Rolling Meadows company puts the stretch in limos
Earle Moloney has been crafting coach-built creations for nearly 50 years. His love for limos hasn't run out yet; he's still in the business of producing stretched vehicles.
The Arlington Heights resident began his long and storied career in 1967 when he formed Moloney Coach Builders. His limousines have been used around the world and carried celebrities and presidents such as the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Sophia Loren and Richard Nixon.
In 1969 he acquired the assets of competitor Lehmann-Peterson, best remembered for stretching Lincoln Continentals during the 1960s. Today, the company is headquartered in Rolling Meadows and is building stretched versions of the 2015 Cadillac XTS sedan.
“I'm very partial to the Cadillac brand,” Moloney said. “Historically, their automobiles have been luxury icons. To this day the brand still has that identity with refinement.”
The biggest change to the vehicle, called the XTS-L, is the addition of 7 inches to the rear length of the vehicle. “The L is all about taking care of the person in the back seat,” Moloney said.
New Cadillacs roll in and with a single slice, are literally cut in two. The chassis, rocker panels and floor panels are all lengthened. To maintain structural integrity, a stamped steel, full-length roof panel is grafted in. Moloney reports no plastic, fiberglass or filler material is used for the all-metal conversion.
Besides the gain in rear legroom, passengers also have an easier time entering and exiting, thanks to longer rear door openings. Other new pieces include wider rear glass windows, weather striping, carpeting and headliner. The stock door panels are retained but lengthened with a factory-style insert.
Once the metalwork is complete, the vehicles' sides and roof are then repainted. The facility has an on-site paint booth and employs water-based paints. All of the factory colors can be sprayed, including the optional Tintcoats and Tricoat metallic colors.
The powertrain remains untouched but new rear springs are installed to ensure a cushy ride despite the extra load, which totals 83 pounds. The whole transformation takes about 100 man-hours, or just less than two weeks for the 32-person crew.
“We work hard to retain the original factory lines,” Moloney said. “When people see them on the streets, they have a fresh new OEM look.”
The relationship to the brand doesn't just stop there. Lehmann-Peterson is a certified Cadillac Master Coachbuilder. The accreditation is only given after every step of the manufacturing process is inspected and documented, which happens annually. As a result, the factory three-year or 150,00-mile warranty is preserved with each and every XTS-L.
In addition, Lehmann-Peterson offers a four-year/50,000-mile conversion warranty. Pricing for the completed vehicle starts at less than $60,000. In the past year, more than 100 have been sold and put to use in the livery industry.
Moloney doesn't plan to stop anytime soon and hinted at other “more personalized” projects coming in the very near future. Moloney's passion and commitment to quality is readily evident, making it clear his limos, and legacy, will live on and stretch into the years to come.