1960 Cadillac ambulance FS from CLC board

PCS member Nicholas Yassan had that lead two months before CLC post. If it was any sort of bargain he would have purchased. Still not horrible for a local buyer that doesn't have to figure any transport in, if indeed rust free and complete minus engine.
 
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that something is worthless, because they have no desire to own it, or have no clue as to current day values. That car is worth a lot more than $400 in scrap iron alone. Given that there is a complete front end that goes with the car, that alone is worth at least $1000.
 
1000 to 1500 Minimum if you buy it out of a yard. the front bumper complete will run you 1000. then you will need to plate it there goes another 1500 to 2000. all this is only true if you need it. if your selling you can sit on them a long time waiting for some one to crash there 60 and give you a call. then when they do you better be able to under bid the competition or you lose the sale. then of course there is the golden rule that the car apart takes up twice the room as one together. so you better have space to keep the stuff safe or mother nature will come along a wipe out your investment with one storm.

but wait did we not just go threw all of this with a different 60.
 
Paul Steinberg said:
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that something is worthless, because they have no desire to own it, or have no clue as to current day values. That car is worth a lot more than $400 in scrap iron alone. Given that there is a complete front end that goes with the car, that alone is worth at least $1000.
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Well, why I wouldn't pay that much for something like that, there are plenty of people who will. Depends on how bad someone wants something. A friend of mine recently bought a '72 hightop Suburban off ebay and paid $7000 for it. The truck runs well, but a lot of the emergency equipment was stripped prior to selling.

But looking at it from the opposite direction. In 1981 I bought a 1973 hightop Suburban from a small VFD for $100. It needed a tranny replacement. That cost me another $150. Cost another $150 when the carrier bearing on the driveshaft went right in the middle of the highway, and about $300 for a paint job. Still not a bad investment. Now this was when I still ran my standby ambulance service, and we got a lot of service out the truck. And when I traded it off almost two years later for our first Type II, I got a $3500 trade in because the salesman was blown away by the new paint job. I worked at a paint store and we sold auto paint. I brewed up my own shade of red for the paint job and that's what the salesman liked! Goes both ways, I guess!
 
In 1961, you could buy a new automobile for $2275, a gallon of gasoline for $.25, and the average worker made $5315 per year. In 1981, the cost had risen to approximately $16000, a gallon of gas cost $1.81, and the average worker was making $13775. Now, you might ask, what does all this mean.... It means that prices keep going up, and what you paid for something 30 plus years ago, doesn't have any relationship to the current value or costs. It also shows that the average wage earner is making less, as costs rise. This is known as the wage earner not being able to keep up with the cost of living increases. Commodities go up in value, and some go down in value, depending on supply and demand. The supply of MG T series automobiles has been the same for the last 50 years. They haven't made any more of them, nor has there been any significant decline in there numbers. The price hasn't changed much in the last 20 years, because there are still more of them available, than there are buyers wanting them. The opposite is the situation with ambulances. The supply has been small, and the demand has been growing, hence the values of those that come up for sale keeps rising. No different than any other commodity. It is all about supply and demand. Rarity doesn't make a car more valuable, unless there are a greater number of people wanting to purchase a particular rare car. On the other hand, there are a lot of 1970's ambulances still in existence, but the supply of those for sale has been small, hence, the price goes up. If there were a lot of them suddenly placed in the market, the prices would drop.
This ends todays lesson in economics. If you don't understand it, please post your question(s), and I or someone else that understands economics will answer them for you.
 
my rule of economics is simple. if I don't want it I don't get it. if I do want it I look in my wallet if the money is there, I get it. if not I don't want it.
 
With the "Crush Craze" that has been going on over the last 5 years or so an incredible amount of cars that once supplied parts are disappearing whether it be procar or regular car...its not to say that parts are not out there......but the savvy seller knows that at least in the case of procars.....parts are becoming scarcer......and pricier. I have had some uncommon Cadillac parts on ebay in the last few months and have been truly astonished as to what they bring....consistently! I am tempted to start scouring the mountains as I know where a few stashes of older stuff are...While I dont have an interest in this car......I wouldnt be surprised if a Caddy Parts dealer buys it.....or it becomes another Ecto...
 
then again to toss in more there is the locale factor. just because something sells for a set amount say in the south east, north west or far west doesn't mean you can get the same in the center of the nation for it. there has to be a market for it that is welling to spend the money to ship to there location. the 59 straight ambulance with parts car sold out on the west cost for less then a grand. it was one vary rare ambulance. transportation for me was the factor that made it not practical to think about. there is another in Spokane low top straight ambulance not a set price on it but from the wording I'm guessing a grand more or less will get it. both these cars advertised on this board. not to mention the hearses offered in the center in the nation for sale. I personal offered 2 straight ambulances one combo and 2 6 doors. not even a nibble. I tossed out information on two IHC ambulances a couple months ago. no interest as far Is I could tell. look how long it took to sell a fat Albert. the junk collector boys in the town next door quite bringing them home as you can't sell one from here. Bruce brought there last one. they stopped by the house and gave me a gurney and bar they had acquired just to get it out of there yard. I put it in the 68 to give me walking room. gave Virgle the other stray I had here to free up space. personal experience were I live tells me that are only a dead horse. the truth is if they were really worth all that we would not be discussing it. this car would have been snatched up the first time it was show here. or never even got to be offered only bragged about. been a few people get a car from this region. no one I know if spend this kind of money for a parts car from here.
 
Sold

The 1960 Cadillac Ambulance is NO LONGER FOR SALE. It is mine now and the next time it goes down the road,it will be a Hearse!I am going to replace the rear side windows with metal,Paint it black and do a mild custom. Ken Perry
 
I was thinking of doing the same thing.. Please post pics of your progress with it. I would like to see the steps and how it works out.
 
Doug, you're likewise welcome to copy/paste this response.

On a different forum, another had a similar thought, wanting to fabricate removable panels. (Removable panels on a '60? Neat idea really.) Best one can do is give guidance so it was suggested he find proper Superior (Pontiac) sail panels and '59-'60 non-Crown landau irons (which Superior continued to use on removable panels through '70). The idea could have worked/looked good.....until he gave up searching and did this.

225226_10151754534393221_728884124_n.jpg


Ended up having fixed panels that were mickey moused with proportionately too long S&S landau irons. Glass was removed entirely. Absolutely no sense of design whatsoever. Know what happened shortly after project 'completion'? He lost interest and sold the mess, leaving next owner to undo mistakes on a likewise fairly rare and desirable coach. Of course on top of that he felt the need to bring up money spent "customizing" coach (which in fact wasn't customized, rather personalized - a common misconception).

The new '60 ambulance's owner hearse/mild custom personal decision is fine but let's hope corners aren't cut and more thought goes into process.
 
Attila Bethlenfalvy; Of course on top of that he felt the need to bring up money spent "customizing" coach (which in fact wasn't customized said:
personalized[/I] - a common misconception)..
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now that's a statement I like been looking for a tactful way to say, man you really screwed that thing up
 
Attila Bethlenfalvy said:
Doug, you're likewise welcome to copy/paste this response.

On a different forum, another had a similar thought, wanting to fabricate removable panels. (Removable panels on a '60? Neat idea really.) Best one can do is give guidance so it was suggested he find proper Superior (Pontiac) sail panels and '59-'60 non-Crown landau irons (which Superior continued to use on removable panels through '70). The idea could have worked/looked good.....until he gave up searching and did this.

225226_10151754534393221_728884124_n.jpg


Ended up having fixed panels that were mickey moused with proportionately too long S&S landau irons. Glass was removed entirely. Absolutely no sense of design whatsoever. Know what happened shortly after project 'completion'? He lost interest and sold the mess, leaving next owner to undo mistakes on a likewise fairly rare and desirable coach. Of course on top of that he felt the need to bring up money spent "customizing" coach (which in fact wasn't customized, rather personalized - a common misconception).

The new '60 ambulance's owner hearse/mild custom personal decision is fine but let's hope corners aren't cut and more thought goes into process.
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Like I used to hear as a kid, "There ought to be a law against that sort of thing."
 
Doug Lemon said:
The 1960 Cadillac Ambulance is NO LONGER FOR SALE. It is mine now and the next time it goes down the road,it will be a Hearse!I am going to replace the rear side windows with metal,Paint it black and do a mild custom. Ken Perry
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That's really unfortunate! Especially since it would always be worth more as an ambulance than it ever would as a hearse.
 
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