"Best of all . . . it's a Cadillac," declared the 1982 full-line catalog. Perhaps so, but long-time Caddy fans must have been startled by the company's latest offering: the four-cylinder Cimarron, with manual floor shift yet. Introduced several years earlier than originally planned, this drastically different breed of luxury was intended to give Cadillac a toehold in the rising market for smaller, fuel-efficient designs.
On all except Cimarron, a new lightweight Cadillac 249 cu. in. (4.1 liter) HT-4100 V-8 engine with Digital Fuel Injection (DFI) became standard, coupled to overdrive automatic transmission. The Oldsmobile-built diesel 5.7-liter V-8 was also available. So was a Buick 4.1-liter V-6, offered as a credit option.
A new Fuel Data Panel (standard with the HT-4100 engine) displayed instantaneous MPG, average MPG, estimated driving range, and amount of fuel used. Electronic Climate Control had a new outside temperature display, available by touching a button. New reminder chimes used different tone patterns to warn of unbuckled seatbelts, headlamps left on, or key in ignition.
Body mounts, springs and shocks were revised to give a softer ride. All Cadillacs except Cimarron had standard
All except Seville with cloth interior had front seatback map pockets. New to the full-size option list was a remote-locking fuel filler door. The HT-4100 V-8 engine had an aluminum block for light weight and chrome-plated valve covers for looks. During manufacture, it received individually balanced components and automatic in-process gauging, and had to pass a 78-step "stress test" before installation. Features added to improve fuel economy included fast-burn compact combustion chambers, digital fuel injection, and bearings designed for low-drag lubricants.
Standard with the HT-4100 engine was four-speed overdrive automatic transmission, helping to improve mileage further. EPA estimates reached 26 highway/17 city for Fleetwood/DeVille models, 27 highway for Seville/Eldorado. A Fuel Data Panel computed average MPG on the road. On-board computer diagnostics warned of engine problems and helped the mechanic locate the trouble quickly. The digital fuel injection included automatic altitude compensation, determined by a microprocessor, plus constant idle speed. The HT-4100 replaced the troublesome V8-6-4 modular-displacement engine, helping to boost both gas mileage and sales. That new engine was installed in some 90 percent of Sevilles, DeVilles and Eldorados. An HT-4100 nameplate went on front fenders of all models with that engine under the hood.
| All Cadillacs again had a 17-symbol Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), stamped on a metal tag attached to the upper left surface of the cowl, visible through the windshield. Coding was similar to 1981-82. |
| The number begins with a "1" to indicate the manufacturing country (U.S.A.), followed by a "G" for General Motors and a "6" for Cadillac Division. |
The next letter indicates restraint system:
|
Symbol five is a letter denoting car line and series:
|
Digits six and seven indicate body type:
|
Next comes an engine code:
|
| The next symbol is a check digit. |
| Symbol ten indicates model year ("C" 1982). |
Symbol eleven denotes assembly plant:
|
| The final six-digit production sequence number began with 100001 for Detroit-built models: 600001 (Eldorado) or 680001 (Seville) for those built in New Jersey. |
| An identification number for the V-6 engine was on the left rear of the block; on the V8-350, a code label was on top of the left valve cover and a unit number label atop the right valve cover. |
| Other engines had a unit number on the block behind the left
cylinder head, and a VIN derivative on the block behind the
intake manifold.
|
Books about Cadillac |
History of LaSalle |
Books on other automobiles |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
