News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

Production numbers and value of hearse / ambulance / non factory limos

Started by TJ Hopland, September 26, 2010, 04:10:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

TJ Hopland

Just curious how many cars were made various years?  Was it like 50, 500 or 5000?

Got a friend that has (among other things) a 72 miller hearse ambulance combo car.  Its actually in pretty good condition especially the interior.  It does have a sort of crappy pain job on it but its a solid color, not flames or skulls.  He is thinking of selling it because it may be the most valuable things he has in its present condition.  He has other cars but they are either fairly common or are in rough condition so he was thinking selling this may give him the money to get a few other projects further along.   Problem comes in trying to decide what to ask for it.     Its got some minor rust spots in the back but overall solid and clean everywhere else.  Body has a cheap silver paint job but the top looks to be an original flat or semi gloss crinkle coat black.   Interior looks to be original and very clean.  There is no light or siren.  Has the jump seats, flip over roller floor panels, and the landau window covers.    Other than some skull floor mats and lock knobs it appears to be original.  We did some brake work so now it stops good.  Carb rebuild and an HEI distributor and it seems to run good.  It has leaky exhaust manifolds and someone already broke off a few bolts trying to fix it.  Also has something in the drive line that makes a slight noise at certain speeds.  

Any tips or places to look at what the value should be would be great.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

okccadman

professional cars have a big following (especially close to halloween).  I use dto buy cars that sound similar for $500-1000 and flip them easily for $2000 after a little clean up.  Try the Professional car Society's web site:

http://www.professionalcar.org/

Jim Jordan CLC# 5374
Oklahoma City, OK

55 Series 62 Sedan
56 Series 62 Coupe
56 Fleetwood 75 Derham Limo
59 Fleetwood Sixty Special
66 Fleetwood Brougham
66 Superior Hearse/Ambulance
67 Fleetwood Sixty Special
68 Fleetwood Eldorado
76 Coupe de Ville d'Elegance
90 Brougham
92 Fleetwood Coupe
93 Allante
94 Fleetwood Brougham
02 Eldorado Commemorative Edition

Tom Hall 7485

For 1972, there were approximately 2,475 Cadillac commercial chassis shipped.  Probably the biggest share went to Superior.  Miller-Meteor is in the top three in terms of quantity.

The higher the headroom and the more lights and sirens for an ambulance, the more valuable.  The combination vehicle typically isn't as valuable as the ambulance or hearse.  Scarcest of all is the flower car, at maybe one to two dozen a year.  Really scaaaary  :o is the price of a new windshield, which cracks more often on these bodies than on other Cadillacs.  So many big cars just sit outside because they will not fit into the usual residential garage.  The commercial cars are expensive to operate, plenty o'work to refinish, and have a big blind spot with rear quarters covered up.  My guess is something under $3,500 for that car.  Unless sold to a collector, may easily end up with immense speakers in the rear, flames painted on, etc.  Have a look at eBay completed auctions and Professional Car Society.
Tom Hall, CLC Member 7485, Lifetime member since the mid-1990s.

TJ Hopland

Ya there are not much on those cars that you could call standard.     I sort of figured the combos would be worth more but guess rare is not always worth more. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Kevin M. Parkinson

That website shown above is for Professional Cars International.

The Professional Car Society site is http://www.professionalcarsociety.org
1925 V-63B Custom Suburban
1941 Series 6719
1956 Fleetwood 75 Imperial Sedan
1967 Sedan deVille
1968 Sedan deVille
1972 Fleetwood 75 Sedan
1972 S&S Cadillac Victoria Hearse Senior #779
1980 Fleetwood Limousine
1996 Sedan deVille
2006 DTS 1SD
2018 CT6 3.0TT Platinum
2018 Escalade ESV

TJ Hopland

Anyone know if the fender skirts were the same as the other cars?   My friend just called and said he hit something on the freeway that trashed a tire and the skirt on his 72 miller combo car.  Also lost a hub cap but I think those were the same.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Davidinhartford

It should be the same fender skirt too.


I couldn't find production numbers of each model,  but it would be very low.   Superior only made 500 Ambulances that year.   As stated above, Miller was lower production that Superior.  Plus fewer Combination cars were made than straight ambulances.

The Miller Meteor "Duplex Combination" sold for just over $13,000 when new.       Collectors prefer the combinations that have the removable landau panels so you can switch from Hearse to ambulance quickly.
Some Combinations were landau models only without the removable panels.   This gave them a full time funeral look despite the fact their interiors did double duty as Ambulances.

TJ Hopland

His has the removable panels.  They fit in a pocket up front.  The feature I liked was the zipper in the headliner to access the flashing light for ambulance mode. He was going to sell it and I guess he met with a few local collector types and they were interested in the car but after chatting with them decided to keep it for himself.   I have not seen it since the tire issue but he thinks the damage around the fender will be fairly easy to fix.  He also has a 60 ambulance. Its solid and almost drivable but looks pretty ugly because it spend some time in the sun both before and after the decals or paint were removed when it came out of service.     
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

TJ Hopland

Most places the skirts are listed 71-76 all.  My 73 eldo skirts are not the same as this 72 miller.   Mine are wider, taller, and have much more of a bend in the lower sections.  Also the latch handle is longer and has its own catch, the 72 handle is shorter and has a hook in it that just holds on some sheet metal.     Its the Eldo different or is it the Miller or is it the year?
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason