So I thought that the Fiero doesn't say 80's enough, and ended up with a car that just SCREAMS 1980's!

For $500, I think its a pretty decent car. Already put 200 miles on the clock and it runs decent.

I'm trying to decide if its worth it to make it look good again...

So I present to you: a 1986 Cadillac Cimarron!



(Yes, this is a completely rebadged Cavalier)

2.8 Liter V6 Cadillac - Could have been worse, these cars had an available 4 cylinder!



I haven't taken any pictures of the very, very burgandy interior, [sarcasm]but I assure you the burgandy leather will never go out of style[/sarcasm]
Anyone else ever owned one of these bad boys? Any ideas on how to fix the cruise control in it?

A series II S/C would do wonders for that car.

I had the Cavalier one. 2.2 and basic. It had no cruise so I cant help you there. lol

Did you check the fuse box?

it has vac cruise control likethe 2.8 fiero, probably a leaking canister, or the diaphram in the box is gone... could be a dead vac selonoid too.. id check the old vac parts first tho.


3800? pfft, ls4!

quote Originally posted by hookdonspeed: it has vac cruise control likethe 2.8 fiero, probably a leaking canister, or the diaphram in the box is gone... could be a dead vac selonoid too.. id check the old vac parts first tho. 3800? pfft, ls4!

LS4? Pfft SBC 400

What about column switch? Doesn't this car have GM's notorious multi-function stem?

Thanks guys I'll check those things out after I get off work. And about the engine swaps, I think the Fiero's 2.8 will be swapped out before the Caddy's.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: Thanks guys I'll check those things out after I get off work. And about the engine swaps, I think the Fiero's 2.8 will be swapped out before the Caddy's.

So put the 400 in the Fiero and the LS4 or 3800SC in the Caddy.

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: LS4? Pfft SBC 400 What about column switch? Doesn't this car have GM's notorious multi-function stem?

It does have that all-too familiar stem, but the wipers work (not sure if that would rule that out). How would you check something like that?

pffft, if I go SBC, its gotta be 454

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: It does have that all-too familiar stem, but the wipers work (not sure if that would rule that out). How would you check something like that? pffft, if I go SBC, its gotta be 454

fine, how bout a 427.8? (LS7)
Peak output is 505 hp (377 kW) at 6300 rpm and 470 lb·ft (640 N·m) at 4800 rpm

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: It does have that all-too familiar stem, but the wipers work (not sure if that would rule that out). How would you check something like that? pffft, if I go SBC, its gotta be 454

The biggest I've heard out of a SBC is a 427 and that was a real PITA because the cylinder walls get thin. I always thought that to get it out to 454 a big block was required..

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: The biggest I've heard out of a SBC is a 427 and that was a real PITA because the cylinder walls get thin. I always thought that to get it out to 454 a big block was required..

no, they have 454 smallblocks, not really a common engine, and they are very expencive...

Just curious, does the Cimarron intake breath any better?

Arn

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: The biggest I've heard out of a SBC is a 427 and that was a real PITA because the cylinder walls get thin. I always thought that to get it out to 454 a big block was required..

I guess I don't really know, I just said that because when I first started loving cars, my first dream car was a 1970 Chevelle SS with an LS6 454. and I just figured that they never put a big block in those cars.

Arn - I don't really have an opinion of it yet, I just got it last night and did a late night 200 mile interstate jaunt home.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: I guess I don't really know, I just said that because when I first started loving cars, my first dream car was a 1970 Chevelle SS with an LS6 454. and I just figured that they never put a big block in those cars. Arn - I don't really have an opinion of it yet, I just got it last night and did a late night 200 mile interstate jaunt home.

quote Originally posted by hookdonspeed: no, they have 454 smallblocks, not really a common engine, and they are very expencive...

Those old muscle cars lived and breathed big blocks. Gas was cheap and by extension so was fun.

[This message has been edited by Rallaster (edited 07-05-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: Those old muscle cars lived and breathed big blocks. Gas was cheap and by extension so was fun.

ya, the only reason one cared about MPG was just to make sure you didn't run out before the next gas station. ( since they weren't on every street corner back then, like they are now )

there is a such thing as a sbc 454, but it's an aftermarket block done by world products, and yes, very expensive.

------------------

quote Originally posted by Genopsyde: there is a such thing as a sbc 454, but it's an aftermarket block done by world products, and yes, very expensive.

yea, either custom block raising the deck height for the extra stroke, or running a ubber thin walls by making the bore 4.250" 4.400" is the blocks bore spacing, so you do the math...

i wouldnt feel safe using that for more then a 1-2 time thing, and even then your crossing your fingers that it doesnt blow out.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: 2.8 Liter V6 Cadillac - Could have been worse, these cars had an available 4 cylinder!

Wow I never realized the 2.8 wasn't standard. Which 4-cyl. did they use, the OHV or the Sunbird's OHC?

Kudos on the Cimarron. GM gets so much bad press over this one car alone, even though they probably sold about 1/1000000000th the number as they did Cavaliers. Had gas prices stayed high and kept going up the Cimarron would have looked like a brilliant idea.

Hey ! ! ! Fellow j-body man. That Cimarron looks like it's in real good shape too.



I'm working on this at the moment. The 2.8 has an issue right now, but I have a 3100 from a '01 Malibu waiting to go in.

[This message has been edited by kyunderdawg (edited 07-05-2010).]

quote Originally posted by css9450: Wow I never realized the 2.8 wasn't standard. Which 4-cyl. did they use, the OHV or the Sunbird's OHC?

During its lifespan, the Cimarron came with either a 1.8 OHV I4, 2.0 OHV I4, or my preference the 60* V6. I wish mine had the manual 4-speed, but unfortunately its the 3-speed auto.

kyunderdawg - That's a pretty slick looking cavalier, this Cimarron needs a bit of love though. Its got a pretty twisted front bumper, no passenger sideview mirror, headliner sagging, and more common 80's GM hiccups.

A Cadillac 4.9 in that Cadillac Cimarron! At least ya can say its all Caddy

The cruise control stalk failed due to the wire from the back of the stalk breaking where it entered the column. A new stalk is 40 bucks at O'Reilly in the "Help" aisle. Takes about 2 hours to install and involves tearing the column apart. The turn signals, high beams, wipers will all still work just fine, even with that broken wire.

Check the fuses, vacuum diaphragm, and the vacuum canister first. Hook up a hand vacuum pump to the cruise servo and see if you can get it to pull in and stay.

WOW! very nice, i have only seen one of these in person in my life... the girlfriend thought I was crazy when I stopped to look at it.

Gotta love the old J-Bodies, a buddy of mine had an 87 Z24, he beat the hell out of it and it kept coming back for more. He junked it with over 300,000 miles on the original 2.8. He did go through like 4 transmissions... but that was his driving...

Found a pic of one that looks just like his did...

That makes me miss my old cavy!
Nice Cimmaron you should definitely clean that up. I'd love to have another 87 z24 or a skyhawk ttype.

Caddy did a "limited edition d'Oro" version in what I think was the last production year with a kind of oxblood/almost purple metallic paint job and gold badges/grill that I've always liked, for some perverse reason. Considering the platform the Cimarron was built on, Cadillac did a pretty good job making it feel like a luxury car.


The 2.8 drew complaints in the Caddy but was praised in the Cavalier.....essentially the same car for the most part. I remember some guy in Chicago took a Cav convertible and the Cimmaron, blended the two and made himself a droptop Cimmaron with a 5-speed. I would see the car from time to time and it looked like the factory did it. It had a 3.1 badge on the trunk so I assume he did a engine swap as well. By the way, the Cimmaron also came with GM's 1.8 and 2.0 straight 4cyls which were slugs to begin with so probably REALLY felt like crap to an average 80's Caddy buyer.

I've always thought Ford/Lincoln did a much better job with the Lincoln Versailles/Ford Granada hybrid styling wise than Caddy did with the Cimmaron, though...especially after they modified the roofline in the later model years. Also, it had a V8 and really FELT like a Lincoln.

[This message has been edited by Doni Hagan (edited 03-10-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Scottzilla79: That makes me miss my old cavy! Nice Cimmaron you should definitely clean that up. I'd love to have another 87 z24 or a skyhawk ttype.

I like your style. Not sure if you saw this thread -> https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum6/HTML/081215.html
but they were telling me to forget it! Its too cheap of a car! Pshhhhh I said, and got it fixed up nice.

I really like the white, and if we do end up keeping it for awhile that's the color I want it painted. (The paint on it now has some horrible swirl marks ) It would go so nice with the burgundy interior!

Doni - The d'Oro is sweet! And they might have done a good job at making the Cavy into a luxury car, but what was bad was the price tag. I'd love to see that Cimarron convert, I'm sure it wouldn't be all that hard to swap the interior and body panels on the two cars, they are so alike. Oh, and a 5-speed from the Cavalier would be sweet, the Cimarron was only available with a 4-spd manual or the pathetic 3-spd auto that I have (honestly, 85mph in that feels like your redlining that damn transmission).

I'm really excited to go home and put a sound system in this car!!! I will actually be productive over spring break!

One of the quicker cars (grocery getter variety) that I've owned was a 1988 Cavalier wagon with the 2.8.

It was deceptively light and went like a scared rabbit.

The Cimarron, if I recall correctly was somewhat heavier, but, that aside, I expect it is a very reliable and peppy car.

Good find.

Arn

quote Originally posted by Arns85GT: One of the quicker cars (grocery getter variety) that I've owned was a 1988 Cavalier wagon with the 2.8. It was deceptively light and went like a scared rabbit. The Cimarron, if I recall correctly was somewhat heavier, but, that aside, I expect it is a very reliable and peppy car. Good find. Arn

This is true! It puts a smile on my face when the accelerator is on the floor. I know you asked earlier about the intake breathing better, but I really wouldn't have the slightest clue about how to compare it to the Fiero's 2.8.

Sweet! White on Red sounds right on. Kudos for fixin her up. I hate that people trash cars like these.
Jbody.org is a lot of fun. There was a guy there I think that was making a z24 cav wagon. I'd love to see the Cimmaron vert.

Ah the J-Body lovers come out of the wood work =). The last (and only) Cimmaron I saw was in a junkyard. Nice to see one on the road!

------------------

1990 Sunbird SE /// 1995 Beretta Base

As far as the cruise control, pull the arm off the steering column and locate the other end of the wire at the bottom of the column. Pull back and forth to see how loose it is sliding in the column. You may be able to cut the arm off, wire and tape the wires from the old control to the plug of the new control and pull the wire out the bottom pulling the new wire with it. I have done this before, takes about ten minutes. Make sure to keep the taped end as small and flat as possible. A little liquid soap on the wire helps, also.
If this doesn't work, you haven't lost much.

Anyone have any clue where I could find the blower motor resistor and/or relay in this car? The fan decides on it's own terms when it will turn on or off. I would imagine that it is just some little electrical piece that became dysfunctional and needs to be replaced, but I haven't the slightest clue where either of those would be in this car.

I might have to join a J-Body forum if I keep wanting to fix things on this car.

quote Originally posted by matchmade: Gotta love the old J-Bodies, a buddy of mine had an 87 Z24, he beat the hell out of it and it kept coming back for more. He junked it with over 300,000 miles on the original 2.8. He did go through like 4 transmissions... but that was his driving... Found a pic of one that looks just like his did...

My cousin had an old 87 z2 the exact same color as well. Had to junk it at 250K miles because the frame was rotted so badly it was no longer safe to drive. The motor and transmission has so much life left in the too. Had only gone through 2 clutches in that length of time as well. I've considered finding one down here and buying it and just dropping it off in his driveway in NY for him to find one morning. I even learned to drive stick in that car...

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: So I present to you: a 1986 Cadillac Cimarron!

Ah, your car brings back memories, let me tell you about a true story I have about the "Cimerron, by Cadillac"....

A V.P. of Marketing at GM, in either '85 or '86, explained the Cadillac Cimarron to me when I brought up the "Why?" of the Cimerron. Here is what he told me:

They, Cadillac, had a problem with Asians feeling out of scale with the bigger (roomier) interiors Cadillac was selling at the time.

GM knew that this segment of the market preferred the smaller sized platforms. GM also was aware that the Asian Consumer was coming into play as a newly affluent consumer, a customer base that that had some real money, and Cadillac wasn't about to loose out on all those sales dollars.

GM, the parent company of Cadillac, knew Toyota was secretly building a luxury division (code named "F1") that became Lexus (First car sold 1989), Honda's new Acura Brand was up to like 60 Dealerships, Nationwide, when 1988holleyformula's car was built - and Nissan was in the works of building their new Infinity Division (First car sold in November of 1989). GM knew that they couldn't realistically compete with the build quality the the Japanese automakers were producing, at least not at a price point GM would even consider! And the thought of the Japanese elbowing their way into the luxury market pained them. So, as they say; "Strike while the iron is hot" was the reason the Cimarron ever came to be. Cadillac could take advantage of the production capabilities of a factory that could "Flex Build" (the J-Body platform was already being used by the other four GM Divisions). The platform size was right, and they could sell them to all of these up and coming financially able Asians and make some really great profit margins in the process. What tickled him the most was that there was almost no initial development costs - costs that would have ordinarily run into the millions!

Well, this V.P. of Marketing was just ecstatic when telling me with just how "Brilliant" their great idea was.

The plan backfired on them though, sure they sold these "Cimerron, By Cadillac" for twice as much as a new Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac - that were all using the same J-Body platform, but the build quality wasn't any better! Cadillac had been heavily promoting the Cimerron in the Asian marketplace but sales were less than anticipated. Of the ones they did get into the hands of the Asians the problems quickly became widely known - and pissed off the the people that just got taken for twice as much as the car was actually was worth! Bye Bye Asian Market. GM found out you can kick a customer in the balls exactly once, and they don't come back for more.

A couple of years later I was talking to my friend at GM about what a joke the Cimerron had become and he slyly told me, with a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye; "Yeah, but those guys still buy our big trucks!"

I often think of that last comment. As I sit in traffic next to some big V-8 powered Japanese truck.

So I sold this car to my aunt who was going through some tough times, and she proceeded to put 20,000 miles on it and blow up the engine.

I'll be trying to part it out, so if you or anyone you know needs some hard to find Cadillac Cimarron parts, let me know!

quote Originally posted by kyunderdawg: I'm working on this at the moment. The 2.8 has an issue right now, but I have a 3100 from a '01 Malibu waiting to go in.

Now that is just the cutest thing this side of a pink Del Sol that I have ever seen! Seriously, good looking car, Paul.