57 Caddy Eldorado..crazy F^&#@R cut the fins off!!

You need fins like that Alfa Romeo in the Blackhawk Museum tour pics.

 

I love it, Raymond Loewy designed a '59 Cadillac Eldorado without fins that he drove in Europe, it too was a fabulous car.

 

I've got a '61 cadillac. and from information i've come across is that on some '61 models Pinafarina was commissioned to give a few cars his "magical touch" and that was basically hacking off the fin. i don't know if this was only for the year of 1961?? it may have gone on longer like in your case so maybe the 50's into the 60's where he was doing this??

 

It coulda been a 1960 but I'm pretty sure it was a 1959, lemme look into it.
I think it's not one built by Pinninfarina.

 

It was a 1959, here's an article.


http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2002/01/20020125135529.shtml

 

Eldo and coupe/conv are two different quarters all together Matter of fact, everything's different from the door jambs back

Hubnut's got/doing one(Eldo)

Ya might start with 61 fins if you can't find an Eldo donor---they're similar in shape, and taller than 60 fins.....I mean, if you're gonna do a custom or something.

 

I personally didn't like those lil shark fins they put on those 57s ...finless looks pretty good if ya ask me.

 

I like it.

 

Hey, couldn’t you just look in the trunk and tell by looking at the backside of the quarter panel if it was a factory job?

 

I cryed a little when I took this photo last summer...

 

Hey Man, Contact this guy:
Joe Abernathy: 830.868.9080 he's in Hye, Texas
I met him at the Round up this year and he's a real nice guy that restores Caddys here is his web-site:
www.abernathyrestoration.com
Rob

 

Man I just checked out that site. Go to the works in progress pages and check the beer cans in the photos! Hahaha....hamb material for sure! Damn nice cars tho!!

 

Dude, you are from FINLAND

Thats funny

 

Not to change the subject but over on the abernathy site they have a 53 Chrysler 331 hemi with 2-4s. Check out this intake. correct me if im wrong but it appears to be a marine type?

 

Different, that's the first one I've seen like that, it will have to grow on me.

 

Haha I bet it is... The Cad was in WA though...

 

Your car or customer car? If it's yours, I'd recommend grafting something else on--if you want fins, make 'em custom fins. Everybody else (or, apparently, almost everybody else) that has a 1957 Eldo with 1957 Eldo fins on them.

Of course, you weren't looking for opinions, you were looking for a Cadillac to measure, but I've only got one of the two. Good luck!

 

I like it.
Real smooth look, sleek.
r

 

Thanks again guys..the one (two?) post said they thought the finless look was somehow original, rare model, I don't think so. Someone please tell me yay or nay because I sure don't want to be putting fins back on some rare factory issue..What the Hell, I'm going to be lowering it,changing the wheels, maybe shaving door handles, etc..I still like those little fins...Rick

 

I wouldn't buy or own a Cadillac without fins...... move on and wait till you find the car you like, don't buy someone eles's nightmare.

 

any fin would look better than no fin. Phat Caddy has stude fins looks f*@kn killer.

 

I kinda like it. Reminds me of a really huge 56 corvette.
[image]http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1950-1959/1957-Cadillac-Eldorado-Seville-white-re-2.jpg[image/]

 

That looks like what happens to some captive whales (or is it Orcas?), they get depressed and their dorsal fin sags over to one side....hahaha

 

Thanks Mike

 

I have a nice pair of '58 Caddy quarters with the fins if somebody wants to talk me out of them. Jim

 

I've got 57 eldorado seville with the fins if you want to measure them. There was a pic in a book somewhere of a factory special order without the fins. I'll see if I can find it.

 

Do the 57's and the 58's have the same rear sheet metal? if so there is an entire 58 rear clip on ebay right now....

 

It just isn't a Cadillac to me without the fins. I even went so far as to write Cadillac's design department an email a year or two ago and tell them that they ought to be ashamed of themselves for doing away with the fins...even my 95 Fleetwood Brougham still has a short pair of fins on it. The fins on my '59 Coupe deVille were the reasons I fell in love with that car in the first place...Anyway, good luck!

 

I have heard that the 57 Eldorado could be purchased without fins as an option when new. I've never seen one without in person but I have seen several pictures from shows and at least one for sale on ebay that supported this story.

 

Ok guys, I have been searching the Cadillac LaSalle Club website about info on these finless conversions and lo and behold i found a post of the exact same question. The question was brought up bc of a car like yours that was listed on ebay. Yann Saunders, who is the compiler of the Cadillac Database and the clubs all around technical/historical expert, answered the question as follows:

I have been studying Cadillachistory and production since 1955 and have NEVER come across any mention of a production Cadillac "sans" fins (Eldorado or otherwise). However, I have seen a few conversions over the years as well as photos of clay styling bucks prior to the addition of the signature fins. First thing to ask for is a copy of the original build sheet as well as the "SO" number located on the body tag.

farther down he states:

On my website (Cadillac Database) I have listed and photographed 4-5 of these modified caddys. These are NOT factory original creations. All of these cars were modified susequently.

Hope this helps out.