Information Needed 1938 Flxible (Buick) Hearse

[hotroddwayne]

The doors on the junkyard hearse look all wrong. Your doors look much wider AND the junkyard doors have a continuous rounded arch over the window, yours are much more squared off and defined.

The 2 holes in each door (at about the level where trim would be) were used to mount either funeral home nameplates or ornate metal decorations, usually they resembled drapery... but with this being a carved-panel they were probably for nameplates.

What happened to your passenger door? It's on the coach in your most recent pix but absent in the first set... and you're looking for one?

[razorx]

I have the doors skins but nothing else,except handles and latches. i was going to buy those doors and try and use them to build mine back. The pic on the trailer was when i bought it, we had just unhooked it from the truck. We've just made some 1/2 " sq. tube frames to hang the doors back on it right now. the pass side opens and closes and catches the latch.almost All the wood was rotten in the doors and there was no window tracks,vent windows,Regulators or anything.Thanks

[60Crown]

Buying those other doors would be a waste of energy and resources. None of it will work for your '38. Find a cabinet maker or boat restoring apprentice that has just enough knowledge and tools who is willing to passively work on the side as time allows replicating ALL of that wood for $15/hr. One of my hearse friends is currently restoring a '37 S&S Buick this same way. The trade off for a reasonable price is an immense amount of time. And gobs of patience.

Can't progress to metalwork until woodwork is done.

[Guest]

seeing the rounder rear windows this might have had carved wood trim around the windows at some time.

[60Crown]

A response directly from procar historian Tom McPherson himself(!):

"Regarding the Flxible you sent information on this morning....this is somewhat exciting. 1938 was the first year for this particular style from Flxible. The car Is a model 68-9A. That is a Premier Classic A carved panel end-loading funeral car on a Buick Series 60 (Century) chassis which originally retailed for $3,555. Of approximately 254 Buick-based Flxible's built in 1938 there were only about 45 on the Series 60 chassis - the majority were based on the popular Buick Series 40 (Special) chassis. This makes this a rare survivor and the fact that it's a Classic A makes it even rarer and more desirable. In 1938, Flxible constructed 35 Classic A funeral cars of which 21 were mounted on Buick chassis. The order for this car was received in Loudonville on January 7, 1938. The car was built for Johns Service in Birmingham, Alabama and delivered on March 5, 1938. This car was Flxible's body number 2759 with frame number 13304486 and motor number 63481802. This is truly an interesting and rare car and one worthy of a restoration."

[razorx]

Thanks

Where did you find this info? Thats really cool to find out and i want to thank you very much.i would like to speak to Tom about my car,if he wouldn't mind.My contact info is Ashley Bowen 615 496 5908 email abhvac@hotmail.com could call anytime.Again Thanks so much for all your help.. Ashley

[razorx]

I searched Funeral homes in Al. Gotta call back tommorrow and talk to a guy who might be able to give me some more history about The car, This is so cool to find out,really surprizing

[1957chevman]

Hi,
I have a Hearse very similar to yours.
I believe mine is a 1940 Buick. It has side doors though as well as rear door.
Mine still has all the carved panelwork on the sides and rear.
It looks like yours may of had the same carved panelwork at one time.
The carved panel work is cast aluminium not wood.
I am looking for any information about it as this is about all I know.
So if you have found out much about yours I would be very intersted to know.

[Otto Baron]

Looks like if a casting could be made, the carvings could be replicated, to restore the missing pieces.