1987-1993 Cadillac Allante

Hold the letters, folks. If, after you read this buyer's guide, you find yourself wanting to ask us why a 14-year-old Cadillac is gracing the pages of a classic car magazine, stop and consider the marque's history.

More than 50 years ago, Cadillac truly stood as "The Standard of the World" with the stunning Eldorado Biarritz, the Series 62 convertible and the very expensive, hand-built, limited-edition 1957 and 1958 Eldorado Broughams, which listed for more than $13,000, a pretty penny for the time. After the 1950s, Cadillac no longer offered any custom-made cars. In the early 1980s, the 4.1-liter engine was a disaster, as was the Oldsmobile diesel, which could be ordered in some Cadillacs.

New stereos from Cadillac long out of production. The cassette decks and CD players are rebuildable. Prices vary from $125 to $225. This is four units that are serviced by removing a backside plate. The top houses the heating and cooling system, the next is a driver information cneter, next is the radio and CD player and at the bottom is a cassette player

Heading into the mid-1980s, then, Cadillac had to create something new if it wanted to remain competitive in the luxury car market; it needed an automobile that captivated the masses and that people could aspire to--a truly world-class car. Cadillac wanted to harness the prestige of European design and the skill of a renowned coachbuilder in order to compete with Mercedes and Jaguar.

Enter the Allanté.

Originally created under the code name "Callisto," the Allanté was designed and built in Turin, Italy, by noted coachbuilder Pininfarina. It was a true Italian-American offspring, because below its sleekly styled Italian bodywork rested an American V-8 engine and transmission, as well as other reliable mechanical systems. In all respects, the Allanté represented the best of both countries, a car imbued with an impeccable pedigree of style.

The Allanté proved popular in Hollywood. J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) drove a silver Allanté in the later years of the hit TV show Dallas; Sylvester Stallone drove one in Tango and Cash, and an Allanté was driven by Joe Pesci in one of the Lethal Weapon movies.

Engine

The 1987-'88 Allantés used the HT 4100 4.1-liter V-8, an underpowered 170hp engine that suffered from weak intake manifold gaskets, which, in part, could lead to internal engine failure. From 1989 through 1992, a far better 200hp 4.5-liter V-8 was used, with reports of numerous 4.5 engines lasting more than 200,000 miles. "One 4.5 engine that we know of has gone 300,000 miles," said Allanté expert Dick Hussey, who specializes in Allanté parts in Florida.

Shifter knob is leather-wrapped. No current reproduction is known. Natural oils from dirver's hand are the worst thing for leather; it's best to use Lexol on this also

In contrast to other engines of the era, the 4.5 V-8 is easy to work on. Dick said the key to long engine life is regular maintenance, particularly changing the coolant, and taking care never to overheat the engine.

By 1993, Cadillac had the right stuff with the all-new and all-aluminum Northstar. The name "Northstar" itself came from Cadillac's quest for something to guide the marque back to prominence; a state-of-the-art engine, it lived up to those lofty expectations, and still powers many Cadillac sedans today. The Northstar was the first domestic overhead-cam V-8 to employ 32 valves, four cams and four valves per cylinder. While the ZR-1 Corvette incorporated this technology a few years earlier, that engine was based on a Lotus design and not a domestic innovation.

The 1993 Northstar V-8 displaced 279 cubic inches and featured a 3.66-inch bore and short 3.31-inch stroke with a fairly high 10.3:1 compression ratio. The 295 horsepower was realized at 5,600 rpm, while its maximum torque rating of 290-lbs.ft. registered at 4,400 rpm. Fuel was delivered via electronic-tuned port injection.

This engine was designed from the ground up with absolutely no previously made Cadillac or GM parts used, and was able to run between 60 and 100 miles without any coolant in the block. One unique feature of the new design was the location of the starter inside the engine block, under the intake manifold. This proved to be a good design choice, as most engineers will tell you that dirt and water thrown up from the road are the two biggest culprits leading to premature starter failure.

Despite their innovative design and durability, Northstars can be difficult to work on. For example, the radiator must be removed to replace the alternator and, of course, the intake must be removed to replace the starter.

The 1993 Northstar, while basically a very stout engine, had oil leak issues with the case seal, says Tom Rohner, president of the Allanté Club of America and an Allanté parts vendor. Tom told us that the engine must be removed from the car to repair this flaw, a fix that roughly translates to about a three-day job resealing the entire engine with new gaskets. Cost: about $2,000.

Another problem with the Northstar is there have been some cases of stripped-out cylinder head bolts, usually in the middle of the rear head. This can be repaired, but the engine must be removed and upgraded head bolts installed with time-serts, which are thin wall, self-locking solid bushings. Made of 12L14 carbon steel and 303 stainless steel, they're very strong and, when installed properly, cannot wind down into a threaded hole.

Owner Dave Schultz

Despite these problems, we have heard of a 1993 Allanté engine that lasted 350,000 miles, and the car was still running with 440,000 miles on it when it was rear-ended and totaled.

Transmissions

Several automatic transmissions were used through the Allanté's production. From 1987 through 1992, a Turbo Hydra-Matic 440 F7 was used. We know of many TH 440s that have gone more than 200,000 miles without any trouble, so long as the fluid and filter were changed regularly. GM introduced the 4T80E, a stout four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, with a lock-up torque converter, for the 1993 Allanté. The final drive ratio came in at 3.71:1

Suspension

Unlike the Cadillacs of yesteryear, the Allanté utilizes a modern, road-hugging suspension design. The front featured struts located by one lateral link and one trailing link, coil springs, electronically-controlled shocks and an anti-roll bar. This system, called Speed Dependent Damping Control, debuted on the 1989 models and worked by firming up the suspension at 25 mph and again at 60 mph. The firmest setting also was used when starting from a standstill until 5 mph. Also introduced in 1989 was a variable-assist steering system.

The rear suspension was also independent, and incorporated unequal-length control arms, a toe-control link, fiberglass transverse leaf spring, electronically-controlled shocks and an anti-roll bar.

The tires were rated to 155 mph.

Brakes

"The early models had a Bosch-made braking system, which was terribly trouble-prone," Tom tells us. He says the system can be rebuilt, but at a price. The later disc brake system incorporated several improvements, which proved reliable. Ironically, GM chose Bosch to produce the updated braking system. According to Dick Hussey, "The system was not inherently bad, but failed because of poor maintenance. Nobody told us we had to flush and replace the brake fluid regularly. For those who replaced the brake pads, which usually pushed the old fluid back into the master cylinder, that is very bad."

Interior

The interior was a comfortable two-seat arrangement swathed in butter-soft leather; the steering wheel and the shifter handle also were leather-wrapped. The only option from 1987 through 1989 was a telephone, and the 1988-'93 models could be had with either analog or digital instrument clusters, unlike the earlier models, which only came with digital instrumentation. In 1991, the Allanté received a 200-watt, eight-speaker Delco-Bose stereo system. In its final year, 1993, a newly redesigned console module featured dual fold-out cup holders.

Body/Frame

As mentioned earlier, the bodies were built in Italy and then flown to the Hamtramck, Michigan, facility for powertrain installation. The hood, trunk and hardtop were aluminum, while the remainder of the body had steel panels. The hardtop became an option in 1990 and lasted through the end of the line. Chrome wheels were optional in 1993 only. Changes for 1993 included a deeper front spoiler and single-piece side windows.

There were some extra-cost paint colors available in certain years. The rarest color of all is Pearl Flax, a light yellow. Other rare colors include Verde Flax, a teal shade, Polo Green, of which there are only 50 1992 specimens and 88 1993 examples, and Montana Blue, a 1993-only color. Dick said there are reportedly about 150 cars painted Montana Blue; our feature car is one of these. Other colors available were Pearl White, Arctic White, Champagne, Pearl Red, Bright or Euro Red and black. There were also a number of Mary Kay Pink Allantés built. Tom estimates that about 17 of the 1993 Mary Kay cars survive.

Restoration Parts

Thanks to men like Tom Rohner and Dick Hussey, there is help for Allanté owners. Tom is busy working to reproduce Allanté-specific parts from his business, Tom Rohner's Allanté Store in San Diego, California. He said many engine and transmission parts, such as internal engine parts, water pumps, alternators, etc., are still available from any Cadillac dealer, although they almost certainly have to be special-ordered. Some electronic sensors may be very hard to locate in the coming years, and there are no known body parts available from GM, except what a dealer might have lying around. Despite the fact the oldest Allanté is now almost 21 years old, there are likely few of them sitting in junkyards.

Specialists

Tom Rohner's Allanté Store

619-807-8770

www.Allantestore.com

Reproduction seat covers, license plate brackets, floor mats, fiberglass parts, parking lamp lenses, carpet sets coming soon

Allantésource.com

561-844-3938

www.allantesource.com

Used parts, reconditioned stereos, master cylinders, body parts, trim, NOS chrome wheels

Cadillac King

866-890-0621

www.cadillacking.com

Club Scene

Allanté Club of America

17327 Via Del Campo

San Diego, California 92127

619-807-8770

www.Allante.com

Dues: $45/year (online)

Production

1987: 3,363

1988: 2,569

1989: 3,296

1990: 3,101

1991: 2,500

1992: 1,931

1993: 4,670

Owner's View

"I own plenty of cars and have had a bunch of Cadillacs, but this one car I will never sell," says owner Dave Schultz of Houston, Texas. "I bought this car brand new, and it's one of very few painted Montana Blue. I love the car because it is unique. I was considering a Jaguar V-12 and Mercedes Benz 560SL at the time, but could not afford them. My Allanté listed for $65,000 and I think I paid $43,000 for it.

"I have a little more than 20,000 miles on the car and it has given me very little trouble. I do all my own work and have only changed the fluids and serpentine belt. The biggest issue with this car is that it goes through batteries; I've probably installed 10 new batteries. It has so many computers that when the car sits, it drains batteries down to the point where they are useless. You have to drive it almost every week to avoid that problem.

"I love how it handles and you never see these anymore, but if you're buying an Allanté for a comfortable ride like the Broughams and Eldorados of the 1980s and 1990s, forget it. This is a sporty car with a rougher ride."

Parts Prices

Cassette player, rebuilt $125 to $300

CD player, rebuilt $225 to $300

Engine, HT4100, used $1,000

Engine, HT5400, used $1,000

Fender, used $600

Floor mats, custom $119

Hood, used $1,600

Northstar engine, refurbished $2,000

Master cylinder, ABS, rebuilt $950

Mirror, outside rearview, used $600

Spoiler, front, reproduction $199

Wheels, chrome 1993, NOS $1,600

Window regulator, rebuilt $350

Window switches $250

What to pay

1987: $5,500

1988: $6,500

1989: $7,000

1990: $8,000

1991: $10,000

1992: $11,000

1993: $17,000