1969 Rat Pack Cadillac Restoration
November 4, 2014
One of our friends came into his possession a 1969 Cadillac owned by the Kay Stevens. He then went on to completely restore it to its original luster and charm.
He writes:
I purchased the Cadillac in 1994 from original owner Kay Stevens. She was a singer, entertainer, movie star and TV game show celebrity guest. Kay Stevens also ran with “The Rat Pack.”
My employer at the time owned a fine collection of antique and classic cars in south Florida. Kay Stevens was a family friend of his. She offer the Cadillac to my employer. Kay lived nearby and I was to go over to her home and to take a look at her Cadillac. Turned out that my employer already owned a 1970 Cadillac with only 20,00 miles on it and decided to pass on the car.
That was when it sparked my interest. I revisited Kay Stevens and asked if she would sell her car to me. She said yes and we negotiated on a price of $2,600.
The car had been stored in her garage and had not been driven for a good number of years. The engine was stuck and would not turn over. I had the car towed to my employer’s shop where I was allowed to store and work on the car after working hours and weekends.
The odometer reads 94,948 however, when I bought the car the odometer wasn’t working. So the mileage is unknown.
Other than starting the car on a regular basis and an occasional short drive, the car has sat pretty much idle for the last eight years or so. This is the second cosmetic restoration she has had in the last 20 years. This last restoration involved much more work and attention. There was extensive rust at the bottoms of both front fenders and left quarter panel. I removed the fenders and cut all the bad metal out. I then formed and welded in new metal panels. I had sanded down the three coats of paint from previous paint jobs and did all necessary body work.
I was most fortunate to find three abandon Cadillac parts cars all in one place here locally. So, many of my Cadillac’s parts were exchanged for some very nice upgraded ones.
ColorBond was able to completely restore the interior of the same car that traveled with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. A complete re-skin of leather seats would cost anywhere from $3000-$5000 from a professional. Our friend here was able to restore the leather luster for only $350!
Check out some great photos from this one-of-a-kind restoration job.
Interior seat (before):
Interior Seat (After):
Top boot:
Interior Door Panels:
