There is a bit of an internal struggle when it comes to restoring classic American musclecars. Purists demand that the only way to “restore” a classic car is bring it to its original showroom status with date-matched interior pieces and OEM parts only. While these classic restorations truly are a sight to behold, there’s something inherently limiting about bringing a car to normalcy. Enter proponents of “resto-modding”, the practice of restoring classic cars with modern components to unleash its maximum potential.

Here we have a beautiful example of a 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille sporting a modern supercharged 6.2L LSA V8 putting down 580-horsepower through a 6L90-E six-speed automatic transmission and a Currie Ford 9-inch housing, with a Strange Engineering differential sporting 3.55 gears. In order to keep all this power in check, the car has been fitted with a modern Ridetech adjustable coil over suspension and six-piston Brembo disc brakes off of a CTS-V. This blast from the past does maintain a relatively period correct interior albeit with the addition of a modern Retrosound MP3 radio. Surely, if the GM engineers of the ’50s had access to this technology, they would have wanted it in their vehicles.

While on the surface, this 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille maintains its beautiful lines and sculpted fenders, the modern enhancements beneath the skin truly bring it to life. The whine from the modern supercharger perfectly matches the aerodynamic flair so popular amongst this era of cars, and the modern suspension and brakes help keep this once lumbering behemoth a little more planted out on the road. While resto-modding isn’t for everyone, when done properly, it can transform of a beautiful classic into a modern masterpiece!