Welcome to XLR ownership Wiz!!! Pop the top and let it shine!!!

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.

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*

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

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.

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.

Thanks EuroAsian Bob, we all appreciate your car connections and thanks Wizard for all the content

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.

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.

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 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.

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 :)

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.

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).

Always loved the look of the XLR. Still looks beautiful 20 years later!

Love the XLR! I own a 2007, Northstar runs fantastic and currently at 150,000 miles!

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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. 🙂

I had no idea the trunk worked like that. Pretty cool! Can't wait to see this fixed up

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!

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.

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.

Mrs Wizard was spot on with the rust protection as anyone with an older classic is great full for a few oily leaks.

I love the dynamic between you and Ms. CarWizard! The banter and light teasing is hilarious.

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 love the "Windows 95" description of the screen, that's a perfect way to describe it. Nice car guys!

I personally diecast many of those NorthStar blocks back in the day, possibly even that one. I work at a GM foundry

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!

The Wizards car collection is becoming very impressive!!!

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?

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

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.

The noise the trunk made while closing reminded me of a probe droid on Hoth in the empire strikes back.

Take the caliper covers off and put on some C6Z brake calipers, paint them to match the car and it will look awesome.

Only took general motors 10 years to figure out the head gasket problem. For them that's pretty good.

I try to watch every video you post cause i learn so much from you. Thanks dude!!!

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.

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.

To my knowledge we never got the XLR in Europe. It gives me major Mercedes SL500 vibes. It looks really awesome.

Clearly this dude is a man of culture and highly refined automotive tastes...

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...

“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.

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!

Congrats on the new ride buddy!!! I hope you & your wife really enjoy it!

17:03 That sound that the trunk makes when it closes and opens reminds me of taking a pic on the E string of the guitar and instead of strumming the guitar you're taking the pic and going down the string lengthwise and since the string thicker and it's a coil it makes that sound. A lot of bands use this for suspense it was even used that sound effect in movies it kind of sounds like metal stretching

I love my 2005 XLR . mine has 175,000 miles. Kinda rare less than 15000 built in 6 years.

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.

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 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.

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.

It needs to go to Hoovies detailer for a full detail. Nice car guys.

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!

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.

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

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'm seriously considering an XLR. This helped!

Thank you Mrs Wizard for the windows 95 callout for the radio. spot on.

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.

I'm curious on the car wizards recommendation on which headstud upgrade he recommends for the Northstar.

Congrats, wizard. I, too, have an affinity for northstars. You got a nice ride. I’m on the hunt for a nice STS (RWD) since I don’t fit in the XLR. I’m currently eyeing a RWD 4.6 SRX that a customer is considering parting with because the valve body is intermittently throwing it into limp mode. {rubs hands excitedly}

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. 💯💯

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.

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 just bought an ‘06 XLR-V earlier this summer and I LOVE it. Such an underrated car

Always have loved these cars, would definitely pick one up at that price too!!

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!

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.

My 05 STS also had the keyless access stuff. I believe it was standard on all STSs, even a base V6. Adaptive cruise was optional and that is about the only option my 05 didn't have....

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)

One of the prettiest modern Caddies ever made! 😍

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.

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

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

Because fixing a car that owes you nothing is still cheaper than paying interest on a vehicle loan

You can turn on just the accessories by pushing the bottom of the start switch, I had a STS with the same switch

I was in high school when these came out. My dad & I got to got to the Birmingham (Alabama) auto show the night before the show opened and got to see the new XLR up close when they were bringing it in and setting it up on the floor. The only problem was that the fire department wanted all of the cars inside to have the batteries disconnected, so then people couldn't open the doors. Don't know if they figured out to do when the actual auto show opened.

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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 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!

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!

Another great vlog CW

Damn! You could sell just the headlights and taillights on eBay and be ahead

Looks a like a pretty solid buy. For some reason I thought all of these had the Corvette motor

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 will say, these Northstars at WOT are some of the best sounding engines ever made

These XLR's are cool. I am hoping that the Car Wizard will have a mid-2000's Ford Thunderbird soon at his shop.

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.)

The lh2 N* is a great motor

0:25 That part🤣🤣 Even though, they've already resolved the head gasket issue

It always amazes me that GM had one of the best V-8s ever made in the LS-1, but caddy spent a fortune to design the north star instead.