Cadillac Repair: repair question, radiator cap, metal fuel

Question
i just bought a 88 brougham sedan aut. and driving it home a had a few issues. first one being that it lost power going up hills and even small inclines, i had it floored and it was only going 30-55 depending on how big the incline was. the brakes seemed to work fine at first but would not come to a complete stop. i was actually still rolling with the brake held all of the way down. after making it home (about 25 min) it was overheating pretty bad and i lost all of the coolant. i also could smell gas. any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Answer
Hi Chris,

      Too bad those things weren't noticed on the test drive before you bought the car. Oh well since you now have this car and returning it isn't an option...or is it...or if bought from a dealer maybe they will offer assistance in repairing it for free or pay partial expenses.

      The thing that really needs to be fixed first is why there is a fuel smell and where it is coming from. Hopefully cycling the key several times or running the engine for a couple of minuets will show a puddle on the ground and then the repair can be made. It wouldn't surprise me that a rubber hose or metal fuel line has cracked or rusted because of the age. Repairing the leak might even fix the running problem. However I would also suggest replacing the fuel filter now unless it looks really new.

     Then after the fuel leak is fixed the overheating issue can be addressed. What I would do is replace the thermostat and radiator cap and refill the radiator and see if there is any obvious leak. Maybe the front of the waterpump bearing is bad and leaking. Then you can run the engine and see if the cooling fan turns on and if it still continues to overheat.

     Try those suggestions and if you need anymore help let us know. Bill