What am I in for?

[nmoncrief]

I am currently in the market for a hearse and I have come across one that I am looking at currently. I was hoping to post some pics up that the owner sent to me and have some people who are in the know about these kinds of things tell me what kind of trouble I am in for.

Here goes:

[nmoncrief]

More pictures

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

Okay, I'll go first. If you know nothing about body work, this will be relatively easy guinea pig for you to learn on. Front interior should be replaced with something from a same-year Fleetwood. Most parts for the running gear are still easy to find. Bleach water scrub the rear. Not sure about the window seals. Put MATCHING plates on it. If it runs and drives, give no more than $1250 for it. Max.

Where are you and it located?

[nmoncrief]

Thanks for the quick reply. Here is some additional information:

For the past 4 or 5 years this car has been used at an apple orchard in Vermont as a haunted ride vehicle where they take groups of people out into the orchard at night in it. One of the last times it went out the muffler caught on a root and was pulled off, he still has the muffler though. The hood closes properly but it will take an extra person on the passenger side to push down on the hinge to help it along. The passenger and driver doors need to be adjusted to seal properly as there is water currently in the passenger floorboard.

I am in Florida; however, and car I purchase will be making a stop by my friends house in Atlanta so he can help me get it in good working mechanical order.

What do you mean by matching plates?

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

What do you mean by matching plates?

The front plate and sticker are from Texas, the rear plate isn't... If Vermont is a one-plate state and the tag is current, remove the Texas plate and window sticker. Should keep you from getting pulled over.

The hood closes properly but it will take an extra person on the passenger side to push down on the hinge to help it along.

Look for a product called PB Blaster (next to WD40 at WalMartb) and spray liberally. Should loosen the hinge up enough until you can find a better hinge at a wrecking yard.

The passenger and driver doors need to be adjusted to seal properly as there is water currently in the passenger floorboard.

This is sometimes an indication of a windshield leak on these cars. If the doors sag enough to let water in, you may need to replace the hinges and/or doors, as I don't think there is enough "adjustment" to compensate for that big of a gap. This is the most distressing part of what you have described so far...

[nmoncrief]

Ah, thanks for the information. I haven't committed to this car yet but I gues my overall question, as a first timer, is should this be a car I look at getting or from what I have described would I be better served by another car given the issues.

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

Unless you are getting it for $500 and can have a friend haul it, you are probably better off getting something else. Check the Jaxed link:
http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cg...&state=&ys=&ye=

[nmoncrief]

I've been stalking Jaxxed for a week or so now. Thanks for the link though.