Don Walker has been involved with cars his whole life and has owned and worked on too many to count, from concours-quality restorations to hot rods and customs.
When he was ready to build his latest project, there were three rules that had to be followed. It had to be classic in design, it had to be updated and new under the skin, and it had be a convertible.
Don was 14 years old when his father came home with a 1957 Chevy that he’d purchased on a whim. It became a father-and-son project, as they rebuilt the engine, brakes, electrical system, and other components of the car. That buildup instilled in Don his lifelong love for classic cars and taught him how to persevere toward a goal—values that paid off with every car he’s built ever since, and especially with his most recent.
This 1949 convertible is not the first Cadillac Don has owned; there was a 1955 Eldorado, a 1957 convertible, and a 1947 convertible before this one. He started his hunt by calling members of the Cadillac LaSalle Club, inquiring about late-’40s to early-’50s convertibles that might be for sale. He narrowed his search to nicer cars with no recent work (to keep costs down) and to cars from Southwestern states (to minimize the likelihood of rust). “That was a smart plan until I decided to buy the car sight unseen,” Don admits. When his 1949 Series 62 convertible arrived in Lake Orion, Michigan, from Texas, it seemed to be in pretty good shape. After a teardown and a trip to the blaster, the assessment changed.
Recognizing that his vision for the car required more skill and time than he could contribute, Don turned to Matt Gurjack of Sled Alley in Clinton Township, Michigan. Gurjack made the repairs to the Cadillac.
