Bob Clark's 1946 Cadillac

The Cadillac as it looked when it was featured in Rod & Custom February 1955

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1946 Cadillac Sedanette restyled by Valley Custom Shop for Bob Clark of Burbank, California. Bob was a part-time employee of Valley Custom Shop when the Cadillac was restyled. The car was nosed and decked and the dual license lights were discarded in favor of a single flush-mounted light in the rear gravel pan. Handmade rear skirts were made and mounted on the rear fenders. The forward edges of the skirts projected out from the fender, working as scoops providing cool air for the rear brakes. The trailing edges of the skirts fit flush with the fenders as they did originally. Up front the Cadillac scripting was shaved away from the fenders and the hood sides were relieved of unnecessary chrome. After restyling Bob's Cadillac, Valley Custom Shop completed the build by painting the car in a two-tone lacquer Mandarin Red and Black paint job. After Bob and Valley Custom Shop had completed all of the custom work, Cogan upholstered the car with a black and white pleated and rolled Naugahyde interior.

Shortly after completing the car, Bob returned to Denver for a short stay. While he was there, Bob had Bandimere Manufacturing Company replace the old flathead engine in favor of a newer overhead-valve engine from a 1952 Cadillac. Bob acquired the engine from a rolled-over Caddy that he found at a local wrecking yard. The block was fit with 1954 Cadillac heads and rocker assemblies; it was further hopped up using a Winfield SU7111 cam, solid valve lifters and Studebaker V8 rocker arms. The old Hydramatic transmission was also replaced by a 1952 Lincoln HydraMatic transmission. While the engine was being mounted, Bob stripped the donor Cadillac for neat parts such as the steering wheel, power steering, power windows, 4-way seat mechanism and the power brakes. Back in California, Bob had Carl Fleischmann install a GMC 371 blower on the car. Tests showed that the blower increased the power output by 60% over the stock motor.

When the car was featured in Rod & Custom February 1955 it had been lowered 2 inches up front through the use of a Valley Kustom Kit (extended lower A-arm), and 2 inches in the rear by using blocks. The Rod & Custom staff used the car for a "Hop Up Road Test". During the test, the Cadillac got 15 mpg using Shell premium grade gasoline.

Magazine Features

Rod & Custom February 1955
Rod & Custom August 1990