You would think Bob Holloway’s 1947 Cadillac Series 61 Sedanette is a lovingly restored classic until he turns the key and the Northstar V-8 rumbles to life. That’s when it becomes clear that this is more than just another pretty restoration.
Holloway, of Leawood, is a retired businessman whose company did body and paintwork for over-the-road trucks, fire trucks and trucks of all kinds. He started his business in 1975 and closed it in 2010.
Because Holloway has a background in body and paint, it’s no wonder that his cars (he has several) all look pristine. The paint on the Cadillac, for example is a very subtle two-tone of Corvette Pewter and Mercedes-Benz Silver.
“I wanted to keep the richness of the Cadillac without the brightness of a street rod,” he said, but he went to a modern drive train for safety, reliability and comfort.
The Caddy’s original flathead V-8 was dumped for something more modern, a 4.6-liter Northstar from an Eldorado. It had just 16,000 miles. Installing the Northstar was a challenge because the engine was originally mounted transversely in a front-wheel-drive vehicle. Mounting it longitudinally to a GM 700R4 automatic transmission was quite a challenge.
“The conversion fought me every inch of the way,” Holloway said. Progress, he said, was like one step forward and two steps back. In the end, however, he found someone who scoured the country for the right parts, and the conversion was complete. The rear axle is an eight-inch Ford.
The Caddy now has power disc brakes, power windows, air conditioning and power steering. The steering wheel came from France.
Holloway said his first vehicle was a ’54 Ford truck, and he got it when he was 14 years old. Since then he has had15 Corvettes. He drag raced them and road raced them for several years.
Twelve years ago, Holloway sold a big boat and bought a 1946 Ford coupe. That was his first foray into street rods, and he still has it. He painted it Vermillion Red and Indian Silver, and a 5.0-liter Ford V-8 sits under the hood.
“A lot of people thought I should use a Chevy V-8,” he said, “but I wanted to keep a Ford engine in a Ford.” He said it gets as much as 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
To Holloway, his cars are for driving, not for showing, and that’s why he wants them to have all of the conveniences of a contemporary car.
