all original '59 M+M flower car

[60Crown]

When people bicker about wanting a '59, they need to know how to look:






Pretty bitchin' find huh? It may be for sale, still awaiting that decision. My guess is that it won't be 'cheap' if so. Of course it'll be in the classifieds if/when that happens.

So for now enjoy the pics!

On a side note, anyone have the Miller Meteor book that can look up production figures? I'm guessing 15-20 of these were made - higher than other coach builder's '59 flower cars.

[travlinman]

book

Theres a book for that? Please look mine up also, thanks Ray 1972 MM OLYMPIAN

[60Crown]

May have jumped the gun on that... McPherson published books on Flxible, Eureka, and Superior. The Miller Meteor version was delayed and I thought it must have dropped by now - Amazon.com is proving otherwise. Sorry.

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

Just try asking about that book on the PCS! I'd love to have it, but the !@#$%^&*!@#$%^&* dude decided to take the money and run instead...

[Abnorml]

There is no Miller Meteor book. I have heard two stories about the records. One was after Miller Meteor closed, the records where thrown in the trash and paint spilled on them. The other story is after Miller Meteor closed a former employee got the records out of the trash and had them in his basement, but sometime later the basement flooded and the record were ruined. Either way there are no known records for Miller Meteor, unfortunately.

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

There is no Miller Meteor book. I have heard two stories about the records. One was after Miller Meteor closed, the records where thrown in the trash and paint spilled on them. The other story is after Miller Meteor closed a former employee got the records out of the trash and had them in his basement, but sometime later the basement flooded and the record were ruined. Either way there are no known records for Miller Meteor, unfortunately.

I spoke with a former employee of M+M who joined them in 1962 and was with them until they closed. He said that they did indeed throw the records in the trash dumpster, and they did go that route. No paint, no basement...

[Riff Raff]

Atti, That 59 has been discussed on the boards before. Seems it was found in Mexico. It was deemed that it started life as a Miller-Meteor Hearse and was cut up into a Flower car sometime after. Do a search for 59 Flower car on here and the PCS forum for lots more info on this car.

[travlinman]

records

Well that sucks no matter what happened. I wonder If Cadillac would know how many were sold to MM? I know nothing on Mine and keep coming up empty on everything I try.

[Abnorml]

Travlinman, this is what I did. I found out how many commercial chassis' were built by Cadillac and found out how many were sent to Superior, because you can find the number for their coaches. That is the best I could do. It still was over a 1,000. That was the best I got. I did it for 73, so my numbers won't help you. Let me know, if you want the websites I found the numbers at.

[Bob Kinee]

I think I just nutted myself

[60Crown]

Atti, That 59 has been discussed on the boards before. Seems it was found in Mexico. It was deemed that it started life as a Miller-Meteor Hearse and was cut up into a Flower car sometime after. Do a search for 59 Flower car on here and the PCS forum for lots more info on this car.

Familiar with the PCS discussion and could not find any threads here. I admire Brady Smith very much and certainly Walt McCall is an expert on this subject. That being said, I am not convinced that this started out as a hearse for various reasons. Info is found by treating the facts with acute detail akin to a crime scene - not poisoning the well by casually agreeing with another's opinion.

There are almost 50 pictures of this flower car that I have painstakingly gone over at 400%. Too many details support that it was originally a flower car. One picture that I do not have however, is the body tag. This coach is 5 hours from me and I have every intention of seeing it personally when time permits.

1. The rear cab angles and rear glass angle superimpose exactly over a factory '59 M+M flower car publicity photo.

2. The registration dates all the way back to the early '60s being a flower car in Mexico.

3. Mexico did not have the means to do a conversion of this quality during that time period.

4. The rear side doors are clearly not bondo'd over as claimed but they do not have handles.

5. According to coachbuilt.com, some flower cars were built with an upholstered rear compartment and referred to as floral coaches, which could account for this one being combined with stainless.

6. The interior being that of a hearse (allegedly) could have been ordered that way. Records don't seem to exist.

7. The slightly higher cab's roof line again could have been ordered that way. Remember that these were hand built and custom tailored to the customer's needs.

What I would like from anyone is pictures of M+M flower cars with the stainless steel deck from '57-'62 for comparison. (5 books on hand and Googling isn't enough.) Without personally viewing, I believe that either this started out as a '59 M+M flower car Chicago style that had a SS deck added from a slightly earlier M+M flower car or it started out as a floral coach as mentioned and had the deck replaced early on.

If I'm wrong, then it will be cheaper. And that isn't a bad thing either! That deck sits too high to be authentic for '59 regardless. I would have no issue personally pulling that deck off and passing it along to make another coach correct - then filling that space with a couple bikes and hittin' the road.

[Psychoholic]

Very detailed observations - I was just going to rub one off looking at it for a second, but after your breakdown I went and took another look. I can see your points on it's potential accuracy, although I don't necessarily agree with pulling the deck off, but it'd be your car and yours to do with what you want.

I do dig those old flower cars. I'd like to find a '72 flower car to match Morticia.

[kearney]

Mike Here!

Hi Atti, Man, you miss nothing! any idea How much it will be? Origional engi?
Mike
Mikekearney@windstream.net

[60Crown]

Don't believe this '59 is currently on the market any longer, sorry.

[kearney]

Hi Atti, I said that the one I found was a 54 Miller flower car and it is available. I saw it yesterday
Mike