1957 Superior Combo on Ebay

[Dickey]

Seems to be a pretty solid execution:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadillac-HOT-ROD-GOTHIC-LIMO-1957-CADILLAC-SUPERIOR-HEARSE-AMBULANCE-CASKET-COFFIN-/130647334416?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1e6b301e10

Currently sitting at $4500 with 5 days to go. Thoughts on the price it might command? I dig the interior.


//question: He says it is an Ambulance/Hearse combination but I don't recall ever seeing a combination or ambulance with the solid rear panels and landau bars as this one has. Is it really a combo car?

[hotroddwayne]

There's a long story behind this one and it's surfaced countless times for sale in recent years. The roof is an embarassment... they had a huge digital sign on the roof for promotions and added those damn mounting rails & who knows what all else up there

[mr x]

Is this the same guy who had the white 59 with the big sign on it?

[60Crown]

Don't even get me started on this POS.

I inspected the awesome original version of it in either '96 or '97. It was for sale in a crappy Westside neighborhood of Akron, OH. Believe me when I say that it only had two rather minor blemishes in the grand scheme of things: a gold ball size dent on the left side of rear bumper and the dash pad had shriveled away from windshield. That's it! Original lacquer paint shined, chrome had no pits, and the 365 just purred.

Was one of the best all original '50s coaches I've ever had the pleasure of checking out and going for a ride in. Seller had acquired it years earlier from a guy who used it for taking used auto parts to swap meets. He had acquired it from funeral home. How the rear interior stayed immaculate is a mystery...but it didn't see much use and was low mileage.

Anyway, seller wanted $11.5k or 12.5k for it. A ton of money back then for sure. I was able to come up with about 1/3 and didn't even offer. He wasn't letting it go under $10k regardless. So I made this coach my first post on the original PCS board hoping it would find a good home. What happened? Even back then their "your shit is shit until I own it" club mentality was prevalent. Rather than try to work something out with seller, they bashed the price - and the seller - and the messenger. It was honestly in very similar condition to the awesome original '57 Eureka 3-way that has been for sale lately in NJ.

Some gay (as in fruity decision making, not sexual orientation) chode from NYC bought it (along with several other '50s coaches) for his EMERGENCY ADVERTISING business that tanked. Many coaches were ruined in the process. He had an entire fleet including a couple '59s. Thankfully for the moment his name escapes me - which has taken years to forget.

What you see now as a "pretty solid execution" is a perpetual reminder to me of how a great landau combination coach was FUBAR'd. Even those tunnel lights were added. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not anti-modify when it comes to coaches. There are always exceptions to rules however. Let this be the perfect example. It would have continued to escalate in value if left alone and cared for. Think of the $$$ that has been utterly wasted "restoring" it only to have value less than before any of it even started!

[Dickey]

Man, that sucks. I had just bought this giant LCD billboard thing and got some sheet metal screws and tape so I could put it on the roof of mine and I had this plan to surprise you guys with update pictures and a goat...

This guy's asshattery aside; I like what was done for covering up the runway for the casket area and having a definitive, removable, partition. It allows the car to legitimately function as a people hauler while still being able to slip a casket in the back for special occasions and date night festivities.

edit - check that, I think this guy that is currently selling it just did the interior and the prior owner was the emergency advertising douche. Excluding the roof shenanigans, is there really anything legitimately wrong with this coach?

[60Crown]

I just read through the auction listing. Both history and timelines are off.

If I hadn't seen this 14-15 years ago before being turned into a perversion of nature, I wouldn't feel as strongly against it. Anyone associated with it since leaving Akron is just an ass. Since the current seller is in FL, he should be friends with STODD. Love how seller boasts of stupidity/modifications/money pit.

My main beef is fucking up something that was damn near incredible to begin with. Things are only original once. Look at how preservation has gained steadily in collector car circles within the last few years.

[Apostle]

I had almost purchased this coach several years ago myself. Like others have stated...the roof is a total hodgepodge of fuckedupness. I had spoken to the brainiacs in FLA. several times and seen it in person as well and they honestly are convinced,that they own a goldmine and not to mention a fine example of cutting edge bodywork. If one wasn't concerned with price or originality it is still a decent looking coach to say the least...would make a FINE parts car though! "Yes...I went there,please refrain from the beatdown for at least a few days...I have things to accomplish yet "

[60Crown]

Sandy Grossman.

That was the putz's name who owned EMERGENCY ADVERTISING. Damn my subconsious for remembering that as I awoke anyway.

[LMS]

What are the support beam things on the roof made of? and could the roof be fixed? That seems to be the real issue here. They look like painted 2x4's.
If someone could convince these people that it's not worth what they think it would be a good project. I have seen much worse vehicles restored, surly the roof can be unfucked.

[Apostle]

They are boxed and capped channel with a subframe connecting them inside of the cargo compartment sidewalls...tied into the frame. decent metalwork that was done but decent effort required to unfuck it up as well...Is why I called it a hodgepodge. Coach would do quite well in a rollover...I can tell you that for sure lol!

[Houdini]

wow, I love reading these forums-I learn so much from you guys! Being new hearse owner, I need all the advice I can get and I'm getting a lot of ithere. thanks

[Dickey]

Well it sold for $9100. This is not intended to be earth shattering news, just that I just wanted to follow up on the thread in case someone found it during a search and was trying to come up with a valid price point reference for their own coach or a coach they might be interested in.

[Weirdo]

I've seen this thing for sale... on and off all the time. It's well.. It's definitely the most tacky coach i've EVER seen. In australian terms, its exactly what would happen if you gave Bogans a hearse and said "Go nuts"
The purple carpet and marble sinks in the back were so half assed it looked terrible.
Oh and the cheesy name. 'Gothicc Coach'

Jeeeezzzz...Some people.