Mobsteel’s 58’ Graffiti Caddy
Mobsteel says it best, “We are a company that manufactures automotive aftermarket products and builds custom cars, while celebrating the history of the automobile and the Motor City of Detroit, Michigan. We start with Detroit’s finest vintage cars and turn them into modern day menacing street machines. The cars we build are a part of American History, with vintage Detroit steel, not some fiberglass repro. Steel that has a soul and a story. The blood, sweat, and tears of our family and friends are in these motors, frames, and bodies. At Mobsteel, we take it to the next level.” Even the wheels they make under the name Detroit Steel Wheels can be seen on slammed Impalas all the way to jacked up Broncos. Mobsteel is truly a Motor City company to their core.
Mobsteel has a diehard crew, and has built some incredible rides, but there is nothing quite like their 58’ Cadillac. The Caddy was built for a local Detroit musician by the name of Ty Stone. This 1958 Cadillac symbolizes everything Detroit was and still is. Which is a community rooted deeply in automotive history that may have some rough sides to it, but will continue to live and be reinvented. Mobsteel does a tasteful job of adding a modern twist while not completely altering the ageless lines of this Caddy. Thanks to a custom air ride suspension setup, this 58’ Caddy can hunker down right on the ground. While riding around like you are the DreamWorks guy on a cloud, you can blast some Detroit legends like Bob Seger through the custom JL sound system. If all this still isn’t enough there are little hidden finishing touches all over the build, like subtle changes to the interior and custom badging. The original seats have a small but powerful touch which is custom badges sown into the seats that read “Ty Stone". Then to make sure no one forgets who built this Caddy, Mobsteel added the Cadillac crown to their logo and attached that to the rear fin. Even the license plate has a plasma cut Detroit skyline.
Finally, the most eye-catching aspect of the build is the uniquely stunning paint job. The car was originally black, but Mobsteel wanted to incorporate some of that Detroit grittiness to the build. They laid down some grey primer base coats, added multiple flat white topcoats, and then let three local Detroit graffiti artists do their thing. The graffiti is a unique aspect of the build, some may think it is just a cool way to stand out. However, in reality it symbolizes so much more. It symbolizes the abandoned factories that once were the heart that pumped out America’s cars that now lay dormant being masked by graffiti as they crumble away. But much like this Cadillac with some passion, perseverance, and dedication, they can be brought back to their former glory with some new flare, while still maintaining what they originally stood for.
Pictures from: @mobsteel and @rattler02
Just wanted to give a huge shoutout to everyone at Mobsteel for giving me the opportunity to write about this incredible ride. They always show kindness and support to everyone in the car community. Also, a special thank you to @mobsteel_emma for hooking me up with more information and resources. If you want to learn more about Mobsteel go to https://www.mobsteel.com/ or check them out on Instagram @mobsteel. If you want to learn more about the Caddy, check out the episode from their tv show Season 1 Ep 5
