1932 LaSalle RestoMod - Should I Do it...? Please Help....

[Crazylumpy]

Hello all... This is my first post, I'm a young Hot Rodder that has fallen in love with my new 32 LaSalle. I want to hot rod out the Cadillac, but what all your opinions first. I have a family and I want a sweet ride we can get in and drive across the country if we wanted to..

I purchased a 32 LaSalle from an Estate sale a while ago, it has no interior, but all the drive train is intact and good condition. I was told the car has only approximately 56K original miles.

This is what I want to do...

I want to pull all the drive train out of my '32 and install all new 2013 Cadillac drive train out of a CTS-V it would include- LSA Supercharged engine, 6- speed automatic trans, independent rear end, all wheel disc brakes, A/C, new updated Leather interior.

I will keep the exterior as stock as possible, I don't want to change anything on the exterior, Also I want the dash look totally stock as well. I want it to look as stock as possible with all new power equipment and electronics.

My questions:
Whats the old drive train worth?
How much does the stock engine and trans weight?
Is there enough room under the hood for a modern V8 LS engine?
What would something like this be worth when I'm done?

Any other tips?

[Eldovert]

My opinion is to leave that car alone. Finish the interior in a correct manor and sell the car..that's where the value is. Buy another stripped out car and put a modern hot rod chassis under it. You are going to need that to handle the power and some big brakes to slow things down. That way you could have the mounts for engine and trans or a independent rear put in by professionals.
That car is too nice to hot rod.
Cheers,Pat MacPhail

[C.R. Patton II]

Hello Al

Welcome to our Club and the Forum!

As a purist I will make a strong attempt to be objective. If your LaSalle is ALL original now please keep it that way.

Alright now that I have exhibited my bias I can move on. Try to do a cost estimate on maintaining the vehicle original versus the conversion to a restomod. Then compare that to the price that you (may) receive from a prospective buyer.

One more piece of my bias: the model you own is rare and valuable with appreciation expected in the future.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Hello Mr Collins and welcome to the forum.

First, may I congratulate you on your acquisition. It certainly looks a treasure.

Secondly, I have to agree with the views given thus far and strongly advise against modifying the car. Simply put, it is far too nice an example (at least to my eyes) to modify which will cause irreversible harm to it's value as an historic object. Prewar classics that have survived are very few and most highly prized when maintained or restored to original spec. In addition, the economic worth of the car will be decimated- and that is after the expenditure of many thousands modifying it.

It would be a different matter entirely if the car were a "basket case", however this is not the situation here.

One man's opinion. 

[INTMD8]

To do it correctly it would need a new chassis as well in my opinion.  Also, I think it would be hard to get a decent set of 4 wheel discs under an original appearing spoked wheel. Not sure what that would end up looking like.

That being said, if it's a functional/original car even I would have a hard time taking it down for that kind of build. 

Probably be better off selling this one or keeping it and picking up another body/incomplete car to start with.

[Crazylumpy]

I want post some more pictures of my car, I will try to point out all the bad things on the car.

Can someone tell me what this is worth in the current condition?
Also what would it be worth put back to original condition?

I'm missing one gauge in the dash, can someone tell me what it is?

Thanks for the feedback, I'm starting to consider saving 40K and putting it back to stock...

[N Kahn]

To do a resto mod on that car would be to destroy it.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

OCPG only gives values to 1933. Here's what I found from NADA website for 1932 LaSalle 2dr Town Coupe:

Original

Low: $28,000; Average: $41,700; High: $68,800

I'm not familiar with NADA's grading system but it seems that "Low" is perhaps a #4 car, "Average" #3 - #2-  and "High" for a #1.

*I tread very lightly here as my market knowledge of these cars is very limited and comparable documented sales of such are few and far between.  Others may have more info on the subject.

In any case, $40K invested in the car in keeping it stock will harvest far better results (from an investment standpoint) than the same sum spent on modifications.

HTH,
Eric

[INTMD8]

It is a sedan however what model I'm unsure.

[Crazylumpy]

Its a 1932 V8 LaSalle Sedan

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Here's the NADA link for 1932 LaSalle values.

There are a few Sedan variants, including an Imperial which likely means it has front/rear interior division window. It would be a great help if you could post a photo of the data plate which I'm certain the LaSalle gurus here will be more than happy to devour and decipher for you. 

http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars/1932/La-Salle

[Jeff Wilk]

Folks here will buy that car from you right now. Trailer it to Hershey in 3 weeks and go home with CASH in your luggage, but DONT rod this one.   Way tooooooo nice and rare!

[Crazylumpy]

If someone here is willing to give me decent money for it I'll let it go....

[35-709]

This is the dash from my '35 Cadillac sedan, I cannot see the instrument blocked by the clock on your panel but the picture below will show you all of the instruments that were in the '35 and despite some differences in the faces I believe they were pretty much the same for the LaSalle.  The one you appear to be missing is the temperature or the headlight beam indicator.  If it is the headlight beam indicator, there were 3 beams back then rather than 2.  See the pictures below, the first one is of all the instruments/gauges and the second one is the one I believe you are missing and is marked "Drive" - "City" - "Pass".

As to modifying the car, I feel also that that is much too nice a car to modify --- and I am one of those dreaded modifiers, but hasten to add that I like the original cars too and have both

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Al,
The gauges are:
fuel
amp
oil pressure
temp
ride control.
It's a town sedan, a fairly rare & desirable body style.
HTH, Bob

[35-709]

Ah!  There you go, the '35 is different. 

[Jim Stamper]

     I would leave it stock and finish it.

     As to resale of running gear. Certainly it has value, especially if it is a fresh as it looks. But the value is to the car it is in. Since it is a rare car and a low production year, 3290 total, all body styles, I think you would find, by reason of its rareness there aren't cars out there looking for your running gear.

     Lastly, driven within the limits of the cars capabilities ( 45-50 MPH) and in a defensive driving manner these cars are fun to drive.  By putting the modern drivetrain in and old wood framed body and having the temptation to move even a little beyond the old cars capability is courting disaster. These were not high speed cars and in any kind of a serious impact or roll over accident they pretty well deform and disintegrate. The bodies are made of smaller steel panels tacked on to wood joinery and the seams leaded over, no "impact zone " for the passengers involved at all, as there is in the modern Cadillac donor car, to say nothing of air bags. I am not sure impact zone is the term I mean, but you get the idea, in the modern Cadillac, seat belted in, your chances are very good. Zero in the old wood framed bodied car.

     Good luck with your car, you have some good potential for a very nice car with the interior correctly finished. I think you can finish it for far less than the $40,000. About 10 years ago a 1929 Cadillac four door I used to own had an entire correct interior done for $8500. It is 10 years later, but that looks like your greatest expense from just the pictures we have seen.

                        Jim Stamper CLC#13470

     

[INTMD8]

I think you can finish it for far less than the $40,000.     

I think 40k is the number he put on doing a restomod. I think it would cost at least twice as much to do the build he detailed, doing the work yourself.

I agree that it could be finished in stock form for much much less.

[honestcaddy]

AT our shop we build high end customs as well as pebble beach quality restorations, that being said I would HIGHLY recommend you keep that beauty original. It looks like it has already 3/4 the work of a decent restoration completed and 40,000 wouldn't touch finishing it with a modern drive train and all the fabrication that needs to be done, not to mention all the electrical work with today's drive by wire and electronically shifted transmissions etc.
You will be on the road and enjoying this car as is in no time and if it isn't to your liking, sell it and make a profit! then go out and buy an already built custom that someone else has sunk a bunch of money into and have money and time left over! 

[Crazylumpy]

Thanks everyone for your input...

This is why I joined the site and posted this topic..

I'm leaning more towards a stock restoration based upon your feedback.

To clarify the $40K for the restomod was not including the salvaged CTS-V that I currently have an handle on. I've built and restored several cars and I think I could complete the STOCK resto for about 25-30k.

Either way I go on this build I'd be doing a lot of the work myself, I'm an Aerospace Engineer with a heavy design background.

Can anyone tell me the current value of my car? Also, the value completely restored to factory specs...