75 Cadillac MM ambulance

I'm a 70's Cadillac enthusiast ( I own 4 ) and I'm interested in adding a Cadillac ambulance to my collection. Of course, the " $64,000 question", what's the value ?...condition, options, # made, mileage all play a part, of course, but I don't have the experience to place a value when I begin to look at these beautiful 70's barges. Is there a guide or rule of thumb that I could use as I begin my education ?

PS. I'd have posted some pics of my cars but I'm brand new here and can't find the attach pics icon.
 
You'll get the standard "there are a lot of variables" posts here, but here is what I have observed in the last 6 years or so of looking and watching them sell:

A good, clean 74-76 Cadillac ambulance that drives well and has little to no rust or body issues will start in the $5000-$6000 range. Probably have faded chrome on the lights and sirens (if visible), a good driver. Start looking at cars approaching show quality, with no rips in the interiors and excellent paint, and you're looking at $10K plus. If you're looking to get one restored to factory, probably double that, plus some. You're better off finding one somebody had recently restored.

If you specifically want a 75, rarity will come into play, since ambulance-only cars were on their way out of prduction starting in 74. 1976 is widely regarded as the last year of full-sized, ambulance only cars, with a scant few produced in 77-78. By 79 you could only get a full-sized combination car or hearse. After the early 80's full-sized car based ambulances and combinations were gone.

70-73 cars turn up much more frequently, and you can sometimes find a good deal on a restorable car for $2500-$3500, but it will need a lot of work, and parts aren't cheap.

Alot depends on being in the right place at the right time, too. I have seen more than a few decent mid-70's M-M cars get snatched up in the $3500 range, only to be resold for double with not much more than a wash, wax and maybe a tune-up. They certainly aren't getting more plentiful. Keep scouring sites like this and your local Craigslist as many times a day as you can. When they come up, they don't last long. There are also people that hunt these things down that can put you in touch with a seller if you're serious, for a small finders fee.
 
Hi Mike, welcome! I tend to think that the values are somewhat higher than those suggested by Todd. Not to say that you can't find one for $5 to $10K in decent shape, but for something really nice, you are probably in the high teens to low twenties. The thing to consider is that if you got a rough one for free, you could easily spend $30K, or more restoring it.
 
Thanks Todd and Bill. As a dogged hunter for non-ambulance classic 70's Cadillacs, I don't think I've ever seen one in person ( including at mega events like Carlisle and Hershey in my state of PA.). So, I realize their rarity and that led me to my initial question. As a rule, I buy only low miles/good shape production Caddys ( which are still plentiful, not so w/ambulances). Like any of us, I want to be realistic about price without being made a sucker. Thanks for the advise and I'll continue to surf this site to info and tips.
 
I agree with Bill. Todd's pricing is as much as $7500 to $10,000 off the mark, based on the vehicle condition that he listed. Todd's pricing would be right on the mark for a hearse or combination coach, but not an ambulance. Any ambulance will always be worth close to double the value of a same-year and make hearse or combination in comparable condition. I say that as a lover/owner of hearses, combinations and ambulances equally. Far more hearses and combinations were built to start with, and far more hearses a combinations have survived. Also, there is far more demand for ambulances right now.
 
The exception to my previous comment would be "project cars". As Todd stated, those can be found in the $2000 to $3500 range, but move very quickly.
 
I didn't say they'd be easy to find at any of those prices, but those are the prices I've seen realized, mostly on this site and a couple others. I'm not going to do it, but if I was forced to I could probably provide extensive online documentation to back up my numbers. The best deals are the ones you find out about after the fact, and the prices people put on cars on eBay don't always reflect what they sell for.
 
Mike, general shows like Carlisle and Hershey are not likely to be places where something like this would be for sale. The market is just too limited for folks to try to sell one at the big, general shows. If it were a '57 Chevy, sure.

I used to own a '75 M-M Cadillac Criterion ambulance. I sold it, and it has since been sold several times, all through the club or on e-bay. They are out there, they aren't a dime a dozen, but they do turn up.

Keep your eyes open and be patient. As indicated before, by '75, production of professional-car ambulances was waning, so small numbers would have been even smaller.

By the way, the reason you can't post photos is that you have to be a Site Supporter (pay money) to do so. You can click the yellow box at the top of the page to sign up. You can also click the blue box to join the actual Professional Car Society car club. (You could also post your photos on a photo hosting website and then link to them here.)
 
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