I appreciate your advice. I am seeking a weekend/fun car and would like to purchase a second Cadillac (I have a 1988 DeVille and enjoy the older Cadillacs.) I test drove a nice '91 Seville and loved the power, the tight steering, yet the smooth but firm Cadillac ride. That car was quick. I have been considering an Allante, but I work two jobs for this older Caddy "hobby," and my pockets are not deep. Each Allante I have seriously considered has has one or more of these issues: radio not working, speakers not working, AC not working, dash does not light, ABS brake light on, motor missing/running rough. I am afraid to spend all my extra income on an Allante when I have driven only one model and am not sure I would like it, not sure I can maintain it. I know there is a mystique about these Allantes. But knowing what I have shared with you, would you recommend that I continue to look? I have been searching in the $5k to $7k range -- and every car I have located has one or more of the issues above -- plus cosmetic concerns. Thanks for your advice.

 

An Allante is a serious commitment. Remember, GM couldn't make money on it, even though it sold at around $60,000.

No matter how nice and perfect the car is, you will want to make it even more perfect . . .

In good faith, I can no longer recommend any Allante model except the '91 / '92 models. Anyone that knows me, knows why and that is a long long story of controversy.

Unless you are well versed on Allante, I also would not touch a car with a AC, ABS, lighting issues. You are not familiar with the degree of cost of what is involved on the repair of those issues.

Engine issues if any, are what they are with all the GM cars, no different. Always, ALWAYS pull codes on ANY Allante being considered .. the computers are very explicit as to the condition of just about everything in the car, except the trans if it is slipping (they wont tell you that) ...

All that said, in this economy, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of perfectly good Allantes in the price range you quoted. I got a '92 for around $4k, it had some body issues, but runs like a dream come true.

Should you be a "perfectionist", dont buy a car that needs paint and expect that to be a cheap fix .. upwards of $3k is what a decent paint job costs for ANY CAR worth painting .. now, if you want to learn to shot lacquer, you can do it for a couple $100's plus your own sweat equity.

Bottom line: add the cost of all the work and repairs that you foresee to the price of the car and there you have the REAL COST. Dont forget the soft top.

All this also applies to any 15 to 20 year car, any make, any model, foreign or domestic.

My $4k car, if painted and repaired by a shop, would have costed me another $4k .. but i got sweat equity to donate to her.

does that help?

ohhh .. do look at my "Allante XYZ facts" .. lots of details there.












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Having lived to older age, and having had the pleasure of owning many neat fun GM cars (74--cars not my age) let me say that the Allante is without question the biggest PITA of any I've ever owned. Also, the one I've enjoyed the most (Corvettes
and Camaro are 2nd and 3rd place)!!


Absolutely make sure that brake and coolant flushes were done regularly as I am currently parting one out and it is like killing a friend. Many owners are guys who don't appreciate getting a nice car but rather getting a car nice so they are out there. Do not get bitten by spring fever, take your time in the search. Absolutely buy one.

Bill Coates

 

The car I am considering has the following issues:

1) radio comes on but does not play (no sound). Owner thinks something may have been disconnected when new battery was installed. (From my reading, I understand there are amp connections around the battery.) Maybe something was disconnected, disturbed, became loose. Maybe a fuse is blown. The radio does come on -- but no sound. The radio worked fine before new battery was installed.

2) the right bank of the digital dash does not light up. Owner says one little bulb is out. You can see it at night when the lights are on. Could it be as simple as one bulb out?

All other areas are well maintained -- car is serviced and in great condition.

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. THANK YOU!!

 

The old something was disconnected and one little light bulb trick. Don't buy either of those comments and neither should you. The amps are notorious for going bad on these cars. I'd bet that is what you are looking at. Dick Hussey will sell re-worked ones at about $90 a pop=$360 plus shipping and exchange. Before I heard of Dick I sent mine to Bose who acknowledges the defective components used in the Allante amps and they charge about the same.

The bulbs? are not accessible by guys like us!(Very easy item to remove for repair). Again Dick above. Also an electronics company in Huber Heights Ohio periodically advertises on ebay to fix this very item. I believe they were used by GM for warranty repairs.

Might still be your car, learn as much as you can before you buy. Good Luck and be an active participant in this forum. Allante owners are the best folks in the world for the most part always ready to help problem is we be gettin' old--(except Stealth of course) we do need you youngens to get involved. Good Hunting!

 

The BOSE .. they dont last forever cuz BOSE used an undersized capacitor that costs about $0.25 .. it burns out .. R&R of AMPS including parts and laber? about $600.

The dash lights .. ohh yes .. when they go, they go. That requires surgery on the car's dash to replace .. it is not a plug-n-play fix ...

The Allante is being sold in ever increasing numbers by widows ...

Dick Hussey of allantesource .. look in our FAQ, we provide access to him there.

 

stay with the PHASE II cars .. 1990-1/2 to 1992.
You will be much happier.

 

You got that right .. aging fellows like Gary and Bill are common ...

As to the BOSE .. there is a difference on what gets done.
Refurbishing by BOSE gets you a new AMP and a new CONE.

the failures are a couple of $1 capacitors that are under rated for the use.


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