Custom 59 Cadillac Teardrop Camper (with pics)

[caddydaddy]

G'day everyone, my name is Milton aka CaddyDaddy as I drive a 61 Cadillac, you know the ones with the big fins hanging out the back and some call them land yachts, but for my wife and I its just a big cruiser that can attract a lot of attention, I have attached some pics of what it looked like half way through our 7500 mile trip (more about the trip below) and what we have done so far and a photoshop version of what it will look like, has now had the tool boxes removed and the chassis stretched 1.5m and a Continental Kit custom made for the rear and it shifts to the left to get it out of the way so we can access the trunk of the 59 which will now be a kitchen to our Tear Drop trailer, I am having sides computer cut out of Motor Home/Caravan foam & Fibreglass siding thats 28mm thick with a fitted door each side while we cover it front to back on the roof with polished aluminium, the inside will be a little plush, as I am a bookbinder by trade and restore old books, I specialise in Leather bound books, so I will be fitting it out with a timber with leather gold tooled inserts.

Anyway at the time of the trip we were towing a customised rear end of a 59 Cadillac, which we turned into a trailer, it is moulded out of an original 59 Cadillac rear end, made of fibreglass, we turned it into a trailer for the specific purpose of the trip, we had fitted out with our supplies and we camped under the stars using our Double Swag, which is quiet comfortable, its like a roll up tent that sets up very quickly and is very low as it is just for sleeping, we often talked about when we returned home of turning our Caddy tailer into a 59 Caddy Custom Camper and well what do you know, we have started it.
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The story of how it first became a trailer, well last year in March we started on an adventure while raising money for a kids charity, I organised an event called "Cadillacs Cruzin Cross the Nullarbor" with 7 other Classic 1959 to 1968 Cadillacs we drove from the Gold Coast half way up the east coast all the way over to the bottom corner of the West coast picking up other Cadillacs on the way, we were headed over to the Cadillac Nationals near Perth in Western Australia.

The whole trip took 5 weeks, we travelled over 7500 miles seeing some absolutely beautiful land including the Nullarbor, located on the Great Australian Bight coast, that big bit at the bottom of Australia, with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single exposure of limestone bedrock, and occupies an area of about 77,000 sq miles. At its widest point, it stretches about 1,100 kilometres (684 mi) from east to west across the border between South Australia and Western Australia. With a number of straight roads that are very long, one of the longest is 90 miles long, and dead straight, the road is beautiful and smooth with parts of it every now and then opens out as a run way for the Royal Flying Doctors Service or any other plane in trouble while crossing this vast distance. One of the gas stations we pulled into had a small 2 seater plane in there filling up with premium fuel ready to continue their trip to Sydney, on the other side of the country.

So I have attached pics of what we have so far, sorry for such a long email, I look forward to reading all your posts and getting some tricks and tips. The first of which is: Have many of you used the Fibreglass Panel siding, 28mm thick on your TearDrop?

[caddydaddy]

This is what it looked like towing it across the Nullarbor, just as a trailer

[dales133]

Gday mate love the drawing and concept.
I looked into getting sandwich pannels from a place in Brisbane but it was to cost prohibitive being in Vic.
Would be a pretty sensible auto k for you since the rest is fiberglass but maybe look around in the foamies section for some ideas too

[halfdome, Danny]

Very nice concept .
It will be fun to watch this one come about.
Welcome to the forum.
Danny

[Vedette]

Boy oh Boy!!!
Glad to have you here!
I too build TD's from Cars! Check out my Album to the left (it is in reverse order) pictures of Miss Piggy build and now my latest project Kermit.
Where are you (you sound like you are down under)???
And I would consider keeping with the fiberglass theme all the way thru or build a traditional teardrop (front half) that would bolt together with your already finished rear.
This will be a very cool project to follow......take lots of pictures!
I I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to PM me.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
And once again....Welcome to the Forum!!

[Vedette]

Love your concept drawing. I have a real one of those (59 Caddy Rear half) up in the back forty.
Now you have my mind running wild again.
You may want to find the rear doors from a 59 4Dr........tops are tough, as beside limo's I don't think Cadillac made non hardtop rear doors??????/ Could be wrong.
Miss Piggy has rear doors off of the Vedette (which was a hardtop) and Studebaker sedan door tops to match the roof.
Not an easy thing to do!
Kermit has much larger doors that we are already in love with before we have even camped in it?????
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Kathy53]

That is going to look real cool. Can't wait to see pics of it finished.

[caddydaddy]

Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate it, and yes we are in Australia half way up the East Coast on the Gold Coast, Currumbin to be to the point.

I have been looking at changing the rear part of the camper and not take away the Trunk lid and partial rear window (which is also Fibreglass) to continue that tear drop shape, I think I would prefer to keep the rear end looking the same, it will save me time and money, the only thing is that the kitchen will be a little more compact, as the depth under the trunk lid decreases very quickly, but I have been thinking about some pull out draws from the rear so that I can come up a little bit higher.

Yes plenty of pictures will be taken and I will up date everyone as much as possible. It has to be ready for the Cadillac National in Victoria in early 2016.

I have attached a pic of the photoshop update, let me know, but I think this will be better.

[halfdome, Danny]

I think your first idea flows better and gives that low stance look of a Cadillac.
Either way it will look nice. Danny

[48Rob]

Hi, and welcome!

I like your first drawing better too;



As much as the rear window and overhang are "cool" flow and symmetry are critical to a good project.
The long flowing lines of the teardrop shaped roof compliment the big fins and rocket shaped tail lights.
It will give you much more space inside, and look very well thought out and professional.

Rob

[caddydaddy]

Thanks guys for your comments, I will show the design controller (my Wife) when she gets home, I catch your point, and I'll let her see the comments and give her the choice, we'll see how it goes, will let you know.

[Vedette]

Yes, even though it is easy to be an arm chair quarterback here on the Forum.
It will cost you a lot more time, money, and effort to pull off your first concept drawing......BUT... I too think it looks better, and does give you a lot more interior room.
Sandi and I were sitting in Kermit this afternoon in the shop after putting the doors on (for fitting).
Most of the measurements are the same from Miss Piggy to Kermit....but that added area where the roof extends back really makes the sleeping compartment (cabin) seem way bigger.
Also you don't need to much depth (front to back) for your Galley.
Remember that your counter top should be 36" at the top while camping??? And you will have to lift your cooler and/or fridge out over trunk lip (see our kitchen layout in my Album for Miss Piggy).
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[canned o minimum]

Miss Piggy and Kermit will have "family" in Aussieland ! Can't wait to see it completed.

[caddydaddy]

Thanks for the info and the places to find pics of your awesome campers, I'm sure there is more out there, my wife and I have chatted about it and we will save time and money if we don't touch the rear end, not only this we will only loose space behind the TV and cupboards near the roof line, and a bit of space at the rear of the kitchen, but thats no problem, as we have width and length on our side, plus width where it counts, we will now extend the fibreglass panel wall and door on either side to the maximum width, similar to the Cadillac body width, then we will be able to actually fit in a Queen size mattress here now, and still have room either side of the mattress.

As far as the hight of the Kitchen is concerned, well we will stick within the parameters of the trunk lid, or as we Aussies call it, The Boot Lid.

We will have enough space in our towing Cadillac for the cooler, and I think you know I will still fit it in anyhow, I may utilise a roll out draw with the kitchen gear on it, maybe two of them, who knows, I work something out, but what ever it will be it will be cool as.

I have to have this finished in 12 months, we even bought our next project, a little bigger this time, its a Bus, mid 80's Bendy Bus, like has a concertina in the centre, articulated. Its 60 feet long, its only just come off a city line, so is ready to go, and for an amazing AU$3,000.00, could not believe our luck, so it will become half a motor home and half a rolling workshop as I am a bookbinder, we plan to travel around our country for a few years while we work before we come over to the USA.

Regards The CaddyDaddy.

[Vedette]

Pictures Pictures Pictures!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi