1929 Cadillac LaSalle Restomod Packs Modern LS3 Power And Timeless Style

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve come to LSX Magazine to see the latest and greatest install, tech, or late-model GM feature, only to find a Vintage Era sedan plastered across the top of the page. At first glance, that 1929 Cadillac LaSalle does look like a beautifully restored historical relic. But look a little closer, and you’ll see that almost nothing underneath the car is ninety-seven years old.

Before we dive into this build, I’d like to highlight two things. The first is exactly what the LaSalle brand represented. Introduced in 1927 as a companion to Cadillac, the marque bridged the gap between GM’s premier luxury division and the more practical Buick brand, giving buyers much of Cadillac’s styling and prestige at a more approachable price point. The second point is that a young designer by the name of Harley Earl penned this car, essentially introducing true automotive styling to General Motors vehicles. Even today, the LaSalle’s long hood, upright grille, and flowing fenders remain some of the most recognizable shapes of the Vintage Era.

Perhaps that timeless styling is precisely what made this car such an attractive canvas for a modern restomod. Hidden beneath its classy, quintessentially 1920s facade are disc brakes, a modern suspension, a 485-horsepower Chevrolet Performance LS3, and enough custom fabrication to make this one of the most ambitious Cadillac restomods you’ll likely ever see.

Form For The Function

When this classic rolled into Raleigh Speed Shop in, you guessed it, Raleigh, North Carolina, the car’s owner had very ambitious goals. He wanted a modern cruiser, with the proportions of a legendary V16 Cadillac, that would turn heads everywhere it went. The first issue in that statement is the idea of a V16 Cadillac, since, while Cadillac did introduce its legendary V16 engine in 1929, the engine wasn’t actually installed in a production car until 1930. That meant the very foundation of this 1929 Series 328 LaSalle would need to be carefully stretched and massaged back into shape. Really, the biggest challenge wasn’t simply making the Cadillac longer, it was making the car look like it had always been that way.

The first of Raleigh Speed Shop’s roughly 5,000 hours of labor was spent creating custom frame rails that stretched the car’s chassis roughly 14 inches. The goal was to match the 148-inch wheelbase of the 1930 Cadillac 452, the car that debuted the brand’s V16. From there, the team moved to the car’s body. While the Series 328 and Series 452 share the same 1920s-style profile, the devil is in the details.

First and foremost, Raleigh Speed Shop fabricated fresh front fenders to accommodate the lengthened frame. Then, work progressed to the back of the car for a bit of customization to its boot. A lot of time was spent ensuring every body line flowed naturally from front to back. Honestly, it’s the sort of hard work most people never notice, which is exactly the point on a job like this. If the fabrication stands out, it probably wasn’t done correctly.

By the time the LaSalle left the paint booth, it looked as though Fisher Body could have built it that way in 1929. All its carefully crafted metal was eventually covered in a slick combination of maroon and black two-stage. And cool details abound, including custom horns, elegant striping, a reimagined visor, custom lighting, and a tight vinyl top.

Proven LS Power

We all know what the best powerplant is for, well, anything: our beloved LS V8. Rather than hunting down a temperamental pre-war Cadillac V8 or attempting the nearly impossible task of locating a genuine V16, this sedan’s owner chose one of the most proven crate engines Chevrolet Performance has ever offered: the LS376. Extremely well known in the restomod community, the LS376 utilizes rectangular-port, L92-style heads and a racing-inspired LS Hot Cam to create a healthy 10.7:1 compression and an easy 485 horsepower on simple pump gas.

According to the builder, this Cadillac’s driving characteristics feel completely modern. The naturally aspirated small-block provides the kind of effortless torque that perfectly suits a full-size luxury cruiser. Turn the key, idle through traffic with the Vintage Air conditioning blowing cold, then jump on the interstate and cruise 75 MPH anywhere in the country without worrying about overheating or sourcing obscure parts.

Naturally, that engine spins an equally new 4L60 4-speed automatic transmission, which twists a 9-inch, posi-traction axle. The car’s independent front and 4-link rear suspension has been fully rebuilt to include modern coilover shocks. Wilwood disc brakes stop all four corners. And according to Raleigh Speed Shop, the steering feels modern, the suspension is composed, and the entire experience is remarkably refined–something few people could ever say about any original 1929 automobile.

Life Of Luxury

Like many models from Cadillac’s first golden age, the 1929 LaSalle was meant to be a chauffeur-driven vehicle. That essentially means the car was designed with a clear separation between the driver and passengers, prioritizing privacy and luxury. Open this sedan’s signature, rear-hinged doors, and you’ll find a gorgeous custom interior that’s as stylish as it is classy.

A custom dash hangs modern Auto Meter telemetry and controls for modern audio behind a polished, tilting column. Custom bench seats wear textured fabric that, like the brand’s namesake, came directly from France. Perhaps the most impressive touch sits in the middle of the cockpit. A custom cabinetmaker handcrafted an elegant rear bar that transforms the LaSalle into the sort of rolling lounge Cadillac’s designers probably would have built had modern amenities existed nearly a century ago.

It’s easy to admire this LaSalle for its beautiful sheetmetal, but it’s the engineering hiding underneath that makes it so remarkable. Nearly 100 years after the car first rolled onto American roads, it continues to represent exactly what Cadillac has always done best: combining luxury, craftsmanship, and effortless performance. Raleigh Speed Shop simply perfected that formula with a world-class LS V8, a modern suspension, and the kind of drivability today’s enthusiasts expect. This isn’t just a restored classic, it’s one of the coolest LS-powered restomods on the planet!