Restoring a 1965 Cadillac Superior Flower Car

I recently acquired a '65 Cadillac Flower Car that was stored in a barn full of Cadillacs in Northern Michigan. It was quite an ordeal getting it out in daylight along with the 2 sedans it came with for parts. The car is from the now defunct Norton Funeral Home that had locations both in Detroit and Cheboygan, MI.

A friend of mine who is a cadillac expert is helping with the restoration. It was in far rougher shape than we had hoped, but where are you going to find another one I suppose. So far most of the car has been stripped down to begin the body and frame work.

My first question: Are the windshield and back window custom, or were they commercially available for another type of vehicle. He is concerned about removing the windows in case something should happen and they are irreplaceable.

Glass

Windshields are the same from 65-70 on all commercial chassis ,hearse ,flower car and ambulances ,part # is DW678 Should still be available from this source= 1-800-848-1351 or visit http://www.pilkingtonclassics.com/or a good glass shop. Not sure on the back glass other than it is the same on Superior flower cars from 65-70 .To me it looks like it might be the rear glass from a Cadillac coupe ,possible the same years 65-70?

Here is a link for a pdf for the 65 Superior parts manual.
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Good luck on the project.:thumbsup:

Chris, that is a rare and beautiful Superior Coupe-de-Fleur and although it needs a ton of work, in my opinion your efforts will be worth the pain. Good luck with your wonderful flower car!

the floor looks to be topical. you are in luck o that one as the mystery tin is available at original parts they have a web site all the soft parts can be gotten from rubber the right way. the tempered glass replacement will always be a what did they use. the only back glass I have been informed on was Pinter. not having a lot of experience with flower cars I do not know if the back glass on yous is glued in or in a rubber gasket. the glue in will come out easily with a wire cuter. I have never broken a tempered glass that way.

the older laminated glass is always a wounder. the were and a little care your normally successful. keep us posted on your progress. it will make you a sharp car when your done

Chris - It may interest you to know that, in 1965, Superior built, sold and delivered only 35 of these Model 609 Coupe de Fleur flower cars. They retailed for $11,143. when new and there aren't a whole lot of them left around. As you have discovered, these Model 609s, like all flower cars, were real rusters - especially below the rear compartment floor - where water from flower vases became trapped. However, given its rarity, you've got a real prize there. You've already been correctly informed regarding the vehicle's windshield. For the backlight, I'd check the glass itself to see if there are any numbers on it. If so...these could be a clue as to where the glass was sourced. However, like the side door glass, it could have been custom-made specifically for these cars. As such, I'd be exceedingly careful handling that until you've been able to find out where it came from - custom or over the counter. Lots of luck with the restoration and....let us know if you need copies of the original factory photos of these cars. You'll find a great amount of support, assistance and encouragement from the good folks you'll encounter here ant at the PCS....which your are urged to join.

I'm loving all the information! Thanks so much and keep it coming! I have joined the PCS as I also have the 1982 Olds Hearse I posted another thread about. I'd love some pictures, anything I could get my hands on.

Congratulations Chris. This will be a beautiful car when finished. The back windows and deck look exactly like the 1970 I purchased from Dan. Let me know if you need numbers from the back glass on mine.

Yours is a very desirable and interesting vehicle. It is going to take a lot of devotion to bring it back to its original glory, but I have no doubt that you are up to the task.
As for the glass, you can remove the chrome trim from around the front windshield, and check for rust in the channel. If there is rust, then the windshield needs to come out, rust repaired, and new windshield molding clips installed. Taking it out requires a lot of time and patience, and is best done using 2 people pulling on piano wire, lubricated with brake fluid. Once out, if you store it standing up, it should be easy for a glass man to reinstall it.
The backlight is going to be a much more difficult piece to deal with, since it is a tempered glass part, and if you break it, it is going to be exceedingly difficult to find another. There is also the chance that it can get broken during the restoration process, so you will need to decide if it is worth the effort to remove it, or to work around it. If it were my car, and I was there, I would remove the backlight, because I believe that there is less chance of damage over the time that it is going to be under repair/restoration.
The door, vent, and rear quarter glass, appear to be flat glass, so that should be relatively to replace if necessary. Without seeing the backlight, it also might be flat glass that they had custom cut. Check it with a straight edge.

Probably goes without saying, but before you do anything with the back glass I would make a template of it. Cover it with masking tape and trace around as close as you can to the edges. Then take it off and stick it to a piece of cardboard or something. Then if something does happen to the glass you will still have something to go by when trying to come up with a replacement.

one other way to store it is drop down to your locale glass store and ask them if they have a windshield box with the divider cardboard. then put the glass in there. your chances of damage are are greater handling them rater then removing them. if your unsure as the glass shop for the charge to R&R them. with the new government pop out laws and that big Calf. lawsuit this is the way a lot of shops are handling all there glue in glass