Leif in Calif Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Since I posted a Pinto today, I couldn't resist this Cimarron. I actually would like to have one of these, just as a conversation starter, but not at twenty grand! my father in law traded his '78 Coupe Deville for an '82 Cimarron. We took a road trip together and one of the suit cases had to be held on someone's lap. Not Cadillac's finest moment. https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/cadillac/cimarron/2637261.html ONLY 7560 ORIGINAL MILES AND IN IMMACULATE ORIGINAL CONDITION THROUGHOUT! SIMPLY LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME WITH PERIOD CORRECT DEALER INSTALLED "CARRIAGE TOP" AND "CONTINENTAL SPARE"! NEVER SEEN SALT OR RAIN AND AS A MIDWEST CAR ALL THE LEATHER SEALS AND PLASTICS ARE IN EXCEPTIONAL ALMOST AS NEW CONDITION! WE HAVE SERVICED THE CAR INSTALLING NEW TIRES AND EXHAUST SYSTEM ALONG WITH FLUID CHECKS AND A RECENT BATTERY. ORIGINAL OWNER UNTIL 2014 WHEN IT WAS BOUGHT BY A LOCAL COLLECTOR WHO RECENTLY SOLD THE CAR TO US. COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER AND OWNERS MANUALS AND EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE POWER ANTENNA IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY WHAT MAY BE THE LOWEST MILEAGE CIMARRON ON THE PLANET! ONE OF ONLY 5454 1988 CIMARRONS PRODUCED AND WAS SOLD NEW JUNE 09 1988 TO IT ORIGINAL LADY OWNER IN SAGINAW MICHIGAN BY SUPERIOR PONTIAC CADILLAC OF FLINT MICHIGAN. WONDERFUL ADDITION TO ANY 1980s CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Cavalier with Cadillac trim. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjmarzoli Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Nice example. Carriage top and continental kit notwithstanding. Those would be a dealbreaker for me. 20K for it is insane though. Maybe 7-10k tops for the right buyer? This would be the type of car that would be fun to own for a short time if it could be bought cheaply, which is certainly not the case here. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48Super Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 I guess you really can put lipstick on a pig! If nothing else, this car will at least serve as a well-preserved embarrassment to Cadillac. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Cadillac's TR-7 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 I'd like to see a Cimarron at a show. It would look best without that external tire and without the red roof, but it's a part of history. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumBob Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 $20K for a re-badged Cavalier? The seller is off his rocker. I guess he figures, start high and see what happens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 A Cimarron for 20 grand. How quickly the seller forgets what this really is and it's reputation it had when they were new. The absolute starkness of the lipstick red upholstery with the white exterior paint would scare me off. GM took a piece of crap Chevy and unabashedly badged it a Cadillac, You have to wonder what GM marketing was thinking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 I think we quickly forget what a lot of cars were when new. This is a neat little car. Yes it didnt get a lot of love but for what it is now, looking like a clean well preserved 'antique' vehicle it would be a nice car to have. I agree that its priced about 17k too high, but when was the last time one of these in this condition was posted? I would be all over this thing for 3k! Besides, whats wrong with a cavalier with a luxurious interior? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjmarzoli Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 The early ones were horrible, both cosmetically and mechanically. They had them pretty well sorted by 1986-88. And greatly enhanced the exterior styling to differentiate it from the other divisions, with the front facia, lower body cladding, and wrap around taillamps. Aside from the MSRP, and it not being a "real Cadillac", it was a fairly appealing package, especially with the 2.8 V6 and the 5 speed manual. Still there was really no market for them. Anyone wanting compact American style luxury would find more of it at a lower price and in a more reliable package in the Chrysler Lebaron. Anyone wanting European style sport luxury would buy a European car or maybe an Acura. The Cimarron fell somewhere in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 To paraphrase "Not much of a Cadillac, but a helluva Cavalier" 😉 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Fun to drive until your friends show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 4 hours ago, cjmarzoli said: The early ones were horrible, both cosmetically and mechanically. They had them pretty well sorted by 1986-88. Can you tell us what the mechanical problems were with the early versions? It's good to learn from others' knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjmarzoli Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 58 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Can you tell us what the mechanical problems were with the early versions? It's good to learn from others' knowledge. The early cars were dreadfully underpowered with a 1.8L carbureted 4 cyl, and a 4 speed manual. They were upgraded to a 2.0L EFI 4 cyl and a 5 speed manual, and later the 2.8L Chevy V-6 EFI optional. The only automatic offered throughout the run was a 3 speed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Sometime in 1986, a now late friend called me, excitedly exclaiming his father had fulfilled a long-held dream of buying a Cadillac. Then, he said: "Guess what model?" I responded: "Sedan de Ville?' "No"; Fleetwood Brougham?" No"; "Seville? "No"; "Eldorado? No". At that point, I was drawing a blank, I honestly couldn't think of Cimarron as one of their models! He blurted out: "Cimarron!" Speechless for a moment, I collected myself and mumbled something about how nice it was that his father finally had a Cadillac of this dreams. Although it was a 1987 with the final 'refinements', mahogany with saddle tan leather seating, it still just didn't feel or look like a real Cadillac. I always diplomatically complimented his father on his Cadillac of which he was very proud. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marty14 Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 (edited) That red interior could blind Hellen Keller. No offense to Helen you understand. 1983-86 Chrysler offered a limo. Same deal ...yes it was a limo but early versions had a 4 cyl with no turbo so a 4 year old on a tricycle could outrun it. Oh boy I got a limo! Sort of... Edited February 13, 2023 by marty14 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 I had a mid eighties Cavalier when I lived in Michigan. I still remember driving down the road and the door skins flapping in the breeze. What a piece of junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumBob Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 On 2/8/2023 at 10:15 AM, deac said: A Cimarron for 20 grand. How quickly the seller forgets what this really is and it's reputation it had when they were new. The absolute starkness of the lipstick red upholstery with the white exterior paint would scare me off. GM took a piece of crap Chevy and unabashedly badged it a Cadillac, You have to wonder what GM marketing was thinking. The problem was, they weren't thinking! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suchan Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 Reminds me of the documentary on GM's CEO of the time, "Roger and Me". Push it out the door and they'll buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif in Calif Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 On 2/8/2023 at 5:10 AM, Steve_Mack_CT said: Cadillac's TR-7 I don't think you are being fair to TR-7s. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 1 hour ago, Leif in Calif said: I don't think you are being fair to TR-7s. Well, the Cimarron didn't destroy the whole marque Leif. I still get a little angry when I see one of those rolling door stops on the road which is indeed rare because, well you know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif in Calif Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 1 hour ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: Well, the Cimarron didn't destroy the whole marque Leif. I still get a little angry when I see one of those rolling door stops on the road which is indeed rare because, well you know... Maybe you've got a point. They are both big mistakes. The TR-7 was designed to be a modern Triumph, similar size and performance to previous Triumphs. Looking back now, it's hard to imagine what they should have produced. Maybe a joint venture with Honda like the 90's Rover, or a TR-8 with a better body design, or a Jensen Healy like car with better assembly quality. The TR-7 doesn't look any worse that some of the Lotus cars of the same period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 True, build quality killed it more than looks. I think an updated yet still more traditional look might have been better. Most LBC buyers I think would have been fine with that. Look at the miata a few years later and the original boxster. Those were very good executions on an old idea of simple sportscars. That said, the TR-7 probably killed Triumph mostly due to a fresh design that left little money for QC. Ahh but back to one of GM's sins of the day... 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Forgive me but what is an LBC buyer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 LBC, little British Car. Sorry @deac! 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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