Cadillac Catera to Vauxhall Omega Conversion - COMPLETE!

EveryShadeofBlue · #1 12-30-2003, 08:51 AM

Hey,

I just finished with my conversion of my 2000 Cadillac Catera Sport into a British Vauxhall Omega. Of course I didn't change the steering wheel, but from the outside the car is nearly a dead ringer for the Omega.

For those of you that don't know, the Cadillac Catera (1997-2001) is made by Opel in Germany and sold as a Vauxhall in the UK and an Opel throughout the rest of Europe. In Australia, it is sold as a Holden. In Brazil, it's sold as a Chevrolet (yuck).

Like the SVX, the Catera isn't exactly cheap to fix or have stellar reliability. Luckily I have a Cadillac certified warranty for 2 more years so I don't care, I'm just having fun with it and I get a big Deville every time I take the car in for service.

Here are pictures of the car converted (with another 2001 Sport next to it for comparision):
http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/use...eryShadeofBlue|12674

Here are pictures of how my car looked originally:
http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/use...eryShadeofBlue|9897

It's hard to appreciate the change when comparing 2 silver cars with silver badges, but I already am getting so many stares in traffic and I see people pointing at my car. Feels like the old days of driving my SVX!

Why did I do this? I like to be different and can't stand having a boring, normal car. Isn't that why most of us are attracted to the SVX?

Anyway, hope you like! Wish I had an SVX too but will need to make a lot more money to afford that. Two expensive foreign cars would be too much at this point

Mr. Pockets · #2 12-30-2003, 09:42 AM

Heh...that's kind of cool...

...I don't know if this qualifies (in my mind) as a 'conversion,' but whatever. Call it what you will - it's pretty cool.

EveryShadeofBlue · #3 12-30-2003, 09:44 AM

Conversion...rebadging. Potato, potatoe

#4 12-30-2003, 09:49 AM

Dont mind Nick, he's the network 'downer.'

Looks great, Jeff!!

Mike

Mr. Pockets · #5 12-30-2003, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Green1995SVX
Dont mind Nick, he's the network 'downer.'

Man...how'd I get that title?

SubaSteevo · #6 12-30-2003, 11:20 AM

I don't like when people rebadge cars for a car that is cooler/faster. I don't believe the Omega is any different mechanically, so you get the thumbs up. I can't stand it when people (usually ricers) think their car is cooler because they say it is something its not (ex think Type-R badges). The one I've seen that angered me the most is when a guy took a BMW 315, and "converted" it into an M3. He had the badges, the grill, the side skirts, the wheels, even the doors! From the outside it looked just like an M3, but he was missing the one thing that really makes the M3 better, the M3 engine! Now the guy that converted the old Mercedes into the brand new super Mercedes, that was awesome.

NapaBavarian · #7 01-24-2004, 10:20 PM

I always wanted to get a Chevy or GMC suburban and make half the badges Chevrolet, and the other half GMC

Landshark · #8 01-25-2004, 12:13 AM

i turned my Alcyone into an SVX.

the JDM guys are green with envy.

Subafreak · #9 01-25-2004, 10:08 AM

I was going to make my (then girlfreinds) Spectrum a half Chevy half Izuzu. Of course it would have got the TwinCam Turbo Izuzu motor too, fortunatlly she rolled it into a ditch before I wasted any money on it

I think the Vauxhall is cool, how many people just continue to stare at you even after you tell them what it is? Whats a Vauxhall.

b3lha · #10 01-26-2004, 03:56 AM

Vauxhall's are not quite so cool here in the UK. But that sure does look like one.

Well done, nice work.

Add some orange stripes, sit a couple of assholes in the front seats and it would look just like a UK police car.

Phil.

Did you ever see that video where an Omega outruns a Swedish police car. Look on this site...

http://www.algonet.se/~steeng/index.htm

Andy · #11 01-26-2004, 06:25 AM

I didn't realise that those Saabs were so slow, topping out at only 200kpm. I could nearly outrun that with my Lee Cougan

EveryShadeofBlue · #12 01-26-2004, 07:09 AM

Yes, I know that Vauxhalls are the Chevrolet of the UK, but if you rebadged a Vauxhall as a Chevrolet, it would probably get a lot of attention! Also, I just liked the Vauxhall emblem much more than the Opel one (boring lightning bolt). The Griffin symbol is very cool.

Those Omega Carltons are insanely fast! Mine is nothing like that

Jeff

#13 01-26-2004, 07:25 AM

The coolest rebadging I've ever seen was an early 80's VW Pickup rebadged to BMW.

It was perfect, rims, dash, hood, steering wheel, even the grill. Big emblem on the tailgate.

Collins
I'm going to rebadge the Mini-van to a Viper... that should get some looks.

#14 01-26-2004, 07:43 AM

All you need is Vinyl

#15 01-26-2004, 08:47 AM

Interesting to see someone actually being proud of the Vauxhall name - I personally would've gone for a Holden badge, as cars like the Holden HSV GTS-R (A beefier version of the Omega with 5.7Litre V8) are pretty cult here as well as their native Oz.

BTW, if your 'Omega' is a 3.0 V6, the badging on the right of the bootlid is slightly wrong... But hey, who'd know?

Jason
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