I have been looking at an 05 GXP with 90,000 miles lately. In doing the research on the vehicle, I see, when repairs are needed, alot of high repair costs being thrown around due to the northstar, and GXP rareness. I understand these numbers are mostly shop costs. How many of you wrench on your own vehicles? Can it be done, or are these just too rare? I ask, since my regal GS, I had done most of all my work myself. Everything was always pretty easy, with plenty of information out on the web to do it.

I have never been scared of mileage, and I love the look of the GXP.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tony

Hey Tony.. Regal GS huh..

The Northstar (lovingly referred to by me as Deathstar) is a neat and powerful motor. Being modular and mostly aluminum is a drawback though. The motor tends to be large in size making the engine bay space for working on it smaller than the W body.

The engines themselves has a nasty run in the late 90'* with head/head gasket failures to the point that out of 100 junkyards you might find one willing to sell you a used N*. It is an expensive motor to work on in that usually if something goes bad, it'* deep into the motor or the motor itself.

At least that'* my experience from the late 90'* Caddy'* with the motor.

Yep, loved the GS. Unfortuneatly, it just was totaled out in a car accident. Ugh, all the performance mods gone. Thanks for the feedback. Just hoping to keep down ongoing expenses if I pull the trigger on the GXP. I REALLY like it.

I just got mine a month ago, and i love it!!! bigger than the 08 Impala SS i was going to get and one of the reasons i decided not to the the impala is b/c everywhere i turned i seen an Impala SS, LTZ, LT or LS...

I see rebuilds for them, but most credible sources and alot of Caddy Forum guys tell me the engines dont do well rebuilt. The sleeves are to thin for boring, the OEM valve seating cant be reaccoplished after the fast, and getting all the headbolts out with snapping some next to impossible. And even if you are successful, they must all be re-zerted or failure guaranteed. So you wonder if the remans are just "polished" ones that outlasted the original cars. Itz a scary prospect for us indeed as our unique drive trains wear out. Looking at the cost difference of a reman, and getting a new crate engine, isnt enough for me to consider. When mine gived up (Hopefully before hte GMPP extended expires) I'll be going crate. If a 4.4L */C NorthStar will swap, (same block) all the better. Not alot out there is going to touch a 470'ish HP GXP. What I spend in nitrous will fund it. Heheheeeeeh.

I've put 140,000 miles on my '04 GXP in 5 years....no major issues to speak of. I do most of my own repairs. Basic stuff: brakes, struts, trans filter/fluid..... 45,000 foglight bulbs.... Last week I did the plugs- the back 4 take a little patience with moving the EGR.

This week I did discover the GXP 'rareness' factor. One of the power steering lines sprung a big leak (line that goes from pump to gear). I checked everywhere and only one place in the country had this line....somewhere in lakeland, FL?! GM said 7-10 days. So I removed it last night and took it to a local hydraulics repair shop. they fab'd a new hose/fittings in about an hour. Fortunately it'* a fairly easy line to get on/off....about 30 minutes. If the engine or tranny goes I would look for a low mile salvage northstar and swap. Great car and I still get a lot of looks and questions

Sean

Did you leave the strut tower brace on Sean? Either way your a more patient GXP owner than I. I wouldn't dream of dealing with the spark plugs, and I eat them quickly.

Good to know these cars last that long without problems. I was starting to worry I might have to sell it before the warranty expires, but with 68k miles, I think I'll keep it for quite a while longer.

The engine and transmission should hold up very well. The 4T80E is worlds more beefy than the 4T65E-HD and those typically go 150k depending on how you drive it.

I took the strut brace off. The 4 bolts that hold the bar come off easily. The EGR can be loosened and moved side to side to get at the middle 2 plugs.

where are the spark plugs on the N*..
i swear i couldnt find them :?