One Cadillac that rightfully remains on a pedestal is the Eldorado Brougham. Its popular, sleek styling and limited numbers keep it just out of reach for most of us, but if I were lucky enough to find a rust bucket or rollover, I know just what I'd do! Here's a car that screams to be made into a convertible and let's face it, who wants to drive a four-door?
Once the roof is gone, weld up the rear doors and lengthen the front ones. I opted not to shorten the wheelbase this time, although the car could lose a couple of inches and be just fine. I didn't want to make a two-seater like the Old Caddy LeMans show car from 1953; that would require narrowing the car as well to make it look proportional, so I decided to keep the rear seat. I like the fiberglass tonneaus used on the '50s Eldos, so I indicated the possible use of one on this car.
The other major change was the windshield. The Brougham appears to have a particularly high header. I prefer the typical wraparound used on the stock Cadillacs, chopped of course. I filled in the air vents on the tops of the fenders and cleaned up some of the brightwork. I kept the gold "V" because I thought it looked good there. A simple horizontal billet grille replaced the old egg crate. This was the only Caddy made that didn't have the typical pointed front end, so I wanted to keep it as stock-looking as possible.
I removed the lettering and the extra taillight and backup from the cast bumpers in the rear. Instead, I put in a painted panel to clean it up and simplify the look. This car looks good as a stocker or lowered over a set of your favorite 20s.
Is it a sacrilege to cut up a Brougham? Yeah, probably ... so deal with it!