Sad Pro-Cars

Oops..

Thank you Paul for adding the photographs in for me. The '76 Criterion is listed in the Northland PCS photo album as possibly being one of the last ones built, too bad it ended up like this. Not sure of the year or the coachbuilder of the flower car.




 
Few more parts donors viewed on current trip.

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Superior had peculiar landau irons. I've not seen another pair like them yet they appear factory and have Superior styling. Maybe '69-'70 only? Look how low profile is from rear shot.

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Moldings that went around this MM's fake woodgrain were all inside rear compartment.

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Hey! A Citation. Certainly one of you could use those stainless Corona moldings...

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Thank you Paul for adding the photographs in for me. The '76 Criterion is listed in the Northland PCS photo album as possibly being one of the last ones built, too bad it ended up like this. Not sure of the year or the coachbuilder of the flower car.





Mitch, the flower car is a 1966 McClain. Where, and how long ago was that pic taken? If its in Iowa I would like to check it out.
 
The flower car appears to be a 1966 McClain Cadillac. These were built by McClain Sales and Leasing in Anderson, Indiana. These were nifty but, rough, conversions of a Coupe de Ville. They used plywood behind the front seat and in other places during the conversion. However, they looked good and were considered "throw-aways" in the large metropolitan areas where they were popular and used extensively. Rust below the flower bed was a real problem. There were no drains provided to channel the water away from chassis and lower body components.
 
"Superior had peculiar landau irons. I've not seen another pair like them yet they appear factory and have Superior styling. Maybe '69-'70 only? Look how low profile is from rear shot."

Atti, It mast be a Crown specific landau bar. My 70 Crown Combo had the same ones.
 
Those particular landau bows were original Superior factory equipment and were fitted to landaus only in 1969 and 1970. The 1971 models received newly designed bows. I guess these odd-looking z-like irons weren't all that popular.
 
McClain Flower Car

Mitch, the flower car is a 1966 McClain. Where, and how long ago was that pic taken? If its in Iowa I would like to check it out.

That '66 McClain Flower car has not moved from that spot in the 22 years that I have been traveling that highway. Can't be much left of the floor or frame, but someone might be able to use some of the stainless steel.
 
"Superior had peculiar landau irons. I've not seen another pair like them yet they appear factory and have Superior styling. Maybe '69-'70 only? Look how low profile is from rear shot."

Atti, It mast be a Crown specific landau bar. My 70 Crown Combo had the same ones.

Philip Rishel's 1969 Superior Crown also has those bars although the center appears to be different from the 1970.

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1966 flower car

I have a solid 1966 coach that would be the perfect coach to restore the flower car. Everything the flower car needs I have. Just a matter of getting the two together and a serious coach collector to do the restoration that has the experience, time, and money. Oh well! I have an available coach PM me if you are the chosen one to do the deed.
 
'66 McClain Flower Car

Mike,
Not sure as to what you could even use off of any commercial chassis coach in restoring a McClain flower car as they were not built on a Cadillac commercial chassis. I have stopped to look at that car, briefly, 20 years ago and I still drive by it often. I didn't think that it looked like anything more than a parts car then. It would really only have any value to someone who has another McClain needing stainless parts.
 
Mike,
Not sure as to what you could even use off of any commercial chassis coach in restoring a McClain flower car as they were not built on a Cadillac commercial chassis. I have stopped to look at that car, briefly, 20 years ago and I still drive by it often. I didn't think that it looked like anything more than a parts car then. It would really only have any value to someone who has another McClain needing stainless parts.

If you still drive by it often, next time you are there could you check it out for Patrick Martin, (see post 309). I looked it up and its 3 hours from me, and sounds extreamly rough. Due to my back condition I would have to spend 1-2 days in a hotel to make the trip, so it dont sound like it would be worth it to me to check out.
 
Wishful thinking.....

Mike,
Not sure as to what you could even use off of any commercial chassis coach in restoring a McClain flower car as they were not built on a Cadillac commercial chassis. I have stopped to look at that car, briefly, 20 years ago and I still drive by it often. I didn't think that it looked like anything more than a parts car then. It would really only have any value to someone who has another McClain needing stainless parts.
Well, with a noble donor like the 1966 Cadillac Crown Royale limousine that I am in possesion of, I wish to use the the coach to the best of it's ability to help out the greatest amount of needs that can be accomplished. The front floor pans, replace the plywood in the rear with a solid steel bed, rocker panels, rocker panel mouldings, dash board, steering wheel, etc. Clearly I am not as versed in the compatability of both vehicles components as others may be, but it is time to put it out there, that the 1966 that is being dismantled is out there and I will begin to list and feature parts that will becoming up for sale.
 
Feeling the weeks work.

I have been working so hard this week and quite exhausted so forgive my error in regards to posting our coach as a 1966 in my last thread, it is not. The coach is a 1965.
 
Thank you Paul for adding the photographs in for me. The '76 Criterion is listed in the Northland PCS photo album as possibly being one of the last ones built, too bad it ended up like this. Not sure of the year or the coachbuilder of the flower car.





According to the Northland PCS board, this Criterion was *the* last Criterion ever built. Here's a link to it on the Northland PCS site:

http://www.northlandpcs.com/criteriongallery.htm

I actually lived in Mt Morris, IL from 1995 - 2000, and in the late 90's I spent many hours in the Mt Morris library basement going through archives of the Mt Morris Times to research a historical project I was working on at the time.

The Mt Morris Fire Department purchased their first ambulance, a 1958 standard headroom Superior Cadillac, in 1958 from Foster Coach sales in Sterling, Illinois. Prior to this first ambulance, ambulance service was provided by Finch Funeral Home.

In the months leading up to the Fire Department taking over ambulance services in the 50's, there were several news stories about the need for a community based ambulance service because the nearest hospital was many miles away, and the community really got involved with letters to the editor, full page editorials, and Foster Coach even got involved and started advertising with full page newspaper display ads of Superior ambulances...in the newspaper!

They used this Superior for about 10 years or so, when the ambulance started aging and breaking down a lot. Once again the community got involved, apparently the ambulance lost its brakes on a run when they were halfway to Rockford Memorial Hospital and it was deemed unsafe. So they did fund raisers, Foster Coach once again started running full page display ads of various ambulances, and in the late 60s Mt Morris once again purchased a brand new ambulance, this time it was a red and white Superior Cadillac high headroom. There are several pictures of it in the newspaper, with the fire department proudly posing in front of it.

I didn't do anymore research after that, but can only assume that about 10 years later, they ordered the Criterion from Foster Coach.

Abe
 
Is there a photo of this car you can post?

Steve, I live in Florida now and I did this research in approximately 1998. Unfortunately the newspaper archives of the Mt Morris Times are in these huge books, the newspaper pages are binded into the books and you cannot take them out. When I was there, the really old newspapers (from the 1800s through the 1970s) were not available on microfilm, you literally had to pore through the books themselves and I don't know of a way that they can be scanned. But the display ads that Foster Coach ran were huge, full page ads, so the village residents would see the selection of ambulances available they could choose from when they placed their order.

I distinctly remember there being at least one photo of the 1958 Superior ambulance after it was delivered though, I'm thinking it was several photos. I also distinctly remember it having the oval shaped tunnel lights and a single beacon ray, and I'm thinking the coach was a light green in color.

I am flying home for Christmas, and will be up in Northern Illinois the entire week of Christmas and I will try to lay out a full day where I can go to the Mt Morris library and dig these out, and see if I can reproduce them. If all else fails I can take photos with my phone, with the library's permission of course. I don't think I would need any copyright permissions from the Mt Morris Times since I believe they went out of business in the 1990s.

I will also go through the 1975 - 1976 papers, and see if there are any articles about the 1976 Criterion they ordered, the last Criterion ever built, as well!

Abe
 
Tin Worm

Here's a 1970 S&S Victoria landau combination, photographed at C-W Coach in Cincinnati by Bernie DeWinter in September, 1991. Now this is one serious case of tin worm! Notice how the rear door glass is falling in...

(DeWinter-Karsnia collection)
 

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