Patience! A word that many fight with throughout their lives but for Neil Huffine it is a way of life. Most of us know what we want but in many cases we will settle for something that will work, but this was not the case for Neil Huffine. His hunt for the perfect 1965 Cadillac Coupe De Ville stretched for more than 13 years. That 13 year search landed not only the ideal Coupe De Ville that he had been looking for, but this perfect speciman turns out was originally purchased way back in 1965 from a small 2 light town in Tennessee where Neil’s family is from. Coincidence? Maybe. Or some might say it was fate.
Words: Topher Fierek | Photos: Anthony Ross Tyler
What makes a man spend 13 years hunting for the right Caddy to build? After starting off in the custom lifestyle at the impressionable age of 16, his passion started with a 1992 extended cab S10 and after almost a decade of building and rebuilding his early masterpiece it was time to shift directions and head toward the classics. What better way than to build an iconic 1965 Mustang Fastback. As time passed, Neil tackled a few more classic builds, with the addition of a 1935 5-Window Coupe that over time evolved from street rod to more of a rat rod. As time progressed we all return to our roots and that is exactly what Neil did. A plethora of C10s cycled through and over time managed to squeak in an 18K original mile 1963 F100. Enough about the past, let’s jump forward to present.
Now, here in lies the challenge for us custom minded individuals — restomod or keep it original? There were key elements that made the decision fairly easy for Huffine. Although the Coupe De Ville had a respray approximately 15 years ago, other than that this 27K original mile Caddy is all original. There are so many vehicles that we see with a natural patina, but Neil and his father-in-law spent 3 weeks wet sanding and buffing to bring her back to her current glory. Neil spent some time detailing the interior but the nail and ring marks in the trim still reside in an effort to keep some of the original history of the vehicle and offer up a little character.
All the chrome and stainless is still original to the vehicle. You really can’t find better bones than this when it comes to searching for 13 years for the right vehicle. In an effort to maintain the originality the RideTech controls were hung in the same manner as the FUNCTIONING factory 8-track. What bagged ’65 Coupe Deville would be complete and period correct without a collection of 8-tracks that old blue eyes would be proud to cruise to. Where else would you go to keep the retro style inline than Coker tire for the right fat white walls.
Some would say Neil waited a hell of a long time for just the right Coupe De Ville, the way we see it is that the we are the ones that are fortunate to see his patience pay off with a ride that is nothing short of clean, sexy and timeless.
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