What are the Mods You Do Want to Make to your 63/64 Cadillac? Mods you will not consider?

[Jason Edge]

OK, So the other thread addressing  Mods you Have Made that you were Happy or Unhappy was popular, so  I will start one where we list Mods you want to make on your 63/64 Cadillac but have never gotten around to it?
I will also add a rule, this needs to be a true change to the car. I am not asking about maintenance or restoration/replacement of existing items! Those will be deleted. Let's stick to mods. They can be factory equipment options or wild modifications. 

I will go first:

For my 64 Coupe de Ville which I am trying to keep a stock look:

Mods/Options  I would like to make:
- factory cruise control - especially when wife retires and can do more cross country cruising

- twilight sentinel - the cherry red 64 SDV I had way back had this feature and loved it.

- factory bucket seats - especially if I find a nice set in Sandalwood or just very nice overall

- power trunk - I've had a few parts cars where it worked great and it's a nice feature and discussion point

- rear window defogger - not a really functional item for me but one of the easier items to install and another discussion topic.

- I would love to find the original Litter Box and/or Tissue valet offered for these cars. 

Mods/Options I have no desire to add:
- vacuum power locks - I have a hard enough time getting the hoses out of parts cars, I don't want to put them in, and is very involved.

- non-stock wheels/rims, especially wire wheels. (I think a nice set of the original hubcaps are gorgeous)

- wide white walls - even on a resto-mod, or custom, I think they look wrong on our cars.

- disc brakes - Never had any braking issues and pretty flat where I live and have had zero issue with brake fade.

- non stock lighting, inside and out - on a restomod or custom car I would go crazy with LED's, wiring, sound sytsems, etc., but for more original lighting IS part of the original look on these cars. Most dim light issues are due to corroded inner reflective surfaces on the various lamp fixtures. 

- non stock sound system that means cutting up the car - You can get blue tooth boom boxes that you can just throw in the back seat that will blow you out of the car, and you can take your tunes with you. The stock AM/FM  and speakers is OK, It is not the Bose system in my Escalade but I sort of like using the original equipment to still be able to listen to the radio when I want to. 

- Lowering a car.  Having a car 3" off the ground and scraping speed bumps did nothing for me when I was 18 or now that I'm 55. I like the correct ride height.  

[Jason Edge]

So no future upgrades on anyone's Cadillacs? If/when I get into a 2nd car it would be more a custom ride and appease my hot rod heart and inclination to rewire everything. This list for such a car would be long!  

[0wmawhs0nd6nt]

Jason, I know my car is a year too old for inclusion here but I hope you don't mind me posting this. I grafted gauges in to my glove box lid because i don't like the look of add on panels. That lost me the use of my glove box for it's intended function. I put early 60's GM buckets in it and plan to build a centre console. You don't realize how much you need a glove box until you don't have one!

[Jason Edge]

Dan, The 62 is fine but these look like mods you have already made. What is on your "wish list" ??

[0wmawhs0nd6nt]

Thanks Tony. I put a TREMEC 5 speed in her 12 years ago. I got ripped off by an automatic transmission shop and figured, well, I can rebuild a manual transmission myself so put one in both because I like them and also I am now not having to rely on someone else if things wear out or break. I drive my car a lot and things do wear out. 

The shift knob is an actual 8 ball I bought at a billiard supply store. I drilled and tapped it to screw on to the shifter. 

[1bt7pektvt387]

As I mentioned in the earlier thread, a tilt steering column may be in my future. It would be another part of my '63 convertible's transition from base model to a nicely optioned example, options added 40-60 years after it rolled off of the assembly line.

I'd also love that Eldorado triple horn setup but they are not easy to find.

I have no desire for the twilight sentinel or cruise control. I just don't drive the car enough to utilize them. Same with air conditioning, not much need in a convertible that is driven mostly with the top down.

[Jason Edge]

Guys, this is a wish list of mods you would like to make. I thought it would be a good companion thread to the one already posted regarding Mods you have made. I added the 2nd question about mods you would not consider as an after thought and was really looking for mods you guys have up in the grey matter but not yet pull the trigger.
 

[2cvqsipvcqfgs]

After the exhaust manifold broke when I tried to tap a broken bolt I am going to see if I can fab up a set of headers and alternator bracket. 

The deeper I go down the rabbit hole I should have gone LS from the start since if I keep the car long term it will go that direction anyway. 

[Jason Edge]

If/when I get into another 63/64 I would definitely love to pursue a LS series engine. Heck, I would love to have the LQ9 (Vortec HO 6000) standard in my 2002 Escalade or better yet a L92 (Vortec 6200) introduced in the 2007 Escaladed. 

[0wmawhs0nd6nt]

I built my own headers because I was fed up with the poor sealing of the stock manifolds. I hate exhaust leaks! I took a lot of photos of the process if anyone is interested.

[2cvqsipvcqfgs]

Please share the pictures. I have searched the site up and down.  I see threads talk about ditching the manifolds but never share the end result.

i am going to try the summit ones first. Since they dump in the middle and don’t have a place for the alternator I know they will need work..

[2cvqsipvcqfgs]

I am going to try the Sanders after some research. I will take pictures if I can get them to work right. 

[0wmawhs0nd6nt]

FlaHP, I'll start a new thread so we don't hi-jack this one because it could go on for a bit. I talked Sanderson out of a set of the 65 and later 429 headers un-welded. I used that as a starting point but all that was really useful were the collectors and flanges. I bought a bunch of tubing bends in various tight radii from SPD Exhaust. Before I did anything, I drew the headers up in CAD. I'm not sure how it is in a 63/64 but a 62 with the older block is very tight. I can share those drawing with you as well. I'll go log in to my other PC with the photos and drawings on it and start the new thread.