Long time lurker needs help IDing car! :)

[KChapin]

I purchased my hearse from a guy in Austin, TX a little over a year ago. He told me that she's a 1968 Cadillac M-M combo... I just want to get some input from y'all to see if he was leading me right or if I have something else all together! I've been all over the internet & this forum but I've just ended up confusing myself! Also, I cannot find a coach builder plate. I think it may have been removed! Check out the pics below. If anyone is familiar with this particular car or has any info they could share I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!
Kara

[Haunti]

The angle of the headlights say 67 or 68 to me.

[Double D]

68 MM combo -
The only way to tell it from a 67 are the reflectors on the outer sides of the rear taillight housings. The grill might also have a slightly different pattern.
Build plate should be under the hood on the drivers side front wheel well. If there are 4 holes there, that's where it once was.

[hotroddwayne]

1967 grill also has a much larger grid pattern than a 1968 grill, and other obvious differences when compared at the same time...

1967


1968

[KChapin]

68 MM combo -
The only way to tell it from a 67 are the reflectors on the outer sides of the rear taillight housings. The grill might also have a slightly different pattern.
Build plate should be under the hood on the drivers side front wheel well. If there are 4 holes there, that's where it once was.

I haven't seen a plate or holes on the driver's side but yesterday I did find holes on the passenger side. Could it have possibly been on that side??

She's definitely a '68. The grill proves that! That's what I was told by the guy I bought it from and she's titled as a '68. It's good to have it confirmed.

So she is in fact a '68 MM combo. That's great to know! Is there anything else anyone can tell me about her?

[hotroddwayne]

I haven't seen a plate or holes on the driver's side but yesterday I did find holes on the passenger side. Could it have possibly been on that side??

She's definitely a '68. The grill proves that! That's what I was told by the guy I bought it from and she's titled as a '68. It's good to have it confirmed.

So she is in fact a '68 MM combo. That's great to know! Is there anything else anyone can tell me about her?

Does it have fold-down jump seats? Have an exterior vent on the driver's rear quarter panel? If so it's a M-M Duplex Combination coach. Threaded holes for removeable landau panels on the rearmost side windows? If it has a solid floor with no jump seats it's a M-M limo style hearse.

[KChapin]

Does it have fold-down jump seats? Have an exterior vent on the driver's rear quarter panel? If so it's a M-M Duplex Combination coach. Threaded holes for removeable landau panels on the rearmost side windows? If it has a solid floor with no jump seats it's a M-M limo style hearse.

The interior was basically non-existent when I got her. She was at CES in the '90s & then she was turned into a show car for a car audio shop. She was filled with speakers & tvs and put on display. So, I really have no idea if there were ever jump seats. There's no exterior vent. And she was repainted before I got her so I don't know if there were ever any threaded holes for panels.

I'm attaching some more pics of the interior..

[hotroddwayne]

The recesses in the rear floor tell me it was a combo, because those square recesses are for the flip-over panels that M-M used in their combination coaches. One side was smooth for "ambulance mode", the other side had casket rollers. Then again maybe M-M had one standard metal floor before installing the wooden floor?



Anyway, look down in the driver's side rear quarter panel from inside (since you can) and see if anyone welded a patch over a round hole just above the beltline. If they did it was a combination coach.

The threaded holes I mentioned would be in the chrome window trim, not the body. M-M Duplex Combos only used 2 threaded holes IN the top window trim for attaching removable landau panels. If you ever want a set I do have a spair pare of M-M landau panels... exactly like these pictured below (one is missing a landau bar though). If you look close you can see the 2 small bolts that hold them on the top.

[KChapin]

The recesses in the rear floor tell me it was a combo, because those square recesses are for the flip-over panels that M-M used in their combination coaches. One side was smooth for "ambulance mode", the other side had casket rollers. Then again maybe M-M had one standard metal floor before installing the wooden floor?



Anyway, look down in the driver's side rear quarter panel from inside (since you can) and see if anyone welded a patch over a round hole just above the beltline. If they did it was a combination coach.

The threaded holes I mentioned would be in the chrome window trim, not the body. M-M Duplex Combos only used 2 threaded holes IN the top window trim for attaching removable landau panels. If you ever want a set I do have a spair pare of M-M landau panels... exactly like these pictured below (one is missing a landau bar though). If you look close you can see the 2 small bolts that hold them on the top.

OK well, I didn't find any sign of anything being welded around the beltline.
I believe the trim has been replaced so there are no holes. I've always had the thought that she may have had panels and some time but I just didn't know how to verify that. Would the trim above the window mean anything in figuring it out?? I know I'm being a complete pain now but thank you SO much to all the input so far!! I'm trying to learn but I'm still pretty clueless!! You guys are awesome!

Here's a couple of pics of that trim I'm talking about...
DSCN5977.jpgDSCN5978.jpg
Do they all have this? It seems like I've seen some with less "channeled" type trim above the windows???

Thanks again everyone!

[KChapin]

Oh and by the way, hotrodwayne, that is a BEAUTIFUL car you've got!! And, if I were to decide that I needed landau panels, what would they cost me?!

[R U INJRD]

Does the 68 have a completely different hood than the 67, or just an extension bolted to the bottom of the leading edge?

[hotroddwayne]

Oh and by the way, hotrodwayne, that is a BEAUTIFUL car you've got!! And, if I were to decide that I needed landau panels, what would they cost me?!

I sold this M-M, it went to Tennessee and is now back in Ohio again. If you want a set of panels I do have a set, but one is missing the landau bar. I got this spare set because there was one broken landau bar on the '67. PM me with your email so I can send some pix of them, and your location (i'm in Ohio) shipping costs of them is what will hurt!

Yes, M-M used a very wide chrome trim to surround their windows. Here's my former '67 in ambulance mode:



Here's one of the spare panels

[Abnorml]

I like the color, it's different. What are your plans for the interior?

[KChapin]

I like the color, it's different. What are your plans for the interior?

The color is good for now but I'm actually gonna repaint her once I get everything else pretty well done. She's ultimately going to be very sparkly black with multiple shades of green flames & pin striping! I'm doing the interior in black crushed velvet, green glitter vinyl & diamond plate!! My boyfriend & I have a car audio shop so once she's finished, besides being my everyday driver, she'll be going with us to the car shows!