Repower Your Seville And Save Money

By Author: Peter Jones
Total Articles: 231
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The first Seville was an ultra-luxurious hardtop coupe introduced by Cadillac in 1956. The convertible version of the Eldorado was marketed as the Eldorado Biarritz and the hardtop was marketed as the Eldorado Seville. While other Cadillac cars were fitted with single 4-barrel carburetors and 285 horsepower engines, the Seville came equipped with two four-barrel carburetors and a 305 horsepower performance engine. The Northstar engine that would become synonymous with Cadillac was decades away at this time.

In 1957 and '58 the Eldorado was produced with stylish shark fin rear ends. It was the first appearance of a look which Cadillac would exploit shamelessly in the early ‘60s. They out-finned all other manufactures at this time, placing large cone-shaped tail lights conspicuously on the fins so that the red glow from the tail lights immediately gave the impression of flame shooting from the end of a rocket ship. Sevilles were also covered in chrome, which again gave the impression of some futuristic machine.

The name Seville disappeared from the Cadillac lineup in 1960, and didn't reappear until 1975. ...
... Introduced specifically to compete with Mercedes-Benz, the 1975 Cadillac Seville featured a 350 cid V8 engine, electronic fuel injection instead of carburetors and every option available on a car at the time. In 1992 the Seville was re-engineered again, but still featured a 4.9 liter pushrod V8 engine. The ultimate Seville was first produced a year later, in 1993, when Cadillac installed the 90o v-architecture Northstar engine.

The Northstar engine had a 4565 cc displacement and produced 300 horsepower from a cast aluminum 90° V8 block that featured 4-inch bore spacings split into unitary upper and lower halves. The lower crankcase assembly of the Northstar engine supported the crankshaft without the use of conventional main bearing caps. Under the Northstar engine's crankshaft was positioned an oil manifold plate with the oil galley formed by an integrated silicon gasket. The engine also featured cast-iron cylinder liners with bronze pin bushings and free-floating cast aluminum pistons.

The Cadillac Seville, from its earliest incarnation as a hardtop Eldorado to its ultimate appearance as a stand-alone product line with a Northstar engine, has always represented style, luxury and performance. These cars are highly sought-after today and Seville is one of the most popular cars for restoration projects. A rebuilt or used Cadillac engine, and a Northstar engine in particular, is considered a prize when restoring or retrofitting a car.

Finding a used Cadillac engine, whether a Northstar engine or not, used to be a daunting task. Buyers had to trek from salvage yard to salvage yard hunting for a used Cadillac engine that would meet whatever requirements the retrofit demanded. Times have changed significantly, however, and now all a person has to do is to provide the engine specifications to any salvage yard. They will do a computer search for a used Cadillac engine and tell you what is available. If you want the used Cadillac engine they locate, you buy it and they will have it shipped in.

Whenever you buy a used Cadillac engine, insist on a three-year warranty. Also, beware of shipping and handling charges. There are many places that will ship a used Cadillac engine free of charge - but of course they make up that money by charging more for the engine. It is important to look at the cost of the engine and shipping combined before making a purchasing decision.

About: So, if it's time for a new Cadillac Seville, consider if a new car is really what you need. It could be that you can find a used Cadillac engine for a reasonable price and be able to repower your Seville and save some of your hard-earned money!