Cool deVille – Clayton Bond’s Slick Black 1956 Cadillac Was Built for Cruising
Elvis drove one. Bruce Springsteen sang about one, several times. And Marilyn Monroe was once gifted one for appearing on a radio program.
We’re talking about Cadillac. The brand was long touted as the Standard of the World, and for decades Cadillacs were flaunted as status symbols by celebrities, musicians, sports stars, business executives, and others who had achieved a certain level of success. These comfortable cruisers have long served an aspirational symbol of the American dream, and they’ve been the basis for many memorable custom creations through the years, too.
When we first saw Clayton Bond’s 1956 Cadillac in Raleigh, we thought it was a clean original resto painted black by a Southern body shop owner to flaunt his skills. And we were partially right. Clayton does own a shop – Bond’s Garage in Olive Hill, Kentucky – which he runs with his brother, Brian, and his father, Joe. But this car isn’t exactly an original resto. It’s actually a classy restomod with an updated suspension and modern supercharged engine that raise that legendary Cadillac cruising comfort to a whole new level.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. Let’s go back to when Clayton first found the big Coupe deVille. He was hanging out at Boris Maryanovsky’s Ohio-based shop, Street Machinery, a place known for finding and offering clean vintage projects and complete cars. Clayton spied the 47,000-original-mile Cadillac there and immediately saw its potential as a smooth highway cruiser. It was complete, rust free, and it ran and drove, making it a great starting point for a project.
The Bond family carved out time to work on the Caddy between other projects at their busy shop. They started by removing the original powertrain and installing a new front suspension from Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs, complete with rack-and-pinion steering and Wilwood disc brakes. A Currie 9-inch rearend was fitted to the leaf springs out back, while 15-inch steel wheels were wrapped in Coker wide whitewall radials and adorned with the original Cadillac wheel covers.
In the quest for modern power, efficiency, and reliability, Clayton ordered up a supercharged Chevrolet Performance LSA crate engine and a 6L80E overdrive transmission. The engine was fitted with a Billet Specialties accessory drive system, plus vintage Cadillac valve covers and even a Cadillac air cleaner atop the LSA’s supercharger. A PRC radiator keeps things cool, and Hooker cast iron headers lead to a custom dual exhaust system.
When it came to the body, Clayton knew well enough to leave things alone. “It’s a Caddy – it didn’t need any modifications,” he says. The Bond boys simply cleaned things up, ensured proper panel alignment, and treated the vintage metal to a fresh black PPG finish – a fitting, formal hue for a classy 1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille. It’s complemented with fresh chrome and polished stainless by Dan’s Polishing & Chrome in Adamsville, Tennessee.
Speaking of color, there’s no hue quite like red to contrast and complement a beautiful black paint job. With that in mind, Clayton ordered up yards of bright red Relicate leather, and his father Joe got busy refurbishing the original seats and stitching up fresh upholstery. The dash was painted to match and fitted with restored original gauges. An American Autowire harness was employed to freshen up the electrical system, while a Vintage Air system was installed to ensure cool cruising comfort.
Finished in about a year, Clayton’s 1956 Cadillac has been on the road for several seasons now. It’s a true driver, and Clayton says he adds more than 5,000 miles to the odometer annually. When asked about his favorite experience with the car, Clayton mused, “every time I get behind the wheel!” In other words, this Cadillac is as comfortable and enjoyable as it is cool and classy. You can’t ask for anything better than that.
Photos by Damon Lee
