Hello From New Member w/ Miller-Meteor

R

Roman Coppola

My first car--purchased in 1982 in Tulsa, Oklahoma was a 1960 Miller Meteor Cadillac ambulance. It has been in a barn for 30 years. I am interested to learn more about it--and either fix it up, or sell to a buyer who will appreciate was it is. It was running when it was parked 30 years ago. It has rust issues and general wear from sitting in a barn for so long. The body is mostly straight, and it has original cabinetry and gurney. 77,000 Miles. If I were to fix it up--what might it be worth? If I am not up for this kind of project--what might it be worth in this rough state?

Any one out there with a similar car? Thanks for any tips.
 
Welcome to our website. You post some interesting hypothetical questions that have so many variables that it is impossible to answer the questions without more information, and a series of detailed pictures. Rust issues vary from local influence, such as salted roads, to rust from sitting in standing water. Both present different repair problems, and both are extremely expensive to repair. Same with mechanical issues. Statements like, was running when parked, often elicit the same response from me when I hear them... "He was alive and breathing up until the moment that he died.." Running when parked, doesn't give any indication of the condition of the engine or transmission. Usually, both will need work, and that work can be a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars, depending on what needs to be done. Parts alone can break the budget quickly, and when you add in the labor charges, it sometimes makes it unrealistic to do, unless you can do the work yourself.
Once again, welcome to our website, and I hope that we can help you make an educated decision as to how to handle your project car.
 
Thanks to those who responded. Touche, Paul. "It was running when parked" tells very little. The rust was there when I bought the car in early 80's--probably from salted roads? I blew the generator (Leece Neville) when I plugged in a toaster to the AC outlet. (Dumb 16 year old) Ever since then, parked in a dry barn. I suspect it is worth most parted out--just hard for me to see it go like this. If I do choose to sell, it there a place (Hemmings, or Ebay) which most professional car affectionados seems to prefer? Thanks.
 
On the assist~

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Roman, this is not a coach that gets parted. Check your email for specifics, rather than mere opinion. :)

And is this the same ambulance..? I apologize for not recalling where it stemmed from (probably Steve Loftin).

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Oh my.

Well it might bring more in total by parting it out but it would take a heck of a lot of work to do it. And in addition it would be a terrible thing to see that car disassembled for parts. It appears to me worthy of a restoration. I am sure there is someone in our ranks up to the task. Unfortunately I cannot single-handedly save all the worlds professional cars..................but I sure wish I could. This would be gorgeous when finished.
 
Roman, first, welcome to the PCS website. I do hope you'll consider joining the PCS club as well. Click the blue box above to find out a lot more about professional cars.

It's hard to say how much work (and money) it will take to restore it. It's hard to say what it will be "worth" when it's done, or now. Parting it out, you could get some for the motor and the front clip, and really the rest is only usable for another '60 M-M ambulance, of which there aren't many - so most of it would be scrapped. And everyone would hate to see that.

This is a hobby, hobbies cost money, whether it's golfing or travelling or whatever. You never get your "money back" from a hobby. The question is, "do you enjoy it?" Hopefully, you bought the ambulance, and kept it this long, because you really liked it. It's much more interesting completely restored. Good luck.

Steve Loftin, you want to check in here with some background on this car? ;)
 
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pull the car out side and wash it off clean the junk out of the inside. now them after that if you don't feel you want to rebuild the car sell it. there are people that will tell you all kinds of value. any given day at the right moment they may be right. the best way to sell the car now that you have it cleaned out is e-bay. it's a lot of work parting one out. as stated most of the parts will only fit a 60 MM and you'll still have some when your old and gray. but mean time look around you may feel you want to do the car after seeing how few of them are left
 
The pictures tell a lot about the car. In my opinion, for what it is worth, I believe that the car is very salvageable on many levels. The Leece Neville alternator can be repaired by a shop in California that will still work on these units. I would estimate about $300 max. The interior looks bad, but I am certain that a lot of it will clean up, and you will need a new headliner ($1000 - $1500).. Paint and body work is hard to estimate, without putting eyes on the car, but from what I can see, it looks quite solid, and it shouldn't be an impossible task. Looking at the steering wheel is a good indication of mileage, and it looks good, so I am going to guess that the car is low miles. The engine could be saved, if it has been in dry storage all these years. Chances are that the transmission is going to need to be resealed, and I have no estimate on that work. Never had to do it. Overall, I would keep the car, and fix it slowly, but not even think about parting it out. If you decide to sell the car, then give the PCS Members an opportunity to purchase it. Our members are generally more into restoration and preservation of these fine old automobiles than most other groups. If you decide to keep the car, and to restore it, in the end, I believe that the rewards will greatly outweigh the effort and money.
 
Steve Lichtman said:
Parting it out, you could get some for the motor and the front clip, and really the rest is only usable for another '60 M-M ambulance, of which there aren't many - so most of it would be scrapped.
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John ED Renstrom said:
as stated most of the parts will only fit a 60 MM and you'll still have some when your old and gray.
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Clearing inaccuracies up so others don't view these statements in the future and hold them as true, nothing more.

From personal hands-on experience and other than obvious external '60 components:

-Fenders & hood sheetmetal interchange with '59. Trim holes change between years and models. Not commercial chassis specific. Headlights & bezels are '59-'60 Cadillac (all).
-All '59-'62 MM glass is interchangeable (windshield through '64, ambulance etchings changed for '61-'62).
-All five '59-'62 MM doors are interchangeable ('61-'62 skeg moldings are bolt on.)
-Side upper door frames interchange between like MM models from '59-'62.
-Medium height roof stamping used from '59-'62 (at least).
-Rear compartment remained an unchanged MM ambulance option in designs from '59-'62. Interior hardware used throughout carried on longer.
-'59-'62 MM partition glass and molding are interchangeable.
-Firewall is '59-'64.
-Dash is '60 only and commercial chassis specific. Commercial chassis dashes have different grain, although a passenger car dash is same size/shape.
-Skirts are '60 CDV. Coach builders sometimes modified mounts slightly from OEM.

In short, a large percentage will work for '59-'62 MM. ('63 brought new redesign.) Yes, you'd probably still have some parts when you're old and gray. But this still isn't a parts car. Anyone thinking as such gets lumped with Ecto clone mentality on principle. ;)
 
Thanks to Atti for clarifying what goes with what. Still a rather narrow set of applications. And thanks to Steve for clarifying the history - I thought this was your former car.

Love to see that restored and brought to shows.
 
Thanks to all those who have helped with the history of this car and have offered advice. To hear of all the enthusiasm for this car certainly encourages me to get it out of the barn and try to get it running. One small correction to Steve Loftin's history. It wasn't shipped from Tulsa -- it was driven by myself and a pal from there to California in 36 hours nonstop....
 
OK lets be honest we know the front end sheet metal will fit a number of pro cars and fleetwood 75s as will a lot of the suspension and mechanical parts. but the point Steve and I were making is that most of the car is MM specific. there for parting it out would not bring the instant money that one thinks it would.

get the car out side, clean it up, see what you have left then decide keep it or sell it. it's a personal thing between the owner and the car. no one else. you got to want the car to sink the money in it to. we all know your looking at 10 to 15 grand more or less to bring the car up to show condition. thats if your careful and do the work your self. cars of this nature complete redone will top out some were in the mid 20s. it's one year to new for the big bucks. but still a interesting car.
the only way to decide what to do is clean the car up, get it running and drive it around a little. but were and how it is right now according to the pictures it's a grand on the open market. the big stuff cleaned out and able to drive onto a trailer it's a easy 5 times that. then again if you just get to drive it around the block once more time it may once again become priceless to you and worth fixing up to show room condition. only the man that has the car can say. me I have one like it but I can drive mine I'm going to fix it.
 
John ED Renstrom said:
the only way to decide what to do is clean the car up, get it running and drive it around a little. but were and how it is right now according to the pictures it's a grand on the open market..
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:p:p:p:p The back glass is worth that alone! If this car went for anywhere close to that, I would be on the phone arranging a transporter now. But in the real world that is just a fantasy price in this market. It looks to be a hell of alot more solid than most coaches that I get for 2500 - 3000.
 
Inspiration

Roman,

If your on the fence in deciding what to do with her.....

If you get her running (or even if you dont) consider bringing her down to the Ripon Emergency vehicle show on October 4-5th.....its a great show and you will see LOTS of restored emergency vehicles......that will certainly inspire you !!!
Darryl Lindsay from San Carlos puts it on.....and always does an awesome job...
PM me if you would like additional info....
Jim
 
Roman, nice car! You'll never find another one! Too nice to part out, if you don't fix it up, find somebody who will. You've had it for so long why get rid of it. Get it running and fix things at your pace.
 
John ED Renstrom said:
the only way to decide what to do is clean the car up, get it running and drive it around a little. but were and how it is right now according to the pictures it's a grand on the open market..
Click to expand...

For "a grand on the open market", I will send him the money today if he were selling. I would also throw in an extra $2000 bonus, bringing the total to $3000, and still consider it a steal at that amount.
I hate to say this, but times have changed, and like everything else, the values of these old cars have been increasing. As someone else said.. yesterdays crazy prices are todays bargains. This car is comparable to my 1969 when I purchased it, and I paid a lot more than a grand for it... in fact, it cost more than a grand just to get it from one side of the country to the other, not that transportation adds any value to anything, unless it is in Alaska.
 
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