iso "too far gone" 61-62 M+M

hey guys! ive posted elsewhere but figured itd be better if i did it here. looking for a miller meteor to buy as a roof section donor for my 1962 mercy ambulance service m+m. i really want to repair mine without ruining a good pro car, so im looking for one thats normally deemed too far gone by collectors and builders standards. anything with frame and floor rot, a crash, engine fire, even roof damage as long as the passenger side is okay. really ill take any 1959-1962 because the roof section i need is similar enough but id rather cut up a 61-62 than the more rare 50s. send me whatever youve got! i know how rare they are so im not expecting a million responses, just let me know if youve got one youd like to part with! have a great day all
 
If you could purchase this car that is pictured in your last post, and use that entire body you would be way ahead time and money wise, rather than fixing the one that the roof and side are so badly damaged. If you want an ambulance, you would be way better off purchasing one that is complete and drivable than you would be attempting to resurrect the damaged one. You are free to make your own decision as to what direction you will go, however, you should also weigh the information that has been presented to you by experts in the field of repairs, and the advise that they have given you. I believe that in the end, even if you find a roof, that the structural damage to that vehicle renders it almost impossible to repair successfully, and in the end, you will have way more invested into the project and in all probability it will never be finished. I offer this advise not to discourage you from restoration, but to save you the anguish and money that will be wasted on this particular project. For years now, all the people that have been involved in restoration projects have almost always given the advise, "start with the best car that you can afford, and know when to walk away from a car that is going to require more money than your available resources." While we have no idea of your financial resources, I can clearly state, that this project is going to take more financial resources than it will be worth in the end, by more than 3 or 4 times. When I was in the business, I took on projects that were more damaged than the average shop would consider, and I also learned the hard way that in the end, there was a reason that other shops turned down the job. My best wishes to you, no matter which way you decide to go. Just don't loose sight of your dream, but consider all the facts as presented.
 
also the car in the link is the damaged roof car. and yes id rather find another 61 62 and use this one as a parts donor but im currently just exercising all options haha. since mine has such a solid chassis ive felt like its AT THE MOMENT the best i can do, but yes if i find another buildable miller id consider that as well. i have been looking at this as a silver lining situation and my goal is to make something good out of this extremely unfair situation that my awful transporter put me in. thankfully on mine, the left side isnt disturbed so at least its contained damage. either way, i hate the idea of modifying or cutting up a nice buildable pro car so im starting at the bottom of the basket so to speak, searching out a car thats also too far gone just like mine. whatever comes up ill consider, driveable or not. driveable would definitly be a step up though, so thank you for your advice!
 
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yes ive been trying to find out why that axle is there but the yard owners had no information on that part. im very curious but all i know about the car so far is mercy ambulance service, simi valley ca., ron brady, car #2, and served until 1978. still no info on the axle
 
Your best bet is still to swap the complete roof. A hearse would be the same roof. You can graft the tunnal lights on to it.
 
The car will still need a couple of doors and the quarter. Without getting the inside of the car stripped out, and looking for any bends, and taking measurements, there is no way to know exactly how bad the damage is. Did the car get flipped over on its side, or was it struck by something? Knowing exactly how it was damaged will determine exactly how it must be pulled before cutting the roof off. It will definitely need time on a frame machine to do all the pulls in order to get some alignment issues out of the way before cutting the roof. There are a lot of stress that will be relieved once the roof is cut, and that stress must be mitigated before cutting. I have replaced roofs, and it isn't as simple as cutting at the pillars and welding. This is one case where repairing rust would be a lot easier than repairing sheet metal.
 
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