My daily: 2002 Cadillac Eldorado ETC Collector Series
This is my daily driver around town, a 2002 Eldorado ETC Collector Series (final 1596 units out of the factory before discontinuation of the model line). 4.6 Northstar, 76,000 miles, very good+ interior and exterior condition, no mechanical or electrical issues. I can still feel every one of the 300 horses it left the factory with, the Northstar is a fun, high-revving engine.
There’s a big misconception in online car communities that Northstar engines are ticking time bombs, ready to blow once you start approaching 100k miles. The reality is that these engines just simply cannot overheat without risking extensive damage. The head stud issue with too-fine of threads was a major defect on GM’s part, so there’s plenty of blame rightly placed on them. BUT, if you religiously maintain the cooling system and monitor engine temps, the failure rate is similar to other DOHC engines of the era. Any Northstars you see on the road still today likely have had their cooling systems always perfectly maintained and functioning. If there is no overheating, then that greatly reduces the chances of head bolts backing out, and that means no gasket failure, and no engine block destruction.