Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
The beneficiary of a ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration that was
completed in 2017
6.2 liter LSA V8 / 580 horsepower
6L90 6-speed automatic transmission
Custom leather and alcantara interior / Vintage Air
conditioning
Sixth-generation Corvette front suspension / Independent rear
suspension
Power rack-and-pinion steering
Third-generation Corvette Z06 4-wheel disc brakes
18 and 20-inch sixth-generation Corvette Cup-style wheels
Lexus Atomic Silver paint
From 1930s prestige to present day performance, Cadillac has always
delivered premium, American-tinged opulence. With that in mind,
power has long been a hallmark of the Cadillac brand, and fitting a
working man's car with a hotted up Caddy powerplant is a trick
that's almost as old as hot rodding itself. For decades, southern
California has been awash in killer Ford Deuces that feature buff
Cadillac eights. Here in the American south, brazen moonshiners
outran flatfoot revenuers with late '30s Fords that were upfitted
with big Caddy motors. Heck, even Cadillac parent General Motors
got in on the action when it proliferated Cadillac's homegrown
Northstar V8 into select Oldsmobile and Pontiac offerings. So, when
we tell you this sweet Bel Air benefits from storied Cadillac
power, it shouldn't be a big shock. That is, until you look a bit
closer and realize "storied Cadillac power" actually means 6.2
liters of supercharged LSA. You know, the engine that minted the
2009 Cadillac CTS-V's title as fastest production sedan in the
world!
BODYWORK/TRIM
The beneficiary of a ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration, this
freshly finished Bel Air does an excellent job of wrapping vintage
style around modern technology. A solid California fruit that was
ripe for customization, the car was subjected to a systematic,
no-expense-spared build that began with all its panels being
stripped bare. After that thorough cleaning, those surfaces were
carefully massaged and layered in liquid-smooth Lexus Atomic Silver
2-stage. Every inch of that dynamic pigment was sanded, buffed and
perfected - top to bottom. And in early 2017, this sweet Chevy
stormed the scene as a lights-out custom that mixes classic good
looks with world-beating performance!
This Bel Air is rolling proof that more doesn't necessarily mean
better. The car continuously turns heads by simply doing what it
does best: being one of the finest collectibles on the planet. No
heavy add-ons or overwrought fabrication, just great proportions
and tasteful aesthetics. Up front, a smoothed, 1-piece bumper
traces a polished grille, clear parking lamps and chrome-trimmed
tri-bar headlights. At the top of that grille, a shaved hood leads
the eye to a flowing greenhouse, which founds smoked glass behind
polished frames, capped wipers and a filled cowl. At the base of
that glass, factory door handles and small mirrors reflect
monochromatic trim spears. And at the back of the car, a shaved
decklid and clear, LED-lit tail lamps shade a smoothed and tucked
bumper.
ENGINE
No car guy worth his salt will dispute the merit of anything with
eight cylinders and General Motors pedigree! After nearly a century
of global competition, The General continues to produce one of the
world's best combinations of world-class economy and world-beating
performance. This hardtop's top-notch restoration is built around a
stout, 6.2 liter LSA V8 that's based on GM's award-winning
Generation IV small block. Exclusive to the second-generation
Camaro ZL1 and second-generation Cadillac CTS-V, the LSA utilizes
an aluminum block, a low-lift cam, modified heads and 9 psi of
Eaton boost to twist 580 horsepower into 556 lb./ft. of
earth-moving torque. Dressed in a V-Series shroud, standard to the
20K mile CTS-V it was sourced from, the big engine shows
surprisingly well. At the front of that shroud, a quality Concept
One serpentine drive spins modern power steering and a painted
Powermaster alternator beneath a reusable filter element. In front
of those ancillaries, a polished support seats a polished Mattson's
radiator between a polished Mattson's condenser and dual electric
puller fans. Fluid reservoirs are on point, with a familiar Wilwood
master cylinder complementing trick BMR heat exchanger plumbing.
Exhaust exits through Stainless Works long-tube headers. Everything
communicates well thanks to a Speartech ECU, a Speartech wiring
harness and 7mm plug wires. And the car's smoothed, Atomic Silver
engine compartment looks fantastic trimmed in polished Eddie
Motorsports hood supports.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Park this custom on a lift and you'll find a spotless undercarriage
that's prepped, primed and ready to roar. A fresh 6L90 6-speed,
donated by the same CTS-V as the car's buff powerplant, turns a
modern Camaro differential. That all-GM driveline is an integral
part of a custom-fabricated chassis, which hangs a sixth-generation
Corvette front suspension opposite a fully independent rear
suspension. Quick stops are a cinch thanks to third-generation
Corvette Z06 calipers, which utilize 6-pistons up front and
4-pistons out back to squeeze four drilled rotors. Naturally, the
aforementioned modern power steering fuels a modern rack-and-pinion
set-up. A custom exhaust system routes spent gases through an
X-shaped crossover and aggressive mufflers. And the Corvette theme
continues with chrome, Cup-style wheels throwing torque through two
245/45R18 Pirelli P Zeros and two 325/35R20 Pirelli P Zeros.
INTERIOR
Open the doors and you'll find a custom leather cockpit that takes
plenty of aesthetic cues from Cadillac's premium V cars. Top dead
center, a monochromatic dash frames modern telemetry and pushbutton
ignition in matte paint, glossy billet and alcantara padding.
Plucked from the same CTS-V that donated its driveline, this
Chevy's plush bench and bucket seats feature power operation for
the two front passengers. Between those passengers, a custom
console balances a CTS-V shifter between controls for a Vintage Air
climate system and buttons for a full suite of power windows.
Beneath that console, clean carpet floats piped and color-keyed
floor mats opposite a tight, alcantara headliner. At the sides of
that liner, custom door panels found requisite billet handles on,
you guessed it, more supple alcantara. In front of the driver, a
tilting Ididit column spins a half-wrapped billet wheel. And behind
the passengers, a leather-lined trunk features plenty of space for
luggage to stretch out.
Owning a lights-out classic is cool. Owning a lights-out classic
that's been tastefully customized is something few are lucky enough
to experience. Owning a tastefully customized, lights-out classic
that's propelled by one of the hottest powerplants ever created is
the stuff most gearheads dream about. Don't miss your chance to
enjoy this incredible Bel Air!