1938 caddy rat?

[38caddy]

Hello again guys , so I've been thinking and thinking on this ol caddy I have sitting in my garage! I decided to put it up for sale for a few weeks to give a Cadillac guy a chance to grab it and restore it to perfect! But once the time has passed I won't feel guilty cutting up the car to make a rat rod (something) not quite sure what it would be classified as.
So the game plan is air ride (I just bought it all today) get the flat 8 running to see what we are working with !
Rebuild drive line I am keeping the flat 8 and 3 on the tree I hope! If the motor is to far gone (it is stuck right now) I will do an ls1 swap probably! I'd like to do suicide doors all 4 (maybe door poppers) I'm chopping the roof I want to give it a fast back look why I'm at it so I am thinking lay the window down some . Another idea I always thought rats with duelies was kinda cool maybe I'll try to incorporate that some how , if necessary I will widen the rear fenders to accommodate ! Top it off I want to replace the naked Cadillac lady on the hood with a lady skeleton or something , I want it to have a sinister look !
Of course I want satin black. The grille might need to be hand made I have a pile of grille parts some broken I'm sure some missing . I think something custom would be cool !

I will advise you this will be an extremely slow build as I really shouldn't be doing it ! I just had a baby ,but I saw this caddy and couldn't resist!

I do have a ? This car has rear leafs I need to get bags under it so switching to a ladder bar setup shouldn't be bad what car should I steal them from ?

 

[05snopro440]

Cool car! Where do you have it listed for sale? [ddd

Could make a neat driver for sure!

 

[38caddy]

It's on c.l. and the hamb

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Welcome to UDS if I haven't said that already.

I just had a baby

I went traditional and had my wife deliver both of ours.


Seriously, your plan is very, very ambitious. (Chopped, bagged and suicide doors and are easy things to say.)

I have no idea what your background or skills are. Your car has potential to be a bad, bad, badass hot rod/rat rod/ custom... it also has potential to be a turd that won't flush.

I'll attempt a photochop if you're interested...

.

 

[MercuryMac]

I, for one, would be very interested, Doc. This car could be very cool, but it will take an artists vision and a lot of skilled time. I assumed that 38caddy had those attributes, so let's see what he will end up with.
This car is in great shape, but is not pleasing to the eye.

 

[Torchie]

Welcome to UDS if I haven't said that already.



I went traditional and had my wife deliver both of ours.


Seriously, your plan is very, very ambitious. (Chopped, bagged and suicide doors and are easy things to say.)

I have no idea what your background or skills are. Your car has potential to be a bad, bad, badass hot rod/rat rod/ custom... it also has potential to be a turd that won't flush.

I'll attempt a photochop if you're interested...

.

I, for one, would be very interested, Doc. This car could be very cool, but it will take an artists vision and a lot of skilled time. I assumed that 38caddy had those attributes, so let's see what he will end up with.
This car is in great shape, but is not pleasing to the eye.

A tough chop any way you cut it.(No pun intended)
And suiciding all 4 doors would be a hard one as well given the width of the B pillar as well as the rear fender cutting into the rear door.
JMHO...
Torchie

 

[Skip]

I've said it in the past. Just because a car can be chopped doesn't mean it will look better, or even good, when done. Spend some serious PhotoChop time with this. (I recommend the good Doctor highly) Personally, I don't think it needs a thing, other than maybe slamming it and mechanical upgrades. Sell the flatty to a restorer.


Or I could be totally FOS.

 

[38caddy]

I'm not the greatest thing known to the car hobby but I've done some interesting things . My background is/was a heavy equipment /big truck mechanic. I'm self taught on basically everything! I've built (restored/slight modification s ) quite a few cars over the years this will be my big cut job (first) I've always wanted to do one get away from the unbolt fix rebolt stuff (I'm getting board) my most favorite times of the builds are cutting rot making patches from scratch fitting welding then make it disappear !
As for time well I'm 31 I have/had a broken back I'm able to do stuff finally after my last to surgery s so I'm kinda itching to do something! As for the suicide s I think I'll be ok rear door is hanging on center now switch it so front is then beef up behind the rear door a bit ! The external hinges and for the look I'm going with I think I may leave it that way . The chop as said I think I want to lay the window down a bit and maybe come Down 2" nothing huge but she's kinda goofy with her big roof

I'm not one for the photo shop thing so if anyone wants to have at it please feel free .
I would of just cleared it but the org owners son stripped the roof and trunk so it's bare metal with surface rust starting.
By the way I do have two gal of the org 1938 caddy green laqer paint the guy bought it in the 80's there's sealed tight I gave them back shake and it's still liquid so if anyone likes the color and wants real paint !

 

[bob w]

Personally I wouldn't harm a hair on that Caddy's head. But it isn't my car and you should do what you want. If I was younger and it was closer I'd buy that thing.

 

[05snopro440]

Of course it's up to you, but I like the unique style of the body as is.

I found a photo of a 38 Cadillac limo chopped, I don't think it makes it any better looking.

 

[endicott_jb]

I agree with the others. Just because it can be done doesnt mean it should. The reason that car isnt necessarily pleasing to the eyes stems from the rear. The roof and trunk dont flow well together so that is where I would start. Then move onto the hideous rear fenders giving them more shape because much like the newer camaro, it looks like they got to the rear and said screw it, good enough. Then onto removing the spare tire covers and getting the front fenders to have more curves. Doing all that with a slight drop job will give it one bitchin unique look.

 

[Bamamav]

I may be out on a limb here, but that car wasn't meant to be sporty, it was meant to be stylish, sophisticated if you will, for the rich people who could afford to buy one. It was and is a luxury car, designed to offer the best in luxury in it's day. I'm not one to say never cut or change anything on an old ride like that, but that car has a kind of dignity about it that shouldn't be destroyed. IMHO, it would be fine to lower it a bit, with a set of chrome wire wheels and wide whitewalls, but I wouldn't mess with anything else on the body. If it were a coupe or convertible, that would be different, as they were marketed as a sporty luxury car, changing the lines and smoothing them up a bit would be fine. But that car just says old money to me.....

 

[smallfoot]

Here's what somebody did with a 39...

https://spacecoast.craigslist.org/cto/d/1939-cadillac-fleetwood-60/6707564208.html

 

[zzrodder]

It's not an easy body style to make kool but here is my before and after rendition of a sportified 38 model 60. I have a problem counting any higher than 2 when it comes to doors... First off, lose the sidemount tires - I took some height out of the roof, shortened it too, and made it a hardtop, lengthen the front doors and weld up the rears. Lowered it, shortened the wheelbase and pushed the whole trunk section forward so those long rear fenders will stand out from the rear of the body.. I wouldn't slope the rear window because then it would not match the angle of the rear quarter window. Obviously a lot of work but with careful planning and dedication to a final vision, nothing is impossible.[[
If it were mine, I'd dive right in. The Flattie looks cool but unless you're a dedicated restorer, I'd go modern power - far cheaper and reliable.BTW, please don't do the dually idea....

 

[Torchie]

[P [P [P [P
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

I say go for it [cl
[P[P[P

 

[Burgerman]

Cool hardtop rendition ZZ [dr. [P

 

[hansgoudzwaard]

The grille might need to be hand made I have a pile of grille parts some broken I'm sure some missing . I think something custom would be cool !

A Kenworth grill would be a fitting partner to the truck duallies.

I can see it now.

 

[dutch]

Cant afford the car or shipping but I would love to own a tank like that.

I`d definately keep the sidemount spares, change the boot to a boattail shape, ditch the roof and the overrated doors. What it needs most imo is reshaping the rear fenders. The frontside of those need more meat which is very possible when you dont need the rear doors...

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Apparently, zz and I shop at the same photo store.


Four doors, reverse chop...

Lowered a couple more inches, window frames and some chrome removed...

.