Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

rsteph · August 2003

I looked briefly at that site...didn't see what I was after (which doesn't mean he doesn't have them). Anyway, I did find a site (but now can't find it again...I'll keep looking) that had LED cluster "bulbs" that appeared to be designed to put in place of a regular incandescent bulb. They were colored though (amber or red) and I'm not sure how that'd work behind a colored lens. Nor do I know if "the fix" would be as easy as simply replacing the current brake/turn signal bulb with an LED. Ultimately, that's kinda what I'm looking for if anyone knows of such a thing or if it's even doable.

cu95 · August 2003

Thanks for the cleaning tips. I might try to pick up some wax/etc this weekend and go at it. I can see why you might want to avoid synthetics at the final stage when applying/removing the wax, but before that when you're washing and prep'ing and possibly using something with mild abbrasives, such as ScratchX, I'd think you could get away with a gentle synthetic material (e.g., Clorox makes a disposable cleaning cloth; I haven't handled one yet to see if it feels gentle, but something like that seems acceptable at the cleaning stage.)

automole · August 2003

Trust me on this one...don't use synthetics on a black car. Sheepskin and/or 100% real cotton is the only way to be safe...I KNOW from experience!

batmanscts · August 2003

Trust automole!!!... and the rest of us who have owned several black vehicles. You can't undo damage once you've done it (or once someone else has done it).

Part of the price you have to pay for having a beautiful black car is taking special care of the finish.

automole · August 2003

-I finally found wheels I liked (I've been looking for almost a year) and bought them...hopefully this link will work:

http://members.cardomain.com/automole

batmanscts: You can see my other black car in the background...and my last car was black...and the one before that was black........something tells me the next one will be black too! I guess if I get a CTS-v in a couple of years (like I hope to) I'll have a 50% chance of getting black again.

berrycherry: Congrat's on the new CTS. Hopefully the CTS won't follow the lead of the Escalade and you won't need LoJack OR Onstar! I just read an article that said the Escalade topped Acura for the most stolen car.

sonjaab: Thanks for trying to get the coupons. FWIW I probably wouldn't have been able to use one anyway since the local dealers haven't gotten in any 2004's that I'd be interested in (and most likely won't before Sept2). Now that I've got the new wheels and refinanced at a lower rate I'll probably just drive my 'old' 2003 for a couple of years before trading it in on a new one.

automole · August 2003

http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

04ctsv · August 2003

I got to say, I think I saw your previous post about how you couldn't find any wheels you liked, I thought you were going to pick some really ugly wheels, but I have to admit it you made a good selection they really fit the car, what size are they 18"?

rsteph · August 2003

Thanks for the LED website. I've found a few others too. Have you tried these at all? Will they retro-fit ok (I'm thinking just for the rear signals/brake lights) on the CTS? Are they bright enough? Work okay as turn signals? Etc..etc...or does anyone else know.

wwhite2 · August 2003

what kind and what are the spec's on the wheels you bought ? They look good

automole · August 2003

rsteph: I don't really know anything about the LEDs. I found the website through a link on the arcadecontrols.com website...people are using them to replace the 12v bulbs on arcade machine emulator coin doors. I haven't tried or purchased any of the LEDs...yet.

04ctsv/wwhite2: I thought I was going to pick some really ugly wheels too since that seemed to be my only choice...like I said in my previous post(s) they all looked too plain and 'musclecar' (like something you'd see on a Mustang or Camaro) or too 'pimped-out'. I had to look for a LONG time to find something I liked that was 8" wide...most were 7.5" in width. I also kind of wanted to stay with the '7 spoke' Cadillac wheel theme and would have been OK with either painted or chrome...the wheels I found ended up being available in chrome only.

Anyway, they are "TSW Heaven7" wheels and are 18"x8". The 8" width was important because all of the 245/40/18 tires I found require an 8" rim as the minimum width. I was a bit scared after ordering the rims because I saw a picture of a Mercedes on the TSW website with the same wheels and they didn't look too good on the MB IMO. I was relieved after seeing them on my CTS because they look 'right'...like the car should have come that way from the factory. They also look better in person than in the picture. I was also worried that the 18" rims would compromise ride quality but was surprised to find that the car actually seems to ride smoother (especially at higher speeds) and the steering has a much lighter feel. The Continental Extreme Contact tires also seem to grip much better than the stock Goodyears and don't seem to be any noisier on harsh pavement. The Contis also have a better all-season tread pattern, 400 treadwear rating, and were relatively $cheap$!!. The car does take hard bumps more harshly (like potholes for instance) but that can probably be expected since I have 2" less of tire sidewall to cushion the blow.

jemiller · August 2003

The tires you bought are pretty much intended for a soft ride, they're not hardcore performance tires.

18x8's a reasonable wheel size, though from a purely personal standpoint your wheels are too blingy for my tastes.

b4z · August 2003

They are less blingy than most.

eaton53 · August 2003

I saw some wheels very similar to those on a late '90's Aurora at the car wash yesterday.... his were 20's and they looked sharp.

Dude said he would be adding spinners next year. He would have them now, but he just did $3.5K in audio.... slammin' hard.

automole · August 2003

>The tires you bought are pretty much intended
>for a soft ride, they're not hardcore
>performance tires.

...Ummm...I'd beg to differ that ANY 245/40/18 is intended for a "soft ride". I will agree though that they are not hardcore performance tires and I never intended to imply that they were. Like everything, it's a tradeoff...if I was willing to have a treadwear rating of 150, terrible all season performance, and a loud ride on rough pavement I would have chosen a "hardcore performance tire". The truth of the matter is that if you live in the NW like I do "hardcore" performance tires are "softcore" performance tires since it rains 80% of the time and wet weather performance is much more important. Lastly, the babyseat in the back of my CTS limits it's performance more than my tire selection

.

>18x8's a reasonable wheel size, though from a
>purely personal standpoint your wheels are too
>blingy for my tastes.

As I said (and implied by my only partially sarcastic post title of "bling bling") the wheels are slightly blingy due to the fact they are chrome. From a design standpoint they are actually pretty plain (no rivets, spinners, etc) and if they were painted silver with the Cadillac logo in the center could easily be mistaken for factory wheels. Still, to each their own...I personally wouldn't wear pleated khaki pants, tassle shoes, shorts with painter pockets, or Big Dog t-shirts but 90% of the male population seems to love that stuff. FWIW I LOVE my new wheels.

wwhite2 · August 2003

Those wheels do not look that ostentatious . I like them . What did the wheel /tire package cost ? I think you made a good choice on the tire .Really, who on the street needs a skidpad tire .

b4z · August 2003

I was going to say just what you said. The design is not blingy. It is actually very clean looking.

It is the chrome that draws your attention.

jemiller · August 2003

Yes, it's the chrome as much as anything, I just don't like chrome wheels, period. As noted, that's a matter of personal taste.

245/40-18 tires and ride: once upon a time, anything with that low a profile would have been a hardcore performance tire. You'd find very few all-season tires in that size, and you certainly wouldn't find anything with a UTQG treadwear rating of 400.

But since a lot of folks are now buying them for daily-driver go-to-the-store use, the tiremakers are cooking up a lot of low-profile tires that are tailored more for ride comfort and long life than for corner-carving.

oldsman01 · August 2003

I've noticed several first generation Auroras with lots of "bling bling" treatments. I guess since they can be purchased so cheaply now, it gives the owner more cash to customize them. I've noticed the same thing with Infiniti J30s and am starting to see it on 97-01 Q45s.

b4z · September 2003

I have an aversion to chrome.
I am 40 and went through the chrome Cragar/ET mag look of the 70's.
You know, Trans Ams, Z28s, Vans, etc.

When I see a chrome wheel I think, been there done that.

It just looks dated.

But for the younger guys, it is new and fresh.

wwhite2 · September 2003

It has it's own look . I like the the "opal" coating- a la Konig- when applied to the wheels of your choice it gives a sporty but formal look . I dont think it's available to fit the CTS

dhannahiii · September 2003

The below web site lists all the currents CTS Services Bulletins, posted at the web site called "AllData". Make for some interesting reading.

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/08/030823J5.html

eaton53 · September 2003

Are very well suited to being tricked out.

It's a very nice car that you can get cheap. It has a standard GM radio that can be easily yanked out and replaced with a big aftermarket stereo, and it looks really good with big wheels.

I've seen quite a few like that.

wwhite2 · September 2003

Is that supposed to be a comprehensive list ? Didnt see anything about the leaky plate bezel

rsteph · September 2003

.....Nor the clocks out of synch.

Interestingly, while my clocks have been out of synch by the reported 2-mins for the last 3 months, they, all of a sudden, spontaneously are now the same. Dial clock now "clicks" off to the next minute within a second of the radio clock changing.

wwhite2 · September 2003

Mine are now in sync too. there must be an internal calibration process,at the most mine have been 2-3 min different . Now the other clocks in my life ....they are way off. Guess it's all to to with how anal you are with the time of day .

johnnycsk · September 2003

I'm looking into getting a pair of chrome exhaust tips for the CTS. I'm not really mechanical so is it hard to install? Any recommendations or advice will be greatly appreciated.

automole · September 2003

b4z: You're dead-on when you say that chrome looks dated. Still, there's a fine line between being 'dated' and 'classic'. Those AR Torq Thrust wheels for example, are a classic look that still fits the appearance of muscle cars both new and old IMO...they look great on Camaros and Mustangs.

I also think that with anything the trick is 'moderation'...whether a wheel is polished, chrome, or painted it will still look good in a few years if it's a simple clean design. I guarantee that the 22" chrome pie tin dubs will look stupid 10 years from now just as the lowered mini-trucks with neon paint look idiotic now. Personally I never have liked oversized pie tin wheels OR mini-trucks.

Like I said before, if the wheels I picked came in painted silver there is a good chance I would have selected them over the chrome (if nothing else due to the fact that silver wheels are typically $100 cheaper per wheel than chrome). On the other hand though if you're putting out the money for custom wheels and tires you want them to LOOK like it and be worth it...otherwise what's the point? My wife's opinion was "get the chrome...it's a CADILLAC for god's sake".

In a way I think that the silver painted wheels are starting to look dated (so "90's European") and when fitted to the CTS have a tendancy to make it look like a Jetta from the side. I can't tell you how many people mistook my CTS for a VW at first glance when I had the factory base model wheels.

wwhite2: Send me an e-mail and I'll give you all the details on the wheels.

johnnycsk: My next and final mod will be some sort of stainless exhaust tip. Like my search for the wheels, I'm having a tough time finding something that looks nice and isn't cheesey. Most of the available tips are HUGE like you'd see on an import car...I wan't something just slightly larger than the 2 1/4" factory tip. Also, I want a weld-on tip as opposed to the clamp on one-size-fits-all types you see at local parts stores. The weld-on types can be found for $25-$50 and the local muffler shop said they'd install one for a whooping $10-$15...IMO they are worth the extra $$ because they look much nicer than the clamp-on types.

johnnycsk · September 2003

Keep me informed of what you get. Im thinking along the same line as you as far as the tip is concerned. I don't want something to gaudy and big.

cu95 · September 2003

Ok, no synthetic fibers; I picked up some 100% cotton terry towels for washing, drying and wax removal and some 100% cotton flannel towels for final wipe down (I'll save those synthetic Clorox towels for the tires and wheels). And I've got the ScratchX, Meguiar's Cleaner Wax and Eagle One Wax As U Dry. I figure that I'll use the ScratchX followed up by the Cleaner Wax for the first waxing, use just the Cleaner Wax (assuming that swirls are at a minimum) for subsequent waxings and use the Wax As U Dry after washes when I don't plan to do a full waxing. I think I'll also use the Wax As U Dry on the wheels to give them a shine and help keep grime and brake dust from clinging. Probably won't bother with any tire dressing for the time being. Seven, Auto, and Batman, thanks for the guidance. Now all I need is for it not to rain this Saturday...

Auto, for the wheels, I'll echo what most others have said. The design looks sharp; complements the CTS a lot better than many other aftermarket wheels I've seen on CTS's in photos. But I'm in agreement with jemiller; personally I'm not a big fan of chrome finish (I don't hate it, just would not choose it if I had options, which you didn't). I was wondering, anyone care to speculate how much would it be to purchase the 18" wheels that will be featured on the CTS-V? And would GM somehow restrict a person's ability to purchase these? From the few pictures I've seen, they appear to be attractive and complement the CTS-V well and have the perk of featuring the genuine Cadillac crest (I assume, haven't seen a super up close picture). I'd probably not be too upset to wake up and find them strapped to my regular ol' CTS. :-) (I still think the base wheels have the best design, if only they were offered in a slightly larger diameter.)

necros · September 2003

Honestly, you'd be better off going aftermarket. A replacement painted-finish base model 16 inch wheel off of a 2003 CTS runs somewhere between $300-$400. You can get a really, really nice set of forged wheels for that price.

thebug · September 2003

The chrome wheels are very nice, adds a nice touch to the CTS. And you're right, they do look like they came with the car. Very tasteful IMO. I too am having a hard time finding a set of nice wheels for my CTS. These I like, and would purchase them as well. Where did you get them, and how much were they?

On the chrome tips, I solved that problem in the early months after I picked up my CTS. I had the dual exhaust system installed ($1100). The chrome tips look pretty nice. I get a lot of compliments on how nice they look and how nice they sound. They purr. IMO, money well spent.

Boy this thread has really grown. I've been away for a while. Welcome to all the new CTS owners, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I'm enjoying mine. The CTS rocks.

thebug...

sonjaab · September 2003

Heading for Vegas tomorrow ! Will be staying and playing at Binions (comp)! Shoot me a e-mail. We can have a drink and a laugh!
Best thing NO woman or Kids this trip.......geo

b4z · September 2003

A little unrelated but SpeedTV will have a "SRX Drive" show Friday night at 8:30pm.
This is a show where Tommy Kendall and another driver blast 2 of the showcase vehicles around a race course.
It should be fun.

thebug · September 2003

Sonja, at the office at the moment, but will shoot you an e-mail as soon as I get home. Get off at 8AM. You're coming at a good time, the weather is cooling to the mid to upper 90's. Best time of the year. I'll drop my number in the e-mail give me a call when you get in.

thebug...

b4z · September 2003

For August.
4,278 Sold!

dindak · September 2003

In the business news this morning they reported CTS sales were up 23% in Canada.

Cadillac was offering 1.9% for 48 months on the 03s which probably helped.

sevenfeet0 · September 2003

Use the cleaner product first. That will strip any of the previous wax off the car, leaving you just the clearcoat. That will allow the the ScratchX product access to the clearcoat. Most microfine scratches are actually damage to the clearcoat paint layer, which ScratchX is designed to fix with a very mild abrasive. If ScratchX doesn't fix it, it means that the dasmage is deeper into the paint itself, and needs to be handled by a professional with an orbital buffer. Do not try using an orbital buffer yourself unless you know exactly what you are doing; you could cause even more damage. Your best bet is to use an applicator and follow with an approved microfiber or 100% terry cloth towel.

At this point, you are ready for the wax. I still think you need a more serious wax product that the Eagle, especially if you are going to bother using the cleaner. Both Meguires and Mothers sells combination wax/polish products that combine the seperate steps you'd normally have to do if you don't want to spend that much time on this. You can buy their seperate polish (step 2) and wax (step 3) products if you want best results. I'd only use the Eagle product for touchups after you wash the car in upcoming weeks.

necros · September 2003

My friend is driving both the XLR and SRX on Friday morning. Rrrr...jealous...

cu95 · September 2003

Sevenfeet0, I bought Meguiars Cleaner Wax and planning to use it for the waxing step (my impression was that this is Meguiars basic, tried and true wax). My pattern for this first waxing was going to be: wash (and use a little bug and tar remover for stubborn goo), dry, apply and remove ScratchX, apply and remove Cleaner Wax, final wipe down. Thereafter I'd skip using the ScratchX unless swirls still evident and just use the Cleaner Wax for subsequent waxings (every other month?) and use the Wax As U Dry in between when drying after simple washes with no formal waxing. Should I use the Cleaner Wax before and after the ScratchX step? And everything will be by hand (except I might use a dinky Black-n-Decker rotating scrubber if I have any trouble with brake dust on the wheels). I appreciate all the help (somewhat embarassing that I've never taken the time before now to do a proper waxing of one of my cars, guess this is an indication of how much I like the CTS.)

fjk57702 · September 2003

I have some Eagle one wax with polish. It is a polmer of some sort that works with water to form a wax like finish. It is much longer lasting than carnuba wax. I sort of think the wax as you dry is a similar formula, but I'm not sure. Unfortunately, I have not seen any of the stuff that I am currently using on the store shelves any more.

johnnycsk · September 2003

Seems like the program is extended again, till the end of the month. What do you guys think about this? Good or Bad for GM?

garnes · September 2003

Sorry if someone has already mentioned this as I have not read over all the posts. Looks like Corsa now offers a cat-back system for the CTS. Very cool. I have the Corsa system on my Aurora (STS system) and can't say enough good things about it. It sounds incredible, looks great, and performs. Their systems are literally straight through - like having straight pipe. But they are not loud due to the reflective sound technology. Of course it's not vault quiet, but the sound is the best. Totally quiet at highway cruising - any speed. Really.

Anyway, check it out at http://www.corsaperf.com

wwhite2 · September 2003

Ha . A pro is someone who has had 3 min of instruction and the finesse of an adolescent . Be very careful letting any " PRO " buff your paint. The most skilled guys of a large outfit dont do the buffing .

automole · September 2003

...no need to even consider the CTS-v wheels; they won't fit your car. As I said, I've looked for wheels for close to a year and you can bet that I considered purchasing CTS-v wheels before I realized they are a 6 lug wheel as opposed to the regular CTS's 5 lug configuration. Also, believe it or not I'm actually not a huge fan of chrome either and might not have chosen it if I could have found a 18"x8" 7 spoke wheel that looked nice and fit the CTS that WASN'T chrome (like the CTS-v wheel for instance). Still, now that I have the chrome the look is kind-of growing on me and it's sort of fun driving around in the blingmobile.

As for the rain you obviously don't know the rules of nature when it comes to black cars. It never rains when you're driving around in a filthy dirty black car but the minute you wash it you can be assured it will rain THE NEXT DAY!

thebug: I'd love to be able to go the dual exhaust route but unfortuneately I've spent my budget on the wheels. I'd be happy to find a new single stainless muffler/tip combo for my CTS but so far no luck...

garnes · September 2003

The orbital buffers are really safe. My car is black and I've buffed the hell out if it with an orbital buffer with absolutely never a swirl or scratch. In fact, with Meguires No. 7 and some good pressure with the orbital and the terry cotton bonnet, you can literally "smooth out" the clear coat and remove some pretty good scratches. Meguires No. 9 has more bite and will remove the scratch easier but my leave things a bit swirly. You have to go slow and check to make sure something did not get into the bonnet. After doing a spot - wipe it clean to check.

If the surface is not perfectly clean and you don't protect the bonnet 100% while working, yes you can do some terrible damage. But going slow, careful and clean I've always had excellent results.

A high speed rotary buffer - now that's a potentially dangerous animal. You can burn right through the paint with that. I don't mess with that.

Scratch X is great for removing stains and bonded droplets of mystery crap that won't come off. It's got some good chemical cleaners. But for really removing scratches you can safely remove them or hugely minimize them with something as gentle as No.7 and then lots of elbow grease. Try it by hand on a test spot with a known scratch. You have to rub like hell though - but it's safe. Strip the area of any oils after you are done and you will see that the scratch has been truly minimized by having the "edges" rounded off.

I've been through it all. My car was severely damaged from chemical fallout (long story - parked somewhere I should not have). I had to have the car wet sanded to get it looking good again. Yes - there is a lot of clear coat left - at least on an Aurora. The wet sanding was good, but it was not buffed back to glass. I got the car home and orbital buffed it back to a glass finish (and even removed some rough spots from the wet sanding) as described above. It took time, but it worked.

cu95 · September 2003

Automole, you're right. I completely forgot the discussion about the CTS-V having 6 lugs. As for your mention of enjoying the "blingmobile", that puts a smile on my face. My sister has (half-jokingly) suggested that I get vanity plates that read "J MONEY" (my first name is Jason). Of course if I did everyone who saw them would probably think I'm an @ss, but at the same time it would be sort of humorous on a black "Caddy".

sevenfeet0 · September 2003

My mistake, cu95. Mequiar's Cleaner/Wax is their one step cleaner-polish-wax product, and you can use it in place of their individual products for these purposes, especially if you don't want to take the time for the other products (it's three times as long an effort).

So here's your order of things to do:

Wash your car thoroughly. Keep on the lookup for tough places where you might have bug remains, road tar, or other gunk sticking to the surface. On the CTS, the front fascia and the mirrors are common problem areas. If you see places where you have surface stuff that doesn't come off, including paint overspray (say if you passed too closely to a road painting crew), consider using Mother's or Mequiar's clay bar products. They are very good at stripping stubborn junk off the car. Use a car shampoo dedicated to cleaning cars....never use dishwashing detergent (they strip grease, and wax is a grease). Never use the brushes found in most coin car wash bays. At coin wash car wash bays, I bring my own bucket and detergent (some places don't allow this). I think we've also talked about the use of natural fiber wash mitts (lambswool) and 100% terry cloth towels for wiping. I skipped over the cheap towels in the auto parts store and just bought a set of towels at Bed, Bath and Beyond that I dedicate for car wash duty. Make sure you cut off any tags before using the towels on your car.

Use ScratchX for any surface microfine scratches that remain on the clearcoat finish. Use your hands...don't worry about orbital buffers for now.

Use the Cleaner/Wax for the final step. You should end up with a great finish with lots of shine. Use the foam applicator pads found in most auto parts stores to apply the wax, and a 100% terry cloth towel to wipe off. You can use a microfiber towel instead of terry cloth...in fact, I prefer it since it's easier and you get great results. The 3M Perfect-It Show Car Detailing Cloth is highly recommended (you can search for it on 3M's web site).

Use the Eagle Wax to clean up your car on subsequent washes. I wouldn't use it on every wash, since the extra wax tends to build up and decrease the shine. You might try Mequiar's QuikDetailer product instead of a quick wax product after washes. It's one of my favorite products and really returns the shine without extra wax buildup.

For your wheels, Meguiar's Hot Rims is a great product. All you do is spray it on, wait about 15-30 seconds, and rinse off. Then you can wipe off the remaining dirt or dust with a cotton towel. You shouldn't need a buffer if you clean your wheels regularly and I probably wouldn't if you have the chrome wheels that come with the LuxSport. You can scratch the finish of polished wheels, just like the paint finish.

Finally, it's okay to ask questions here...we've all been novices at car detailer, and I don't consider myself an expert at this. I've just been doing this for a little while now, and I'm just telling you what works for me. Good luck. I'm going to be waxing my own car this weekend and I've got some swirls I've got to try to remove on my own car.

sevenfeet0 · September 2003

The low speed orbital buffers are generally safer, but I would never start with one as the solution to a scratch problem. I'd be too gun shy on trying it on my one year old black car. I'd probably want to train myself on an older vehicle with obvious problems that I wouldn't mind a boo-boo here or two in order to make sure I was doing the job right.

cu95 · September 2003

Sevenfeet0, thanks for the detailed walk-through, this will be very helpful. I think it's safe to say that there are swirl marks over my entire CTS (I used an automatic car wash against the advice of this board), so I'll probably be applying ScratchX to the entire car (though I'll probably skip the lowest portions of the car). Forcast is sunny for the weekend, so I just need to avoid getting stuck with any projects from my wife. :-) One more silly question: I was planning on washing the car in the driveway, drying it, then moving it into the garage for the ScratchX and wax steps (so that it would be out of direct sunlight), does that stuff get everywhere and stick to the garage floor or can I easily wisk it away with a broom?

berrycherry · September 2003

Sevenfeet0 you seem to be an expert so tell me what I should do relative to a first wax .

It was new last week color silver made in July 2004.

Now have 300 miles on it. Went for a 71 mile drive to the Indian casinos near San Diego. It worked great on the curves through the mountians for the last 15 miles. Had to slow it down to 40mph to keep my wife happy as the road was 2 lane and BIG trucks from a gravel pit went along it at 50mph on the other side.

It isnt dirty yet as I keep it in the garage, but now I want to wax it.

Any comments of what I should buy and apply?

berrycherry

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles