ute idea: Cadillac Fleetwood conversion

[RU482]

on my daily commute, an idea popped in my head as I passed a late 90's boat of a Cadillac Fleetwood. Cut the cabin behind the front seat, and make an El Camino type ute out of it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/93-96_Cadillac_Fleetwood.jpg

raise the lines on the rear fenders, tune that LT1 engine for more power.
Would be a bizarre show car.

 

[alkemyst]

Would need a bit of engineering to make it rigid once that roof is gone...also a ton of body work to make it look right and functional.

 

[RU482]

I have been imaging ute conversions for a week or so. I saw an early 00's BMW3 series that must have been hit hard in the tail end. Even with the rear quarters still kinda crumpled up, the guy fabricated in a short box in the rear of the car. Looked very rough, but still interesting.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

i saw a PT Cruiser that the guy converted into a ute. It actually looked really cool.

looked similar to these

http://forums.kilometermagazine.com...-Cars-transformed-into-trucks...show-me-them&

 

[Throckmorton]

I believe those cars are body on frame so you wouldn't need to any reinforcing, except for rollover protection.

 

[alkemyst]

The body would still need reinforcing.

 

[exdeath]

I believe those cars are body on frame so you wouldn't need to any reinforcing, except for rollover protection.

The frame is is just a plane under the car that carries the suspension. The body still needs to support itself.

 

[xgsound]

There was a Cadillac Mirage made in 1976/ 1977 that was a Deville pickup. There are many images if you google Cadillac mirage. Evil Knieve had two, one "production" type by Traditional Motors and a custom that was older.
http://www.facereplace.com/mirage/pics.htm

I actually saw a Mirage long ago in the local dealers' window.


Jim

 

[alkemyst]

Actually in that first link above, post #6 had two different Cadillac Mirages in them. I couldn't remember they were called Mirages.

 

[Throckmorton]

How much do they depend on the body for rigidity? Are they not like trucks where the body sits on isolators?

 

[alkemyst]

The body still has to be ridgid regardless what it sits on. In a frame vehicle the body still adds some to the overall piece, but both frame and body function more or less independently.