I remember when Howe Long the sports caster/retired Oakland Raider was driving and hocking them. My Aunt had the 32v NorthStar in her STS Seville and never had a lick of trouble. Darn thing would get ridiculous milage on long trips with the cruse set (34 MPG plus)
GM: "I,ve got an idea!!!. Lets take the Corvette and remove probably the greatest engine we've ever engineered for hot rodding, cheap horsepower, and reliability and take it out. Then put in the Northstar.........Genius I know.." *Everyone in board room stands and claps*
@@ic1815 If you are trying to convince me any Northstar is a better choice in a Corvette than LS based engine it's not happening haha. Just based on parts availability alone the LS stomps the North Star into the dust
@@gearjammergamer8560 Yeah I'd never personally own a car with any Northstar but that's just me. I'm happy with my LS and it's very reliable and has decent power. I can open up a parts catalog (and my wallet) and get another 200 reliable HP out of it without spending a fortune.
I toured the corvette assembly plant when I graduated college in 07. These XLRs are basically hand built, and were not on the line with the corvettes. They had their own much shorter line.
Thanks for sharing that! I always knew that the XLR was the only non-Corvette built at Bowling Green, I didn't know the process though. BTW, I also visited Bowling Green for the tour back in 1991- it was early in the C4 ZR1 years and saw a few there and the lone 1983 Corvette which at the time was in the lobby of the factory. Of course, it is now at the National Corvette Museum which I also visited the beginnings of before they even had their building at the time, they were operating out of a storefront in a strip mall and trying to raise money for their current facility. Man, I want to go back to Bowling Green sooooo bad. I'm glad that you too got to enjoy the tour.
Many including this site seem to think these are basically a Corvette. They are NOT. Only Northstar Engines were used in the XLR's. Going rate for choice XLRs is $40,000 in Canada.
Considering it’s a different engine and a different chassis it would have surprised me to hear they were on the same production line. That would sound very inefficient.
One advice. Don't leave your cell phone near the start button when you get out of the car. You might not be able to get in. It's an early kind of NFC, like the one on our phones nowadays. It can interfer with the signal from the remote and you won't be able to unlock the door. It happen to me and I was lucky to have the key itself in my pocket because there is a key hole hidden in the rear bumper to open the trunk. Then, you can open the door manualy. Enjoy your rides!! 🙂
XLR owner here, 2006. First of all, I've done a lot of research and once and for all, the Northstars were fixed and made right somewhere around 2003, just don't buy one earlier than that. But aside from that, I normally keep my toy cars only a couple of years, and I've had plenty of them: '67 Riviera GS, several Cadillacs and Lincolns including a '63 4-door convertible, a DeLorean (new), Mercedes 450SL's (2), Porsche 944 Turbo and 928 (2), Dodge Stealth Turbo, Plymouth Prowler, Ferrari 360 Spider, BMW i8, etc. The XLR is now going on 12 years and I have no plans to sell it; I just love this car. The best of both worlds with the retractable hardtop, rare, gorgeous, decent performance (mine isn't a V either), and one of the few convertibles that looks every bit as good with the top up as with it down. The only real problem I've had all those years was having to replace the hydraulic pump for the top. Other than that, yes, the trunk insists on leaking no matter what you do, but ironically it is the only convertible I've ever had (and I've had 9) that doesn't leak a drop inside the car, even through car washes. The only real downside is that I'm terrified of being hit; as the Wizard said, the headlights and taillights are not available except used, and for a fortune IF you can find them.
Wizard, you are an incredibly lucky man having a Mrs. Wizard who shares your passion for awesome cars and who doesn't box your ears on a regular basis... at least not in public. Mrs. Wizard, you are a rare gem. Thank you both for some of the best automotive content on the interwebs.
As a V owner, I gotta applaud the choice Wizard. Xenon blue is an awesome color in the sun too Edit: I'd replace all the gaudy gold badging with the proper silver/chrome
While your changing the gaudy Gold 1990's/2000's emblems, remove those ugly ass red brake caliper covers and change the rotors back to stock as there small enough and you don't need slotted and drilled rotors, please Amen!
Never been a big GM guy, but I've always loved their oddball cars. The XLR, Arora, Allante, G8, ect... The ones that never really had a chance, but were actually... dare I say damn near brilliant. The Northstar itself is such a shame. It's really too bad it's name was tainted by the time they finally got it right. So much potential. Just like GM always does. So close to making the perfect thing, buuuut juuuust missed it.
I toured this line with my dad in Bowling Green back when they first came out. My brother in law worked the Corvette side as an engineer. May dad passed away in January, this car reminds me of the good times we shared. Thanks wizzard.
I own a 2008 XLR-V (bought it off a lease). It's been a great car. 39M miles and it is a head turner here in L.A. ( drive it on weekends). The bad: Interior is more like a Chevy and not a Cadillac. But the car is a keeper and has been relatively trouble free in11 years of ownership. Key to owning any car is replacing fluids per manual recommendations (or sooner).
You don't need to start the car to see the mileage. You can push the start button without pushing the brake to start it and it should display the odometer.
It seems the only person who should buy a Northstar is a mechanic, because for a normal person it would be too expensive to own a car which you know is gonna need major repairs.
Not even that, why would you waste your time in just dealing with a headache? Some people have more time than sense and the hours you spend working on them is just not worth it. I had a friend who used to spend his entire weekend working on his car, He had a 64 Chevelle and it drove his wife crazy because she wanted to just get out of the house.
I have the same VVT Northstar in my ‘08 SRX, 4k RPM and above is no joke. Once those cams change timing it’s like a whole different animal. That big heavy SUV will move when you rev it. My engine has a bunch of foam and padding over the intake / heads / cams / ignition coils for noise mitigation. Pretty cool they left all that off the Cadivette so you can actually hear the engine!
When I was 19 I had a 98 STS in diamond white pearl with tan soft top, 22" wheels and limo tint. My uncle in-law helped me change the oil and double gasketed it... Overheated on the way home, mechanic said it threw a rod and the engine needed to be replaced. I loved that car so much I paid $1500 for a used Northstar and $1700 to have it installed, even though I only paid $3300 for it (in 2007). Took them 2 months, car never ran right after that. It would stall when stopped even though it was an automatic.
I was in Bowling Green taking a factory tour when the last pre-production XLR's were being given the fine tooth comb treatment and grease pencil circles on paint work. Really cool experience. Good Luck with your new to you XLR.
I had a Bonneville GXP with a NorthStar. I drove it for almost 7 years, and got it to 170k miles. Except for right at the end, it was very reliable for me, although I did have to change the starter twice in those 5 years, which was a real PITA for this DIY shadetree mechanic. Its wasn't a super hot rod, but it made good power and was fun to drive.
"wasn't a super hot rod" yeah, too many people are all up on 600 hp and all that, like who needs that? If you're just cruising around and need to get on a highway or whatever, 300 +/- is fine unless you're driving a tank. It's like Hoovie's lightning: it can do 0 - 60 in THREE seconds! Yeah? BFD...it can't tow a 1500 lbs trailer 100 miles.
I just saw one of these cars in silver in a restaurant parking lot last weekend. First time I had ever seen one in person. They are certainly an attractive vehicle in person....and very unique.
My probably favourite newer Cadillac is the STS V. The funny thing is, nobody know anything about them, even I didn't before I saw Patrick Swayze drive it in The Beast. It was a solid E55 competitor back in the day.
Yeah, it's funny indeed. As an owner of pristine 08' STS-V with only 29K miles on it, I do have to say that it's one hell of a ride. You get an ultimate luxus and runs like Devil's dog
Used to work at Ourisman dealership two years ago and there was one XLR that got traded sometime before I started working. When it was a slow day at work I used to take the cars to our car lot which was 2 miles aways from the stealer I mean dealership. I drove the XLR multiple times and even took it to my neighborhood once, that car drives amazing and the engine note is marvelous. The interior quality is typical GM but a bit better with BVLGARI dash instrument panel. Added around 20 miles to the odo since I started working there, and even ended up selling it myself to someone from NC (dealer was in DMV) and dude drove it back 4 hours right after purchase. I felt like I sold one of my own car and felt sad when it was missing in our lot. Probably one of the best car caddy churned out in the 2000s.
The Caddivette is a bucket list car. Jake Wiebe at Northstar Performance is the holder of a patented stud kit with larger diameter, improved thread pitch studs plus the alignment jig with machining components for consumer and commercial purchases, repair facility network and in-house sales and installation service with warranty for stock or performance upgrades
I was expecting over a 100k on the mileage for that price, wrecked somewhere since repaint, but with only 60K+ miles you did well I think. Needs the work you mentioned, detailing, and you're good to go down the road in style. I've always liked the XLR but they are too much $ with low miles usually. Good to have EAB for a connection!
If you push the start rocker button without your foot on the brake (or clutch in a M6 Vette) it's like turning a key to the run position without starting the car so you are able to access the DIC to see the mileage or other options. 🙂
Power hardtop roofs have been around since the 1956 Ford Fairlane, and almost 70 years later no matter how much technology has advanced, to get a hardtop roof to fold in and back up is still an extremely complex, sophisticated engineering feat. They might have replaced hydraulics and mechanical switches and relays with microprocessors and optical sensors, but getting solid steel to fold into itself and into a trunk is still just as mind boggling in 2022 as it was in 1956.
Yeah sometimes you get lucky with the head gaskets. I had a 2000 Cadillac DeVille that had over 100k miles and no issues. I sold the car and regret it now because it was my favorite of the over 20 different cars I've owned since the caddie is like sitting on a sofa and it's a magic carpet ride with the air suspension and the Northstar is a really good sounding V8 with great punch to it. I have seen an xlr for sale in my area like what the wizard bought and it's been on the market forever haha. People are afraid of a Northstar 😂
I looked at a few of these about 5-6yrs ago. They were fairly priced compared to today. The rarity of parts, price of parts, and all the gremlins in these cars is what scared me away.
Always loved these Cadillac sports cars. Driven a few in my valet days. Rarely ever see them on the road now. And when I do, they are in pristine condition.
AT A CAR SHOW I MET THIS MAN WHO HAD ONE, BLACK, VERY LOW, XLRV, TWIN TURBO, SET LAND SPEED RECORDS AT THE DRY LAKES I SAW THE BIG POSTERS WITH WRITE UPS FROM DIFFERENT MAGAZINES, IT WENT LIKE 225+ MPH OR SO, IT WAS REALLY BAD ASS. STRAIGHT THRU EXHAUST, YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD THE ENGINE.
14:39 There is also a manual release along the floor next to the seat. Sadly I remember hearing a story about a elderly man who died trapped in his XLR because his battery died and didn't know where the release was.
I’ve currently got my 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP with 122k miles. I’m the second owner and has always been a Texas car. It’s been extremely reliable. Besides a few drops of oil on the garage floor after being parked it’s perfect. In fact I just got done taking it on a 1000mi trip and it didn’t give me a single issue. I also had 2 Cadillac STS-V’s years ago. Amazing cars, the LC3 was truly a beautiful engine and damn near bulletproof.
@@BenJammin427 it’s a great car, besides it being extremely difficult finding replacement interior parts it’s really a great car. Sure it’s a big car and doesn’t make big power but it sounds damn good and will get up and go on the highway
WOW. Mrs.Wizard is very knowledgeable and informed. Such a pleasant breath of fresh air to hear a true "car girl". Well done Mr.Wizard. Well done. Most men aren't that lucky my friend.
Repaint for sure. I'm fairly confident Xenon Blue was not offered in '04. The reason you don't see rust or dents in the bodywork is because they are basically a plastic material. You have a choice to make with the shocks. You can buy the OEM magnetorheological shocks, and that was my choice, or switch them out for Bilstein units and install an emulator to "fool" the computer into thinking the stock shocks are still there. Klaus at Top Hydraulics is the source for all top related issues. He has a great series of YT videos that cover the whole set-up. Those rotors are aftermarket, as the stock ones are solid, not drilled or slotted. Look for the small coolant hoses on top of the radiator - see a "tee" where three hoses come together? Replace that "tee" with a brass one because the stock plastic piece can break. I like the rain-sensing wipers, radar cruise control with variable following distance and the heads-up display. The CD player is a five disc, you feed it one disc at a time, and there's a DVD slot behind the fold-down infotainment screen - bonus points if yours came with the navigation disc. You can add the bluetooth module like Video Bob did, but only if the car came with optional XM, otherwise you'll have to use something else. Check the tail lights to make sure all the LEDs light up when the brake is pressed. Rebuilds are $500. I'd advise you to add LED bulbs to the orange front running lights. Incandescent lights melt the orange lenses. Add load resistors to keep the turn signals from hyperflashing. A Corvette rear sway bar and associated brackets bolts right on, all the attachment points are there. Mine has 108K miles on it and runs flawlessly. Oh, and Michelin Pilot Sport all season tires aren't too expensive, grip like crazy and wear well.
I too love the XLR. I had one a few years ago and it was very good to drive and be seen in as it was so unique. Sadly the roof went wrong and the dealer couldn't fix it and also broke the radio for good measure. A pity GM did not support it properly with parts availability and technicians who knew what they were doing.
I don't know, having 10k into a car like that in great condition with the head gasket and oil pan and etc freshly sorted doesn't seem like a bad deal to me. Have you seen the garbage they are selling in that price range today?
Proof they do minimal R&D on their new engine designs. Never trust a GM motor that is less than 10 years old in it's inherent design beginnings. That's why the only GM vehicles I'd ever own have either the 3800 V6 or a Chevy small block pushrod V8. With NO cylinder deactivation!
We can all agree despite the disaster head gasket failure the northstar is a damn good engine when working properly, the key to these engines is making sure your cooling system works properly if not these things will explode
We had a 2004 XLR that developed a leak in the engine output seal to the drive shaft around 150K miles. No other issues that that. We were very happy with the car. ^v^
I looked at those as they were being assembled at the corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky many years ago. They didn’t try out very many. They had their own assembly line.
It'd be cool to see you add an ELR to the new Cadillac collection. Both the XLR and ELR are definitely future collectibles. Both have crazy low production numbers and are very cool. Congrats on your new Caddy, Wizard!
Northstar engines never had a head gasket issue. They had a head bolt pulling out of the block issue. While it was improved in '04, it was never solved. Newer engines would still pull bolts out of the block. Once repaired with NP head stud kit, engine is problem-free, especially if one does the timing kit and bottom end reseal "while you are in there". Great engine once properly repaired. Good buy Wizard.
11:44 - "its a push-button" - I've got an STS with the same push-button ignition. You can check the odometer without starting the engine by holding down the ACC button for a few seconds. That'll essentially put the car in RUN without actually starting the engine. It seems the XLR is just as quirky as my STS is... its probably full of little idiosynchroies like that.
“Why did you buy this?” Because the LH2 and LC3 shares name and displacement with the FWD siblings only - these do not share the same issues as an LD8 or L37 FWD car… the LH2 and LC3 longitudinal engines are extremely reliable, and most importantly don’t blow head gaskets… Issues with FWD models were fixed as of 2004, however with neglect the FWD’s can still blow, though it’s rare in an 04+. I’m not sure how it costs $5000 to restud a Northstar, Northstar Performance does the entire job for $2500CAD lol. You can also still get the XLR for $9-15k pretty much anytime. The ones asking $30,000+ with 70,000+ miles aren’t gonna get it. This car is Xenon Blue with Shale interior. Nice combo. GM could not integrate VVT into FWD models due to the already present torque steer. FWD VVT prototypes *were* made, but the torque steer quickly put a stop to that development for FWD. There wouldn’t be any overheating with an LH2 unless your thermostat is toast… because again these don’t blow head gaskets and don’t need to be tested for 25 minutes like a FWD car does. You don’t have to start the car. You can just hit the button without your foot on the brake to put it into accessory mode. Yes the oil pan gasket can leak. As can the valve covers. But it’s a conventional job on these, and the engine isn’t going to grenade itself like a FWD.
@@ic1815 that is awesome man, I actually got another NorthStar car a 2005 Bonneville GXP. Just got done taking it on a 1000mi trip and gave me zero issues. It drip a few drops of oil once it’s been sitting over night but that’s typical for an older car and a NorthStar haha
All facts, I hate these LS fanboys acting like the LS doesn’t have its own issues. The 6.2 in my Escalade needs constant repairs! The LC3 in my STS-V has 300k miles with no leaks!
Northstar performance in california would build you a nasty NA northstar- these things spin to 9200 rpms all stock with just a valve spring swap and more fuel. Its all forged - there is no 4 bolt mains- the crankshaft sits in a craddle like in an F1 racecar (thats why he keeps talking about the Lower oil pan)
There's a guy that did that swap and dynod it. I don't remember the numbers. I'm putting thought into doing it as I have the forged 403 from my Z06 sitting in my garage as we speak. My buddy said to just get an aftermarket setup to run the thing so that when emissions came due ...the normal computer would read ready states for all the tests and I would pass. I dunno yet what I will do.
Only people who never owned or don’t know NorthStar engines, have bad things to say about them. LS engines are plagued with their own problems. My NorthStar engines have never failed me!! 2009 XLR-V/2008 STS-V/1993 Allante owner. 💯💯
Reminds me of an r129 Mercedes. Even the engine looks similar to the m119 with the cam shaft advancers on the front of the engine. Same 320 horsepower too although cadillac has an inferior interior. Convertible top looks to be a nightmare as well just like r129
ayyy I'm glad My eyes didnt deceive me. In that very first shot I was like "I think those calipers are fake..." then "nahh surely the car wizard would call attention to it if they were" . Lo and behold you did lol! Dont know if I would ever have the guts to buy a car with such a low supply of used parts. But I always loved the look of the xlr's. I really wish cadillac brought them back during the massive c7 boom, they seemed to be on a roll with the ctsv and atsv, I'm sure they could have made one amazing car off the c7 platform. Oh well.
First of all, it’s a brilliant engine when working. These rear wheel drive version usually do well. But I’m glad everyone thinks they’re junk. Keeps my cost down. Currently enjoying my ‘06 DTS, and I will own an XLR one day.
That's because they are junk. LMAO, you can keep anything Cadillac. I'll stay miles from them. I'll stick to Toyota, and Honda, and Lexus if I can afford the fancy Toyota.
@@shuway9422 This model run is far from junk. Any post '05 LH2 Northstar is actually a great engine. You just have to take care of it. Standard maintenance and fluid changes are a must and like most cars it lasts longest when you actually use it. The STS, DTS, and XLR (never mind the Escalade) are all solid choices. In my opinion it's the last time Cadillac chose luxury over sport.
I've always liked and wanted one of these cars...just never understood why they made a Cadillac Corvette but made it slower than the actual Vette, putting a Northstar in it instead of an LS...either way, neat, unique cars.
All separate divisions within the "GM" family are competitive with each other. Cadillac had the Northstar in development as an in-house derivative of the C4 ZR-1 Corvette's LT5 engine, and wanted to take advantage of the marketing they had already invested in, touting the Northstar as being featured in some of the racing series of the day. They simply wanted their Cadillac car powered by a Cadillac engine so Chevy wouldn't have any bracing rights. ^v^
If I remember correctly, by 2004, all the head gasket/head bolt issues were finally fixed. The XLR used the LH2 Northstar (good for 320HP) while the non performance oriented DTS/Lucerne used the LD8 (275HP) and the performance oriented DTS/Lucerne Super used the L37 (292HP in final NHP form)
@@ZzzsamzzzG59 and you could always tell if a Lucerne had a V6 (there were two different V6s depending on model year) or the Northstar by the number of VentiPorts on the front fenders.
nope, wasn't until late and for sure by 2006, like i said above, don't take my word for it check northstar engine facts. and it was studs and sleeve o-rings that were the problem.
It was a crime that it took them a dozen years to put in good head bolts. Low mileage RWD Northstars (SRX, STS, XLR) are now rare. I've had 2004 and 2008 FWD ones for 15 years without engine problems.
I had a 2001 STS, absolutely loved that car. I’m still in contact with the current owner, it’s new done over 130,000 miles and still going storing with the original head bolts.
The XLR is my favorite caddy model and probably my favorite American car. I would love to have the supercharged V one day. I’m just a College student now lmao
Beautiful convertible hot rod for cheep. Great find if in good shape with low miles. The engine is smoother than the ls. I have checked bring a trailer and cant believe the prices of cool cars. Love you channel and all your cool cars.
I had transmission selenoids go bad on my 95 Aurora twice. Thankfully it was covered under warranty. When the motor blew itself up at 64,000 miles it wasn't covered. That was a 7-month ordeal finding a motor and getting it replaced.
I think it would be helpful if you gave a ballpark price estimate of what a customer would be charged to have the same repairs. I have been looking to buy a XLR and it would help in my decision making.
I worked on an Oldsmobile Intrigue with the Short star engine. I managed to get the engine out through the top of the engine bay once the heads were off. Installed threaded inserts in the block. Car ran for a number of years after that.
I had a 2001 Intrigue with the Shortstar. It was a GL model with upgrades that made it basically the GLS trim line, and had nearly all of the luxury comforts of a Cadillac. I got 225K out of it before it started overheating. I couldn't bear to junk it, so I sold it to a young guy who needed body and interior parts for his Intrigue. TBH, it is my favorite car. Some days I miss it!
Put Corsa exhaust on my 06 Star Black Edition and it sounds terrific. Never listen to the radio anymore because the exhaust note carries a better tune.
Gorgeous car! By the way, even the early Northstar V8s were only bad if the headbolts were overtorqued at assembly. If you have one over say 120K mi., you (luckily) got a good one... like me. (My '99 DeVille just hit 203K mi. and runs like new.)
No. The early Northstar cars required meticulous maintenance, especially the cooling system. Mess up on the maintenance, even a little, and they went into self destruct mode. OK for a mechanic, or someone who is anal, but not so good for the average motorist. The later cars were an improvement , but not by much. Today I saw a DTS with the supposedly 'upgraded' 4.6 blowing smoke out the tailpipes like it was a diesel.
@@MrSloika I have a friend that worked at GM-Hamtramck... (had, actually, r.i.p.) Anyway, Northstar V8s have aluminum headbolts that stretch by design. The theory was they could reseal even if overheated. Unfortunately, a bunch got overtorqued. These would stretch and fail even at normal operating temperatures. So you could be the most meticulous person ever and they'd still fail IF they were overtorqued at assembly. I take very good care of my vehicles AND got lucky enough to get a good one.
@@Dana_Danarosana Um, no. The head bolts were not aluminum, they were steel. Head bolts that are stretched on installation are called 'torque-to-yield' bolts and they have nothing to do with overheating. Torque-to-yield bolts provide a more consistent clamping force. These type of head bolts were not unique to Cadillac, lots of cars use them. First car I worked on with torque-to-yield bolts was a 1981 Ford Escort. The Northstar was a crap engine.
Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. Great looking car. Great car for you, a mechanic. As I was told Northstar engine = mechanics full employment act. OH, how Cadillac has fallen from the mid-late 50s - through the 1980s. You will note as Toyotas killed Buick and Chevy sales, Lexus has decimated Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Mercedes sales.
2 more things I noticed inside the car that weren't mentioned... it appears to have adaptive cruise control??? Hence the cruise buttons marked "Gap" which is impressive for the time period! Also, I noticed a "Map" button on the infotainment center, this thing has navigation?!?! Also, pretty prime for the time period. This car was really advanced for its time!
Cadillac offered night vision and touch screen navigation in 2000. Yes, the XLR has adaptive cruise control, cooled seats, touch screen navigation that is actually able to still be used easily, speakers in the seats, magnetic ride control… the list goes on and on.
I have seen one of those (it was an XLR-V) driven in anger - in St Petersburg, Russia several years ago, when it was a little saner there. Sounded like a jet going by...
Imagine the conversation between the Car Wizard and the Car owner. "What other cars do you own?" "Um, both a Chevy Traverse, a GMC Terrain, a Ford 5.4 3 valve Triton, and a Nissan with a 2.5 four with a CVT..." What do you do for a living, sir?" "I run a junkyard. Why?" *Facepalm*
I love your taste in cars..oddly enough I have had a 89' Allante, r129-SL 500(currently) and a couple of 84' c-4 Vettes, I look like a circus bear trying to get out. Unfortunately the Allante had interior issues, all the plastic parts just kept falling apart. I've been trying to find a roadster that feels good road wise. I even tried a 03' T-Bird but lots of body flex. I'm really happy with the SL500 working my way through a few issues. Enjoy the XLR, beautiful ride! That's my favorite roadster!
Honestly the RWD LH2 Northstar is a really solid engine. It was a heavy redesign adding variable valve timing and some very sophisticated engine management. The worst thing you can say about it is fuel economy is poor for the power output. But they are pretty stout. I've had two. It went into the 04-09 SRX and 05-10 STS, most commonly.
Ok.Don't fix'em! I love those late '90's/early 2k's Caddys. My kid had a '98 deVille with a NorthStar, and I own an '03 CTS that I want your shop to go through. I am hoping that I can get you guys to work on it.
I always liked the styling of these and would always check them out at the dealer when I had my H3 in for service. I always thought with a Corvette engine and a manual transmission it would’ve been a better seller.
i've seen several videos on here of someone actually changing it to the corvette drivetrain, apparently not an easy conversion. but i agree totally, love the car but always been leery of the northstar and shortstar
Very interesting my friend has one now I know what to ask him about. I love my 2005 Catera Touring Sedan. My T chain, brake lines, sparkolaters, oil and antifreeze cost me $860 with labor. Like Hoovies has said, GM Plastic is Fantastic. Now I need to fix the vacuum leak issue hopefully it's not the $800 dollar box thing he told me about. Otherwise it is awesome!!!
I have an almost like new 1972 Ford Pinto Squire wagon. 34K miles. It has been repainted and has fairly new woodgrain vinyl on it. The bottom is as clean as the top. Interior is mint. 2.0L SOHC 4 speed. Virtually no body or interior parts are available for it at any price, including glass, tail lights and side marker lights. It has the original optional 13" 5 slot Appliance Aluminum wheels, that use actual mag wheel lug nuts, the ones with washers. The only place I can get correct tires for it is Coker Tire, and by the time all is said and done, it's about $1600 for a new set of tires installed. I keep it in the garage, and take it out and drive it around on residential streets once in a while. If it gets damaged, there is likely no way to repair it. A broken windshield would total it. I bought it many years ago, because it is identical to the car, color and all, that my dad bought new in 1972. It is almost certainly the nicest one in existence, and one of very few still in existence in any condition. You will never see one in a salvage yard. 99% of them got crushed. Don't buy a car you can't get parts for if you intend to drive it. I think I would have bought a C5 Corvette instead of that XLR.
I think 9k with that mileage was a solid buy! The price of replacement headlights and taillights is staggering 🙄. Assume you will be able to get the top working by spring!
RWD Northstars don't suffer as much head gasket failure as the FWD cars. My personal theory is the more even heating of not having one cylinder bank uo against the firewall. The last gen STS (after they dropped the Seville name) and the first gen SRX used the same VVT Northstar. I still miss my '99 Eldorado Touring Coupe though.
Nice buy Wizard! I've always loved these XLR's, they look so sweet. Can't wait to see it all fixed up. The interior looks great, needs a good detail but it'll clean up nice.
Hey, nice to see that car. I worked on the ECU software around 2001. Done a lot of software optimizations so that the dual C167 can handle the engine management up to the 6500rpm red line. That was a fun project.
Welcome to XLR ownership Wiz!!! Pop the top and let it shine!!!
Thanks VideoBob! Everyone, go check out VideoBobs channel. Very cool videos!
Beautiful car!!! They don’t make them like they used to that’s for sure 😢
Time for some red overalls CW!
Yooo, it's Radio Bob! I love your channel man, your life advice and cooking segments are always my favorite!
I remember when Howe Long the sports caster/retired Oakland Raider was driving and hocking them. My Aunt had the 32v NorthStar in her STS Seville and never had a lick of trouble. Darn thing would get ridiculous milage on long trips with the cruse set (34 MPG plus)
GM: "I,ve got an idea!!!. Lets take the Corvette and remove probably the greatest engine we've ever engineered for hot rodding, cheap horsepower, and reliability and take it out. Then put in the Northstar.........Genius I know.." *Everyone in board room stands and claps*
Lol yup pretty much. Should have used the LS2.
Except this isn’t the Northstar you think it is lmfao. These engines are excellent.
@@ic1815 If you are trying to convince me any Northstar is a better choice in a Corvette than LS based engine it's not happening haha. Just based on parts availability alone the LS stomps the North Star into the dust
@@gearjammergamer8560 that’s not the point lol.
@@gearjammergamer8560 Yeah I'd never personally own a car with any Northstar but that's just me. I'm happy with my LS and it's very reliable and has decent power. I can open up a parts catalog (and my wallet) and get another 200 reliable HP out of it without spending a fortune.
I toured the corvette assembly plant when I graduated college in 07. These XLRs are basically hand built, and were not on the line with the corvettes. They had their own much shorter line.
Thanks for sharing that! I always knew that the XLR was the only non-Corvette built at Bowling Green, I didn't know the process though. BTW, I also visited Bowling Green for the tour back in 1991- it was early in the C4 ZR1 years and saw a few there and the lone 1983 Corvette which at the time was in the lobby of the factory. Of course, it is now at the National Corvette Museum which I also visited the beginnings of before they even had their building at the time, they were operating out of a storefront in a strip mall and trying to raise money for their current facility.
Man, I want to go back to Bowling Green sooooo bad. I'm glad that you too got to enjoy the tour.
You must've visited the Duesenburg -cord Auburn car museum in Auburn
Many including this site seem to think these are basically a Corvette. They are NOT.
Only Northstar Engines were used in the XLR's. Going rate for choice XLRs is $40,000 in Canada.
Considering it’s a different engine and a different chassis it would have surprised me to hear they were on the same production line. That would sound very inefficient.
One advice. Don't leave your cell phone near the start button when you get out of the car. You might not be able to get in. It's an early kind of NFC, like the one on our phones nowadays. It can interfer with the signal from the remote and you won't be able to unlock the door. It happen to me and I was lucky to have the key itself in my pocket because there is a key hole hidden in the rear bumper to open the trunk. Then, you can open the door manualy. Enjoy your rides!! 🙂
Ohhh Jesus 🤦♀️
XLR owner here, 2006. First of all, I've done a lot of research and once and for all, the Northstars were fixed and made right somewhere around 2003, just don't buy one earlier than that. But aside from that, I normally keep my toy cars only a couple of years, and I've had plenty of them: '67 Riviera GS, several Cadillacs and Lincolns including a '63 4-door convertible, a DeLorean (new), Mercedes 450SL's (2), Porsche 944 Turbo and 928 (2), Dodge Stealth Turbo, Plymouth Prowler, Ferrari 360 Spider, BMW i8, etc. The XLR is now going on 12 years and I have no plans to sell it; I just love this car. The best of both worlds with the retractable hardtop, rare, gorgeous, decent performance (mine isn't a V either), and one of the few convertibles that looks every bit as good with the top up as with it down. The only real problem I've had all those years was having to replace the hydraulic pump for the top. Other than that, yes, the trunk insists on leaking no matter what you do, but ironically it is the only convertible I've ever had (and I've had 9) that doesn't leak a drop inside the car, even through car washes. The only real downside is that I'm terrified of being hit; as the Wizard said, the headlights and taillights are not available except used, and for a fortune IF you can find them.
Wizard, you are an incredibly lucky man having a Mrs. Wizard who shares your passion for awesome cars and who doesn't box your ears on a regular basis... at least not in public. Mrs. Wizard, you are a rare gem. Thank you both for some of the best automotive content on the interwebs.
Agree!!!
As a V owner, I gotta applaud the choice Wizard. Xenon blue is an awesome color in the sun too Edit: I'd replace all the gaudy gold badging with the proper silver/chrome
I personally like the gold badging but to each their own
While your changing the gaudy Gold 1990's/2000's emblems, remove those ugly ass red brake caliper covers and change the rotors back to stock as there small enough and you don't need slotted and drilled rotors, please Amen!
@@toddsholtis4470 Those are the stock calipers on that car.
@@jreyman maybe the calipers are but I was referring to the garish aftermarket red metal shields...
That's actually an amazing color on the blue red or black the XLR came in
Never been a big GM guy, but I've always loved their oddball cars. The XLR, Arora, Allante, G8, ect... The ones that never really had a chance, but were actually... dare I say damn near brilliant. The Northstar itself is such a shame. It's really too bad it's name was tainted by the time they finally got it right. So much potential. Just like GM always does. So close to making the perfect thing, buuuut juuuust missed it.
I still think the Aurora was a high point in design. Very of its period, of course, but there is 100% chance of having one in my fantasy garage.
@@NFMazdaspeed i agree, the design has aged like fine wine, it's very beautiful.
The G8 could have evolved into a hellcat challenger
Love the ssr I have sometimes except the a/c and top don’t work
The Northstar is actually an excellent engine, just need to replace gaskets and bulletproof it. Modern engines are much worse.
I toured this line with my dad in Bowling Green back when they first came out. My brother in law worked the Corvette side as an engineer. May dad passed away in January, this car reminds me of the good times we shared. Thanks wizzard.
I own a 2008 XLR-V (bought it off a lease). It's been a great car. 39M miles and it is a head turner here in L.A. ( drive it on weekends). The bad: Interior is more like a Chevy and not a Cadillac. But the car is a keeper and has been relatively trouble free in11 years of ownership. Key to owning any car is replacing fluids per manual recommendations (or sooner).
39M...or 39K😆😆😆
39 Million Miles?!!!!!
@@RDCM1008 It is the Roman numeral for 1000, but I have never seen it used in any modern application.
Definitely super cheap on the inside
Sit in a C5 corvette interior and tell me how chevy the interior of an XLR-V is.
You don't need to start the car to see the mileage. You can push the start button without pushing the brake to start it and it should display the odometer.
It seems the only person who should buy a Northstar is a mechanic, because for a normal person it would be too expensive to own a car which you know is gonna need major repairs.
Not even that, why would you waste your time in just dealing with a headache? Some people have more time than sense and the hours you spend working on them is just not worth it. I had a friend who used to spend his entire weekend working on his car, He had a 64 Chevelle and it drove his wife crazy because she wanted to just get out of the house.
Thanks EuroAsian Bob, we all appreciate your car connections and thanks Wizard for all the content
ass kisser
Bob is a good character on his own and I also really like his chemistry and connections with the car guys around that area.
I have the same VVT Northstar in my ‘08 SRX, 4k RPM and above is no joke. Once those cams change timing it’s like a whole different animal. That big heavy SUV will move when you rev it. My engine has a bunch of foam and padding over the intake / heads / cams / ignition coils for noise mitigation. Pretty cool they left all that off the Cadivette so you can actually hear the engine!
When I was 19 I had a 98 STS in diamond white pearl with tan soft top, 22" wheels and limo tint. My uncle in-law helped me change the oil and double gasketed it... Overheated on the way home, mechanic said it threw a rod and the engine needed to be replaced. I loved that car so much I paid $1500 for a used Northstar and $1700 to have it installed, even though I only paid $3300 for it (in 2007). Took them 2 months, car never ran right after that. It would stall when stopped even though it was an automatic.
Hahaha.....they bent you over and fucked you. I bet you get run over by people constantly.
Lol damn, always gotta double check that old filter for it just to be safe
Exactly one of the reasons I never let anyone fuck around with my car or god forbid attempt to help me.
I payed $1,200 on mine just to get the AC fixed lol in 2005 lol
It sounds like they didn't install your transmission correctly if it stalls when you stop
I was in Bowling Green taking a factory tour when the last pre-production XLR's were being given the fine tooth comb treatment and grease pencil circles on paint work. Really cool experience. Good Luck with your new to you XLR.
I had a Bonneville GXP with a NorthStar. I drove it for almost 7 years, and got it to 170k miles. Except for right at the end, it was very reliable for me, although I did have to change the starter twice in those 5 years, which was a real PITA for this DIY shadetree mechanic. Its wasn't a super hot rod, but it made good power and was fun to drive.
"wasn't a super hot rod" yeah, too many people are all up on 600 hp and all that, like who needs that? If you're just cruising around and need to get on a highway or whatever, 300 +/- is fine unless you're driving a tank.
It's like Hoovie's lightning: it can do 0 - 60 in THREE seconds! Yeah? BFD...it can't tow a 1500 lbs trailer 100 miles.
I like the Bonneville for the size . But the crappy Northstar! Why didn't they install the 5.3 LS like in the Grand Prix GXP?
I just saw one of these cars in silver in a restaurant parking lot last weekend. First time I had ever seen one in person. They are certainly an attractive vehicle in person....and very unique.
You couldn't get any uniquer........../s
My probably favourite newer Cadillac is the STS V. The funny thing is, nobody know anything about them, even I didn't before I saw Patrick Swayze drive it in The Beast. It was a solid E55 competitor back in the day.
Yeah, it's funny indeed. As an owner of pristine 08' STS-V with only 29K miles on it, I do have to say that it's one hell of a ride. You get an ultimate luxus and runs like Devil's dog
Used to work at Ourisman dealership two years ago and there was one XLR that got traded sometime before I started working. When it was a slow day at work I used to take the cars to our car lot which was 2 miles aways from the stealer I mean dealership. I drove the XLR multiple times and even took it to my neighborhood once, that car drives amazing and the engine note is marvelous. The interior quality is typical GM but a bit better with BVLGARI dash instrument panel. Added around 20 miles to the odo since I started working there, and even ended up selling it myself to someone from NC (dealer was in DMV) and dude drove it back 4 hours right after purchase. I felt like I sold one of my own car and felt sad when it was missing in our lot. Probably one of the best car caddy churned out in the 2000s.
The Caddivette is a bucket list car. Jake Wiebe at Northstar Performance is the holder of a patented stud kit with larger diameter, improved thread pitch studs plus the alignment jig with machining components for consumer and commercial purchases, repair facility network and in-house sales and installation service with warranty for stock or performance upgrades
I was expecting over a 100k on the mileage for that price, wrecked somewhere since repaint, but with only 60K+ miles you did well I think. Needs the work you mentioned, detailing, and you're good to go down the road in style. I've always liked the XLR but they are too much $ with low miles usually. Good to have EAB for a connection!
it wasnt euroasian bob, it was video bob
Eab European American bank
EAB? You mean UB? I always hear him called urination bob.
If you push the start rocker button without your foot on the brake (or clutch in a M6 Vette) it's like turning a key to the run position without starting the car so you are able to access the DIC to see the mileage or other options. 🙂
Power hardtop roofs have been around since the 1956 Ford Fairlane, and almost 70 years later no matter how much technology has advanced, to get a hardtop roof to fold in and back up is still an extremely complex, sophisticated engineering feat. They might have replaced hydraulics and mechanical switches and relays with microprocessors and optical sensors, but getting solid steel to fold into itself and into a trunk is still just as mind boggling in 2022 as it was in 1956.
It is mesmerizing to watch the dance of body parts, windows and hinges work around themselves to fold away.
Love the XLR! I own a 2007, Northstar runs fantastic and currently at 150,000 miles!
Yeah sometimes you get lucky with the head gaskets. I had a 2000 Cadillac DeVille that had over 100k miles and no issues. I sold the car and regret it now because it was my favorite of the over 20 different cars I've owned since the caddie is like sitting on a sofa and it's a magic carpet ride with the air suspension and the Northstar is a really good sounding V8 with great punch to it. I have seen an xlr for sale in my area like what the wizard bought and it's been on the market forever haha. People are afraid of a Northstar 😂
Mrs Wizard was spot on with the rust protection as anyone with an older classic is great full for a few oily leaks.
We need to see you drive these cars more! I love seeing all about them but we need to see some before and after drives :)
LET HOOVIE BE YOUR TEST DRIVER!
I looked at a few of these about 5-6yrs ago. They were fairly priced compared to today. The rarity of parts, price of parts, and all the gremlins in these cars is what scared me away.
Always loved the look of the XLR. Still looks beautiful 20 years later!
I’m with you on this one, it has a curvy +edgy boxy design
I had no idea the trunk worked like that. Pretty cool! Can't wait to see this fixed up
Sounds like it works a lot harder than it's meant to. Hope the Wiz takes care of that, and that it's not too costly a fix
Always loved these Cadillac sports cars. Driven a few in my valet days. Rarely ever see them on the road now. And when I do, they are in pristine condition.
AT A CAR SHOW I MET THIS MAN WHO HAD ONE, BLACK, VERY LOW, XLRV, TWIN TURBO, SET LAND SPEED RECORDS AT THE DRY LAKES
I SAW THE BIG POSTERS WITH WRITE UPS FROM DIFFERENT MAGAZINES, IT WENT LIKE 225+ MPH OR SO, IT WAS REALLY BAD ASS.
STRAIGHT THRU EXHAUST, YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD THE ENGINE.
I'm usually a fan of red calipers, but I think silver or the gold from the XLR badge would look better on this. Sick ride!
14:39 There is also a manual release along the floor next to the seat. Sadly I remember hearing a story about a elderly man who died trapped in his XLR because his battery died and didn't know where the release was.
Yep. With red lettering. Poor old guy. So sad.
I’ve currently got my 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP with 122k miles. I’m the second owner and has always been a Texas car. It’s been extremely reliable. Besides a few drops of oil on the garage floor after being parked it’s perfect. In fact I just got done taking it on a 1000mi trip and it didn’t give me a single issue.
I also had 2 Cadillac STS-V’s years ago. Amazing cars, the LC3 was truly a beautiful engine and damn near bulletproof.
That’s a sweet ride. I had a ‘01 SLE. Always wanted the GXP
@@BenJammin427 it’s a great car, besides it being extremely difficult finding replacement interior parts it’s really a great car. Sure it’s a big car and doesn’t make big power but it sounds damn good and will get up and go on the highway
The LH2 and LC3 are bullet proof.
I love the dynamic between you and Ms. CarWizard! The banter and light teasing is hilarious.
I personally diecast many of those NorthStar blocks back in the day, possibly even that one. I work at a GM foundry
WOW. Mrs.Wizard is very knowledgeable and informed. Such a pleasant breath of fresh air to hear a true "car girl". Well done Mr.Wizard. Well done. Most men aren't that lucky my friend.
Take the caliper covers off and put on some C6Z brake calipers, paint them to match the car and it will look awesome.
Why. That's dumb
@ Jacob. What are 10 years old?
Repaint for sure. I'm fairly confident Xenon Blue was not offered in '04. The reason you don't see rust or dents in the bodywork is because they are basically a plastic material. You have a choice to make with the shocks. You can buy the OEM magnetorheological shocks, and that was my choice, or switch them out for Bilstein units and install an emulator to "fool" the computer into thinking the stock shocks are still there. Klaus at Top Hydraulics is the source for all top related issues. He has a great series of YT videos that cover the whole set-up. Those rotors are aftermarket, as the stock ones are solid, not drilled or slotted. Look for the small coolant hoses on top of the radiator - see a "tee" where three hoses come together? Replace that "tee" with a brass one because the stock plastic piece can break. I like the rain-sensing wipers, radar cruise control with variable following distance and the heads-up display. The CD player is a five disc, you feed it one disc at a time, and there's a DVD slot behind the fold-down infotainment screen - bonus points if yours came with the navigation disc. You can add the bluetooth module like Video Bob did, but only if the car came with optional XM, otherwise you'll have to use something else. Check the tail lights to make sure all the LEDs light up when the brake is pressed. Rebuilds are $500. I'd advise you to add LED bulbs to the orange front running lights. Incandescent lights melt the orange lenses. Add load resistors to keep the turn signals from hyperflashing. A Corvette rear sway bar and associated brackets bolts right on, all the attachment points are there. Mine has 108K miles on it and runs flawlessly. Oh, and Michelin Pilot Sport all season tires aren't too expensive, grip like crazy and wear well.
All good stuff. Well done, JB! ^v^
I too love the XLR. I had one a few years ago and it was very good to drive and be seen in as it was so unique. Sadly the roof went wrong and the dealer couldn't fix it and also broke the radio for good measure. A pity GM did not support it properly with parts availability and technicians who knew what they were doing.
Could have sent it to car wizard
To my knowledge we never got the XLR in Europe. It gives me major Mercedes SL500 vibes. It looks really awesome.
I don't know, having 10k into a car like that in great condition with the head gasket and oil pan and etc freshly sorted doesn't seem like a bad deal to me. Have you seen the garbage they are selling in that price range today?
Only took general motors 10 years to figure out the head gasket problem. For them that's pretty good.
Proof they do minimal R&D on their new engine designs. Never trust a GM motor that is less than 10 years old in it's inherent design beginnings. That's why the only GM vehicles I'd ever own have either the 3800 V6 or a Chevy small block pushrod V8. With NO cylinder deactivation!
Because fixing a car that owes you nothing is still cheaper than paying interest on a vehicle loan
We can all agree despite the disaster head gasket failure the northstar is a damn good engine when working properly, the key to these engines is making sure your cooling system works properly if not these things will explode
I love my 2005 XLR . mine has 175,000 miles. Kinda rare less than 15000 built in 6 years.
I was a tech at a Cadillac dealer back when those were new.
It’s almost never the lower oil pan that leaks. It’s the lower crankcase half that leaks.
We had a 2004 XLR that developed a leak in the engine output seal to the drive shaft around 150K miles. No other issues that that. We were very happy with the car. ^v^
I love the "Windows 95" description of the screen, that's a perfect way to describe it. Nice car guys!
I looked at those as they were being assembled at the corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky many years ago. They didn’t try out very many. They had their own assembly line.
It'd be cool to see you add an ELR to the new Cadillac collection. Both the XLR and ELR are definitely future collectibles. Both have crazy low production numbers and are very cool. Congrats on your new Caddy, Wizard!
👋
Kicking myself for not buying a really nice one 7 years ago for under 10k
I just bought an ‘06 XLR-V earlier this summer and I LOVE it. Such an underrated car
Northstar engines never had a head gasket issue. They had a head bolt pulling out of the block issue. While it was improved in '04, it was never solved. Newer engines would still pull bolts out of the block. Once repaired with NP head stud kit, engine is problem-free, especially if one does the timing kit and bottom end reseal "while you are in there". Great engine once properly repaired. Good buy Wizard.
Not a great engine if it needs Al that to make it almost reliable
11:44 - "its a push-button" - I've got an STS with the same push-button ignition. You can check the odometer without starting the engine by holding down the ACC button for a few seconds. That'll essentially put the car in RUN without actually starting the engine. It seems the XLR is just as quirky as my STS is... its probably full of little idiosynchroies like that.
“Why did you buy this?” Because the LH2 and LC3 shares name and displacement with the FWD siblings only - these do not share the same issues as an LD8 or L37 FWD car… the LH2 and LC3 longitudinal engines are extremely reliable, and most importantly don’t blow head gaskets…
Issues with FWD models were fixed as of 2004, however with neglect the FWD’s can still blow, though it’s rare in an 04+. I’m not sure how it costs $5000 to restud a Northstar, Northstar Performance does the entire job for $2500CAD lol.
You can also still get the XLR for $9-15k pretty much anytime. The ones asking $30,000+ with 70,000+ miles aren’t gonna get it.
This car is Xenon Blue with Shale interior. Nice combo.
GM could not integrate VVT into FWD models due to the already present torque steer. FWD VVT prototypes *were* made, but the torque steer quickly put a stop to that development for FWD.
There wouldn’t be any overheating with an LH2 unless your thermostat is toast… because again these don’t blow head gaskets and don’t need to be tested for 25 minutes like a FWD car does.
You don’t have to start the car. You can just hit the button without your foot on the brake to put it into accessory mode.
Yes the oil pan gasket can leak. As can the valve covers. But it’s a conventional job on these, and the engine isn’t going to grenade itself like a FWD.
So glad finally someone gets it, also the LC3 is amazing. I had two STS-V and they were my favorite cars.
@@jwjones91 I’ve had an STSV and like 6 FWD Northstar’s and one of the FWD cars had a gasket issue… lol. And I bought it that way knowing it was done.
Looks like Xenon Blue is about the same shade as Ming Blue Metallic (or the later Imperial Blue Metallic)
@@ic1815 that is awesome man, I actually got another NorthStar car a 2005 Bonneville GXP. Just got done taking it on a 1000mi trip and gave me zero issues. It drip a few drops of oil once it’s been sitting over night but that’s typical for an older car and a NorthStar haha
All facts, I hate these LS fanboys acting like the LS doesn’t have its own issues. The 6.2 in my Escalade needs constant repairs! The LC3 in my STS-V has 300k miles with no leaks!
Clearly this dude is a man of culture and highly refined automotive tastes...
The Wizards car collection is becoming very impressive!!!
In ‘04 & later when thr head bolt problem was resolved these were solid engines
Yes... the LH2.
I’ve wanted to find a messed up early one and LS swap it. I know I know. Think it would be a cool highway cruiser. The folding top setup entices me
Northstar performance in california would build you a nasty NA northstar- these things spin to 9200 rpms all stock with just a valve spring swap and more fuel. Its all forged - there is no 4 bolt mains- the crankshaft sits in a craddle like in an F1 racecar (thats why he keeps talking about the Lower oil pan)
My thinking exactly what would it entail to do it LS swap!
@@1DEADBEEF1 they don't seem to mess with the XLR stuff. I was all excited.
There's a guy that did that swap and dynod it. I don't remember the numbers.
I'm putting thought into doing it as I have the forged 403 from my Z06 sitting in my garage as we speak. My buddy said to just get an aftermarket setup to run the thing so that when emissions came due ...the normal computer would read ready states for all the tests and I would pass. I dunno yet what I will do.
it'd essentially just be a c5 corvette at that point but there's nothing wrong with that
Only people who never owned or don’t know NorthStar engines, have bad things to say about them. LS engines are plagued with their own problems. My NorthStar engines have never failed me!! 2009 XLR-V/2008 STS-V/1993 Allante owner. 💯💯
Reminds me of an r129 Mercedes. Even the engine looks similar to the m119 with the cam shaft advancers on the front of the engine. Same 320 horsepower too although cadillac has an inferior interior. Convertible top looks to be a nightmare as well just like r129
This car was GMs answer to the Mercedes SL.
ayyy I'm glad My eyes didnt deceive me. In that very first shot I was like "I think those calipers are fake..." then "nahh surely the car wizard would call attention to it if they were" . Lo and behold you did lol! Dont know if I would ever have the guts to buy a car with such a low supply of used parts. But I always loved the look of the xlr's. I really wish cadillac brought them back during the massive c7 boom, they seemed to be on a roll with the ctsv and atsv, I'm sure they could have made one amazing car off the c7 platform. Oh well.
It needs to go to Hoovies detailer for a full detail. Nice car guys.
yeah those guys do amazing work.....
Congrats on the new ride buddy!!! I hope you & your wife really enjoy it!
First of all, it’s a brilliant engine when working. These rear wheel drive version usually do well. But I’m glad everyone thinks they’re junk. Keeps my cost down. Currently enjoying my ‘06 DTS, and I will own an XLR one day.
That's because they are junk. LMAO, you can keep anything Cadillac. I'll stay miles from them. I'll stick to Toyota, and Honda, and Lexus if I can afford the fancy Toyota.
@@shuway9422 🥱 boring, boring, boring. You are so cheap you bought a car for transportation?? Live a little.
@@shuway9422 This model run is far from junk. Any post '05 LH2 Northstar is actually a great engine. You just have to take care of it. Standard maintenance and fluid changes are a must and like most cars it lasts longest when you actually use it. The STS, DTS, and XLR (never mind the Escalade) are all solid choices. In my opinion it's the last time Cadillac chose luxury over sport.
@@shuway9422 thanks. I currently own 5 of them. Just drove my 81 Cadillac over 1200 miles. Doing just fine
@@mahatma171 '81 Cadillac still running reliably? Must be the 368 without cylinder deactivation lol
I've always liked and wanted one of these cars...just never understood why they made a Cadillac Corvette but made it slower than the actual Vette, putting a Northstar in it instead of an LS...either way, neat, unique cars.
All separate divisions within the "GM" family are competitive with each other. Cadillac had the Northstar in development as an in-house derivative of the C4 ZR-1 Corvette's LT5 engine, and wanted to take advantage of the marketing they had already invested in, touting the Northstar as being featured in some of the racing series of the day. They simply wanted their Cadillac car powered by a Cadillac engine so Chevy wouldn't have any bracing rights. ^v^
If I remember correctly, by 2004, all the head gasket/head bolt issues were finally fixed. The XLR used the LH2 Northstar (good for 320HP) while the non performance oriented DTS/Lucerne used the LD8 (275HP) and the performance oriented DTS/Lucerne Super used the L37 (292HP in final NHP form)
I could have sworn these had LS1 in them.
yep, 2006+ for the DTS and Lucerne's the head gasket was fixed, and maybe the last model year deville's, xlr's, etc.
@@ZzzsamzzzG59 and you could always tell if a Lucerne had a V6 (there were two different V6s depending on model year) or the Northstar by the number of VentiPorts on the front fenders.
nope, wasn't until late and for sure by 2006, like i said above, don't take my word for it check northstar engine facts. and it was studs and sleeve o-rings that were the problem.
It was a crime that it took them a dozen years to put in good head bolts. Low mileage RWD Northstars (SRX, STS, XLR) are now rare. I've had 2004 and 2008 FWD ones for 15 years without engine problems.
I'm 42 and have driven Cadillacs since my early 20's I currently own 4
I had a 2001 STS, absolutely loved that car. I’m still in contact with the current owner, it’s new done over 130,000 miles and still going storing with the original head bolts.
The XLR is my favorite caddy model and probably my favorite American car. I would love to have the supercharged V one day. I’m just a College student now lmao
Beautiful convertible hot rod for cheep. Great find if in good shape with low miles. The engine is smoother than the ls. I have checked bring a trailer and cant believe the prices of cool cars. Love you channel and all your cool cars.
I had transmission selenoids go bad on my 95 Aurora twice. Thankfully it was covered under warranty. When the motor blew itself up at 64,000 miles it wasn't covered. That was a 7-month ordeal finding a motor and getting it replaced.
I think it would be helpful if you gave a ballpark price estimate of what a customer would be charged to have the same repairs. I have been looking to buy a XLR and it would help in my decision making.
I worked on an Oldsmobile Intrigue with the Short star engine. I managed to get the engine out through the top of the engine bay once the heads were off. Installed threaded inserts in the block. Car ran for a number of years after that.
I had a 2001 Intrigue with the Shortstar. It was a GL model with upgrades that made it basically the GLS trim line, and had nearly all of the luxury comforts of a Cadillac. I got 225K out of it before it started overheating. I couldn't bear to junk it, so I sold it to a young guy who needed body and interior parts for his Intrigue. TBH, it is my favorite car. Some days I miss it!
Those mufflers are huge, you need to get a nice small mufflers that won't be so heavy. The Northstar does sound really nice with aftermarket exhaust
Put Corsa exhaust on my 06 Star Black Edition and it sounds terrific. Never listen to the radio anymore because the exhaust note carries a better tune.
Good buy , the rwd Northstars never had the head bolt issue , and buy like 04 or something they had that issue fixed for the fwd ones
Gorgeous car! By the way, even the early Northstar V8s were only bad if the headbolts were overtorqued at assembly. If you have one over say 120K mi., you (luckily) got a good one... like me. (My '99 DeVille just hit 203K mi. and runs like new.)
No. The early Northstar cars required meticulous maintenance, especially the cooling system. Mess up on the maintenance, even a little, and they went into self destruct mode. OK for a mechanic, or someone who is anal, but not so good for the average motorist. The later cars were an improvement , but not by much. Today I saw a DTS with the supposedly 'upgraded' 4.6 blowing smoke out the tailpipes like it was a diesel.
@@MrSloika I have a friend that worked at GM-Hamtramck... (had, actually, r.i.p.) Anyway, Northstar V8s have aluminum headbolts that stretch by design. The theory was they could reseal even if overheated. Unfortunately, a bunch got overtorqued. These would stretch and fail even at normal operating temperatures. So you could be the most meticulous person ever and they'd still fail IF they were overtorqued at assembly. I take very good care of my vehicles AND got lucky enough to get a good one.
@@Dana_Danarosana Um, no. The head bolts were not aluminum, they were steel. Head bolts that are stretched on installation are called 'torque-to-yield' bolts and they have nothing to do with overheating. Torque-to-yield bolts provide a more consistent clamping force. These type of head bolts were not unique to Cadillac, lots of cars use them. First car I worked on with torque-to-yield bolts was a 1981 Ford Escort. The Northstar was a crap engine.
Wrong... the LH2 was the only good version.
Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. Great looking car. Great car for you, a mechanic. As I was told Northstar engine = mechanics full employment act. OH, how Cadillac has fallen from the mid-late 50s - through the 1980s. You will note as Toyotas killed Buick and Chevy sales, Lexus has decimated Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Mercedes sales.
I'm curious on the car wizards recommendation on which headstud upgrade he recommends for the Northstar.
Northstar performance was mentioned in a previous video
These cars already have upgraded northstar for heads not an issue on these also I have a v and no adaptive cruise that I know of?
Longer studs drilled deeper, with beefier threads.
Don't bother with any Northstar equipped cars. You need a Northstar like you need another asshole.
You can turn on just the accessories by pushing the bottom of the start switch, I had a STS with the same switch
2 more things I noticed inside the car that weren't mentioned... it appears to have adaptive cruise control??? Hence the cruise buttons marked "Gap" which is impressive for the time period! Also, I noticed a "Map" button on the infotainment center, this thing has navigation?!?! Also, pretty prime for the time period. This car was really advanced for its time!
Cadillac offered night vision and touch screen navigation in 2000. Yes, the XLR has adaptive cruise control, cooled seats, touch screen navigation that is actually able to still be used easily, speakers in the seats, magnetic ride control… the list goes on and on.
@@ic1815 Wild! Amazes me how long certain technologies have been offered in cars.
@@man_on_wheelz and it was all standard equipment on XLR 🙂
Navigation systems have been around for about forty years. I remember a couple of brands in the early 80s.
delphi forewarn adaptive cruise
first offered on the 2000 jaguar xkr
I have seen one of those (it was an XLR-V) driven in anger - in St Petersburg, Russia several years ago, when it was a little saner there. Sounded like a jet going by...
Imagine the conversation between the Car Wizard and the Car owner. "What other cars do you own?" "Um, both a Chevy Traverse, a GMC Terrain, a Ford 5.4 3 valve Triton, and a Nissan with a 2.5 four with a CVT..." What do you do for a living, sir?" "I run a junkyard. Why?" *Facepalm*
Don't forget the Chevrolet Cruz. dodge avenger. And any lotus.
@jdslyman top gear were out of their fuckin minds on that one, my mom has one and it's a fantastic car
Lmao. Where is the Euro section of this junkyard? I need many items for a 2005 BMW
I love your taste in cars..oddly enough I have had a 89' Allante, r129-SL 500(currently) and a couple of 84' c-4 Vettes, I look like a circus bear trying to get out. Unfortunately the Allante had interior issues, all the plastic parts just kept falling apart. I've been trying to find a roadster that feels good road wise. I even tried a 03' T-Bird but lots of body flex. I'm really happy with the SL500 working my way through a few issues. Enjoy the XLR, beautiful ride! That's my favorite roadster!
Honestly the RWD LH2 Northstar is a really solid engine. It was a heavy redesign adding variable valve timing and some very sophisticated engine management. The worst thing you can say about it is fuel economy is poor for the power output. But they are pretty stout. I've had two. It went into the 04-09 SRX and 05-10 STS, most commonly.
Ok.Don't fix'em! I love those late '90's/early 2k's Caddys. My kid had a '98 deVille with a NorthStar, and I own an '03 CTS that I want your shop to go through. I am hoping that I can get you guys to work on it.
I always liked the styling of these and would always check them out at the dealer when I had my H3 in for service. I always thought with a Corvette engine and a manual transmission it would’ve been a better seller.
i've seen several videos on here of someone actually changing it to the corvette drivetrain, apparently not an easy conversion. but i agree totally, love the car but always been leery of the northstar and shortstar
You owned an H3?
LOL
Very interesting my friend has one now I know what to ask him about. I love my 2005 Catera Touring Sedan. My T chain, brake lines, sparkolaters, oil and antifreeze cost me $860 with labor. Like Hoovies has said, GM Plastic is Fantastic. Now I need to fix the vacuum leak issue hopefully it's not the $800 dollar box thing he told me about. Otherwise it is awesome!!!
Looks a like a pretty solid buy. For some reason I thought all of these had the Corvette motor
i too thought they all had a corvette motors
I can tell that the wizard's channel is doing well since i now have to sit through 2 15 second ads with no "Skip Ad' button!
Always have loved these cars, would definitely pick one up at that price too!!
I have an almost like new 1972 Ford Pinto Squire wagon. 34K miles. It has been repainted and has fairly new woodgrain vinyl on it. The bottom is as clean as the top. Interior is mint. 2.0L SOHC 4 speed. Virtually no body or interior parts are available for it at any price, including glass, tail lights and side marker lights. It has the original optional 13" 5 slot Appliance Aluminum wheels, that use actual mag wheel lug nuts, the ones with washers. The only place I can get correct tires for it is Coker Tire, and by the time all is said and done, it's about $1600 for a new set of tires installed. I keep it in the garage, and take it out and drive it around on residential streets once in a while. If it gets damaged, there is likely no way to repair it. A broken windshield would total it. I bought it many years ago, because it is identical to the car, color and all, that my dad bought new in 1972. It is almost certainly the nicest one in existence, and one of very few still in existence in any condition. You will never see one in a salvage yard. 99% of them got crushed. Don't buy a car you can't get parts for if you intend to drive it. I think I would have bought a C5 Corvette instead of that XLR.
The Northstar cars are great candidates for swaps. I have seen people swap the 2.0T motors into them and have great success.
GrEaT SuCCesS
You have a beautiful shop. Pretty nice XLR for the money. Would be fun to have one...
I think 9k with that mileage was a solid buy! The price of replacement headlights and taillights is staggering 🙄. Assume you will be able to get the top working by spring!
Thank you Mrs Wizard for the windows 95 callout for the radio. spot on.
A friend bought one new. His (wise) mother called it a “Crapalac” due to all its issues, which extends far past the engine.
Cadillac build quality dropped like a rock starting in the 70s and never recovered. Why anyone would buy a new Cadillac is beyond me.
RWD Northstars don't suffer as much head gasket failure as the FWD cars. My personal theory is the more even heating of not having one cylinder bank uo against the firewall. The last gen STS (after they dropped the Seville name) and the first gen SRX used the same VVT Northstar. I still miss my '99 Eldorado Touring Coupe though.
Since 2004 new Northstar engines no longer have headgasket issues.
Nice buy Wizard! I've always loved these XLR's, they look so sweet. Can't wait to see it all fixed up. The interior looks great, needs a good detail but it'll clean up nice.
Hey, nice to see that car. I worked on the ECU software around 2001. Done a lot of software optimizations so that the dual C167 can handle the engine management up to the 6500rpm red line. That was a fun project.