New,with excited questions.

[Eldervampire]

So, ever since I was a youngster I have had what some call an unhealthy fixation with death. I prefer to call it "my morbid fascination". However you label it, it has lead me here.
After several "athletic" conversations & more than a few compromises,( including a pink pick-up truck), the wife has consented to my master plan. Owning both a hearse, as a family car, and a flower car for myself.
So I come here, with an eagerness to learn more about these wonderful motorized symbols of my fascination. And, hopefully, to obtain them in the near future.
Thank you for reading.

Michal

[Eldervampire]

Okay, so here are the aforementioned questions. Due to being a 40 year old family-man, the wife has stated in our terms that the Coach has to be purchased first. We have an 11 year old daughter and a 90lb. dog that will share the ride. Now, I understand that Hearses were not designed to carry passengers in the rear.(at least not those still in vertical condition.)
I have seen where backseats have been installed, but I was wondering if either flower cars or hearses built in the early to mid 80's could seat 3 on the bench. I did look at an 82 Cadillac that had a split bench up front that had a seat belt in the middle. I am focusing my attention to either Buick or Cadillac procars from 1980 to approximately 1988. Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

M

[Otto Baron]

Okay, so here are the aforementioned questions. Due to being a 40 year old family-man, the wife has stated in our terms that the Coach has to be purchased first. We have an 11 year old daughter and a 90lb. dog that will share the ride. Now, I understand that Hearses were not designed to carry passengers in the rear.(at least not those still in vertical condition.)
I have seen where backseats have been installed, but I was wondering if either flower cars or hearses built in the early to mid 80's could seat 3 on the bench. I did look at an 82 Cadillac that had a split bench up front that had a seat belt in the middle. I am focusing my attention to either Buick or Cadillac procars from 1980 to approximately 1988. Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

M

You must not be familiar with combination coaches. Almost everyone I've seen has a pair of jump seats, which means your daughter could have a friend ride with her in the back. There would also be enough room for the family dog. Combos were very popular, and I see them show up from time to time. Most combos predate 1984, although I think there have been a couple of one off's (such one that was intended to resemble a modern day Packard) in more recent years.

[Jus" Roach]

Knowing what corner of the world you are located and an approximate price range you are working in will assist in locating prospective coaches

[Eldervampire]

Sorry about that, I forgot that the devil is in the details. love your sig BTW Jus.
I live in the 42050 zip code.
Thanks for the input Otto, while I recently discovered the H/A combos, I ruled them out due to the era. While some of them are quite attractive, I have a set of guidelines that I should have started with.

1) No casket. (per the wife, this was her line in the sand.)
2) Nothing older than she is. so,1980+
3) I have zero attraction to modern automobiles. So 1980 - 1990 in some cases.
4) Cadillac is preferred, since I have never owned a Caddy. But, a Buick is more than fine.
5) Both the Coach and the flower car have to be similar, to help keep an affordable inventory of spare parts.
( i.e. 1982 Cadillac Hearse and a 1984 Cadillac Flower car.)
6) The only factors that will be considered when I purchase a car will be mechanical functionality. If it runs well, I don't really care what it looks like.
7) Some rust is okay. But solid floors and roof are a must. The rest I can handle.
8) The overall condition of the table is open for debate. To satisfy condition #1, I may or may not even need one.
And at last.....
9) I have a window, and a budget to get this done. The total cost can't exceed $7,000 over a period of two years. After that, we can re-negotiate.
Thoughts anyone.....

[Otto Baron]

Sorry about that, I forgot that the devil is in the details. love your sig BTW Jus.
I live in the 42050 zip code.
Thanks for the input Otto, while I recently discovered the H/A combos, I ruled them out due to the era. While some of them are quite attractive, I have a set of guidelines that I should have started with.

1) No casket. (per the wife, this was her line in the sand.)
2) Nothing older than she is. so,1980+
3) I have zero attraction to modern automobiles. So 1980 - 1990 in some cases.
4) Cadillac is preferred, since I have never owned a Caddy. But, a Buick is more than fine.
.....

I'm wondering if there are any Combination coaches available fron 1980-1984 that might be available.

[Eldervampire]

although not a perfect resource, wikipedia claims combos stopped in the late 70's. My search also came up zilch after 1977.
I did see an interesting picture of a Hearse that had station wagon seats in the back. I wonder if the portion of the table removed to accommodate them could be mounted to their back. fold them down and vois la, complete table again.

[Abnorml]

Cadillac hearses from 77-80 are similar, 80-92 are pretty much the same body, as long as they are rear wheel drive. Flower cars are not that easy to come by, not many made per year. I believe there are were only a few Buick flower cars made ever. Finding a hearse and flower car similar, not purchased together might not be difficult. You might get lucky and find a funeral home with a flower car and hearse that they will sale together.

[LMS]

Unless you are going 90's or newer I would NOT make these your only vehicles. You are asking for troubles if you do.

[Guest]

Unless you are going 90's or newer I would NOT make these your only vehicles. You are asking for troubles if you do.

+1, especially if you drive and park in urban areas on a regular basis.

[Eldervampire]

LMS: Well, we also own the previously mentioned Dodge D/S Pick-up. But if you are referring to reliability, I'm okay in that area. I'll rebuild the entire drive train, U/L ball joints. New brake system, trans cooler, belts hoses, ya-da,ya-da. If you mean something else, please elaborate.

Ryan: Although I live in a very rural community, I'd like you to please explain your remark. I plan on using the coach to travel with the family. Hoping to Visit Salem Mass, and Sleepy Hallow N.Y. next Halloween.

[Haroldfromhell]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadillac-Other-Black-1980-cadillac-hearse-ambulance-superior-coach-flame-paint-job-lots-of-new-parts-/380726595917?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item58a512d14d&vxp=mtr

Some of their pics aren't coming up, but I beleive this is a combo.

[Guest]

Well, my remark is pretty straight-forward. Hearses are big vehicles. They are difficult to park, especially in urban areas with constrained parking. They can be very difficult to manage in parking garages. They have large blind spots. Changing lanes and merging in traffic can be tricky, especially at night. Also, sometimes they don't attract the most positive attention. So basically, my remark is that they are not very practical for daily driving use in urban areas.

[Guest]

and while we're on the subject of parking, you need to make sure you have some safe, inconspicuous parking at your place of residence. If you live in a very rural area without many neighbors, maybe you'll be fine. But like i said, out of sight is preferable to avoid vandals and issues with the neighbors/home owners associations.

[mr x]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadil...12d14d&vxp=mtr

Some of their pics aren't coming up, but I beleive this is a combo.

What makes you think this is a combo?