Beautiful example of the Cadillac Allante. This was the final year of the Allante and the only year to include the nearly 300 horsepower, ll aluminum, ual overhead cam, 2 valve, 8 from Cadillac. This car has all options available at the time, xcept that it is a soft top car - no hardtop. Does have fully functional digital dash. I think the pearlescent paint was an $800 option on top of a car that was already ~$60k!
The Allante was sold in relatively low numbers, ith only ~4,000 units produced in 1993. This Allante is the rarest of the rare...check out the amazing tri-coat pearl flax paint. There were only 88 cars made in this color. If you are a collector, his car has it all for you: arguably the best year, ow mileage, ow humidity Colorado car, umbers matching, nd dressed in the rarest paint color offered.
This car is in very good shape for a nearly 23 year old car and is ready to drive. It is a real survivor that shows obvious care has been taken by its previous owners. It was a garaged Colorado car all of its life, and when you take a look underneath the vehicle, ou can see that is no joke. I've done a lot of work to her recently to bring everything up to date and I was pleasantly surprised how little corrosion there was. All nuts/bolts came off without any difficulty as if I was working on a new car.
All the electronics are functional, ncluding the A/C, nd pull-down motors for top and trunk. I presume that the tape deck works...I currently don't have a way to test. I listen to the CD player all the time.
When I bought the car, t had some of the dreaded oil leaks that are so difficult to fix for hobbyists. The car was fine to drive, ut I hate oil leaks, o I resolved myself to fix them. The Northstar engine is an engineering marvel, specially when packaged in a front wheel drive car. The job is not for the faint of heart as the engine/transmission/front cradle have to come out of the car as there is very little room to work with when installed in the car. Being the way I am, replaced ALOT of things that didn't NEED replacement, ut it was one of those "while I am there" situations. Just for the engine removal/reseal, spent ~$1500 in parts, f which I can produce receipts. The work that I did would have easily been a $3k bill from the Cadillac dealer, f not more.
In the last 500 miles, he following items have been replaced: (almost everything with AC Delco parts)
-Oil Pan gasket (gasket replaced with special GM sealant per the latest tech bulletin)-
-Oil pan drain plug
-Oil distribution plate (gasket augmented with special GM sealant per the latest tech bulletin)
-Half Crankcase seal (gasket replaced with special GM sealant per the latest tech bulletin)
-Crankshaft main bearings (old bearings looked great - replaced because the service manual says that if you remove the half crankcase, ou should replace the bearings as they are crushed when reassembled)
-Front Main Seal and Harmonic Balancer
-Rear Main Seal
-Valve cover gaskets
-Camshaft seal
-PCV valve and grommet
-Intake manifold gaskets top and bottom
-Timing cover gasket
-Cam chain tensioner
-Coolant crossover gaskets
-Top/bottom radiator hoses
-Heater hoses
-Spark Plugs
-Spark Plug Wires
-Coils
-Serpentine belt
-Belt tensioner
-Water Pump belt
-Oil/Filter
-Air Filter
-Power Steering Fluid
-Transmission fluid
-Transmission pan gasket
-Transmission side cover gasket
-Transmission TCC solenoid (nothing wrong with old one - this is a $50 part that costs $2k to get to, o I replaced it as a preventative measure)
-Transmission Pressure Control solenoid
-Rear Brake Proportioning Valves (they were leaking)
-All rubber brake hoses (Not leaking, ut I figured that after 22 years, t would be a good idea)
-Brake Fluid
-Coolant (inc the recommended GM pellets)
-Fuel Filter
-Idle Speed Control Motor
This is all from memory...I'm betting there is more. For JUST THE PARTS above, t totals ~$1500.
In ADDITION to the work done above, here were some cosmetic issues that needed addressed:
-Tires - Old tires were showing signs of checking/dry-rot, o I replaced them with brand new Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring Tires. They only have a few hundred miles on them.
-Wheels - The old Vogue wheels had some chrome peeling on them. Turns out it is very difficult to get wheels re-chromed anymore. Have to ship to California and would've cost more than the wheels were worth. So, instead, purchased some OEM GM Cadillac chrome wheels and center caps.
-Chrome McGard lugnuts (I know it seems silly to list that I replaced the lug nuts...but did you know that chrome, ade in the usa, uality lugnuts for a car cost ~ $75??)
-Driver's side marker light had taken a hit from a rock. Replaced with a used GM part.
-Replaced the positive battery cable that runs from the battery located in the back of the car up to the junction block in the engine compartment ($100 part)
So all in all, 've got about $3k in PARTS ONLY in this car in the last 500 miles.
But, f course, t isn't perfect. Nothing is. Here's the negatives that I'm aware of:
-A few light dings here and there from life. The only significant one is below and rear of the driver's door. I took a closeup in the pictures.
-A few rock chips here and there from life.
-It is a 22 year old survivor. The interior is nice and clean, ith no odors. But, here are some items showing wear, s to be expected. I highly doubt that anyone would be disappointed in the overall condition of the car.
-The convertible boot "mini covers" are missing. There were missing when I purchased the car. Reproductions are available, ut I haven't felt the need to replace them. These are little panels that cover some of the top hardware when the top is down. They have to be manually installed after you lower the top and removed before you raise the top. I believe it is common for them to be lost or damaged because people forget that they have to be removed and they attempt to raise the top with them installed.
-There is a little plastic piece that is broken that is supposed to cover the driver's side visor hinge. Again, eproductions are available, ut it hasn't bothered me enough to replace it.
-The gas struts are worn out and no longer hold the convertible boot cover up. I have purchased the replacement struts, ut haven't installed yet. They will go with the car. Since it is easy to hold the boot up yourself when raising/lowering the top, haven't replaced them yet.
I've driven over 600 miles since the engine removal/reseal/reinstall. No leaks. Drives/Rides great. It really is tight and does not feel like a 22 year old car. Car is ready to drive...or just stare at her in your garage. She is beautiful. I won't go into the full story of Allantes, as you can find a lot on the internet. The short story is: Chassis and drivetrain engineered by GM. Body and Interior designed by Pinifarina in Italy. Pininfarina shipped the bodies from Italy in modified Boeing 747s to the US for final assembly and sale. It was called "the longest assembly line in the world". It also was a big reason for the nearly $60k price tag in 1993 (equates to ~$100k today!) and the reason why it was too costly to keep making them.
Other items that go with the car:
-Custom fit car cover
-Two sets of keys
-GM Factory Service Manual
-Owner's Manual
-Other various Allante paraphernalia
-Extra oil filters
-New struts to replace the worn out ones for the convertible top boot cover
-I bought some of the three-stage paint in aerosol cans. They are unused. I had considered trying to touch up some of the rock chips, ut that really takes a talent that I don't have.
If you've made it this far, hen shoot me a message and we can discuss it further. Please include some meaningful text in your email so I know that you aren't a spammer/scammer/robot. I am not a scammer/spammer/robot. I'm just a guy who loves cars. I love this one. Just time to move on and free up funds for the next one. If you include your phone number in your email response, 'd be happy to give you a call.
Thanks for your time,
Chris