Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Sedan V4p Towing Package on 2040-cars

Year:1996 Mileage:122200
Location:

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

I'm selling my 1996 Fleetwood Brougham with the rare V4P towing package and the LT1 V-8. It's painted Medium Marblehead Metallic (a beautiful silver-gray) with the matching Brougham vinyl roof and a light gray leather interior. I just bought a house and (not surprisingly) the Caddy doesn't fit in the garage, so I want to find a new home for it. It has about 122,200 miles on it, and I'm only the third owner. The first owner had it for the initial 15 or 16 years of its life, the second owner had it for about a year, and I've had it for less than a year since then. The car is in excellent condition, especially considering its age. I have included four photos below; more can be seen here: http://imgur.com/a/UIr9E#0

Good stuff:

-Since I bought it, I've put all new tires on the car. The tires have around 1000 miles on them.

-I've replaced the front struts and lubed the chassis and suspension, so it rides just like it should with the perfect amount of float.

-I also installed a set of remote electrically operated exhaust cutouts aft of the catalytic converters. Press a rocker switch hidden under the dash and it opens up bypass valves that make the car sound like a NASCAR stocker. Press it again and it goes quiet enough that you wonder if the engine is still running. This installation was done in a completely reversible manner, so if you don't like it or just want to put it back to stock you'd just need to replace a couple of sections of the exhaust or you can just ignore it and never press the button, but it's a great way to surprise the heck out of people at stoplights. Installation and the small amount of fab work necessary was done at a reputable local custom shop. Video of the noise here: http://youtu.be/7-u3ODjHO0s (It's louder in person, but I think the iPhone's auto-leveling microphone diminished the sound a bit.)

-The left rear window sliders have been replaced. These are a trouble spot for these cars because of a bad original design that stressed the sliders unnecessarily in the tracks. I pulled the door trim and replaced both sliders when the window became troublesome to put up and down. I don't know if the other windows have been attended to in the past, but I can give you pointers on how to deal with them should the need arise.

-The previous owner had the driver's seat repaired in the normal wear spot where the extra Brougham seat controls can pinch the seat material on the side. He had an upholsterer sew in a new piece of material there. Most cars I've seen have split at that point. You shouldn't have to worry about this one.

-I installed a custom, vehicle-specific Draw-Tite hitch receiver on the car when I bought it; neither of the two previous owners had ever installed a hitch, so I can confidently say that it was never used to tow, even though it's rated at 7000 pounds with the V4P package (more on that below). I only used it to tow once, for a total of about 40 miles. This was mostly to say that I did it and to take a couple of pictures for a magazine story (they're the obviously professional shots in the gallery linked above). The hitch setup is easily removable with hand tools, so if you're not interested in using it or even looking at it, it'll come off with little effort. And you can be sure that the car hasn't been used or abused while towing.

-The paint, body, chrome, and trim are all in very good shape. All of the chrome trim is present and accounted for (and there is a lot of it on this car), and it shines up very nicely. The car was very well cared for all of its life. The original owners, who bought the car in Illinois and later moved to Wisconsin, apparently either parked it or drove it down south each winter. It's not a typical Michigan or midwestern car.

Not perfect stuff:

-The rear vanity mirror covers came unglued, common on these cars; I've bought the adhesive to put them back on, but I haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully I will soon, and I'll be happy to attend to them before a sale. Just being completely honest here.

-There are a few small rock chips in the paint on the hood. I bought very high quality factory-matched touch-up paint for it, but again I haven't had time to apply it with the move to the new house. I'll include the paint, primer, and prep items in the sale and let the buyer handle that, because I want the new owner to be aware of which areas have been touched up.

-One of the chrome-plated plastic spears is peeling a little. I'm told replacements are available, either new or through a salvage yard, but again I haven't had time to track one down.

What works: rear auto-leveling air suspension, power trunk pull-down, power antenna, CD, tape, radio, the Twilight Sentinel automatic headlights, all of the fiber-optic repeaters (tops of both front fenders, plus the one in the headliner above the rear window), both front seat heaters, all seat adjustments. There's nothing non-operational on this car, which is rare for a Fleetwood of this vintage.

What's included:

-I bought a $350 Noah cover for it, so it's being cared for in the mean time. The indoor/outdoor cover will be included in the sale.

-The previous owner bought a spare matching full-size wheel with mounted tire that I have (in addition to the plain spare that's mounted in the trunk).

-He also found a spare power antenna unit at a salvage yard and purchased it just in case; this is another common failure point for these cars.

-I have the two-volume factory repair manual.

-I also have a very thick folder documenting regular oil changes and maintenance from the original owners, plus my receipts from work I've had done.

-And I've got two full sets of keys with remotes, including the original gold keys.

V4P Towing Package: And for those who don't know what the V4P package means or why they'd want it: The upgrades raise the towing capacity of the already stout LT1-equipped Fleetwood to an amazing 7000 pounds. That's more than a lot of full-size trucks. Changes include a reworked heavy-duty transmission, a shorter final-drive ratio, heavier-duty rear air suspension, a larger alternator, extra engine oil and fluid cooling, and a large mechanical fan in place of electric units. You can see V4P listed among the other order codes, as well as the tow-package decal, in the last photo.

Even if you don't plan to tow with it, this is the best accelerating and most robust Fleetwood setup because of the transmission, final drive, and extra cooling capacity. They're very rare, and I had to wait a year until I found one in such good condition. I encourage you to read about the package and let me know if you have any questions about it or the car in general.

Thanks for your interest. You can contact me using the link here if you have any questions. The car is also listed locally and I reserve the right to cancel the auction if it sells elsewhere.

Auto Services in Michigan

Zielke Tires & Towing ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Towing
Address: 7446 lincoln ave, Hagar-Shores
Phone: (269) 429-6051

Your Auto Service Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Brake Repair
Address: 5910 Spring Arbor Rd, Horton
Phone: (517) 750-4611

Victory Motors ★★★★★

Used Car Dealers
Address: 517 N Main St, Bloomfield-Hills
Phone: (248) 556-5450

Tireman Central Auto Center ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 7725 Tireman St, Grosse-Pointe-Park
Phone: (313) 544-6361

Thomas Auto Collision ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Automobile Restoration-Antique & Classic
Address: 1530 N Leroy St, Springfield-Township
Phone: (810) 714-5191

Tel-Ford Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Gas Stations
Address: 6570 N Telegraph Rd, Wayne
Phone: (734) 237-1767

Auto blog

Cadillac picks Publicis as new agency of record, continues cutting ties with Campbell Ewald

Fri, Dec 5 2014

Cadillac is setting itself up for major changes in the coming years with its decision to hire Johan de Nysschen as the brand's new boss and moving some of the staff to new digs in the trendy SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. With those two big shifts in place, there's one more on the way with the company's announcement that Publicis Worldwide is now its global creative agency of record, effective immediately. The firm replaces former, long-time General Motors associate Campbell-Ewald; now a portion of Lowe and Partners. "This appointment is designed to accelerate the global expansion and elevation of Cadillac into a truly global luxury brand," said Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus in the company's announcement. "We have spent much of this year refocusing on the core values of our brand." Although, some work may remain at Lowe and Partners for now. According to Cadillac spokesperson David Caldwell via email to Autoblog: "The bulk of work makes this shift. It is possible that maybe a small individual smaller project or two might still be handled by Lowe. Not certain yet." The fruit of this new partnership shouldn't take long to mature, either. "We will have substantially new marketing and brand identity work in early 2015." said Caldwell. According to Ad Age, Cadillac's advertising had been handled by Lowe and Partners, Campbell-Ewald in Detroit (now entirely part of Lowe) and Hill Holiday. Caddy had a relationship with the agency since 2013 but has changed firms several times in 2006. GM had a long collaboration with Campbell-Ewald, though. Chevrolet was its partner for nearly a century until the automaker also jumped to Publicis in 2010. The firm was responsible for campaigns like, "The Heartbeat of America", "Like A Rock" and "An American Revolution." Scroll down to read Cadillac's full announcement of the change. Cadillac Appoints Publicis Worldwide 2014-12-04 DETROIT – Cadillac announced today the appointment of Publicis Worldwide as its global creative agency of record. Publicis Worldwide is the largest creative agency of the Publicis Groupe network and its appointment to Cadillac is effective immediately. A fully dedicated team, comprising key managers from Publicis Worldwide, will lead the account and have access to specialist and premium resources within the larger Publicis Groupe.

GM admits Cadillac ELR no real competition for Tesla Model S

Fri, Aug 15 2014

Last year, then-CEO of General Motors, Dan Akerson, made it clear that the company lookouts at the Ren Cen had California automaker Tesla in their sights. "If you want to compete head-to-head with Tesla, and we ultimately will, you want to do it with a Cadillac," he said. So, given the fact that the Cadillac ELR has a plug and sells for roughly the same price at the Tesla Model S ($75,000 vs $69,900, before incentives) and that Cadillac doesn't have any other electric vehicle on the horizon, you'd be forgiven if you thought that the way that Akerson wanted to challenge Tesla's EV success was with the ELR. Well, you'd apparently be wrong. "The ELR is a different car, it's a different price point. It's way-different technology." - GM's Mark Reuss Speaking yesterday in Detroit, GM's head of global product development, Mark Reuss, admitted that the ELR is not the Tesla competitor that Akerson promised. "People like to say the ELR is [competition for the Model S], but it's really not. It's a different car, it's a different price point. It's way-different technology." So, if we follow that logic to conclusion with Akerson's quote from last year, then the only way that Cadillac can eventually compete with Tesla is with a pure electric car, and that seems an outside chance, at best, for the foreseeable future. Through the end of July, Cadillac has sold 578 ELRs since it went on sale earlier this year. Tesla doesn't break out monthly US sales, but has sold 15,114 Model S EVs around the world in the first six months of 2014. For his part, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has already said that GM is headed down the wrong path with plug-in hybrids like the ELR or the Chevy Volt. Speaking about the Volt last year, Musk said, Chevy "sort of created something that's a bit of amphibian," which resulted in a car that's, "Okay but not great."

Cadillac can't keep up with Escalade demand, can't move its sedans

Wed, Feb 11 2015

No matter how much Cadillac revitalizes its lineup and its image, it seems that all consumers want is the Escalade. In fact, Automotive News reports that General Motors can't keep up with demand for the fullsize luxury SUV, despite sticker prices that start at over $70,000 and approach six figures at the top end of the spectrum. Contrast that with sedans like the ATS and CTS, which are far cheaper but which Cadillac hasn't been able to move fast enough to keep up with production, prompting both the manufacturer and dealers to offer substantial incentives to keep them from piling up. Cadillac had been resisting a price cut of the ATS or CTS, lest it hurt resale values – itself a factor that could explain consumers' reluctance to buy them in the first place – but been offering subsidized leases, discounted financing, rebates and cheaper options. Combined with incentives from individual dealers, according to AN, buyers can be looking at five-figure discounts on buying a new Cadillac sedan. And now, finally, it seems the CTS will indeed get a little bit off its bottom line. Yet GM has been producing the ATS and CTS at rates that their sales can't keep up with. The automaker was forced to idle the plant in Lansing, MI, where it assembles the ATS and CTS for six weeks starting this past December. And since it reopened late in January, it's been reduced to a single shift as dealers try to move the metal they've already got. Meanwhile the plant in Arlington, TX, that produces the Escalade and its Chevy and GMC siblings has been running on overtime, with three shifts throughout the week and even into the weekend to keep up with demand. Profitable as it's been for Cadillac and GM, though, the Escalade does not represent the future of where it wants to take the brand - separating the Escalade as almost a brand unto itself that's been left out of the company's new naming scheme. If only it could make its sedans as successful as its fullsize SUVs, it'll be all set.