By Scotty Lachenauer – Photography By The Author
Scott Wilson builds cars as if he’s on a mission from God. If you talk to anyone who has pierced his personal bubble and spent time with him, they will tell you that his work ethic is unmatched. Scott designs and executes as if it’s nobody’s business but his own, and that’s how he prefers it. “When I get into my shop, I’m in my zone. It’s my happy place, so to speak. I work alone, and that suits me. I get the job done at my own pace, which is probably at a clip not suited for everyone,” Scott admits.
Those core values were ingrained in Scott early on: “I’m from a family of 13 kids. We had no money, so you knew that if you wanted something for yourself you had to go out and earn it.” After becoming an electrical engineer, Scott quickly applied those principles to improve accuracy and efficiency. This helped him plan his time better and streamline his thought process to complete his work with minimal margin of error. This mindset has undoubtedly benefited him both in fabricating and executing his award-winning custom builds.
His spacious home-based shop in Massachusetts is a “safe place” for cars of all kinds, but after a quick walk through the premises, you realize that Cadillacs dominate the garage here. “There is something about Caddys. The bodylines are just so badass,” Scott laughs. In the garage, Scott displays several of these cars he’s built over the years, including a 1960 hardtop and 1947 and 1962 drop-tops. However, Cadillacs weren’t always his first choice because money was sometimes tight. “My first car was a non-running 1964 VW I bought for $40. My dad helped me tow it home. In a few days I had it driving, and it was my daily driver.”
Later in life, Scott explored the classic car hobby more deeply, taking on larger-scale restorations and fabrication projects. “My first street rod build was a 1937 slant-back Ford, which I built in 1996. It was a great ride.” However, there was a car soon to steal Scott’s heart. “We, as a family, would attend the NSRA Street Rod Nationals every year. It was there, one year, that I saw a custom 1948 Cadillac. I knew at that moment I had to have one.”
The 1948 Cadillac is a truly iconic vehicle because it was among the first new car designs released after World War II. It features some very interesting design elements, especially the rear end, which introduced the first use of tailfins. These fins were inspired by World War II fighter planes, such as the powerful American P-38. From then on, these “fins” became widely used on both domestic and international cars. The 1948 model’s signature “interceptor” grille was also a defining feature, along with front fenders that smoothly integrated into the body, showcasing another innovative styling detail.
After deciding that a 1948 custom would be his next project, Scott looked for a good starting point. In 2005, he finally found one when an affordable example appeared on eBay. “The car I found was a basket case, with the motor and transmission in the trunk. It was in good-enough condition for what I wanted to do. It was in North Dakota, about 1,700 miles away. It had been stored long-term in a garage that had collapsed on it. That was my starting point.”
Scott had a clear plan for the Cadillac. “I really wanted to update the car while making subtle changes to the body along the way. The drivetrain and chassis would be modernized so I could drive it anywhere, in comfort, and with plenty of power.” Scott quickly decided that an LS would power his ride and that it would sit on a modified stock chassis built with modern underpinnings.
Once he was ready, Scott brought the Cadillac into his shop and began disassembling it. “I finished that pretty quickly, and then I was ready to start fabricating when, unfortunately, I got sidetracked. I began building cars for others and never got back to mine. It sat for nearly 15 years until I finally said, “Enough is enough.” It was 2020. It was time to build my dream ride.”
The owner attacked the car from two angles: the body and the chassis. The metalwork was extensive—first removing rust issues the car had when purchased, then adding custom touches. First, the hood was peaked, and a 2-inch pie cut was made to flatten it out. Next, Scott grafted on a set of 1955 Cadillac fenders in the front, as he thought they looked better with the customized hood. The rear fender was then peaked and fitted up to the taillight. To finish, Scott welded and molded the rear fender to the body. Both the front and rear bumpers were installed, with the rear bumper tucked in tightly. A custom firewall was built, and Scott also fabricated a new engine bay to house his new powerplant. Most of the exterior was shaved, but Scott added a set of Jeep turn signals, fabricated up front.
While this was happening, Scott tore down the chassis and made several modifications to improve his Caddy’s stance and ride. In front, he installed a Scott’s Hotrods front clip to accommodate suspension upgrades. At the rear, the frame was C-notched to lower the tail to his desired level. He then added a Scott’s Hotrods four-link and a Currie polished-aluminum rearend with 3.73 gears. Next, he mounted Scott’s Hotrods’ polished stainless control arms, and the entire setup is raised and lowered with Slam Specialties airbags. Wilwood 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers on all four corners help this heavy car stop quickly. The master cylinder was discreetly hidden under the dash at a right angle to keep it out of sight. For some style, Scott chose Budnik 20-inch Gasser wheels all around, sized 20×8.5, fitted with Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 tires in 245/45R20.
As mentioned earlier, Scott decided to use modern GM power to propel his sled down the road, choosing an LS2 as the motorvation for his ride. The 6.0L aluminum engine came stock with 400 hp before Scott added to its original recipe. An LS3 throttle body was installed, along with new fuel rails, and the Holley Sniper intake handles induction. Spent gases are sent through custom-built stainless steel headers, leading into Borla mufflers for the tone and punch Scott desired. The valve covers were purchased on eBay and were customized to fit over the coil packs, helping give the engine an old-school look. To row this ride through the gears, a modified 4L70E handles the duties. All wires and even the radiator were hidden from sight in the engine bay by custom metalwork that cradles the engine like a steel-walled bassinet.
Scott knew that with an elegant drop-top like this, you just can’t skimp on the interior. That’s why he decided to leave it up to an experienced shop to do the extensive work needed to match the cockpit to the body. He brought in GCD Auto Studio based in Florida, New York, to handle the job. The build starts with a pair of late-model Cadillac buckets up front and a custom rear seat molded to resemble matching rear buckets. A full-length custom console extends from the dash to the rear seat and features polished aluminum cupholders and the audio head unit. Door panels have sculpted armrests and custom trim. All this is wrapped in Caffe-colored Relicate leather, continuing with the steering wheel, convertible boot, and visors. The original dash had been filled and smoothed by Scott, who modified the original cluster with modern Dolphin digital gauges, including a GPS speedometer. GCD finished the build with Mercedes velour carpeting and a stylish Stayfast custom convertible top.
When it came to the paint, Scott knew his bodywork had to be perfect since he was going to coat this big sled in solid black. After months of smoothing out the Caddy to a laser-straight surface, the owner was now ready to apply the new finish to his ride. “Once I had it where I needed it, I chose SPI single-stage black to paint the Caddy with. I did it right there in my shop in my paint booth.” From there, Scott buffed and polished the paint and installed the remaining trim he had restored over the previous months to enhance the body- and paintwork.
In 2022, Scott finished the build after two quick years. He looks back on the experience proudly, as the Caddy came out exactly as he planned. “It runs and drives like a new Cadillac. It’s a super comfortable ride.” MR
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