Jay Leno has enough money and connections to buy any car he wants. When it comes to this 1957 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, it doesn’t seem like he had a choice about whether or not he got it. A couple of decades ago, a World War II veteran wanted to give it to Leno and he wasn’t going to take “No” for an answer. He did have to wait three weeks for an official response, but at the end of them, Leno accepted his generous – and gruffly insistent – offer.
After Leno got this Cadillac in his enormous garage, he intended to give it a quick restoration. Things didn’t work out that way. Instead, Leno and his crew slid down the slippery slope of updating one thing leading to replacing another…and another… By the time they were done, the free Caddy had new paint, fresh upholstery, an engine rebuild, a better cooling system, and a more modern transmission.
When the overhaul started, the body was a drab beige. Instead of giving the Coupe de Ville a fresh coat of the same forgettable color, Leno opted for a Ferrari shade of blue.
Leno chose different colors for the roomy cabin, too. He had the cheaply done brown vinyl yanked out and replaced with two-tone blue seating surfaces and trim. To make that generous amount of space even more comfortable (physically and mentally), a Vintage Air climate control system and seat belts were installed.
In addition to being rebuilt, the 365ci V8 was equipped with a custom water pump, a larger radiator, electric fans, an Edelbrock carburetor, and an electric fuel pump. The original transmission was replaced with a 400R. Leno kept the generator, but he had the internals converted to alternator hardware.
Despite its new parts, this Coupe de Ville is classic Cadillac on the road. It’s loaded with conveniences such as power windows, steering, and brakes. According to Leno, it gets thumbs-up wherever he goes in it. If getting there requires driving down curvy roads, the trip is a little more challenging because steering the Cadillac is “a bit like commandeering a yacht.”
This classic piece of automotive Americana has come a long way in its transformation from a tired two-door to a restored relic of yesteryear. It all started with the power of the word “Yes”…eventually.
Source: www.classiccars.com