CADILLAC DOUBLE VISION: In the debate pitting restoration against modification, why can’t both sides win?
March 2, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
Stock or custom? Look for these two collectible Cadillacs – a 1950 Cadillac De Ville and a custom 1962 convertible known as “Cadalina” – crossing the block at the 15th Annual Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction.
Stock or custom? Preserve or modify? Historic authenticity, or smile-a-minute thrill ride? That’s the dilemma almost everyone faces when they plunk down money for that perfect classic car.
There’s really no right answer to that age-old question. Unless you’re purchasing a previously undiscovered Ferrari 159S that’s been hidden in an Italian barn since 1947, you’ve probably been tempted by the possibilities of customization. Especially these days, when the technology to make an old car drive like a new one is so readily available. But then again, there’s nothing quite like the time-machine aspect of returning a car to its original condition.
Two Cadillacs that will be offered at No Reserve during Barrett-Jackson’s 2017 Palm Beach Auction on April 6-8 illustrate the temptation these two directions offer. In the stock corner is a beautifully restored 1950 Cadillac De Ville convertible. The case for stock restoration on this car was strong. This body style, with its small tailfins, had a huge influence on a decade’s worth of cars. It was also the generation of Cadillacs that replaced the Flathead engine designs of the prewar years with a modern overhead-valve 331ci eight-cylinder, teamed with an automatic transmission. For 1950, the Cadillac line saw styling revisions and the introduction of a one-piece windshield, and these models incorporate the plentiful chrome and two-tone interiors that perfectly reflect the era.
The car offered at Palm Beach was originally exported to South America, before recently returning to United States. It has received a comprehensive restoration using original parts, including new chromework, paint and interior. The one nod to modernity is a new radio with USB. For anyone wanting a fine driving car that offers a glimpse of how well-off drivers lived in the mid-20th century, this restored 1950 Caddy is your ticket to a glamorous past.
Over in the modified corner of the Palm Beach offerings, we have a custom 1962 Cadillac convertible. You know you’ve landed a knockout punch when you modify a classic car and the changes still look period-appropriate, and that’s the case with the Kennedy-era “Cadalina.”
With its two-tone Mediterranean Sea Blue and Ivory custom paint, along with its subtle body modifications, Cadalina would have looked right at home parked on the beach across from Cape Canaveral watching Friendship 7 loft John Glenn into orbit in 1962. The seaside theme incorporates palm tree motifs embossed into the leather upholstery and machined into the EVOD Industries custom wheels and center caps.
Fender skirts were still common in the early 1960s, but on this custom Cadillac they have been eliminated and skillfully filled in so that the quarter-panels sweep from front to back in an unbroken line. Sharp eyes will pick up on the custom-fabricated lower reveal moldings made from chrome-plated brass.
Not all the modifications can be spied during a casual walk-around, though. Underneath, a RideTech air suspension, including Shockwave aluminum air shocks, shifts the ride and handling characteristics into the 21st century. There are GM disc brakes at all four corners.
Cadillac’s early-1960s 390ci V8 was a capable beast, but it’s hard to beat the efficiency, reliability and power output of a modern fuel-injected V8 engine. Cadalina is powered by a 5.3-liter LS V8 from a 2007 GMC Denali, backed by a GM 4L60E overdrive automatic transmission.
The custom work on this space-age Cadillac was performed by all-star heavyweight champs in the customization business, which is not surprising considering the level of skill required to make an old car perform like a new one, all while preserving the spirit of the original.
The eternal debate over whether to restore or modify a vintage automobile will never be completely settled to everyone’s satisfaction, but at least bidders in Palm Beach will be able to weigh the virtues of each side, thanks to the availability of these two classics from Cadillac. We get the feeling this may be one of those rare debates where both sides win.
For up-to-date information on these and other vehicle on the Palm Beach docket, click HERE.