Classy Cadillacs

[Abe Bush]

Beautiful car....what kind of tires is it rolling with? ( I copied the photo because I couldn't figure out how to ask this question directly under the post )

How much is actually left of the old Eureka plant in Rock Falls? Is there any evidence that it was once one of the great professional coach builders?

I grew up just one town away from the Sterling-Rock Falls area and it wasn't until the mid 1990s before I had a clue there was once a professional coach builder located in Rock Falls. NO CLUE!

If I would have known that back then, I'm sure I would have tried to find out where the plant was located and tried to visit it and try to find if there was any evidence of it once being the Eureka Coach company.

It's my understanding there are still traces of the old Henny plant in nearby Freeport Illinois.

Abe

 

[Steve Loftin]

( I copied the photo because I couldn't figure out how to ask this question directly under the post )

Click on the "quote" icon at the lower right; your reply will look like this one.

 

[John Royark JR]

Classiest mid-'90s? S&S Masterpiece or a Superior Crown. (<---Even needing a whitewall and a couple touch ups.)

The landau bars and drapes are not Superior or S&S. The drapes and landau bars look like an Eureka, so Im going with that.

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Classiest mid-'90s? S&S Masterpiece or a Superior Crown. (<---Even needing a whitewall and a couple touch ups.)

Superior Crown Landaulet

The landau bars and drapes are not Superior or S&S. The drapes and landau bars look like an Eureka, so Im going with that.

I made a statement (not a question) about the best looking mid-'90s coaches. Sorry if the ensuing arrow pointing to Superior confused a couple of you.

John, you can go with whatever you like. Paperwork trumps opinion.

 

[John Royark JR]

I made a statement (not a question) about the best looking mid-'90s coaches. Sorry if the ensuing arrow pointing to Superior confused a couple of you.

John, you can go with whatever you like. Paperwork trumps opinion.

I just said i was going with Eureka, I never said it was. I have just never seen a Superior of this vintage with these landau bars, and drape style, (Eureka uses these) and without Superior flur-de-lis in the sail panel.
I meant in no way to offend you, but if paperwork trumps opinion, why would you mention it as being a S&S Masterpiece OR Superior?

 

[Keith Snyder]

Whoops! Mea culpa! I must admit I didn't examine the images that closely and the car, at first glance looked so much like a Superor Crown. I guess I didn't look beyond the style of the tiara molding. I did however notice the lack of Crown medallions on the car but, assumed that these had been removed at some time. You guys are correct. It's not a Superior. Sorry 'bout that quick-draw judgement. There goes a large portion of my street cred.

 

[Jay Maynard]

That is indeed a Eureka coach. Everyone should know their later model procars(1977 to 2011)by sight by now. And I have to agree with Atilla(although not saying that my opinion is 'Superior' har har)that the best looking '90s hearses were by S&S and Superior. The first hearse I ever really noticed was a 1994 S&S Medalist. It is very interesting to note all the changes to the look of Cadillacs that has occured since 1973. I don't blame funeral homes for continuing to keep '93-'96 body style coaches as their main hearse. They are great looking cars, and as long as you send them off to a coach dealer to be reconditioned every several years or keep them in pristine condition yourself, they are timeless.

 

[John Royark JR]

That is indeed a Eureka coach. Everyone should know their later model procars(1977 to 2011)by sight by now. And I have to agree with Atilla(although not saying that my opinion is 'Superior' har har)that the best looking '90s hearses were by S&S and Superior. The first hearse I ever really noticed was a 1994 S&S Medalist. It is very interesting to note all the changes to the look of Cadillacs that has occured since 1973. I don't blame funeral homes for continuing to keep '93-'96 body style coaches as their main hearse. They are great looking cars, and as long as you send them off to a coach dealer to be reconditioned every several years or keep them in pristine condition yourself, they are timeless.

Well said. Even though S&S, Superior, M-M and Eureka were built under one roof, they do not even look close to each other. They still used distintive landau bars, drapes and other trim to identify the seperate makes.

 

[Steve Loftin]

This car was in storage when I visited in 1993:

Fiore F.H. (Oneida, NY)
1973 Lifeliner

(SL photo)

Sherman, NY
1960 Volunteer

(SL collection)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Lewiston, NY
1970 Lifeliner

Hartfield, NY
1970 Rescuer

(SL collection)

 

[Jim Jordan]

Love that 70 rescuer! Nice to see one in something other than red or white as well!

 

[Steve Loftin]

ID help needed

I've had this picture for years, but don't know much about it except that it's of a 1976 M-M converted to a flower car. The word "Tatosian" is on the back, so the conversion may have been done by them. Tatosian's used to be a coach dealer on the east coast (NJ?), but I don't remember where and I couldn't find anything on Google.

Does anyone here know who did the conversion and where the car served?

(SL collection)

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

I'll have to go digging into my archives too because I have a photo of a "Tatosian" flower car (likely the same one?) I don't know much about these either, except that Tatosian supposedly did a limited number (one, two, a few?) for loyal M-M customers who needed a flower car but did not want to purchase a Superior.

 

[Steve Loftin]

Cape May, NJ
1973 S/C 54"

Lambertville, NJ
1959 and 1960 S&S - I think this photo was taken either shortly before or after these girls were traded in. The '69 S&S I used to own (see picture in the photo section) was originally owned by Lambertville.

(SL collection)

 

[Brendan Martin]

The 73 S/C 54" is a gorgeous car, but I think all these cars look somewhat incomplete without the fender skirts. Any thoughts or reasons for their removal?

 

[Denny Shira - Deceased - 1951 - 2020]

Lewiston #1 lifeliner

Many thanks for the picture ,steve. another rig that i bid on and lost......
if i remember correctly i lost out by 200.00.

that rig went to jamestown,N.Y.(chatauqua county ambulance service)

 

[Shawn Blyler]

I think all these cars look somewhat incomplete without the fender skirts. Any thoughts or reasons for their removal?

Just a guess, but maybe they were prone to falling off during high speed runs? Or maybe it made service easier if they didn't have to remove them and put them back on all the time. Just a few thoughts......

 

[Richard Vyse]

Just a guess, but maybe they were prone to falling off during high speed runs? Or maybe it made service easier if they didn't have to remove them and put them back on all the time. Just a few thoughts......

The 73 S/C 54" is a gorgeous car, but I think all these cars look somewhat incomplete without the fender skirts. Any thoughts or reasons for their removal?

Makes sense to me Shawn from one one who has experienced loosing a skirt. I remember in Flint in the winter we would remove the skirts making room for snow tires. Who uses snow tires anymore!

 

[Dan Herrick]

We removed them for the chains, who even knows what chains are today. They also held the snow and salt from the roads, removing them helped to clean the car.

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

Here in Minnesota, the skirts often came off in the winter months to reduce the buildup of snow and slush in the wheelwells, and making it easier to clean said crud off after a run. People I've talked to who ran the cars also say they removed the skirts because there were heat issues; too much heat would build up in the rear wheel wells on high speed runs, causing tires to blow.