Welcome back! Today we’re paying a visit to General Motors in the 1990s, and looking at some less-commonly-seen options from their back catalogue. After yesterday’s nightmares, you’ll be happy to hear that both of these run and drive fine, and are actually in quite good shape.
Speaking of yesterday, let’s see how the voting went. To no one’s surprise, the poorly-conceived LS swap into a high-tech Mitsubishi sports car went over like a lead balloon, clearing the way for an easy win for the Maserati. Several of you thought that it had $1700 worth of decorative value alone, and I can’t disagree. But I think you could get that car going again, barring any unseen catastrophic mechanical damage. And worst case scenario, as pointed out, you could probably recoup the cost by selling parts.
As for the title, if I remember correctly, the tough part about a lien sale in California is getting the lien in the first place. Once the towing yard or mechanic or whoever has applied for and received the proper paperwork, I think it’s just like any other transaction for the next buyer. I don’t think they even brand the title when a new one is issued.
Now then: I don’t think there is such a thing as a “rare” General Motors car, outside of some specialty high-performance models. The company has factories all over the world, and cranks out an incredible number of cars every day. But some of them you just don’t see very often, or maybe not very often any more. These two in particular jumped out at me as being uncommon, and uncommonly nice for their age. Let’s check them out.
1994 Pontiac Trans Sport SE – $2,200
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8 liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Seattle, WA
Odometer reading: 187,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
GM’s “Dustbuster” vans are rare enough these days, but when was the last time you saw a Pontiac Trans Sport? This is a post-facelift model, when Pontiac revised the front end from looking a little like the Grand Prix to looking a lot like the Bonneville. It uses Bonneville headlights, in fact, I just learned. It’s the fancy SE model, powered by the mighty 3800 Series II V6, buried deep within that long nose. You thought servicing this engine in a LeSabre was hard? Check this out. It’s in there somewhere, I promise.
Paired with this cast-iron legend is, of course, a 4T60-E four-speed automatic transmission. In Europe, this van was available with the far more satisfying combination of a 2.3 liter Quad 4 four-cylinder and a five-speed manual, but GM never saw fit to offer that combo here in Pontiac’s homeland. “We Build Excitement, But Only For Others,” apparently. But the 3800/Turbo-Hydramatic combo is sturdy, and in this case, runs well. However, one thing worth pointing out is that the catalytic converter has been deleted; the seller tries to pass this off as a positive – “it’ll never be stolen!” – but it also means it can’t be smogged in places that require it.
Otherwise, it’s in decent shape for the mileage. The interior is doing all right, and the exterior looks fine except for a few scuffs and some peeling clearcoat. I do wonder what the stacks of various carpets over the floormats is all about. Extra protection? Extra padding? Who knows?
One detail I always found funny about these, and I feel honor-bound to point out, since our usual pointer-outer-of-taillights is out of commission at the moment, is that the center-mounted “high” stop light is actually well below the height of the regular brake lights. It had to be there by law, but why they didn’t put it above the rear window I can’t understand.
1999 Cadillac Catera Sport – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter dual overhead cam V6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Portland, OR
Odometer reading: 140,000 miles
Runs/drives? Indeed
How many times has Cadillac tried to reinvent itself now? I’ve lost count. In 1996, reeling from Northstar V8 teething problems and finally over the Allante fiasco, GM’s luxury division attempted to take on European makes by importing a European Opel Omega and slapping a Cadillac crest on the nose. Playing up the car’s handling, Cadillac sold the Catera under the tagline “The Caddy That Zigs.” Cindy Crawford and a cartoon bird were also involved, for some reason.
This Catera is the “Sport” model, with stiffer suspension and bigger wheels than the standard one, but powered by the same 3.0 liter four-cam V6 and four-speed automatic. At least it powers the rear wheels, unlike the rest of Cadillac’s lineup at the time. I never got to drive one of these any further than in and out of a service bay, but I’m told they do handle pretty well. This one runs and drives great, according to the seller, and has had a lot of recent work done to keep it that way.
It’s in good condition cosmetically, with a nice clean interior and shiny black paint. It certainly doesn’t look like any other Cadillacs from the era, and that’s a good thing. It’s much closer to a European sports sedan than a Seville. It may also be why this car didn’t sell that well; Cadillac buyers didn’t understand it, and BMW buyers wouldn’t set foot in a Cadillac dealership.
These days, Cadillac has finally gained some respect for its sports sedans, the CT4 and CT5, but too often the Catera gets lumped in with the Cimarron among its mis-steps. As a legitimate fan of the Cimarron, I feel a solidarity with the Catera crowd; the Cimarron might not have been a very good Cadillac, but it was a hell of a nice Cavalier. And the Catera wasn’t quite a Cadillac either, but it brought a pretty nice Opel to America.
General Motors is such a juggernaut that it almost doesn’t matter what you think of its products; you can’t avoid them. They’re everywhere. They’re so ubiquitous that most of them just blend into the background of the American automotive landscape. Because of that, when you see the uncommon ones like these, it’s kind of a treat. It’s even better when they’re both for sale for reasonable prices and in viable condition. So what’ll it be: the dead-brand minivan, or the dead-end Cadillac sports sedan?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I literally need a minivan right now, and I am not picky about styling. But I sure as hell won’t buy one with a missing cat. I abhor black cars, but that Caddy looks to be in decent shape, and would actually fit in my tiny garage. Plus it wouldn’t be my first Opel — I previously owned both the Saturn L300 and Aura.
I would have gone with the minivan, but no cat means no dice. Caddy it is.
I’d take the minivan, I learned to drive on one of these. It’s probably pretty terrible I’d bet to drive, but would be some good Lols. Tho with state inspection this would probably land you in prison…
My friends have all been instructed to kill me if I pull up in a minivan (slowly if I’m wearing white sunglasses), so the Caddy it is.
Minivans are practical. Lots of covered cargo space, lots of seats, usually pretty good mileage. Everything that sucks about a crossover is fixed by a minivan.
It would be practical for me to by a van to haul my trials bike around. lockable and out of the elements, which is why I have a trailer and a cable lock.
Catera all the way.
I spent far too much time in one of these dustbuster vans to ever support the idea of owning one. My employer had a Lumina APV in the fleet, and I had to drive it regularly both in city traffic and on snowy mountain highways. It wasn’t good in either environment. Although I never took measurements to prove the offset, I could swear it’s the only vehicle I’ve ever driven where the steering wheel hub doesn’t line up directly with the middle of the driver’s seat. You constantly felt awkward, as if you weren’t sitting properly in your seat. Combine that with a suspension that bobbed nauseatingly over every bump, and the whole driving experience became slightly disorienting.
Easily the most poorly designed vehicle I’ve ever operated.
I believe GM’s pickups had the same off-center steering wheel position….
GM supposedly fixed that with their current full-sized pickup (T1XX). They cheated with an asymmetric instrument layout on mine (GMT-400), but it was real noticeable on the version before (K2XX) the current version. I am writing ‘supposedly’ because I haven’t tested the latest version yet. The Chevy Corsica and Chevette were also off-centered, so much so I hated renting them.
Catera…that’s in great shape! Plus, I love the Cindy Crawford commercial.
At first I was gonna vote otherwise since I like Pontiac and thought the Catera had a worse reputation, but I’m not a van person (besides the conversion vans)
Every time I see cars like these I’m reminded of how ugly GM interiors were in the ’90s. Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Cadillac… doesn’t matter. Especially the instrument cluster and center stack. Just those same two tones of grey plastic everywhere. Lighter grey for the buttons, darker grey for the rest. You all know the colors I mean, you can picture them in your head right now.
At least this Pontiac spices it up with a tan dash thrown in for variety.
The Catera doesn’t get the respect it deserves. No, it wasn’t a luxury sport sedan on the level of a 3er, but it represented the first steps toward the more legitimate CTS/CT5 and other modern Cadillacs like the Blackwing. It also began the task of changing buyers perceptions of Cadillac away from Grandpa’s rolling couch to a driver’s vehicle.
I rented one for a week when I was visiting my Dad in hospital in PA, and I thought it was pretty terrific. I particularly enjoyed the handling and the tacticity.
I love when sellers call their assembly-line built car “rare.” Just…no, anything that was mass produced can’t be rare. Scarce maybe…
The only one of these Dustbuster vans I ever drove was my mother in law’s, who had an early Lumina one with the 3.1 and 3-speed auto. That engine combo was so agonizingly slow in a minivan I can’t believe they ever did it. I know this 3.8 and 4-speed wouldn’t have the same problem but damn…that thing was slow.
Readers under 30 have to do an image search to understand the Dustbuster reference.
Easy win for the Catera. It looks like it’s in decent shape, it’s not a van, and it might even handle reasonably well. (Plus, I could never get the van registered here in Cali without a cat.)
Interesting to have a couple of rare ones like this to choose from, but neither one is even close to as rare as someone admitting to be a legitimate fan of the Cimarron.
In 2000 I bought a ’97 Catera and absolutely loved how it drove and rode. It was much better than it’s reputation.
This should be 99% caddy, but isn’t. What gives people???
Yeah I’ve never understood how every Catera hasn’t been LS swapped already, or talked about more for that purpose. Perfect platform for it. The stock engine is even the weak link on them! Would love that as a project.
The Catera (in Vauxhall/Opel Omega guise) was popular as a motorway police car in England, the last real RWD patrol car that wasn’t from BMW, or AWD from Audi or Volvo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/83194815@N00/28905244463
They’re legit nice cars, IMO. Shame they’re all getting a bit long in the tooth/expensive due to rarity.
Anybody who chooses the dustbuster van, has never driven one of those infernal contraptions. The driving position is so unnaturally bad, so impossibly uncomfortable, it was as if they were punishing you for making such a stupid decision as buying one of those unbelievable pieces of shit.
I never drove a dustbuster van, but my dad got one as a loaner when I was a kid. Even as a passenger, I was not a fan.
My mom had one when I was in high school, I drove it fairly often. I loved that van, my friends called it “The Hoover”.
You must have been a very flexible young man. I drove one that belonged to a boss of mine, and another that belonged to my wife’s aunt. I felt like I was being tortured the entire time.
Thats a Series I 3800 in there. The high mounted alternator and metal intake give it away. The Series II didn’t debut until 1995 and it’s not clear they ever made it into a U-body from the factory.
An old car forum acquaintance had a Dustbuster van with a very healthy 3800 Series II and built transmission in it. That thing hauled people, parts and, well, you know. Being a U-body that shared a lot with the W-body, there were W-body performance parts all over it. I’ve wanted to build one ever since and this would be a clean canvas.
Catera over cat delete. Anyone who deletes a cat doesn’t get a penny from me.
I was going to state the same. Screw them for not caring about anyone’s health.
Fun fact: The Catera was supposed to be a V8, and an LS will practically drop right in, I’ve wanted to do this for years, and the one here would be a perfect candidate for such tomfoolery…. If only I hadn’t just spent all my money on presents.
Darn those friends and family getting in the way of project cars!
I believe Trans Sports have been banned in all Red states, so I’ll take the Catera just in case I have to drive through one.
I had no idea the Catera was RWD. Looks like great shape and probably is pretty fun to toss around.
Catera, hands down! These were perfectly fine. My grandma, who’s always on my mind this time of year but sadly no longer with us, actually had one. She and my grandfather who passed when I was a kid were hearty working class folks from Pittsburgh. His dream car was a Cadillac and he finally got a sedan Deville on the 90s. The thing was an absolute land yacht and I have fond memories of sitting in the middle front seat as a kiddo.
Anyway, my grandma needed a new car in the early 2000s and didn’t have a whole lot of money to spare. My dad and his siblings agreed to buy a car for her. She said she wanted a Cadillac to honor my grandfather but it didn’t seem doable at the time…until we found a lightly used Catera for her. It was beige on beige, just the perfect sassy old lady spec.
And you know what? That shit was solid and comfortable. I want to say she had it for about 10 years before something went wrong and it wasn’t worth getting fixed. They’re not great Cadillacs necessarily, but they are good cars. To be honest I wish there were some better/less phoned in entry level luxury cars out there right now. I think Audi might be onto something with the new-ish A3 and the Integra seems decent as well, although pay walling the manual/sticking a miserable CVT in it when they had a good DCT from the ILX sitting right there has left a bad taste in my mouth from the get go.
The minivan is the better option of these two.
The Catera only got good in 2001. They should’ve given it the 3800 or possibly the Shortstar from the Intrigue. Also, like the Trans Sport, in Europe, the Opel Omega was also available with a 4-cylinder and manual.
It’s also funny because at the time, Cadillac’s cheapest car was RWD, while the more expensive ones were FWD.
Of course, a year later after we stopped getting the Catera, a 2-door Catera would show up as the Pontiac GTO. They also failed to offer the 3800 offered in Australia (they got it both NA and supercharged). A cheaper base model V6 would’ve helped sales a lot.
The V6 used in this Catera (and the Saturn L-series and some Saabs) is awful and one of the worse engines ever made.
Both of these have ad campaigns that have really stuck with me.
I started singing the jingle as soon as I read the car name in the headline:
♫ Load it up and have a ball! ♫
♫ Pontiac Trans Sport does it all! ♫
Also, I thought “Lease a Catera. Who IS Lisa Catera???” was hilarious when I was a kid. As I recall, they product-placed a character in the medical drama “Chicago Hope” named Lisa Catera and always referred to her by her full name.
Since there is no option to lease the Catera, I’ll take the Trans Sport and play that jingle on the stereo whenever I drive it.
That “Who is Lisa Catera” at the end is amazing!