63 Pontiac Star Chief Hearse CONVERSION

[IrieAphrodite]

Alright guys.

I need your help yet again.

So the other day I'm driving around when I see this little guy parked outside someone's house with a for sale sign. It's pretty good timing since I'm looking for a limo style hearse preferably a 60's model. I check this thing out. The seller says it's a:

1963 Pontiac Star Chief hearse



hearse001.jpghearse002.jpg

-- 99K on what the guy thinks is the original Poncho 389 engine
-- "Real" hearse with commercial glass
-- Dull gray paint, not from aging; just a dull finish, kinda like a gunmetal gray. Looks nice.
-- Black vinyl front (heh, only) seat with a six-inch tear; otherwise no immediately obvious interior defects
-- Hearse conversion by Conyers-Something.
-- Seller says only thing he'd fix if he was keeping it is the brakes.
-- Asking price $3800.

(copied all this info from http://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t4738-1963-pontiac-hearse)

My whole issue lays in the fact this is not REAL hearse. It was a Star Chief converted into a hearse in the 1980's 0r 1990's in Arkansas, the guy tells me. Alright. So what we have is an IMPOSTER in my opinion. Just kidding. But 3800 for a vintage car converted into a hearse? I don't know...There's a crack about 10 inches long in one of the back windows and the breaks need a little maintenance. Other than that it's been up to date and it runs.

OKAY. GREAT. However, since this was actually a Star Chief converted into a hearse, don't you think that price is pretty high? He's only had this thing for 11 months and didn't do much work to it so I can't imagine how he thinks he will get almost 4,000 when it's technically not a true collectible hearse in my opinion...I may be totally wrong though. What do you think?


I really like the whole unique aspect that it was converted and not many are around, but does that water down the whole HEARSE aspect too? Yes, or no? This may or may not be my second purchase towards a hearse and I need an honest opinion from someone whether that price is way too high for a running converted hearse...or not...

SO. What do you think?

[Dickey]

I think it is a good looking mobile. If you've got your heart set on a hearse you won't be happy with it...however, if you are just looking for a neat ride that you can get your money back later on after you're done with it you wouldn't be doing too bad to pick it up for $3k. I wouldn't go more than $3200 on it personally, but opinions are like noses.

[SmoothNlow]

Cotner-bevington is most likely the company that converted it. Rare find beautiful coach. I dig it.

**edit just read the entire post past "conyers- something" interesting. Have to do some checkin...regardless, 3,800 is a we bit high in my humble opinion. For me anyway. Could buy a decent caddy hearse 60-s-early 70's with that kinda dough. But hey if you like it, you like it. 2800-3,000 would probly be a ok price...and then id chew em down

[mr x]

This car is real, it is a short wheel base coach. They are around. I run into them once in a while. They are fairly common in Pontiac's . There is a strait ambulance version with bullet lights on the roof in my area. Kinda neat , but i prefer the long wheel base personally .

[hotroddwayne]

I'd be willing to bet it's a Consort model built by Superior Coachworks since it's a Pontiac. Cotner-Bevington built 99% of everything on Oldsmobiles, the exception being a few Chevys and Buicks. It looks coachbuilt, not "converted" later in life.
Here is the info page from Coachbuilt.com on Cotner-Bevington: http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/c/cotn..._bevington.htm
The C-B line of standard wheelbase coaches were the "Seville" line, but all were Oldsmobiles.

Edit: found one C/B Pontiac limo-style similar to this one but window shape/roof are totally different...

[Riff Raff]

I believe this could be a Cotner-Bevington, the window lines are almost spot on to the 62 C-B Olds and Chevys I have pictures of. It could also be a Pinner or even a Memphian. Superior used the heavy duty Bonneville chassis to make their Consorts, not the lower cort Star Chiefs. Either way it is one rare Pontiac. When you go to take a closer look, look for a tag under the hood or in the door jamb. It will tell you who made it and even model numbers and colors if you are lucky.

[theonlyjohnson]

I have a 62 Cotner Bevington Pontiac Star Chief that I am restoring.

[theonlyjohnson]

http://www.nationalhearse.net/forums/showthread.php?8154-Well-quot-The-Bug-quot-bit-me&highlight=star+chief some pictures of it. I am thinking it may have been a combo car, and that is how I intend to restore it.

[hotroddwayne]

I believe this could be a Cotner-Bevington, the window lines are almost spot on to the 62 C-B Olds and Chevys I have pictures of. It could also be a Pinner or even a Memphian. Superior used the heavy duty Bonneville chassis to make their Consorts, not the lower cort Star Chiefs. Either way it is one rare Pontiac. When you go to take a closer look, look for a tag under the hood or in the door jamb. It will tell you who made it and even model numbers and colors if you are lucky.

I was thinking Pinner too bud, but they seem to have always went with a raised roof instead of taller glass in the early - mid 1960's. I met Tom and Jack Pinner in July and now have every factory photo they have (most were destroyed in the fire that shut down Pinner for good) and nothing compares to this Pontiac. Wish some more Pinner coaches would surface, so far only two are known to survive... my service car and an ambulance.

Wierd thing is this same text and photos were posted on another forum in March 2010, IrieAphrodite did you do this original post too?

http://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t4738-1963-pontiac-hearse

Will send the pix to Tom McPherson... we'll find out what it is for sure!