle and burly exhaust might seem out of place to those whom remember these cars when new. 

However, the first stab of the gas and the slightly modded Oldsmobile V-8 moves the big Caddy with the kind of verve whomever bought it new could only dream about. That's all well and good but it comes at a cost. A pretty steep cost. And not just at the gas pump either. With an asking price of $8995, someone thinks they've got a pot of gold on their hands here. As much as I'm drawn to this thing, and I should know better since I had a very similar '82 Buick Riviera years ago and it was a nightmare, that's all the money in the world for it. 

Even if it is everything the original could have been. Here's the listing if you're interested.