1973 Cadillac Miller Meteor Hearse 3 way

I'm thinking probably this thread would probably be better off closed, seems to be causing more trouble than it should be. Not my call though.:confused:
 
I'm thinking probably this thread would probably be better off closed, seems to be causing more trouble than it should be. Not my call though.:confused:

There is no trouble in this thread on my end as I see it. I'm simply being up front about my motivation for selling off my cars.

This topic is something of an elephant in the room with the PCS, and has been for a very long time. If we close threads of discussion about problems that are happening we run the risk of allowing them to run rampant till they begin to scuttle our endeavors.

Things swept under the rug leaves us all standing on a dirtier rug.
 
Closing off this thread is like seeing a person beating a dog and doing nothing about it.

NOTHING is wrong in this thread except the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts.

The PCS wants to get new members and wants to know why some do not renew. PERFECT EXAMPLE HERE !

What do you see wrong with this thread ?

Darren
 
the problem with online is you get no body language or any of the other subtle ways to communicate. there for you read into things more along your personal beliefs.
your reason for getting out of this notch of the hobby is that you don't have room to collect. you're not coming back to the web site because of a perceived negativity towards what you like. that is unless you have a problem and need advice on how to solve it.

I believe life is a two way street and each of us has something to contribute and a obligation to do so. this is what makes the group good company. I personally have altered every coach I have owned. I own one right now that everyone feels is a first rate coach. judged first and third place at different meets. it has been altered. I feel not the negativity talked about by others.

picking apart other cars is part of the education aspect of the hobby. how is anyone going to learn how to move their car towards the goal of the club if they don't know how the car came out of the aftermarket plant. each of them did something different with there body. I may know MM you may know Superiors we point out things on a number of cars and we both learn.

now some people take offense at what they perceive as nit picking there car.
others like me join in as I know every fault in mine. no one is expected to go out and correct everything or not come again. I don't. on my cars unless I am making a repair or redoing some thing. then as long as you're in there move it closer to what it was.

but if you don't know what it was how can you move it in that direction? the club's scoring sheets at the meets are designed to assist you in knowing where you are off that mark. some people take offence that you don't get credit for will done flames, 4 wheel disk brakes, engine swaps and suspension mods. the last meet we had one of them at was Rochester it had everything but the flames done to it. I remember the crowd around it was bigger then the crowd around the 16 stude. wait we had two there I forgot about the other one. if offered the chance anyone of us would have taken any one of them home.

what I have see more then anything else is someone arrive at a meet with a chip on there shoulder and dare anyone to knock it off. if no one does they find a excuse to make it fall. but if someone in passing usually one on one in the hallway will just do it, they howl how everyone has dissed them.

we have a club that has stayed true to there roots. we are about preservation and restoration and we stay there.

with this 73 you have preserved it from the fate most advertising gimmicks are fated for when they are done. now all it needs is someone to restore it. if it was a limousine style we would be talking I'm looking for a good running 71-76 with a trashed interior.

had the ad stated in your first listing that the car was a former advertising gimmick we all would have understood from the get go why this was done to it.

a number of us have received a car like this and restored it and passed it on. or like you just passed it on to someone that could or wanted to more than I did.

one needs to sit back and think on their perception on negativity before dumping us. join in more and get acquainted then if this is not where you feel comfortable move on. I have done this a number of times myself. still maintain a mild interest and thankful for the knowledge I have gained but just not my cup of tea.
 
Your reason for getting out of this notch of the hobby is that you don't have room to collect.

had the ad stated in your first listing that the car was a former advertising gimmick we all would have understood from the get go why this was done to it.

You make fair points, except for these two. Were I not burnt over past PCS interactions, I would still be a member, and my enthusiasm for the hobby would be higher than it is now. I would be inclined to find room to store my cars. As it is, I'm not in a huge rush to rehome them. While storage is an issue, to say it's the entire reason for me selling them would be brushing off a rather large reason that is also a factor.

I pointed this out previously, but I very clearly said what the car was in the 2000 word description of the car in which I laid out it's entire history as it's known to me. Nothing was changed in this listing in that regard. I was very clear about its origins.

I understand that it's a lot of text to read, but I figure that's way better than having a vague description where you will have issues with a vehicle that were never discussed or pointed out. All I ask is that if this is brought up, please read the description. It tells most of what anyone would want to know about the car and it's history.

It will not offend me if someone restores this to stock, or modifies it further. It's a nice car to do either to. I simply want it to go to a good home. What the person does with it after they get it is up to them, and my say has no bearing on their choices.

I have no desire to win trophies at car shows with this, or with any car. I long ago got out of that interest. I have nothing to prove at a car show, and go to enjoy the company of other car enthusiasts. Were I to take a car to a PCS event, I wouldn't be one of the folks upset that it didn't score well. That should go to the people who spent a ton of time and money putting their car back stock, as that's the roots of this club, as you've said.

Car shows of any kind are generally pretty silly, as far as judging goes. We had a rather large turn out at a funeral home that put on a car show, very nice event, and had 8 or so hearses there. They put us out on the furthest hill away from the car show, and gave the local PT Cruiser club top billing right up front. Best in show went to, as I recall, a PT cruiser with wood paneling and a fake continental kit on the back. I mean, of all the places that should appreciate the nice pro cars that came out, you'd figure the funeral home would. Pretty funny if you ask me.

If this thread is causing problems, by all means close it down. The title description is wrong anyway since it's not a 3 way car. I for one, would rather have discussion than silence.

Silence is lonely, and is the reason that clubs are a thing.
 
In case anyone was wondering, the 73 Miller Screamland hearse just sold for $6000 and is going to Ohio. Buyer is absolutely thrilled, and has owned hearses and related funerary stuff in the past.

Sounds like it's off to a good home.
 
Thought-provoking read

I am pleased to see this thread still open. There's nothing wrong with a good discussion, as long as it remains civil, which this one has. No good ever comes of an argument where people go away angry, feeling misunderstood and frustrated. It is much better to have the exchange, agreeing to disagree while respecting the other's position.

I've been collecting professional cars for 30 years (brought our first one home on Good Friday of 1986) and I've been a proud member of The Professional Car Society for nearly as long. I don't say these things to sound like a big shot, but rather to illustrate my passion for this hobby and organization. Some of my best times have been hunting trips...car hunting, that is. Many of my best friends to this day were made through the old car hobby. My best friend and soulmate, my wife Kim, appreciates the hobby very much; partly due to my obvious passion for it, but also because of the unique cars and the friendships.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm as big of a purist as they come. As a funeral director, I prefer to see the cars restored to stock condition (we won't even open the "originality" can of worms!) That said, I have many good friends who appreciate modified cars, street rods, etc. We have a shared passion for the collector car hobby as a whole, fully appreciating each others' efforts, while maintaining our specific interests (i.e. stock vehicles versus modified; pickups versus motorcycles, etc.) My friend Bill Crawford, former owner of the Crawford Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD displayed an award winning 1957 Superior Cadillac combination at the 2014 PCS meet in Rochester, MN. The car is funeral ready, complete with an LT-1 engine, modified suspension, and custom exhaust system capable of providing a "final tribute" at the graveside services of rodders and bikers. It's a beautiful coach that I can fully appreciate, even if it isn't completely stock.

I can't speak for everyone, and I can't change the past. What I can do is in the present, and that is, keep an open mind about the various preferences, interests, and passions that comprise the old car hobby. This does not mean I want to see PCS changed to suit everyone's preferences. It isn't meant to be for everyone, just as I'm not likely to join a club that promotes what I'll call the "Halloween factor." Will I go look at their cars and be friendly? Absolutely! Do I object to them stopping over to visit and checking out our cars? Heavens no!

When it comes to PCS membership, I'm really not a "hard sell." I'm more interested in the group remaining a certain size, as opposed to suddenly having thousands of members, but no focus or principles. Jay, I would welcome you back into the PCS, but that's a decision you need to be comfortable with, obviously. As for your hearse, I picture it as a stock unit; all shined up and funeral ready. The smooth painted top really sets that car off and, if that's original, there weren't too many of them built that way; most had crinkle or vinyl. My preference doesn't mean I think any less of you, or that I can't appreciate the car for what it currently is. BTW, do you happen to have the Miller-Meteor body number from the dataplate? We have a database for documenting M-M vehicles and would love to add this car to it.

As for "picking cars apart," yes, there are many folks who will quickly tell you what you SHOULD or COULD do with a car. I've listened patiently while some so called "experts" have attempted to tell me all about cars in my collection. These are usually people who are armed with a mediocre amount of information and aren't even sure where they got it. I'm not overly interested in having my cars judged at shows because I don't need somebody telling me what's wrong with them. I know the improvements that need to be made and I'll get to them in due time.

I do like the new PCS judging schematic whereby cars are judged against a point scale and not other cars. Dan Herrick, a PCS member who is passionate about the judging, encouraged me to have my cars judged, and took the time to explain to me why he was doing so. At the 2014 PCS meet in Rochester, MN, I did have three of our cars judged; keeping my mind open to the feedback I'd receive. Dan approached me afterward and asked how I felt about having had the cars judged. We ended up having a nice discussion, and I have a bit more of an open mind now about the judging.

Thanks for taking time to read my two cents worth.

Tony Karsnia
President - The Professional Car Society
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll see if I can't round up the body number so you can add it to the registry. The car looks to have been a CA car, I just rediscovered the original blue and yellow CA plate under the load floor getting it ready for transport.

It was originally shipped with a crinkle black top, and blue metallic paint. Interior was also blue and silver looks like, white headliner. Would have been a very sharp car in original colors.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know of a 56 superior landau hearse that got shipped to the middle of the country somewhere to a funeral director named Marvin? I forget his last name. It's the first one dad and I bought and we sold it to him and last I'd heard he'd updated the powerplant and put it back into service at his funeral home. Never did see any pictures of it. It was at one time a similar blue to what the 73 was. Would love to know where that car is now. We still have it's two sister cars in the back yard, a Superior 3 way table car and another end loader, also originally blue, but now black. The 3 way was a dark metallic green, which can't have been common. I bet that was super sharp in that color combo!
 
"As for "picking cars apart," yes, there are many folks who will quickly tell you what you SHOULD or COULD do with a car. I've listened patiently while some so called "experts" have attempted to tell me all about cars in my collection. These are usually people who are armed with a mediocre amount of information and aren't even sure where they got it. I'm not overly interested in having my cars judged at shows because I don't need somebody telling me what's wrong with them. I know the improvements that need to be made and I'll get to them in due time."

Tony,
I could not agree with you more on this point. I have never understood to need to "compare apples to oranges", which is what we are doing when judging any of these cars against other pro-cars. I could, personally, car less if I ever have any of my cars judged at a meet. That said, I wish that I were able to attend more of our international meets as I love the cars and the comraderie.
 
Whelp, the 73 just left on a ratty transport truck. Apparently nobody told him it was a hearse he was picking up. He didn't look too thrilled with the extra weight on his triple car hauler.

Such great communication, some people.

Sad to see it go, loved driving that thing. It was time though. Now we'll see if it shows up again. It went to Ohio, if anyone is curious. Should be pretty easy to spot. Not 100% sure what the guy is going to use it for but the stereo is probably staying in it. It was part of the reason he wanted it.

That's the last of my hearses.

Dad has the 64 high top miller and the two 56 superiors that will be coming up for sale, if anyone is interested in those.
 
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