So here’s my next project now that the Safari 914 is done. I don’t anticipate getting into it until fall/winter, but I now have the base for the project. It’s a 1941 Cadillac series 61 that I plan to put on a modern Escalade platform.

If there’s interest I’ll update this as a project thread. I realize this is far from the intended scope of this forum, and if there’s no interest I’ll not fudge up the forum with this non-914 project. But if there’s interest, I’ll post progress once I dig in.

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you are a crazy man....wish we lived closer to each other...

Have a great time on that one.

We did two years in a row at a new halloween festival and participated in a trunk or treat event. My wife is Swedish so we had built a Swedish longboat out of cardboard...costumes and all, shield, swords, beards etc etc.

Now...I am thinking of building a street legal longboat, dragon heads and all, on top of an old VW pan I happen to have sitting in the barn.....

Good luck with your dream!

Keep posting!! We are all car guys here and love to see the projects (especially with your skill sets, this will be very interesting!)

We are all car guys, love to see all kinds of builds.
Sometimes you can find an idea about something that will apply to multiple builds regardless of make and model etc……looking forward to this!

I've recently been thinking that a tall 40's sedan converted to EV would make a great driver. Plush interior. Oozing with style. Plenty of room for EV components under the cabin and that long hood.

This is a picture of my 1941 Dodge Convertible. Note the 3 stainless strips on each fender. In the early 40s before the war this was the look of high design. 1941 was a very interesting year. You will see design elements running through all the different makes that had an abrupt stopping of production for the war in 1942.

It will be interesting to see how you blend the very old with the new technology. That is a big boy.

Best Bob B

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Is this Escalade platform swap a fairly common one? I know someone who I believe has done this or a very similar swap on a vintage car..... Last I saw his car, it lacked any finishing, 9but it was running and driving very well with all present-day comfort and amenities (according to him)

A '41 Caddy is cream of the crop. Nice choice. I'll be watching with interest. I used to have a '47 Lincoln 5-window that was a post war revival of the Zephyr line. Love those high roof lines and fat fenders!

She's a big girl, there is alot of ground to cover with this one. Best of luck

I picked up the “donor” for this project. It’s a 2008 GMC Yukon Denali. It’s got a good drivetrain, with a 6.2 non-DOD engine and AWD transfer case. I’m going to use the floor pan and firewall from the Yukon and graft the Cadillac body onto it. The Yukon is in decent shape and I drove it quite a bit until it’s 30 day temp tag expired.

That doesn’t sound too difficult but there will be many challenges!

Here’s my donor:

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The last couple days I’ve been deconstructing the Yukon. After removing 5 gazillion screws, bolts, nuts, clips, and bloodying all 10 knuckles it’s starting to get down to its bones.

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Your going to need more labels

Got the Yukon down to bare bones and getting ready to take 12” out of the frame to make things “fit”.

Here’s the trimmed down body and the floor with 12” sectioned out, frame cut is next.

I also narrowed the firewall to match the Caddy. I’ll have to use a hydro boost brake setup when putting it back together because the narrowed firewall won’t allow for the vacuum brake booster. Also got the Caddy stripped down a bit…..fun stuff!

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Oh yeah……and got new shoes for the project. I wanted something industrial looking and these nailed it!

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You may want to "Z" cut those rails rather than chopping a vertical cut
This will make a way stronger butt joint. Then a plug welded plate

A suburban assault vehicle, cool. Dig the rims, do they still use the word steampunk?

I’m still debating that in my mind…..research is showing straight cut for a fully boxed frame and “Z” cut or step cut for C-channel (unboxed frame). This is a boxed frame, but I still may Z cut it. Either way, it will be plated on both sides after welding.

I may singularly bring Steampunk back with this rig

Big step completed…..had to shorten the frame 12” to make it work for the Caddy. I cut a 12” section out of a straight section of the frame and welded it back together. I also made “fish plates” that I’ll be adding to the splices.

Cut

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Paste

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Fish plates I cut on the plasma table

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Must really trust your welding skills.

Welded in the fish plates. If this frame ever breaks, it won’t be here

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Definitely following this build,.
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Todays fun was shortening the driveshaft. I tacked two pieces of angle 180 apart onto the stock driveshaft and then cut through the shaft and angle on my bandsaw. The angle will ensure the u-joints are correctly clocked and will help with keeping the shaft straight for welding.

After cutting a 12-1/2” section out, I clamped another piece of angle across the cut sections and welded it up.

I don’t know how much this effected the balance of the shaft but time will tell. If I have vibration at speed then I’ll get a shaft professionally made/balanced, but I wanted to try this first. I’m betting it works just fine.

It’s getting real….

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Oh hell yeah!

Points for creative use of the lift!

I’ve got the body on the chassis and it’s working out well so far. I welded the floor pan back together and started welding the body to the floor pan. Yesterday I made new sill plates to tie the 41 body to 08 floor pan, and made new rocker boxes…..it’s coming along.

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Very cool!

Made some rear fender mods. I had to make the opening larger and move it back a couple inches. I got fender repair panels for a 2004 Dodge pickup and used the lip to create the arch I wanted, then re-blended the lower fender from the Caddy. I need to finish weld them but think they’re going to look good.

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Moved on to the front fender well and firewall area.

Here’s tying the caddy body to the Yukon floor pan at the front wheel well. The ugly seam and welds (circled in red) is factory Cadillac workmanship

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Next was the firewall. I had to make a small triangular part to transition from the shape of the Yukon firewall to the Caddy shape (flat).

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This came out great. Nice work on the rear fender lips, Way easier to start with something, than making them yourself and they'll look like mass produced. Very cool

Decided to attack the front fender next. I had to relocate the fender opening 11.5” rearward and was really worried how this would look. I used the same fender lip as the rear fender (dodge pickup repair panel) but had to fab the area in front of the opening to blend with the curvature of the fender. I’m happy with the results and it looks pretty good. Minimal filler and it will look like it was made this way.

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So I came for the 914 help, but I'm totally hooked by your Caddy project. Skills

That fender looks great! Can you take a zoomed out picture just to get an idea of the overall look?

I can’t wait to do that! I want to roll it outside and get a full pic but I have a trailer blocking it at the moment. I can’t really get a full pic in the shop.

You must be dying to see it outside because everyone else is!

Brings back childhood memories. Growing up in the 80s my father who was a bit of a horder had 3 40s (I believe they were 47s) sitting in our driveway, one was a limo. Think I only ever saw one of them move under its own power once.


Crazy to think that relatively speaking all my 914s are older now than all those Cadillac's were then. Also I could hop in any of my cars and drive 1000 miles without to much thought.