NSMC member Stephen Hurlbert had always dreamed of owning one of these
legendary cars, just like the one his Grand-Father owned and loved. Stephen
recalls telling his stepson Andy of his Grand-Father's car, and how he'd
always desired to own one just like it. Andy quickly located one for
sale on the Internet, and within the week a bright metallic purple '59
Cadillac Sedan deVille 4-door "Flat Top" found its way to Stephen's
garage.
As his first foray in the automotive hobby, Stephen planned to tour the
country in his car when completed. He wanted all the performance and
safety features of a new car, while maintaining much of the '59s
distinctive flavor. He quickly dubbed the project "Caditour," and knew
in order to build the car to the level of excellence desired, he'd need
some expert assistance. Stephen wisely enlisted Ken Ball's services at
Classics Plus in Shakopee, Minnesota.
After disassembling the '59 and removing many years of amateur paint and
body work, it was clear the body was simply too far gone for this
project. Stephen located yet another '59 "Flat Top" and the effort began
once again. As fate would have it, after disassembly, the second body
was no better than the first. Finally, he located and purchased a
clean-bodied car, and the project could finally move forward.
Building a solid foundation with modern Air-Ride components for the
Caddy was made possible by having a special one-off chassis built by Art
Morrison Enterprises. A Strange Engineering Ford 9-inch rear axle (with
3.70:1 gears and Positraction) was teamed with a Mustang II front
suspension and Wilwood discs on all corners. In keeping with the classic
looks of this ride, a set of 15-inch Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels were
matched up with 235/60-15 front and 255/60-15 rear Goodyear tires.
Motivation for the Cadillac is a fully polished, fuel injected, 502
cubic inch, 533 horsepower Street & Performance big-block Chevrolet
engine with distinctive personalized "Caditour" valve covers. Pushing
all that power to the rear is a GM 4L60 automatic transmission. The
Caddy's distinctive sound is obtained through a pair of Street &
Performance "shorty" headers and twin Flowmaster dual-chamber mufflers.
With the chassis and driveline in place, work progressed rapidly on the
Cadillac's body. Stephen wanted to keep much of the car's original
appearance, limiting the body modifications to shaving the door handles
and lock cylinders while adding a tastefully executed hood bulge.
Just as the bodywork was nearing completion at Classics Plus, a faulty
air conditioner caught fire one evening, destroying much of the shop.
The car itself escaped with little damage, but many of the stored parts
needed to complete the project were lost in the fire. Once again,
Stephen found himself looking for a fourth car to finish the Caddy. A
friend told him of a '59 Caddy resting behind a barn in northern
Minnesota. Stephen went to see the car and it had all the necessary
goodies. It took two more visits to convince the car's owner to part
with it, but once again the "Caditour" project was back on track.
With the shop repaired, and all the parts needed to finish the car, the
bodywork was finally completed. Several coats of House of Kolor
Red paint (Blue Blood) were laid down over a white basecoat, and the Caddy's laser
straight body began to really shine.
The "Caditour" project was accomplished with a beautifully crafted red
and white leather interior, stitched up by Bill Spears and Son. Interior
upgrades were added by Premier Upholstery located in Rogers, Minnesota
in 2006. The
remaining interior touches include Dakota Digital instrumentation, an Ididit steering column, and a Grant "Banjo" steering wheel.
Using parts from the fleet of four cars Stephen had purchased to build
this dream machine, he then set out to build a matching trailer.
Grafting front and rear '59 Caddy clips created a unique trailer body.
To perfectly match the car, the trailer has its own independent Air-Ride
suspension system, identical wheels, matching paint, and even the same
upholstery.
If you see this Caddy cruising down the Interstate, you'll know
Stephen's behind the wheel sharing in his Grand-Father's passion for these
classic cruisers. Should you choose to pass him, make sure there's
plenty of clear road ahead. At 33 feet of overall car-and-trailer
length, and with the healthy big-block 502 under the bulging bright red
hood, you're going to need it!
By Mark Simpson, Photos By Matt Sprouse
Featured in the August/September 2005 Street Machine Magazine
Corrections to the published article include changing
the reference from "father" to "Grand-Father"
Additional Side Note:
The original '59 Cadillac Flattop bought by Stephens Grand-Father in
1959 was purchased at Warren Cadillac in Minneapolis. He drove the car
from the show room to his home in St.Louis Park, MN, pulled into the
garage and couldn't shut the door. That is when Grandpa found out
this car was the longest car ever built at 225 inches in length.
He had to chisel two holes in the sheetrock at the front of the garage
for the two tear-drop end-caps of the bumper before the car would fit.
He was then able to close the garage door. Incidentally, I also
found out this car not only had the largest fins but has the widest body
for a production car.
