Darren, Vancouver I believe.
Picking up where left off...
The place where the '61 Eureka originally sat (and where I was trying to remove parts like a madman before leaving the area as the crusher was coming) didn't have a working wrecker or forklift. Nothing on the property to lift cars with! I needed a couple cars picked up. After all, the '59 rear bumper and a couple gas pedals were begging to go home with me.
So the property owner started calling mechanics to get his old wrecker running. One could make it out the following day, late morning/early afternoon. I had plans to be several hundred miles away by daybreak as a couple other old yards were already lined up. Argh! Tough call.
I decided to remove simpler items until losing daylight, grab a hotel room, then return in the morning. The prices were too good to pass on the opportunity.
Mechanic (Dave) didn't show until afternoon. Thinking of my timeline and having to drive another 480 miles by 8am the following day, I offered to pay the mechanic (who had air tools on his truck) to help me remove parts after the wrecker was running.
This is where the universe started to align.
Dave likes old cars. He has about 95 on his property at 33 years of age - including 2 old hearses. The 2 hearses are being stored for someone else. That person turned out to be John - the Aussie previously mentioned!
Incredible stroke of luck. Even more amazing? John landed in town just the previous night! John visits friends in the area once a year for 2 weeks; this being the 5 year. What are the odds?!?!? Unreal.
Finish up business, retrieve John, head to Dave's property 15 miles away. John loves hearses and these 2 make 6 in his collection. Yes, John bought the '55 as well. (In fact, he's the one pictured above standing next to the 3-way.) The '55 Superior he will not part with. The '61 Eureka? Well...maybe.
Seems John wasn't as keen on the '61 until stumbling across a uship ad (placed by Nick) looking for transport on it to Chicago. At that point, not wanting to lose out, John bought it. Pretty funny honestly for anyone not named Nick - who feels jilted. I put Nick on the phone with John while there. Time will tell if he ends up letting the '61 Eureka go.
Verbose narrative over; pictures commencing.
Hood removed to get it running easier. Pretty high winds coming over the mountain where it sits at times. Dave didn't want to take any chances.
Really is a super solid restorable coach. Interior didn't survive well. 3-way limo style didn't seem to be popular in the US (Mexico and the Philippines, yes) given how few survive here. Front bumper wouldn't be hard to find. A table though? Eesh. How long has Nick been looking for one again..?