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Published: 11/17/2022

Rosie Part III: The Complete Vision

Author: THE BLOCK

Photos: LUCAS PRIAMO

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We've recently been taking a look at "Rosie" – our 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville two-door coupe powered by a Chevrolet Performance LT4 E-ROD crate engine.* Our goal with the Caddy is to inspire others to get out, drive, and make memories on the road with their own vehicles.

 

We've recently been taking a look at "Rosie" – our 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville two-door coupe powered by a Chevrolet Performance LT4 E-ROD crate engine.* Our goal with the Caddy is to inspire others to get out, drive, and make memories on the road with their own vehicles.

 

Rosie was built to serve as a 65-year-old time capsule.

We've covered the idea behind the project and the engine itself, so let's take a deeper dive into how Rosie looks now and some of the parts that made it happen.

With only 2,100 Eldorado Seville two-door coupes built in 1957, this car was one of the rare models from the era. In addition, our research shows that Copper Metallic paint was an Eldorado-only color in the period during which this car rolled off the line (but correct us if we're wrong).

So we must be crazy to turn this car into a restomod, right?

Well, not entirely.

A radiator from Performance Rod & Custom helps keep the LT4 E-ROD cool.

"We think that if an LT4 option had been around in the late 1950s, one without a doubt would have been in this car."

 

The Powertrain

As we mentioned in our previous stories, at one point this particular Cadillac had its original 364 cubic-inch engine replaced by a more powerful 390 from 1959. It was backed by a TH400 three-speed automatic transmission.

As a result, the car was no longer numbers-matching, and our lead designer Andy Williamson saw an opportunity to outfit it with modern performance. He chose a Connect & Cruise Crate Powertrain System featuring the LT4 E-ROD (allowing Rosie to cruise in all 50 states) and a SuperMatic 10L90-E 10-speed automatic transmission. The 6.2L supercharged engine turns out 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, while the transmission has a 715 lb.-ft. torque-capacity limit, a 7.39 overall gear ratio and an aggressive 4.70 first-gear ratio. That means it's great both for cruising and for getting off the line in a hurry.

In many ways, choosing one of today's most powerful and cutting-edge Connect & Cruise packages from Chevrolet Performance is perfect for a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville – the top-of-the-line vehicle of its day.

"We think that if an LT4 option had been around in the late 1950s, one without a doubt would have been in this car," Williamson said. "It's powerful, reliable and built to perform. Not to mention, the sound from this engine is sooo amazing! This is a flagship Cadillac and it deserves a flagship engine."

 

The LT4 E-ROD engine features a Performance Rod & Custom oil cooler and an Improved Racing oil cooler adapter.

 

Our friends at Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center helped supply us with a variety of factory Chevrolet Performance and ACDelco parts, while also sourcing Dirty Dingo Motorsports motor mounts and a Drive Junky LT4 front accessory drive system for use with our Restomod Air air-conditioning unit.  A new radiator, cooling fan, heat exchanger and transmission cooler from Performance Rod & Custom help keep powertrain components cool, while the exhaust is spent through a custom setup from Kooks Headers and Exhaust. 

Improved Racing was also a big help when it came to making sure we kept our oil at a proper temperature. We worked with their team to source one of the company's oil cooler adapters to run with our new Performance Rod & Custom oil cooler. 

Speaking of oil, the whole power plant is protected by Mobil 1 Supercar 0W-40 advanced synthetic. Our friends at Mobil 1 have been a massive help with this project, and in fact, inspired it with their recent Route 66 road trips. We looked at what they were doing and simply wanted to join the fun.

To ensure we can make those trips, fuel is delivered to the engine via a fuel tank from Caddy Daddy, who also sourced us the sending unit and straps. Tanks Inc. components including a fuel pump, hose, fittings and more are utilized to plumb the system.

 

The Chevrolet Performance LT4 E-ROD allows for cruising in all 50 states -- and Rosie's powertrain utilizes products from a variety of industry-leading companies.

"It was important to us to use some of the most-respected names in the industry for this build."

 

Additionally, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions is a staple in the racing community for its selection of hoses, fittings, wiring and associated items. Their shop is a must-see if you're ever in the North Carolina area. The Brown & Miller crew was crucial in helping us source the right components for all wiring needs and custom power steering hoses (the Drive Junky front accessory drive also provided hydronic power steering).

Meanwhile, Summit Racing Equipment was tapped for the battery, battery hold down, fittings, AC manifold and Vibrant Power air intake piece, along with all the proper fluids needed to get this engine fired up and running smoothly and safely.  Finally, we stopped by a local O'Reilly Auto Parts store for items like engine sending units, radiator hoses and other parts to button up the engine and get it ready to fire.

"It was important to us to use some of the most-respected names in the industry for this build," Williamson explained. "With a car built for driving, we needed to be confident in Rosie's ability to travel across the country multiple times. Not to mention, we were building this car on a super crunched timeline."

But, there is way more to this build than just the powertrain setup.

 

Harrisburg, North Carolina's Retro Designs Speed & Custom was responsible for the build. Nearby Chem Guy Detailing refreshed the car's paint and Ivory White top.

 

Paint and Interior

The third-generation Eldorado received a makeover from GM in 1957, and we worked closely with the team at Retro Designs Speed & Custom in Harrisburg, North Carolina, to not only install the engine, but to ensure all of the car's classic style was kept intact. Rosie is highlighted by the famed tail fins of the era, and the model year was also notable for the downward-tapering fenders and wrap-around rear bumper. The original rose-gold Copper Metallic color remains, as does the Ivory White roof and much of the style of the Copper vinyl/paisley cloth interior.

Since our goal was to create a time capsule with the car, the exterior wasn't repainted. We felt that the paint was about a 6.5 out of 10, and we wanted to see how good we could make this paint without repainting the whole car. That's why we contacted the detailing team at Chem Guy Detailing in Concord, North Carolina. They came out and inspected the build and condition of the paint, chrome, windows and interior, then came back with a plan. This team worked miracles on the entire car. Now, when people see the vehicle for the first time, they think it has been repainted and completely redone. 

The entire Chem Guy team worked hard to remove as many imperfections as possible on the paint and return it to its former glory. Plus, that group worked its magic on the top, bringing the Ivory White to its original color. They did the full-blown, Q-tip treatment by going over every inch of this car and it absolutely shows.

 

The interior was designed to maintain a 1950s feel. A variety of custom elements were created by Retro, while Douglas Interior Products helped source the leather and colorways.

"While this car is a restomod, it isn't supposed to be a brand-new build."

 

The interior also maintains a similar vibe to how it came from the factory, but custom door panels, carpeting, a package tray, and a dash drop-down for the vents were created by Troy Reid at Retro Designs. Restomod Air's e product provides sound deadening and temperature control for the interior. This is the first time we have used this product and we can't say enough about it. 

Finding the right leather for the interior was crucial and we looked at a lot of different options for this car. The colorways were particularly important, as we wanted the design of the interior to be classic and timeless, but also to have a whimsical fun factor that only a '57 Cadillac can provide. We contacted Brodie Smith over at Douglas Interior Products and his team masterminded the process of helping us source the perfect leather and colorways. The whole interior is so inviting, you can even hang and have meetings in there. Trust us, we've done it.

Because we wanted to maintain the mid-20th century feel of the car's interior, we also turned to Dakota Digital for a speedometer conversion to convert the electric speedo on the modern 10L90-E 10-speed transmission to a cable-driven setup. This allowed us to keep the factory gauge while running a modern transmission. 

"While this car is a restomod, it isn't supposed to be a brand-new build," Willamson explained. "It's supposed to maintain that 1950s feel and harken back to a time when a family might pile into their big Caddy on a road trip across Route 66. Our goal was to recreate that for the 21st century, utilizing today's best technology, but also to honor the storied legacy of the Cadillac."

 

Smith Chassis and Air Lift Performance helped provide Rosie with an aggressive, low stance.

 

Suspension, Rear End, Brakes and Driveshaft

While the 1957 Cadillac was notable for the creature comforts of its time including a new rear suspension design and multiple power features (including power windows), Williamson wanted to spend time updating how the car would sit. The stance of the car is crucial; the way the car sits still means as much to us as it does while it's moving. 

To find just the right setup, we called upon Smith Chassis & Metalworks in Louisville, Kentucky, to rework the whole suspension and help us acquire the look and feel that we wanted. Maintaining the original air-like quality of how these big Caddys cruise was especially important. Smith Chassis' Brandon Smith developed a plan for how we would achieve all that we wanted from the suspension setup utilizing Air Lift Performance.

The company was at the top of our list of who we wanted to work with due to their innovative products and status as a long-standing leader in the aftermarket industry. Air Lift Performance staff were able to work with our team to set us up with all the right products to help lay the car out fully, yet still offer a sleek and aggressive stance when standing still.  

Smith Chassis also made a to address the rear end. We knew that we were going to be dropping in a Chevrolet Performance LT4 crate engine, and that meant that we would need to address the rear-end setup. Since we were already doing suspension and chassis work, it only made sense to incorporate a new Moser Engineering rear end into this process.

 

Moser Engineering outfitted Rosie with a rear end and rear-brake setup.

 

Moser is an industry leader when it comes to rear ends and race products, and we had the best time working with the company. Our turnaround time was super tight, and Moser not only quickly assessed what we would need with the power that we had, but they came through with a killer rear end and rear brake setup that completely revolutionized this build. 

To round out the braking, we turned to Master Power Brakes in Mooresville, North Carolina, who not only brought wizardry to the front brakes, but went above and beyond to create a whole front braking system for this car. These guys are absolutely amazing and have some of the top braking setups in the industry. 

To finish off our braking system, we had to think about some extra stopping power. Let's just say that this Caddy is a big gal, and will need some extra assistance. As luck would have it, Battle Born Brakes is a unicorn of a company that just so happened to produce a hydroboost brake system for a car like Rosie. We were able to incorporate that system perfectly, and it made a huge difference in our braking power.

 

The Cadillac was stripped down as a variety of new parts were installed.

 

With all of the horsepower from the LT4 E-ROD, and that amazing new Moser rear end, we also had to figure out how to connect the power via a driveshaft. But not all driveshafts are created equal and we had to take a few things into consideration. For one, we had to consider all of the suspension upgrades and the fact that this car would be super low while sitting still. The team over at Inland Empire Driveline came through with an amazing driveshaft that accounted for those concerns. It seamlessly delivers torque to the rear end while keeping Rosie driving smoothly on the road. 

Small details like a proper driveshaft are often overlooked. We found that if you use the right products the first time it'll save you a lot of headaches and money down the road. Inland Empire was not only great to work with, but their products are industry-leading.

 

Rosie features classic whitewall tires from Coker Tire and Caddy Daddy center caps.

"It takes a lot of restraint creatively to keep the design of a special car like this intact."

 

Tires and Wheels

This Cadillac originally featured chrome 15-inch Kelsey-Hayes Sabre wheels and American Classic whitewall tires, both of which are still part of Rosie's unique identity. Tire-and-wheel setup was a long conversation regarding the design of this car. 

"You can often overbuild a car," Williamson said. "It takes a lot of restraint creatively to keep the design of a special car like this intact. I wanted to maintain that period look with the wheels and tires. I absolutely loved the factory wheels, but knew we needed to upgrade a few things. Coker Tire is the company when it comes to old classic whitewall tires. I wanted to have that amazing pie-crust tire that Coker produces. It was crucial for this build."

Caddy Daddy also was a big help in sourcing the new Cadillac center caps that came on the car from the factory. The bright red caps look unique against the design of Rosie, and they draw your attention to the fun look of this whole wheel-and-tire setup.

 

Rosie turns heads wherever she goes.

" A project car is always a project. This car will continue to be improved upon."

 

The Project Continues

"From top to bottom, Rosie is built with driving in mind," Williamson said. "That's why it was important to us to have a new suspension setup, hydroboost brakes and good tires, among dozens of other needs for a build like this. But at the same time, we wanted an original-looking head-turner that could provide memories for everyone who came across it. 

"All of Rosie's minute details are something we are extremely proud of. Most people will know that a project car is always a project. This car will continue to be improved upon, as long as it can provide us with that spirit of style and elegance, without losing the spirit of putting on miles and making a lot of memories!"

As a complete build, Rosie is a very cool restomod Cadillac that recognizes the remarkable American style from the middle of the 20th century while utilizing the best in modern performance for the road.

We can't wait to get behind the wheel and to see all of you on the highway as we travel across the country.

We'll also have much more on the Rosie build and a closer look at some of the companies and parts that made it all happen soon.

Read Part One  Read Part Two

 

The latest project at The BLOCK is "Rosie," a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville two-door coupe. Designed by Andy Williamson, the Caddy was built by the team at Retro Designs Speed & Custom in Harrisburg, North Carolina, and features a Chevrolet Performance LT4 E-ROD crate engine to inspire driving. Rosie is part of the Mobil 1 Keep Route 66 Kickin' campaign, a program in which the world's leading synthetic motor oil brand looks to make "The Mother Road" a national historic trail. Rosie is set to make memories on Route 66 and other highways for the remainder of the year and through 2023 -- while encouraging others to do the same in their own vehicles. 

 

*Chevy Performance E-ROD engines have been granted CARB Executive Orders, which allows for their installation on specific emission controlled vehicles to be driven on public streets and highways. An exemption is granted if the product has been determined not to cause an increase in vehicle emissions from the production vehicles for which the part is intended, nor otherwise cause vehicles to be non-compliant with the vehicle emissions certification and anti-tampering laws. For additional information, including which vehicles these E-ROD engines can be installed.

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