1960 and 1957 Cadillac Duo - His, Hers, Theirs (cont.)
Devine De Ville
Marie O'Dell's '60 Coupe De Ville may not boast as many mods as her husband's Seville, yet it never fails to draw a good share of attention wherever it goes.
A '60 Cadillac may not seem a likely woman's custom, but Marie is more hip than most. This is actually her second '60, and she's been known to cruise it to events even when Roger can't attend. Like Roger's '57, Marie's De Ville was treated to a quartet of air springs and a custom four-bar rear suspension from Bio Kustumz. Skylark-style wires from Wheel Vintiques were the rollers of choice, again wrapped in Vogue tires. The car's original 390 V-8 was solid enough to leave stock, with dual glasspacks added for the proper exhaust note.
"Each year at Paso Robles," Roger recalls, "Larry Watson would comment that people kept asking him why no cars were painted with a panel paint job," a style Watson popularized in the late '50s and early '60s. "So I decided to surprise him."
"Steve Stanford designed a panel paint similar to Watson's '59," Roger continues. "It was done in green rather than red, so as not to imply it was Larry's original or a clone." Showtime Paint in Lake Elsinore executed Steve's design scheme, spraying the entire car pearl white before taping off the panels and shooting them candy green. The top was painted silver metalflake for a little flair, while Dennis Ricklefs laid down the gold 'striping.
Frank's Hot Rod Upholstery in Temecula made the De Ville's cockpit comfy by stitching white leather tuck 'n' roll over the stock seats and fitting dark green carpet to the floor. The shop even stitched a large windmill into the headliner in honor of Marie's Dutch heritage. A Pioneer stereo, JL subwoofers, and Pioneer peakers also found their way inside.
Taken individually, each one of these Cadillacs is a striking custom. Together, they make one of the coolest his-and-hers cruising duos we've seen. And Roger and Marie aren't done yet. Remember that ultra-rare '57 Eldorado Brougham Roger bought with the Seville? It's still waiting for its turn under the torch. So stay tuned for more custom mayhem from this SoCal Cadillac couple.
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