WHO’S YOUR CADDY?

Discovering the Cadillac Sedanette

One day, Ron Jones was walking around a consignment lot looking for his next rodding project. He had gone there with the intention of checking out a particular car, a ’29 Ford, but while there he noticed another vehicle that caught his eye. Tucked in the back of the lot was a ’49 Cadillac sedanette. It was mostly white and in rather poor shape, with dents, body filler and a little rust as evidence of a neglected existence. But Jones saw the car and knew he had to have it. At first, he only wanted to restore the car—he was getting married soon, and he thought it would be cool to drive away from the ceremony in his new old Cadillac. That’s exactly what he did, but he knew he wanted to make it more than a resto; he wanted a real super rod.

The Transformation Begins

Jones bought the car and took it to JV Enterprises (626/815-8600) in Azusa, California, to begin the transformation. JV responded by updating the car with modern Cadillac power in the form of a 4.6-liter DOHC Northstar V-8. Putting a Caddy in a Caddy is cool, especially when the engine of choice is an ’04 300hp Northstar. This engine originally ran sideways in a FWD configuration, but JV set it up longitudinally in the ’49. The crew fabricated a set of headers to provide adequate clearance, but otherwise the engine is stock. A modified 700R4 transmission sits behind the engine, and a custom polished engine cover sits on top of the intake manifold to hide some of the unsightly factory engine equipment.

Upgrading the Frame and Suspension

The frame needed some upgrades, too. Jones had no plans to make the ’49 a drag racer, but it did need to ride and sit right. JV modified the front suspension with a set of air springs from AccuAir, allowing Jones to drive and park the Caddy as high or low as he desires. The original steering wasn’t that great either, so JV altered a late-model steering rack to fit the car. Stock Cadillac drums hide behind the Colorado Custom Valdez wheels and Michelin Pilot tires.

Rear Modifications and Enhancements

The rear of the car has a few more modifications, the first of which is the replacement of the original rearend with the hot rod standard 9-inch Ford. The builders filled the rearend with 3.73 gears and a limited-slip differential, and each end of the axle uses a stock Ford drum brake. The axle rides on a custom two-link suspension with another set of AccuAir air springs to smooth the ride. JV also set up the car with a custom sway bar to keep it level. As with the front, the rearend of the car wears Colorado Custom Valdez wheels and Michelin Pilot tires.

Exterior and Body Work

The ’49 Cadillac is not the sort of car that a builder needs to reinvent to make it look good. Instead, this model really needs only a general cleaning up to reach its full potential, and that’s exactly what the folks at JV did when they built the car. The body is now smoother, shaved of its door handles and much of its chrome trim. Some trim remains, such as the fender spears, but the rest is gone from the hood, decklid and elsewhere. Otherwise, this Caddy’s classic lines remain the same, from the egg-crate grille to the tiny fins. After straightening all the body panels, they sprayed the ’49 in a custom-mixed pearl silver, and they didn’t stop there. Jones had always wanted a car with flames, but he didn’t want a design that overpowered the car’s graceful styling. The compromise was a subtle set of ghost flames that’s all but unnoticeable at times, and all but impossible to ignore at others.

Crafting the Interior

All that remained was to make sure that the interior was befitting a Cadillac. After all, these are the cars that helped set the benchmark for quality. When someone refers to a nice suit, for example, as the “Cadillac of suits,” this is the kind of Caddy he’s talking about. As such, the interior had to be the sort of thing that reminds Jones and his passengers that they’re riding in such a car. Glendora Auto Trim recovered the stock bench seats in black leather in a sort of tri-bar design that suits the car nicely. The door panels are covered in a mix of more leather and painted metal, creating contrasts of color and texture that work well with the car and intrigue the senses. The JV crew smoothed the stock dash, eliminating the glove compartment. When these cars were new some critics complained that the dash was boring, but now it looks elegant, painted to match the body. Auto Meter Street Rod Series gauges in the stock Cadillac housing keep Jones up to date, while the Vintage Air ­system keeps him cool and comfortable. A CD stereo system with MTX speakers provides the sound, and an Impy steering wheel gives Jones full control over his ride.

A Smooth and Stylish Cruiser

Long, low and smooth—this ’49 Cadillac is all those things, and it is the essence of a cool cruiser. With modern fuel-injected power and reliability, Ron Jones can just hop in the car and drive. With leather upholstery, A/C and good sounds, those drives are good ones, too, thanks to the builders at JV Enterprises. Jones said that he wouldn’t mind having more power in the car, though, and he doesn’t rule out the possibility of a supercharger or a turbocharger in the car’s future, proving once again that no matter how good our cars come out, and no matter how well they adhere to plan, we’re never finished, even with cars as wonderfully smooth and well appointed as this fastback Cadillac.