The Cadillac has long been a symbol of luxury and refinement that still lives on through today’s models, but some would arguably say they were at the height of refinement from the ‘40s through the ‘60s. During this time, they were known for their sexy lines, regal chrome trim, and a luxury that proved to lead the way for American car builders. The time tested quality and elegance has given birth to a passionate following of “Magnificant Beyond All Expectations,” which happened to be Cadillac’s slogan for the early Coupe Deville model line-up. This passion has also lead to a number of high quality builds with a touch of “kustom” with examples like Scott Hultquist’s ’57 Cadillac Coupe Deville.
Photos: Courtney Cutchen | Words: Josh Wilson
Scott’s hands have helped shape a variety of builds, from forgotten relics turned daily cruisers to some serious show-stoppers, but Cadillacs have always held a special place in his heart. The build on this ’57 Cadillac started five years ago when a friend stumbled across the car in Arnold, California which would mark the beginning of a long and detailed road returning this Coupe Deville to its former glory. While the build spanned more than five years, Scott progressed through the build in a way that skewed a bit from what he normally did for his customers. This variation in his process was mostly because he wanted a project that he could enjoy frequently on the pavement instead of watching it sit torn apart while it was slowly pieced together.
Over this time, the biggest challenge for Scott and his crew at Riff Raff Customs was locating each detailed piece for this big-bodied Cadillac as good condition parts for the ’57 Coupe Deville are fairly scarce. This didn’t discourage Scott on his build though, as he took his time and gathered the parts needed to go through this Cadillac with acute detail. Starting from the bottom and building their way up, Scott has C-notched the frame in the rear to accommodate a full custom air setup to lay this boat flat to the ground.
Although the ground hugging stance is quite impressive, the most notable mods on this build would be the vast amount of sheetmetal that Scott has smoothed and shaved. The body has been nosed, decked, and a laundry list of other items shaved off this Cadillac’s exterior to give it the “smooth sailing” look that Scott was going for. After all, what good is a land yacht if it can’t navigate the asphalt seas in style? Once the body work was dialed in, Scott laid down a gorgeous House of Kolor custom mix and as you can see, the end result is simply stunning.
When it came to the interior on this massive beauty, Scott kept it simple by keeping the interior mostly stock with the only “touch” being a custom painted motorcycle tank utilized as the center console in his Deville which is home to the air suspension controls and gauges. Yes, considering Scott builds custom motorcycles for a living, this is a great nod to his shop and business at Riff Raf Customs. Although mostly stock in appearance on the inside, Scott couldn’t leave his daily driver without some serious tunes. JL Audio was his weapon of choice with a complete set of mids and highs, which are accompanied by JL Audio subwoofers and powered by JL amplifiers. Keeping the factory radio intact, Scott controls all of this with his iPhone via bluetooth controls.
Under the hood resides the original 365 Cadillac V-8 that Scott has kept simple and reliable as this is just his cruiser so he didn’t want anything too ridiculous. The mechanics have been kept mostly stock for the simple purpose of being driven without an issue and making things easy to work on if something does come up. Even with almost six decades passing since its design, the drivability of Scott’s Coupe is more than accommodating, which goes to show just how refined these cars were when the rolled off of the assembly line in Detroit back in the ’50s.
Since day one, Scott’s mission was to have a project that was a joy to drive. No over-the-top modification was needed for this build since the Cadillac was already respectably planted on the pavement, which Scott has enjoyed during and after his process of getting the car to this point. The biggest challenge for most enthusiasts is keeping a project driving while still trying to hit the level we desire in our builds, and Scott was able to achieve the perfect balance of custom mods whiles still enjoying his car in the interim. Scott’s ’57 Coupe Deville hits the nail on the head and proves once again that our creations are meant to be driven and not just stashed away in a garage until show day. So get out there and cruise! For more details on the build, check out the Slam’d Specs below.
Slam’d Specs
Owner: Scott Hultquist’s
Vehicle: 1957 Cadillac Coupe Deville
Hometown: Danville, CA
Club: Cadillac Kings East Bay
Wheels/Tires:
Wheels: 15×7 original Cadillac with restored caps
Tires: BFG 215/70/17 Silvertown Radials
Chassis/Suspension:
Front: Modified to fit 7-inch Firestone ‘bags, stepped ball joints
Rear: Tapered ‘bags with custom mounts and de-arched leafs
Shocks: Nitro drop shocks
Two Viair 480c compressors
One 5-gallon tank, 3/8-inch valves and airline
C-notched and clearanced
Performed By: Riff Raff Customs
Body/Paint:
Nosed and decked
Shaved door handles, vents, and front mouldings
Extensive body work to smooth out this big beast
Painted a custom Riff Raff blue mix with House of Kolor
Performed By: Riff Raff Customs
Interior/Stereo:
Still original
JL Audio components, subs, and amps
iPhone bluetooth connectivity
Performed By: Walnut Creek Customs
Engine/Performance:
365 V-8 Cadillac
Edelbrock intake manifold
Custom headers and exhaust
Detailed and cleaned up for reliability
Pinstriped Cadillac air cleaner
Performed By: Riff Raff Customs
Special Thanks from Owner:
“A big thanks to my family for their support in all of our builds and of course the crew at Riff Raff Customs for continuing to push the limits with each and every build.”
