GM responded to fuel price spikes and shortages back then by commissioning its Oldsmobile division (remember Olds?) to design V-6 and V-8 diesels that all the brands would share. They were troublesome, partly because of design, partly because new-to-diesel owners didn't understand the importance of using different, diesel-specific oil. Too, diesel fuel of the time sometimes had water and other contaminants. And not all mechanics were skilled at diesel maintenance and repair.
About 1 million were sold from 1978 through 1985. A class-action lawsuit over the reliability problems resulted in a settlement via the Federal Trade Commission: Owners could be reimbursed most of what they paid for the diesel-engine option if theirs failed.
Not surprising, then, that for years and years -- maybe still today -- a bad odor has hung over the notion of GM car diesels.
No. They would tend to run until they would run no more. (Boom)
My brother was a service writer at a Chevy dealership at the time. I've heard some good 'uns!
One was idling on one end of the shop and literally went "clang" because a rod shot through the block, skidded across the floor a good distance and hit a guy in the foot. It had hit him slowly enough that he thought another mechanic had flung it toward him, so he went to pick it up. OOOOWWWW! DAMN, that thing is HOT! :laugh:
I have a good friend who is almost finished restoring/rebuilding a 5.7l Olds Diesel Toronado.
Longitudinal FWD diesel V8... haha.
He's a pretty competent diesel guy, though. He said that most of these got scrapped due to GM techs using the wrong headstuds which would lead to premature gasket failure. His is totally rebuilt and should be fairly reliable. It will also be converted to run on WVO, by the way.
Anyway, I would drive the car in the OP, but not at 4.5k.
Heh, not for $4500, but I almost want this. It's just like my Pontiac, but the diesel is a piece of history (bad history, but history nonetheless). I've heard these GM diesels can be made reliable and were not really as bad as their reputation, but I really know nothing about them technically speaking.
FWIW, I've enjoyed the Rob Possible Purchase threads. Seems like a weird guy, but I'd enjoy his car museum more than most. Give each of us an empty aircraft hangar, he'll do the '80s Japanese, I'll do the '80s GMs, and about 10 TCLers will buy tickets for the tour
I've hunted for low mileage Caprice wagons of this vintage many times and they seem to always be diesels. No experience with them, but I've never read a single positive thing.
Being nostalgic is one thing but I wouldn't pay $4500 for a 1982 anything unless it has words like porsche, ferrari, mercedes, etc... in the beginning. And a nearly 30 year old car is not reliable in any fashion so it's not worth the headaches for the diesel gas mileage.
I put over 2k miles a month on a 31 year old diesel. Plenty reliable. Slow, noisy and unsafe yes, but has not left me stranded, and it was sitting for 6+ years not running when I got it. And if someone wants to buy it, the asking price is more than 4500. There is a butt for every seat. :laugh:
Diesel aside, the paint on that wagon looks like crap for $4500. GM cars from that era are pretty much the only cars out there worth less with the diesel option. When even the hardcore diesel nuts don't want them, that tells you something. I actually was temped by one once- someone was selling a clean low-mileage '81 Coupe DeVille diesel for $900. And it supposedly ran fine. It was only tempting because it was cheap enough to take the risk.
Really though, if you change the headstuds with the ARP ones and gaskets and make sure the pump is properly timed, it should run just as well as a 6.2l.
That's really the only thing wrong immediately wrong with the design.
The head on those engines routinely blew.... not just the gasket. The POS couldn't handle the compression.
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