Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 19th - 22nd, 2017 at Russo and Steele's 17th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Please contact us for more information.
During 1962, General Motors' premier Cadillac Motor Division celebrated its historic 60th Anniversary year as America's undisputed luxury and engineering leader. That year, Cadillac produced 160,840 automobiles, all equipped with a new dual-circuit braking system and 59 percent of them sold with air conditioning. Mechanically, all 1962 Cadillacs were powered by a 390-cubic-inch V-8 with 325 horsepower mated to GM's renowned 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. A new chassis frame and suspension improved ride and handling, giving the new Cadillacs an agility belying their ample proportions.
While difficult to improve upon, the 1962 Cadillac line and the convertibles in particular lend themselves incredibly well to the custom treatment. Known as Cadalina, this 1962 Cadillac custom convertible is an outstanding case in point, combining the outstanding original body lines and space age flavor of the original car with modern presence and function. At its foundation, the chassis is equipped with Ride Tech air suspension including Shockwave aluminum air shocks all around and braking is via General Motors disc brakes. The powertrain was updated to match, with a powerful 5.3L LS V-8 engine liberated from a 2007 GMC Denali. A GM 4L60E overdrive automatic transmission provides cruising ease.
The sleek Cadillac body was subtly tweaked to perfection with the rear-fender skirts eliminated and the rear-quarters modified to fill in the area formerly occupied by the skirts. New chrome-plated brass moldings were custom-fabricated for the lower reveal. The striking 2-tone Mediterranean Sea Blue and Pearl custom paint finish was applied by Ron Morfitt using top-quality BASF products. The body mods and final assembly were performed by Restorations & Reproductions and the chrome plating was handled by Sherm's and Oregon Plating. The one-off white custom interior and parade boot were trimmed and installed by Jim Griffin, the 7-time Ridler Award winner. The instrument panel was redone by Classic Instruments of Boyne City, Michigan, and the one-off wheels and hubcaps were supplied by EVOD Industries. Continuing the seaside theme of Cadalina, Palm tree motifs are embossed into the leather upholstery and machined into the custom wheels and their center caps. A stunning custom Cadillac in every respect, Cadalina is ready to drive, enjoy, and draw crowds of admiring onlookers wherever she goes with her proud new owner.
