1978 Cadillac Seville Opera Coupe

Description

If you wanted a distinctive car in the 1970s, there were a number of companies more than able to deliver a jaw-dropping custom creation built just to your tastes. Not since the 1930s were creations like this 1978 Cadillac Seville Opera Coupe so widely available, and even today this car makes people stop and stare.

First off, this Opera Coupe might very well capture the "longest hood" award. Exaggerated proportions were all about re-creating the feel of those ultra-luxurious machines of the past, and they often included massive hoods to cover equally massive powerplants. Faux sidemounts were added, complete with matching wire wheels to complete the illusion, and the way they were able to retain such a strong Seville identity through the conversion is a tribute to the original design. You can't see where the factory sheetmetal ends and the custom stuff begins, and with the square-jawed front end, it's instantly recognizable as a first-gen Seville. Paint quality is quite good, as you'd expect, since this car was custom built and outrageously expensive when it was new. The greenhouse was reshaped to offer a tidy 2-person coupe profile, but things like the door handles, trunk lid, taillights, and even the windshield are OEM pieces. Yeah, the engineering here is really impressive.

The interior was custom-stitched to the owner's preferences, combining the stock Seville front seats with the finest leathers and fabrics available. The factory door panels were reworked to accommodate the shortened doors, and then the whole thing was lined with sound-deadening materials to make it as quiet as a church inside. The factory dash made the transition intact and everything is in remarkably good shape thanks to careful maintenance throughout this car's life. All the Cadillac features are still there, including automatic climate control, power windows and locks, a tilt wheel, and cruise control. A newer AM/FM/CD stereo has been fitted in place of what was surely an original 8-track setup, and there's a remote locking system that'll open the trunk as well as unlock the doors. And speaking of the trunk, it's still spacious and well-appointed just like the original, including a spare tire and jack assembly.

Under the skin, it's amazing to see the clever engineering that went into these Opera Coupes. The exaggerated front clip is all ahead of the radiator, with the factory firewall and hood remaining in place just ahead of the windshield. The front suspension was relocated, but all the critical factory-engineered components that make a car safe, reliable, and comfortable were left where the GM engineers intended. A 350 cubic inch Olds V8 supplies power, just as it did in the Seville, and it's a quiet, torquey, unobtrusive travelling partner that works quite well in this application. Early GM fuel injection helps improve both power and efficiency, and parts availability is still quite good so this car is easy to service just about anywhere. It's backed by a TH400 3-speed automatic and 2.73 gears out back, so it just whispers along at highway speeds and cruises along pockmarked city streets without disturbing passengers. New equipment includes the exhaust system (with two mufflers!) as well as a set of 15-inch Vogue whitewalls on genuine chrome wire wheels.

If you really want to make a statement when you arrive, this incredible Seville Opera Coupe will do it. Call today!