1977 S & S Victoria... starting the process

[Kent Dorsey]

I have acquired a 1977 S & S Victoria, that needs a bit of work. It has returned from the mechanic with all of it's shots and boosters. I hope to be able to post photos as some progress gets going...
Peebles Fayette County FH, Somerville, TN 1977-1997
N.H. Owens FH, Memphis, TN 1997-2013
Stay tuned...

 

[John ED Renstrom]

now me I still can't get over a 77 being old. but a little tlc and she would make a nice front line car.

 

[Chris Elzie]

I was wondering if anyone would every buy that car.

 

[Bill Carlin]

Congratulations! Looks like a nice car.

 

[Cary Livingston]

The wires look GOOD! (Lemme duck)

 

[Kent Dorsey]

The tires have been changed to wide white wall Broadway Classics that came off the '81, and the wheel covers are now the center disc/painted Cadillac wheel covers left over from the traded 78 M-M... they are in charcoal and don't look too bad at all...
Doubt the car is staying white and the top is beyond repair...
(tosses wire wheel covers toward Jackson County, NC...)

 

[Cary Livingston]

I know what the long term plans are for this car and I look forward to Kent showings its progress. I also look forward to seeing it in person when it is done (after I recover from flung wires).

 

[Kent Dorsey]

Thanks everyone...

The car was garaged at Peebles, and under a carport at N.H. Owens... the S & S datemarks, the grille, the cornering lights, and the front bumper are in immaculate shape...

 

[Josh Rutter]

Love me some '77. Very nice shape is it missing the motor or bad rear shocks?

 

[Chris Elzie]

was this car traded in or bought directly from NH Owens?

 

[Kent Dorsey]

Bought directly from Owens. The rear springs need replacing. I actually received the new rear springs Wednesday, but they were insufficient and have to go back, and the coil spring company will have to try again.

I have always liked the '77-'79 body style, and I have grown attached to S & S Victoria's of this age now.

When I was in mortuary school, at Jernigan-Warren we had a '67 S & S Victoria (black over dark green), a '77 S & S Victoria (black over dark green), and an '81 S & S Victoria (black, this would signal J-W's color switch to black...)... So I have an '81 black Victoria in the garage, and it wasn't intentional trying to recreate my mortuary school days to have a '77 and '81 here today, but kinda interesting.

The '92 Victoria is black over 1977 Edinburgh Green Metallic... hhhmmm...

 

[Kent Dorsey]

a little update on 77...

has been on a night call already...

 

[Josh Rutter]

Gorgeous, what kind of tires do you have there?

 

[Jay Maynard]

You aren't only a collector, you regularly use your cars for the purpose they were intended. Quick turnaround too since you just got it. Kudos to you Sir.

 

[Kent Dorsey]

Josh: those are Broadway Classics that have been traded around more than a cheerleader at a rave, I am pretty sure the company is out of business.

 

[Kent Dorsey]

and a few more...

the photos dress the paint appearance up a bit... is fairly scratched, dinged and needs paint...

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

Beautiful addition to your collection, Kent! The unusual feature I see on this car is the RH hinged rear door. The vast majority of these S&S Victorias had LH hinged rear doors.

When I began working for my dad at age 14, he had a 1979 S&S Victoria that had been custom-ordered new by a funeral home in Ladysmith, WI. It was pewter firemist with black S&S cobra top, light gray velour interior, extend table with white phenolic, and no partition. To this day, my dad says that's the best hearse we ever had and I agree.

 

[Kent Dorsey]

Update...

Cary found me some white frosted S & S coach lamps that look great, the previous ones, some clear looking ones, always looked dirty and you could see the bulbs.
New rear coil springs have lifted the rear a bit.
Vinyl top and drapes just waiting on the go order at the trim shop, thought we better get into the body process before we order those things.
The extend table will not secure, rolls back and forth. I have got up under it and the mechanism moves when you pull to the right, but apparently it does not lock. Right now a wheel chock does pretty good, but if any of you engineers have ever dealt with that issue - let me know.
Goes to the body shop Monday, October 7th. I am sending a set of the 1977-1978 Cadillac Fleetwood center disc painted (color of the car) wheel covers, and on standby I have a set of the 1977 Cadillac commercial chassis wheel covers (has small center black disc). The seam in the S & S top split long ago, and with no repair water has seeped in and done it's work. I am extremely concerned about what we will find there.
Here's the offending seam...

 

[Kent Dorsey]

this neat ad mentions the three types of S & S coach lamps available...

 

[Josh Rutter]

What are the correct springs and where did you get them?