1971 Cadillac Superior Crown Sovereign

Hello everyone, this is my first posting as I'm a newbie who just got her favorite toy car. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this beautiful car and I figured I'd see what I can learn from here.

My car only has 59,900 miles but she needs a lot of TLC. I'm trying to figure out what base model was used to make the hearse. This particular model is the hearse/ ambulance combo as it has the two little jump seats in the back. I contacted the manufacturer and someone there told me that only 202 were made of this year. I'm guessing that the Fleetwood was the base body, but not sure what type of Fleetwood. I'd like to get some original sales pamphlets and also find some repair manuals for it. Any help or info would be great.
Thanks! Nikki
 
welcome check us out. hope you find the the PCS has a lot to offer you and you join the main club. your car was built on a commercial chassis by superior coach works in Lima Ohio. with the jump seats in the back I would guess yours is a combination Hearse / ambulance. the rollers in the back should flip over with a slide on the end this would give the hearse floor a smooth surface for the gurney when it was in ambulance mood. there may be a catch on either side or both of the wheel wells to lock in the gurney. like I said check up out and if you want become site supporter. that will let you post pictures if you join the PCS the members only sit on here will be open to you also. feel free to as question there is always some one here to help.
 
Nikky, welcome to the site. I owne a 71 Superior Sovereign Combination, I look forward to seeing pics of your car.:weneedpics_smi:


Josh
 
Welcome to our forums...
The base car is what is known as a Cadillac Commercial Chassis. This was supplied by the Cadillac Motor Division of General Motors to the professional car builders. It consisted of the front end of the car... fenders, hood, grille, bumper, etc., engine, transmission, and rear differential. The cowl was also supplied to the builders.. The cowl consists of the dash on one side, and the fire wall on the other side. The windshield sits on top of the cowl. The windshield in your car is higher than a standard production car, and is called commercial glass. Some of the parts that were used to build the commercial chassis are commercial chassis specific, and others are standard Cadillac. Never assume that the two will always interchange, even if they look the same or serve the same function. An example is the power brake booster.. It looks the same as the standard car unit, however, it is not the same on the inside. The same goes for many other parts of the car. Always ask here first, and we will give you our best information. Sometimes it does take a little while to do the research to find the answer, but it is always worth the wait. If you are in a pinch and can't wait for the answer, always save the used part, rather than turning it in for the core deposit. Usually you have 30 days to return the core, and in that time, we will have an answer for you. Many of the commercial chassis specific parts can be rebuilt to work and look like new, at a cost that is equal or only slightly more than buying an exchange part.
Hoping that you will consider joining our fine club...
Paul,
PCS Vice President & Forums Administrator
 
Welcome aboard Nikki, always nice to have new folks on here to share with. You're gonna have to search far and wide to find a greater bunch of folks than this bunch.
 
Nikki, welcome to our little web group. I, too, hope you will join the PCS, the actual club, as the people are very interesting and we'd be glad to help you out.

To expand on Paul's explanation, below is a picture of what the "base vehicle" looked like, the Cadillac commercial chassis, when it left the Cadillac factory. That's it. Although they are different years, your's would have looked similar. (Photos from a back issue of "The Professional Car", the PCS magazine.)

According to the book, "Superior, A Complete History" by PCS-member Tom McPherson, the production figure you were quoted of 202 Superior Cadillac Combinations in '71 is correct.

Hope to see ya around.
 

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Welcome to the site .:applause::applause: Some pics of a 71 I had that went to Germany of all places.
 

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Thank you everyone for the information. The pics and info about the base chassis is pretty cool. Yeah, this car is the black over white that sold last month on ebay (that was me!). :)

I know the rollers flip over depending on the job, which is a handy feature. This car is a rear-loader. I'm sure I'll be posting more questions as I work on the car. Looking forward to learning more!
 
Nikki,
Welcome to the group. What they said about getting info is so correct. I'm not a Caddie guy buy have learned a lot just by reading the posting. Incredible wealth of knowledge here by folks willing to share. Great looking ride BTW!!
 
Welcome and its good to have you, this is a great group, you will enjoy your visits here. I noticed on your web page that you are running for coroner, tell us about that sometime.
 
Welcome to our group Nikki!!
It's VERY nice to have another nice old hearse in the Western New York area!! I'm south of Buffalo near Dunkirk/Fredonia. Your coach looks to be in very nice shape! I have always liked the '71 nose style. If your up for it next year consider bringing it to the 2011 PCS meet in Ohio!! I am hoping to be able to go as well and it would be pretty nice to caravan there with a few coaches from WNY!!

Dana Bennett
Forestville, NY
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I won't be doing anything with the car until spring as it's getting pretty yucky out here in NY.

As for running for County Coroner, I did this back in 2008 and lost. I was a nobody on the Conservative line against two incumbent Republicans. I did fairly well though with 16% of the vote! I might try again in the future.

Where can I find out more about the PCS gathering in '11?? I've been showing my truck for 16 years and can't wait to start showing this awesome car! There is a local Buffalo/ Rochester group of other hearse owners and I'm sure they would love to know more as well.

Thanks again!
 
One requirement for showing your car on the show field is membership in the PCS. There is no better time to join the PCS than now, since the next issue will have pictures and feature articles about the 2010 International Meet in Albany. This issue will show you how much fun an International Meet is in person. You can use the blue button in the upper right hand corner of every website page to join the Society. Membership is $30 for one year, $55 for two years, and $75 for 3 years.
 
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