HELP! Newbie getting ready to buy a '89 Allante what should i be aware of?
#21
08-24-2009, 04:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Canfield, Ohio (halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh)
Posts: 291
This is a quote on this vehicle from another web site from a member named Jim Swinler as well respected an individual as there is in the Allante community. I'm sure, as Stealth is an old friend, that he'd agree with my comments on Jim. Made me see the other side of the story!!
"I guess my attitude regarding this Car pretty much differs from others' in that I see a low mileage 1989 Allante that is in basically terrific condition, has its hard top, and has been pretty heavily customized by its owner.
On the plus side, it's an 89, the first Allante year with the excellent 4.5 pushrod engine that has been, let's face it, a tough, strong engine, and this one's barely broken in with only a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
I, personally, wouldn't have customized it in this way, but I see nothing here that couldn't be easily undone if a person was looking for a good 89.
When I first started learning about these cars in the spring of 1999, the 89 was the odds-on favorite among those looking for a first Allante, and among the owners recommending first Allantes. The 89 had these features: The "new" 4.5 engine. More power, fewer problems. The lack of an air bag was considered a plus in those days. It did have the SDD system, but didn't have the CD player and a somewhat better Tape deck. It normally had a hardtop available but, if not, Phase I hardtops were plentiful and cheap.
When one considers everything in fact, the 89 Allante has a few pretty serious advantages over the 93's back then: That 4.5 didn't (and still doesn't) give up very much to the Northstar until you start reaching for top speed, the 4.5 lacked the engine block divide at the crankshaft journals that had that defective gasket that had to be replaced at a cost up to $3,500, and the Northstars were dropping out of warranty by then. Later, when Northstar engines began showing their particular weaknesses, the 4.5 has magically become a much more "adequate" engine. They're strong, tough, and if given any care at all, become more dependable, relatively, than the Northstars.
So, in my view, what we have here is a low mileage 89 Allante that will require maybe a grand or two to restore to what it is under everything: a tough Allante with a lot of life in it with a tough engine and maybe a long, dependable life ahead of it.
About the "styling additions." This is a privately-owned automobile whose owner has seen fit to personalize. Really, whatever the owner chooses to do, short of painting obscene pictures and/or unacceptable language all over it, is pretty much his business.
The name of this game is "Whatever blows your dress up."
Fox has a beautiful Northstar Allante that she has spent a lot of money on and it shows. The car looks good and from what she's said here, runs well. But, good-looking and performing as it is, the purists among us are probably scandalized by some of the ideas that were applied to it.
Go figure.
At the risk of becoming known as even more of a nut than I am, I smiled when I first saw this 89 until I asked myself, "What is this I'm looking at, in and of itself?
It's a solid, competant Allante with its hard top that has a lot of life left in it.
That's my opinion of it. Everybody else's opinion is just as valid.
I hope this car finds a good owner who'll love it."
JCS
"I guess my attitude regarding this Car pretty much differs from others' in that I see a low mileage 1989 Allante that is in basically terrific condition, has its hard top, and has been pretty heavily customized by its owner.
On the plus side, it's an 89, the first Allante year with the excellent 4.5 pushrod engine that has been, let's face it, a tough, strong engine, and this one's barely broken in with only a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
I, personally, wouldn't have customized it in this way, but I see nothing here that couldn't be easily undone if a person was looking for a good 89.
When I first started learning about these cars in the spring of 1999, the 89 was the odds-on favorite among those looking for a first Allante, and among the owners recommending first Allantes. The 89 had these features: The "new" 4.5 engine. More power, fewer problems. The lack of an air bag was considered a plus in those days. It did have the SDD system, but didn't have the CD player and a somewhat better Tape deck. It normally had a hardtop available but, if not, Phase I hardtops were plentiful and cheap.
When one considers everything in fact, the 89 Allante has a few pretty serious advantages over the 93's back then: That 4.5 didn't (and still doesn't) give up very much to the Northstar until you start reaching for top speed, the 4.5 lacked the engine block divide at the crankshaft journals that had that defective gasket that had to be replaced at a cost up to $3,500, and the Northstars were dropping out of warranty by then. Later, when Northstar engines began showing their particular weaknesses, the 4.5 has magically become a much more "adequate" engine. They're strong, tough, and if given any care at all, become more dependable, relatively, than the Northstars.
So, in my view, what we have here is a low mileage 89 Allante that will require maybe a grand or two to restore to what it is under everything: a tough Allante with a lot of life in it with a tough engine and maybe a long, dependable life ahead of it.
About the "styling additions." This is a privately-owned automobile whose owner has seen fit to personalize. Really, whatever the owner chooses to do, short of painting obscene pictures and/or unacceptable language all over it, is pretty much his business.
The name of this game is "Whatever blows your dress up."
Fox has a beautiful Northstar Allante that she has spent a lot of money on and it shows. The car looks good and from what she's said here, runs well. But, good-looking and performing as it is, the purists among us are probably scandalized by some of the ideas that were applied to it.
Go figure.
At the risk of becoming known as even more of a nut than I am, I smiled when I first saw this 89 until I asked myself, "What is this I'm looking at, in and of itself?
It's a solid, competant Allante with its hard top that has a lot of life left in it.
That's my opinion of it. Everybody else's opinion is just as valid.
I hope this car finds a good owner who'll love it."
JCS
#22
08-24-2009, 06:41 PM
This is a quote on this vehicle from another web site from a member named Jim Swinler as well respected an individual as there is in the Allante community. I'm sure, as Stealth is an old friend, that he'd agree with my comments on Jim. Made me see the other side of the story!!
"I guess my attitude regarding this Car pretty much differs from others' in that I see a low mileage 1989 Allante that is in basically terrific condition, has its hard top, and has been pretty heavily customized by its owner.
On the plus side, it's an 89, the first Allante year with the excellent 4.5 pushrod engine that has been, let's face it, a tough, strong engine, and this one's barely broken in with only a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
I, personally, wouldn't have customized it in this way, but I see nothing here that couldn't be easily undone if a person was looking for a good 89.
When I first started learning about these cars in the spring of 1999, the 89 was the odds-on favorite among those looking for a first Allante, and among the owners recommending first Allantes. The 89 had these features: The "new" 4.5 engine. More power, fewer problems. The lack of an air bag was considered a plus in those days. It did have the SDD system, but didn't have the CD player and a somewhat better Tape deck. It normally had a hardtop available but, if not, Phase I hardtops were plentiful and cheap.
When one considers everything in fact, the 89 Allante has a few pretty serious advantages over the 93's back then: That 4.5 didn't (and still doesn't) give up very much to the Northstar until you start reaching for top speed, the 4.5 lacked the engine block divide at the crankshaft journals that had that defective gasket that had to be replaced at a cost up to $3,500, and the Northstars were dropping out of warranty by then. Later, when Northstar engines began showing their particular weaknesses, the 4.5 has magically become a much more "adequate" engine. They're strong, tough, and if given any care at all, become more dependable, relatively, than the Northstars.
So, in my view, what we have here is a low mileage 89 Allante that will require maybe a grand or two to restore to what it is under everything: a tough Allante with a lot of life in it with a tough engine and maybe a long, dependable life ahead of it.
About the "styling additions." This is a privately-owned automobile whose owner has seen fit to personalize. Really, whatever the owner chooses to do, short of painting obscene pictures and/or unacceptable language all over it, is pretty much his business.
The name of this game is "Whatever blows your dress up."
Fox has a beautiful Northstar Allante that she has spent a lot of money on and it shows. The car looks good and from what she's said here, runs well. But, good-looking and performing as it is, the purists among us are probably scandalized by some of the ideas that were applied to it.
Go figure.
At the risk of becoming known as even more of a nut than I am, I smiled when I first saw this 89 until I asked myself, "What is this I'm looking at, in and of itself?
It's a solid, competant Allante with its hard top that has a lot of life left in it.
That's my opinion of it. Everybody else's opinion is just as valid.
I hope this car finds a good owner who'll love it."
JCS
"I guess my attitude regarding this Car pretty much differs from others' in that I see a low mileage 1989 Allante that is in basically terrific condition, has its hard top, and has been pretty heavily customized by its owner.
On the plus side, it's an 89, the first Allante year with the excellent 4.5 pushrod engine that has been, let's face it, a tough, strong engine, and this one's barely broken in with only a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
I, personally, wouldn't have customized it in this way, but I see nothing here that couldn't be easily undone if a person was looking for a good 89.
When I first started learning about these cars in the spring of 1999, the 89 was the odds-on favorite among those looking for a first Allante, and among the owners recommending first Allantes. The 89 had these features: The "new" 4.5 engine. More power, fewer problems. The lack of an air bag was considered a plus in those days. It did have the SDD system, but didn't have the CD player and a somewhat better Tape deck. It normally had a hardtop available but, if not, Phase I hardtops were plentiful and cheap.
When one considers everything in fact, the 89 Allante has a few pretty serious advantages over the 93's back then: That 4.5 didn't (and still doesn't) give up very much to the Northstar until you start reaching for top speed, the 4.5 lacked the engine block divide at the crankshaft journals that had that defective gasket that had to be replaced at a cost up to $3,500, and the Northstars were dropping out of warranty by then. Later, when Northstar engines began showing their particular weaknesses, the 4.5 has magically become a much more "adequate" engine. They're strong, tough, and if given any care at all, become more dependable, relatively, than the Northstars.
So, in my view, what we have here is a low mileage 89 Allante that will require maybe a grand or two to restore to what it is under everything: a tough Allante with a lot of life in it with a tough engine and maybe a long, dependable life ahead of it.
About the "styling additions." This is a privately-owned automobile whose owner has seen fit to personalize. Really, whatever the owner chooses to do, short of painting obscene pictures and/or unacceptable language all over it, is pretty much his business.
The name of this game is "Whatever blows your dress up."
Fox has a beautiful Northstar Allante that she has spent a lot of money on and it shows. The car looks good and from what she's said here, runs well. But, good-looking and performing as it is, the purists among us are probably scandalized by some of the ideas that were applied to it.
Go figure.
At the risk of becoming known as even more of a nut than I am, I smiled when I first saw this 89 until I asked myself, "What is this I'm looking at, in and of itself?
It's a solid, competant Allante with its hard top that has a lot of life left in it.
That's my opinion of it. Everybody else's opinion is just as valid.
I hope this car finds a good owner who'll love it."
JCS
nothing said there regarding technology and durability of that model can be argued, expect the cost.
at $4500 is OVERPRICED specially when one considers (NO MAYBE) $1000 to $2000 to restore and I am not sure that can be done for that cost .. the hood alone with the hole will set you you back a grand, the DIC another 1/2 grand, and Bill, we know what it costs to put a coat of paint.
to buy that specific car at $4500 and spend another $3000 to $4000 to restore it, brings the final cost of that car to a prohibitive level ..
$7500 to $9000 .. WOWWWW ! ! !
regarding the "COSMETIC" changes .. comparing to what Fox has done is not right.. her car was done at another level altogether .. her car is a "I want the fastest Allante in the planet" and the "fashion/cosmetic" changes she has done have been done with a subtle touch that breaths taste .. class .. sophistication .. her car invites one to come and take a ride and you be comfortable to be seen within .. the subject '89 wants me to not be seen within a mile of it.
.
Last edited by stomper; 08-25-2009 at 08:27 AM.
#23
08-24-2009, 08:27 PM
Kracker - well, since you have heard about 'fox's' car - I guess I should chime in...
I do have a '93 - I drove a phase I, 3 phase IIs, and 2 phase IIIs before deciding to buy the '93. it has some opportunities for 'hot-rodding' that the earlier models don't. The Northstar engine, while it can be problematic, if it had been taken care of, and continues to be taken care of, it can for well over 200,000 miles. Plus, parts are still readily available for it (for the time being). I was lucky, Amante (my Allante) was well taken care of, had all the service records, and lived its first 14 years of its life in Arizona. Northstars are popular racing engines and lots of aftermarket parts are available for them.
I like the lower body panels on the '93 and the placement of the side mirrors and the deletion of the 'wing window'.
But, mostly what I can say is have your choice checked out by a local, experienced mechanic - believe it or not lots of Cadillac dealerships still have a guy that works on Allante's - call around and find one. The local dealerships here in Colorado actually quite fawn over mine, and have taken great care of him the few times I have had it at a dealer. Most of the mods however have been done by a local mechanic who specializes in exotic cars.
Best of luck - buy it to drive it, don't let become a 'queen'. Don't buy it expecting the value to rise any time soon, The best thing we can all do is get them out to local shows cruises, etc., people all love to see them, and interest will eventually lead to the cars becoming more desirable.
Here are Amante's most recent 'glamor' shots... you can click on them and see the larger images...
I do have a '93 - I drove a phase I, 3 phase IIs, and 2 phase IIIs before deciding to buy the '93. it has some opportunities for 'hot-rodding' that the earlier models don't. The Northstar engine, while it can be problematic, if it had been taken care of, and continues to be taken care of, it can for well over 200,000 miles. Plus, parts are still readily available for it (for the time being). I was lucky, Amante (my Allante) was well taken care of, had all the service records, and lived its first 14 years of its life in Arizona. Northstars are popular racing engines and lots of aftermarket parts are available for them.
I like the lower body panels on the '93 and the placement of the side mirrors and the deletion of the 'wing window'.
But, mostly what I can say is have your choice checked out by a local, experienced mechanic - believe it or not lots of Cadillac dealerships still have a guy that works on Allante's - call around and find one. The local dealerships here in Colorado actually quite fawn over mine, and have taken great care of him the few times I have had it at a dealer. Most of the mods however have been done by a local mechanic who specializes in exotic cars.
Best of luck - buy it to drive it, don't let become a 'queen'. Don't buy it expecting the value to rise any time soon, The best thing we can all do is get them out to local shows cruises, etc., people all love to see them, and interest will eventually lead to the cars becoming more desirable.
Here are Amante's most recent 'glamor' shots... you can click on them and see the larger images...
#24
08-24-2009, 08:33 PM
Kracker - well, since you have heard about 'fox's' car - I guess I should chime in...
I do have a '93 - I drove a phase I, 3 phase IIs, and 2 phase IIIs before deciding to buy the '93. it has some opportunities for 'hot-rodding' that the earlier models don't. The Northstar engine, while it can be problematic, if it had been taken care of, and continues to be taken care of, it can for well over 200,000 miles. Plus, parts are still readily available for it (for the time being). I was lucky, Amante (my Allante) was well taken care of, had all the service records, and lived its first 14 years of its life in Arizona. Northstars are popular racing engines and lots of aftermarket parts are available for them.
I like the lower body panels on the '93 and the placement of the side mirrors and the deletion of the 'wing window'.
But, mostly what I can say is have your choice checked out by a local, experienced mechanic - believe it or not lots of Cadillac dealerships still have a guy that works on Allante's - call around and find one. The local dealerships here in Colorado actually quite fawn over mine, and have taken great care of him the few times I have had it at a dealer. Most of the mods however have been done by a local mechanic who specializes in exotic cars.
Best of luck - buy it to drive it, don't let become a 'queen'. Don't buy it expecting the value to rise any time soon, The best thing we can all do is get them out to local shows cruises, etc., people all love to see them, and interest will eventually lead to the cars becoming more desirable.
Here are Amante's most recent 'glamor' shots... you can click on them and see the larger images...
I do have a '93 - I drove a phase I, 3 phase IIs, and 2 phase IIIs before deciding to buy the '93. it has some opportunities for 'hot-rodding' that the earlier models don't. The Northstar engine, while it can be problematic, if it had been taken care of, and continues to be taken care of, it can for well over 200,000 miles. Plus, parts are still readily available for it (for the time being). I was lucky, Amante (my Allante) was well taken care of, had all the service records, and lived its first 14 years of its life in Arizona. Northstars are popular racing engines and lots of aftermarket parts are available for them.
I like the lower body panels on the '93 and the placement of the side mirrors and the deletion of the 'wing window'.
But, mostly what I can say is have your choice checked out by a local, experienced mechanic - believe it or not lots of Cadillac dealerships still have a guy that works on Allante's - call around and find one. The local dealerships here in Colorado actually quite fawn over mine, and have taken great care of him the few times I have had it at a dealer. Most of the mods however have been done by a local mechanic who specializes in exotic cars.
Best of luck - buy it to drive it, don't let become a 'queen'. Don't buy it expecting the value to rise any time soon, The best thing we can all do is get them out to local shows cruises, etc., people all love to see them, and interest will eventually lead to the cars becoming more desirable.
Here are Amante's most recent 'glamor' shots... you can click on them and see the larger images...
there you go ...
there is no comparison between Fox's '93 car and that subject '89.
Although Fox didnt show the rear end of the car, I assure you again, it is done with class.
Fox's car may even beat some of those 5.0 beasts if put tot he test .. may.
.
Last edited by stomper; 08-25-2009 at 08:30 AM.
#25
08-25-2009, 09:03 AM
im a newbie here so any help would be appreciated greatly. im in the process of buying a really nice '89 allante for $4500!
(HAS 105K,RUNS GREAT,NEW DUAL EXHAUST,CUSTOM DAYTON WHEELS,NO RUST OR LEAKS)
is there any "1989 allante problems" that i should be aware of? the guy im planning on buying it from is a straight shooter( 60 something retired officer from the marines...3rd owner) and by no means does this guy need the $. (he has multiple $50,000 cars) im not dealing with a sleazy car salesman here. is $4500fair price? what do these cars go for usually? any help would be great.
(HAS 105K,RUNS GREAT,NEW DUAL EXHAUST,CUSTOM DAYTON WHEELS,NO RUST OR LEAKS)
is there any "1989 allante problems" that i should be aware of? the guy im planning on buying it from is a straight shooter( 60 something retired officer from the marines...3rd owner) and by no means does this guy need the $. (he has multiple $50,000 cars) im not dealing with a sleazy car salesman here. is $4500fair price? what do these cars go for usually? any help would be great.
wait !
that '89 in the opening post of krackermost looks different than the '89 in the link by AIeradi.
the plates dont match either, but both have exhaust ports on the front fenders.
krackermost & AIeradi .. what is up? two different cars ?
but clearly going by the Semper Fi on the rear of the link car, that is also a Marine's car.
The car has made it's way to Ebay - starting bid $4,500. Lots of "interesting" modifications. Is that a roll-bar or wind screen?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadil...=p4506.c0.m245
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadil...=p4506.c0.m245
Last edited by Stealth; 08-26-2009 at 01:03 AM.
#26
08-25-2009, 05:46 PM
Stealth - you are right!
They have the same rims, and what appears to be a wind-screen (or maybe mine IS roll bar) but the one on Ebay also has black painted insets as well. I guess when I saw it on Ebay I made the correlation from both being
* white
* same rims
* Added ports
* $4,500
* 105,000 miles
* Michigan
What's the chances...I smell fish!
Good catch Stealth!
Tony I
They have the same rims, and what appears to be a wind-screen (or maybe mine IS roll bar) but the one on Ebay also has black painted insets as well. I guess when I saw it on Ebay I made the correlation from both being
* white
* same rims
* Added ports
* $4,500
* 105,000 miles
* Michigan
What's the chances...I smell fish!
Good catch Stealth!
Tony I
Last edited by AIeradi; 08-25-2009 at 05:53 PM.
#27
08-26-2009, 12:52 AM
Although we no longer make contact, JCS and I go back a long long time .. I know a thing or two of his writings, style, philosophy, and obsessions regarding the Allante world .. and when I read the "quote", something felt out of place ...
I have highlighted the "clues" as I saw them leading me into the final conclusion that the subject car was not a car, but TWO different 1989 Allante cars, both owned by MARINES .. go figure .. what are the chances of that ?
I do not know for sure which car JSC is writing about, but my money would go to the 1989 car of the opening post of this thread as being the target of the JSC commentary.
the only thing that puzzles me to this second is that JCS mis-spelled a word (red highlight) at the end of the rant .. when it comes to JCS, that is unheard of .. in the 1/2 decade I have known him, I believe that this is a 1st.
"I guess my attitude regarding this Car pretty much differs from others' in that I see a low mileage 1989 Allante that is in basically terrific condition, has its hard top, and has been pretty heavily customized by its owner.
On the plus side, it's an 89, the first Allante year with the excellent 4.5 pushrod engine that has been, let's face it, a tough, strong engine, and this one's barely broken in with only a little over a hundred thousand miles on it.
I, personally, wouldn't have customized it in this way, but I see nothing here that couldn't be easily undone if a person was looking for a good 89.
When I first started learning about these cars in the spring of 1999, the 89 was the odds-on favorite among those looking for a first Allante, and among the owners recommending first Allantes. The 89 had these features: The "new" 4.5 engine. More power, fewer problems. The lack of an air bag was considered a plus in those days. It did have the SDD system, but didn't have the CD player and a somewhat better Tape deck. It normally had a hardtop available but, if not, Phase I hardtops were plentiful and cheap.
When one considers everything in fact, the 89 Allante has a few pretty serious advantages over the 93's back then: That 4.5 didn't (and still doesn't) give up very much to the Northstar until you start reaching for top speed, the 4.5 lacked the engine block divide at the crankshaft journals that had that defective gasket that had to be replaced at a cost up to $3,500, and the Northstars were dropping out of warranty by then. Later, when Northstar engines began showing their particular weaknesses, the 4.5 has magically become a much more "adequate" engine. They're strong, tough, and if given any care at all, become more dependable, relatively, than the Northstars.
So, in my view, what we have here is a low mileage 89 Allante that will require maybe a grand or two to restore to what it is under everything: a tough Allante with a lot of life in it with a tough engine and maybe a long, dependable life ahead of it.
About the "styling additions." This is a privately-owned automobile whose owner has seen fit to personalize. Really, whatever the owner chooses to do, short of painting obscene pictures and/or unacceptable language all over it, is pretty much his business.
The name of this game is "Whatever blows your dress up."
Fox has a beautiful Northstar Allante that she has spent a lot of money on and it shows. The car looks good and from what she's said here, runs well. But, good-looking and performing as it is, the purists among us are probably scandalized by some of the ideas that were applied to it.
Go figure.
At the risk of becoming known as even more of a nut than I am, I smiled when I first saw this 89 until I asked myself, "What is this I'm looking at, in and of itself?
It's a solid, competant Allante with its hard top that has a lot of life left in it.
That's my opinion of it. Everybody else's opinion is just as valid.
I hope this car finds a good owner who'll love it."
JCS
Last edited by Stealth; 08-26-2009 at 01:01 AM.
#28
08-26-2009, 01:07 AM
not a roll-bar .. it is a WINDSCREEN, custom fit by Johnny!
that is scary, I still remember who makes what in that Allante world .. I need to go fishing more often.
you missed one more correlation: both Marine owned
that is scary, I still remember who makes what in that Allante world .. I need to go fishing more often.
you missed one more correlation: both Marine owned
Stealth - you are right!
They have the same rims, and what appears to be a wind-screen (or maybe mine IS roll bar) but the one on Ebay also has black painted insets as well. I guess when I saw it on Ebay I made the correlation from both being
* white
* same rims
* Added ports
* $4,500
* 105,000 miles
* Michigan
What's the chances...I smell fish!
Good catch Stealth!
Tony I
They have the same rims, and what appears to be a wind-screen (or maybe mine IS roll bar) but the one on Ebay also has black painted insets as well. I guess when I saw it on Ebay I made the correlation from both being
* white
* same rims
* Added ports
* $4,500
* 105,000 miles
* Michigan
What's the chances...I smell fish!
Good catch Stealth!
Tony I
