jimmy2s83

Always been intrigued with concept and prototype vehicles. Especially with cross make designs. Much like now they are making the new Camaros into a firebird. I have my first car back (82 camaro).
It has the 2.5 iron duke that I destroyed back in 2000 or 1999.
My plan is to make a concept/prototype of what it would have looked like if cadillac had built a car on the F-body platform.

Have a 87 Trans am to finish up and sell first as well as get my 98 Chevy 4x4 on the road again. (fuel pump! Ugh. Hate in-tank pumps.)

Then this winter its into the 82.
I have a 9 bolt posi disc rear that I'll put in place of the open drum rear in it.
Also just got the OK to use my brothers rebuilt 350 that he had in a 79 z28. Maybe put 5K on it before the camaro's rust issues caused its demise.
For a trans it'll be a 700R4 from a 350 GTA.
Interior will most likely be a plush white leather. Not sure if I'll go power or not. Kinda depends on which seats I end up with.
Dash will get some wood grain as well as custom logos.
Hood I am thinking a smooth stock but still debating because I don't want to use a camaro or firebird design hood.
Nose will get some custom treatment still to be decided.
Headlights may stay the same as camaro but I may tweak the way they sit or use a completely different set alltogether.
Wheels I want to use some alloy 15s or 16s with cadillac center caps.
Tail lights could be a bit tricky to get a cadillac feel with 3rd gen styling.
Not sure on the rear spoiler. Camaro and firebird shared some styles so its a toss up on what to do.
-
So a lot of decisions to be made. Have a rough idea but it will certainly change many times as we go on with this.

I know there will some that don't get it but its something I have tossed around for some time now. With getting my 82 back its a must do now. All the others have been for fun to drive until they sell. This will be the car I keep being its the first car I ever bought.

Suggestions and tips more than welcome. Even leads on cadillac interiors.
If anyone has done a cadillac interior swap please get a hold of me! Fitment will not be fun in the rear as most are larger than the 3rd gen seats!

Thanks!

JeremyNYR

iTrader: (2)

I'm surprised you would do this with your first car that you just got back. A sketch or photoshop would be helpful to give us an idea of your overall direction (and might help you since you're still figuring out your direction). Are you going for a modern Cadillac look, or a 1982 Cadillac look? I honestly dont think the 80s Cadillac designs aged well... you dont see many people considering those cars classics or desirable now. They were just soft riding boats back then, not the sporty luxury they offer today.

mustangdmurder

iTrader: (3)

I want to make an Oldsmobile F-body. haha

DancesWithDeath

iTrader: (1)

Oh my god. I have 4 caddy tattoos. If you need ideas or anything. I know everything post 1967.

AlkyIROC

Remember the old days when you looked in the classifieds for a used truck and the listing started off with Chevrolet? Now it starts with Cadillac. That just isn't right.

I'm sure there are a few good concept ideas. Olds and Buick cars had they're own design features which made them stand out from the rest of the GM line. There's always something in a Caddy that makes it look like a Caddy.

I remember seeing the clay model concept car of the new GTO. You could look at it and say it was a modern day GTO with the old styling just like looking at the new Mustangs and Challengers. By the time the car was put into production, it looked like every other cookie cutter car on the road. All those styling cues that had the old school Pontiac and GTO look were gone.

Trying to find a styling look for a Caddy may not be that easy. The old school Caddys were not based off sport car designs and you don't want an f-body platform to look like a land yacht.

jimmy2s83

OK,

I am doing this to my first car because its something I have wanted to do for a while. Considered buick for a while. This car really has no value more than a few good parts being it is an Iron duke F-body.

The goal is a sporty cadillac. The Cimarron and later Allante model will be the most used for looks and inspiration. Cimarron because it actually had a Chevy counterpart in the Cavalier. Allante because it was Cadillacs attempt in the sporty field. I know the cimarron wasn't a good thing for cadillac to do but it shows some ways to go from chevy to cadillac.

I have my brother coming up with some designs that will be posted. He insists it needs a stainless roof. Not sold on that idea but he is making the designs so we'll see how it goes.

The front bumper, grill, and headlights are my biggest concern. Trying to get a Cadillac look with a sporty 3rd gen style.

The modern XLR shows how the cadillac can have some nice design on a sporty chassis. Thats basically what I am going for but with an early 80s flavor.

AlkyIROC

Don't forget the texas longhorns on the front. Nothing but a Caddy looks good with those.

novaderrik

if you want inspiration to see what a Cadillac F body would have looked like back in the day, you need only look at what Cadillac did when they got their hands on a Cavalier and called it a "Cimmaron" or when they stretched out a Grand Am so they could put "El Dorado" badges on it..

JeremyNYR

iTrader: (2)

The more I think about it, the more I tihnk this idea can go horribly wrong. Cadillac just didn't do anything sports car oriented in the 1980s and what was considered luxury back then is considered cheap now. I don't like the idea of rebadging a Camaro as a Cadillac at all, but if you do it I'd suggest limiting it to making an interior with a modern day luxury feel to it. Maybe a Cadillac seat swap in the front with the rear seats recovered to match the materials and pattern, deluxe carpeting and floor mats, leather wrapped and nicely stitched dash pad cover, cadillac inspired gages, double din navigation system, leather wrapped center console (or custom center console design) and high end recovered door panels. Maybe some nice two-tone accents in the interior as well (black and beige with beige double stitching on the black leather parts comes to mind)

jimmy2s83

Not the final design by any means but a start.

He went a lot more typical Cadillac than 3rd gen with it. My plan was mainly third gen with some cadillac style.

Still a few more designs to play with.

T/Aperformance

OK I like the front you have drawn up, Are you planning on doing some sort of fin in the back like caddies have ?

jimmy2s83

No fin but the rear quarter is boxed slightly to make a more cadillac style taillight.
I'm not sold on that idea for the final product as I will have my hands full enough with the front mods. Think the rear quarter will be the same as the other 3rd gens but maybe a spoiler or wing to give a cadillac feel.
Still other drawings to come.
Before mods are started the car will be a driver. Thought about doing the mods first but I think it will be best to get it a driver first.

loneroad

iTrader: (3)

. scrap the rear hatch. style the roof after the convetibles. alot more straight edges and angles.

Richboll

Could be an interesting One of a Kind!

2007xl50

I kinda like the front end on the drawing, but the pulling it off is another thing. Your brother has some skills there.

jimmy2s83

Yes! Getting it from paper to life will be a struggle. Fortunately there will be no time line on when this will have to be done. I have a parts car that I could mock up the front end with while driving the 82 as it is. (once the driveline is switched anyways).
That will prove helpful with getting the front end ready to switch over without having the car laid up for months on end not being driven.
The current project is my 1987 Trans am that needs some paint and interior or just sold before hand. Had a buyer but he stopped responding? Hate that.
Will post the next drawings and hopefully in a month or so give some updates on the 82.

jensen73110

iTrader: (4)

At first I loved the idea. I was thinking along the lines of modern Caddy doing a 3rd gen.
LSA engine, 6 speed auto or manual, independent rear, MagneRide shocks, LED tail lights, HIDs up front, and so on.

This sounds like....
Vinyl roof, 14" wheels, smooshy suspension, drum brakes, "rich corinthian leather" interior, white wall tires, big ugly bumpers, and 55 mph speed limit.

Have fun(?)

jimmy2s83

If you read through my posts and look at the picture you can see what the idea is. 3rd gens had Disc brake rears in 1982. So will this. I am going with 16s most likely for wheels because it wasn't long before that became standard on performance models.
No vinyl roof. Its not a typical cadillac no more than the camaro or firebird were the typical models of Chevrolet and Pontiac.
Been busy with the Trans Am and my brother has been working 10s all week so he has not been able to get to the other designs.
Also I did say that a 350 would most likely be used for engine but not the crossfire since I want it to have some go. Also considered a cadillac engine or possibly the turbo V6. Alot of time to work things out but I stress this won't be a cadillac luxury boat design on a 3rd gen.

gt4373

If You Have The Time And Money You Can Make An F Body Into Anything I Recently Saw This.

Richboll

That is crazy!

DancesWithDeath

iTrader: (1)

4.6 litre north star redesigned to not blow head gaskets.

jimmy2s83

That 1957 Chevy on the 3rd gen is just insane! Never seen anything like that before!
Thanks for sharing.

robotic_junky

It's a 4th gen Camaro. The body kit is called the Belaro sold by easyrods.com.

Also putting a notchback hatch on it might help the looks compared to the reg. hatch.

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

Nice drawing. I'd square off the tops of the rear quarters to match the lines of the front.

Honestly. That said if I had that crazy idea I'd probably be pulling from the lines of the current caddies like the cts it xts and go withe the cts interior (it has a surprisingly "expensive modern f-body" feel and layout.

Richboll

I personally think that if thread posts are going to be re-written or removed by the moderator for good reason or not, there should be a notation made of the reason why history has been changed. It's not that I agree or disagree with what was posted or why it was removed, there needs to be an asterisk to say that something had been there.
Just my opinion.

mr305

iTrader: (1)

Agreed

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

lol wouldnt want anyones feelings to get hurt.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

This is a private run company and all members agreed to our user agreement when joining. Commenting on action by the moderators is in fact a violation of those rules.

The original comment that was made was not intended to be racist by the original poster, but caused offense to members that complained. The comment, and followup has been removed so it will not continue to offend members.

Move along.

-- Joe

rybread11

I give you props for building something unique, but I think it would be way cooler if you went a different direction. Is there a bad *** caddy prototype they made during that time that you could draw cues from? The worst part of all the third gen based conversions out there, is usually the combination of the stock third-gen roof-line, and what ever "body" is put on it. they never look good, a good example is the white car in this thread (although it's a fourth gen - but it still has the same kind of "awkward" quality. What would be cool, and fit the time period your going for, is if you could cut the roof off of an 79-85 Eldorado, then section/chop or whatever to make it still angular, but sleeker and in line with the theme of a caddy sports car, then weld it in place of the third gen top (along with the restyled rest of the car). Think of creating something that really has it's own lines. You know what would be cool, combine the styling of the 79-85 Eldo with the shape/lines of the recent XLR. Like an 80's XLR.

jimmy2s83

The car I am going for is what cadillac would have built on the F-body chassis. Going modern would be really cool but not what I am going for. This will be a What if GM had Cadillac build their own Fbody just like Chevrolet and Pontiac were.
I know that if it was done in 1982 it would have more than likely had the crossfire. I will not go that route. I am thinking about dressing a SBC up to look unique. Most the detail will be the body though. Roof lines on the Camaro and firebird were the same so it will be the same on this one. The front and rear will be the areas that are changed.
Thanks for the advice and comment!
Still trying to sell the 87 trans am. Once that is taken care of space and funds will be open to start the tear down!

rybread11

I get it now - what you're saying about the roof lines being the same - GM said Chevrolet and Pontiac had to share a roof,door,and deck lid, so it would make sense if Cadillac had to too. I don't blame you for not using the crossfire. On a seperate note, I wonder if anyone has ever put an 80's vintage Cadillac engine in a thirdgen? I'm not saying you should. It makes sense for you to use the "corperate" 305 or Chevy small block.