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[elvin315]

I wonder wether the Omega might have suffered a different fate if they had marketed it with the 5.7 V8 

Probly......Us 'Muricans love us some V8s.

The 3 biggest fails in recent Cadillac history are the the '82-'88 Cimarron, the '97-'01 Catera, and the '80-'81 Deville. The Cimarron had an inline 4 cyl engine and later a V6. The Catera a V6. The Deville had the notorious V 8-6-4. Cadillac was the first automobile maker to mass-produce a V8 engine. The company has produced eight generations of V8s since 1914 so I believe prospective buyers expected a V8. They hyped it as a sport sedan and to most Americans sport, when it comes to cars, means V8.

I have to admit that back in 1996, when the Catera debuted, I was disappointed it didn't have a V8. Not a OHV with pushrods, but a free reving DOHC 32 valve V8.

The V6 was sophisticated enough to make me forget the V8 but when we heard about the Omega V8 project hopes were high. Oh well. Here's what John Lingenfelter did with those unused Omega V8 parts. He planned to sell converted Cateras but passed away after the 1 prototype. I give you the Catera V.

click
http://www.pbase.com/elvin315/the_catera_v

[05omegav6]

The news that he passed away after producing one example does rather explain the sudden lack of focused drive with this incarnation of the Omega B following GMs decision to can the project

Sweet pics though any more detailed shots of that car

[omega3000]

Now that looks just right , and to think we could all be sitting here with a nice V8 in our cars  Worth another look

[humbucker]

Now that looks just right , and to think we could all be sitting here with a nice V8 in our cars  Worth another look

V8 Omegas with night vision cameras at that! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Orc0m4vEck

[elvin315]

The news that he passed away after producing one example does rather explain the sudden lack of focused drive with this incarnation of the Omega B following GMs decision to can the project

Sweet pics though any more detailed shots of that car

Follow the link I provided to see build pics and more. After his death the compant liquidated its stock of parts. The Catera owners I know of bought these "kits" with the intent of building their own Catera V8s but I have yet to see proof of one completed. Not that it's impossible but these were never meant as DIY projects. Lingenfelter had a complete shop and skilled techs to do what it took the Opel factory to do.

A few are still being slowly built but I think the rest have found the job daunting and pushed it to a corner of the barn or sold off the parts. One well documented V8 project is MyOpel's "Can't Wait" build. It's taking time but of all the V8 projects I think his will be completed someday. You can follow his project below.

click
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-catera-cimarron-forum/130818-cant-wait.html

[elvin315]

Here are a couple of shots of the Catera V not in my album.

I believe this is the final engine bay treatment of the Lingenfelter Catera V.


Faked I think. No way could he be parked that close to a buzzing Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet.

[KJ52TVE]

Whoa Information overload!!

Now I remember!!!! 

So Taxi Al, whats with the Avril Pic?  I used to live in Napanee (well my office was in Napanee, I lived in Picton)   

Cheers Everyone

Rich 

[05omegav6]

  No significance beyond being quite fit... if a bit shouty

[ted_one]

They say ''beauty is in the eye of the beholder''..... well,personally I think the Omega was berated as a poor man's substitute for the BMW end of the market and just because Jeremy Fart face didn't endorse the Omega's exisitence I don't give a sh*t about what he or people think about the Vauxhall badge,because every time I look at my cars on the drive they give me a buzz.Also I'm rich in the knowledge that it's highly unlikely that there will never be a bright red Omega along side me or behind me at a set of traffic lights,so all the p*ss takers and knockers can naff off because I like many others on this forum love our cars and will endeavour to keep them running until perhaps one day they will attain classic status

[elvin315]

Amen Nitro!

[VXL V6]

They say ''beauty is in the eye of the beholder''..... well,personally I think the Omega was berated as a poor man's substitute for the BMW end of the market and just because Jeremy Fart face didn't endorse the Omega's exisitence I don't give a sh*t about what he or people think about the Vauxhall badge,because every time I look at my cars on the drive they give me a buzz.Also I'm rich in the knowledge that it's highly unlikely that there will never be a bright red Omega along side me or behind me at a set of traffic lights,so all the p*ss takers and knockers can naff off because I like many others on this forum love our cars and will endeavour to keep them running until perhaps one day they will attain classic status

I seem to recall that Clarkson did credit the Omega with being the best handling car sold by Vauxhall at the time and all of that lot seem to love the Monaro. For some reason he didn't rate the Vectra B though.... Strangely someone once said that Ford delivered an Escort Cosworth to his door straight after he slated the Vectra.

[ted_one]

I must have blinked and missed it  

[Diamond Black Geezer]

In my Uni days we had Steve Cropley of Autocar give us a talk, and he did make a reference that Vauxhall have a calculation of the predicted sales / £ revenue that that single Top Gear report and Jeremy Clarkson cost them in sales of the Vectra. He simple described it as (with a pause) "...a lot" 

Personally I am flummoxed.The thing with road tests / testers is it's all 'which car gets the point in this round' style of 'journalism' ie: BMW or Omega which is faster 0-60? Ahh the BMW by 0.1 of a second. The BMW gets the point, the Omega is rubbish!! Ahhh, which has the better build quality? Ahhh, the BMW (questionable IMO, but y'know, for arguments' sake...  ) the BMW gets the point! And then that catch-all line summing-up statement.... "the BMW is £lalalala more expensive, of course, but IF YOU CAN IGNORE THE PRICE DIFFERENCE, we say choose the BMW." as if a £6k price difference is 'nothing' or 'pah, tis but a scratch' kind of thing?

In fairness, yes, he was pretty positive about the Omega, and very very positive about the Monaro (the joy that his favourite Vauxhall being one that is based on a floorpan tracing its roots to 1978, and differing basically very little from a 1986 Carlton / 1994 Omega.... but nevertheless I just want to state for all time to see, the slating of the Vectra was unjustified, and they have worn twice as good as equivalent aged Mondeos I've been in. 

[2nddaniel]

The Catera has a good twin cup holder though. I got one off American eBay.

[elvin315]

The Catera has a good twin cup holder though. I got one off American eBay.

Not my car but I have the same cupholders:


I assumed you meant the rears because I think the fronts were the same whether Catera or Omega. Thing is, not all Catera's had rear cupholders, just like not all had heated rear seats, the power rear windowshade, or powersunroof.