sliding glass

H

Herb John

I was sitting in my 48 car the other night and was pondering life, and just spending time with the car. Anyway I got to wondering since my car only had one purpose, funeral car, why did they put a sliding glass window in it? The car has no air condition, and no one is riding in the upright position back there. So anyone know WHY? Thanks
 
Although I don't have that answer, I can relay being thankful for more air circulation when there is strong decomp odor in coach. Every bit helped to get rid of it, which took almost a year.
 
I've wondered the same thing for years. I can understand the older ambulances having a sliding glass partition, but why newer hearses? You aren't talking to anyone back there or handing them anything. A local funeral home has a dark blue 1994 S&S Medalist and besides just loving the car itself, one of my favorite things about it is that the partition is solid. Seems to be a rarely seen option(at least by me).
 
No one really knows the answer, we have discussed it meny times, but most think besides tradition, it helps protect the driver from flying flowers, pots and other items in case of an accident.
Also, it could be respect and privacy, just as a limo has a partition for the same reason.
 
On a long road trip you can open the glass and circulate some heat/AC so the body is not exposed to extreme cold or heat. Especially if already casketed, temp extremes can dry out the body , RE: seperation of the lips or eyelids. You can close the glass if you do not want circulation back there, RE: decomp or just plain old smell.
 
The glass is nice to keep the air and heat in the drivers cabin. Often, we carry items in the back with the casket (flower stands, register stands etc. There are times when we slide the glass open to reach back to hold on to something that slides around or is rattling and driving us crazy. Also, we open the glass at times to put long flag poles in the back and they stick up to the front.

While I admit, the sliding glass isn't used much, but when we need to open them, it is nice to have them open.
 
I use the glass for the same reason when I carry some stuff or even flowers when we are short of vehicles. Some flower arrangements are hard to stay straight so it happens sometimes in winter I have to open the glass to replace one or two instead of getting out at -40.

I don't know what you do with your hearses but... in 10 years I used one only one time for a removal (the truck was stuck, mecanical problem), coroner case of a 3 weeks dead person.. And I asked to God why the partition was not completely closed !!

So I don't get the smell idea... never happened so I think it's more a "luxury" option like a limo. Same for the history of landau bars, they dont have any utility now but they are still installed.
 
the simple truth is they had it. they needed to put a glass in there so you could use the review mirror for what ever you use it for. they had the glass all ready made up the dividers to accept it. why go to the expense of have two lites and mounting hardware. it was a business after all and the bottom line was what motivated them during construction.
 
I don't believe I said anything about fixed glass other then they did not want to have two different lites. the only fixed glass partitions I have seen were S&S way beyond the time when they had quit making ambulances so once again one lite. one divider one window system cheaper to make. no matter what people have found them handy or unhandy for. to think the bottom line was not the driving force behind every decision is to have your head in the sand. some bean counter made most of the plant decisions. the small pieces would also be cheaper to produce, store and handle.
 
I've used them to unlock the front doors when the keys were up front but the back doors weren't locked. Also had to slide through them when the back door shut on me during a KS "breeze".
 
I noticed when I was looking over one of the new Accubuilt S&S/Superior MKT Lincoln coaches back in the summer that the partition glass was a solid one piece fixed unit. As many things it looks like the sliding partition glass may be a thing of the past in a professional car now.
 
Jeremy D. Ledford said:
I noticed when I was looking over one of the new Accubuilt S&S/Superior MKT Lincoln coaches back in the summer that the partition glass was a solid one piece fixed unit. As many things it looks like the sliding partition glass may be a thing of the past in a professional car now.
Click to expand...

Here is a photo of the partition in a Superior MKT Lincoln Jeremy mentions. My girlfriend took this picture when visiting her uncle (he works at a coach dealer), I thought the whole interior looked cheap, but I will leave it at the subject being discussed.

IMG_20121119_115334.jpg
 
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