Beautiful old Buicks

[Keith Snyder]

Adam...thanks for posting the photos and you've done a good job identifying those vehicles. However, the photo you have identified as a "1922 Meteor Buick hearse" no doubt belonged to Simmons-Rice Mortuary but, is not a Meteor-Buick. According to Tom McPherson, this isn't a Meteor and most certainly not a Buick. He thinks it could possibly be an assembled coach built by A. J. Miller in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

 

[Adam Borkat]

ca. 1912 A. Geissel & Sons hearse body mounted on a Buick D/4 chassis - Andrew J. Bair & Son Funeral Home, Philadelphia, PA

Now try to picture it in front of their funeral home.

 

[Mike McDonald]

I-r buick

I still think my favorite Buick of all was the Ingersol-Rand Plant Ambulance owned by Bill Marcy! MM

 

[Daniel Scully]

Buick,s

I guess my 62 counts? Flxible did the converson to a Limo.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

I still think my favorite Buick of all was the Ingersol-Rand Plant Ambulance owned by Bill Marcy! MM

I haven't seen Bill's car; but my favorite Buick has to be the nice '59 Flxette ambulance that was owned by Brown F.H. in Tulsa, OK. I've only seen the b/w photos that Steve Loftin has of the car. That pic was taken by a newspaper fotog in the rain as the car ran "hot" past him. Nice!

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Here's an interesting Buick I stumbled across while searching for something else. From the Albion (MI) Ambulance Service.

It's not a Flxible. Is it a National?

 

[Keith Snyder]

That's a Flxible Flxette. Note the slight kick-up under the door vent window. That was created when the company tilted the windwhield forward - which raised it a tad - to create the industries first commercial glass coach - as we know it today. It is also a car featuring four port holes - most second tier makers - like National - used standard LeSabre two-door sedans as base cars while Flxible's base "chassis" were provided by Buick as Electra-trimmed vehicles with four mouse-holes.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Here's an interesting Buick I stumbled across while searching for something else. From the Albion (MI) Ambulance Service.

It's not a Flxible. Is it a National?

I don't see a Flxible or Nat. tag on the car. I think it's a Trinity Triune...their version of a Flxette. When Flxible shut down, part of their tooling went to Trinity, while some went to National.

 

[Keith Snyder]

The Flxible name script can be seen below the vent window on that raised portion. None of the Flxible tooling went to Trinity. Trinity was established by Joe Summers - a former dealer who designed and built cars on his own while National aquired the Flxible tooling. Trinity used Plxiglass in the rear side windows and the Trinity cars, attractive as they may have been, weren't examples of stellar craftsmanship and could not be compared in any way to the Flxibles...or even the Nationals.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

The Flxible name script can be seen below the vent window on that raised portion. None of the Flxible tooling went to Trinity. Trinity was established by Joe Summers - a former dealer who designed and built cars on his own while National aquired the Flxible tooling. Trinity used Plxiglass in the rear side windows and the Trinity cars, attractive as they may have been, weren't examples of stellar craftsmanship and could not be compared in any way to the Flxibles...or even the Nationals.

Keith: I knew and traded with Joe Summers until he passed away, and then with the co. until it closed. Joe always insisted that they bought part of the Flxible tooling as I note above. I would argue that their craftsmanship was a bit better than National's. We had a '67 short National Buick ambulance that had very poor window glass. I had the chance to work out of a single Trinity vehicle: a '68 Triune ambulance, and it was a remarkable little ambulance. It belonged to a funeral home in Dimmit, TX, and would scoot with that 434 c.i. Wildcat engine. I've seen that car make the close to 100-mi. run from Dimmit to Lubbock in less than an hour. Tried my best to buy that car from Dennis when they exited the ambulance business in c.1974, but it and their 1973 Summer hightop Suburban ambulance went to the local hospital when they initiated their own EMS.

 

[John Royark JR]

Keith: I knew and traded with Joe Summers until he passed away, and then with the co. until it closed. Joe always insisted that they bought part of the Flxible tooling as I note above. I would argue that their craftsmanship was a bit better than National's. We had a '67 short National Buick ambulance that had very poor window glass. I had the chance to work out of a single Trinity vehicle: a '68 Triune ambulance, and it was a remarkable little ambulance. It belonged to a funeral home in Dimmit, TX, and would scoot with that 434 c.i. Wildcat engine. I've seen that car make the close to 100-mi. run from Dimmit to Lubbock in less than an hour. Tried my best to buy that car from Dennis when they exited the ambulance business in c.1974, but it and their 1973 Summer hightop Suburban ambulance went to the local hospital when they initiated their own EMS.

I just looked it up in the Flxible book, and it said all the tooling was sold to National.
The only thing it says about Trinity is they were the next builder to offer on the Buick Chassis, and built in the Flxible style, but it never mentioned they used any of the Flxible tooling.

 

[Keith Snyder]

Trinity didn't build their first car until 1965. There was no Flxible body tooling used by Trinity. They may have purchased other tooling - roller frames, landau bows, etc., but the major body tooling was sold to National. That is a fact that has been documented by both historians and surviving Flxible documentation. The car in question here is/was a 1962 Flxible-Buick Flxette - there's no denying that's what it is. Again, Trinity didn't commence production until 1965 - late in the year - so, this couldn't have been a Trinity. My comments regarding Trinity quality were based on information received from dealers who handled the brand - new and or used - as well as numerous users of Trinitys. You may have had a good one. I myself, despite hearing horror stories about both National and Trinity cars, have always admired the styling of both coachmakers and had been a fan of both brands. It was dealers and others who actually were involved with the products that felt the necessity to set me straight in regard to the quality and craftsmanship (or lack thereof) of these marques. I too knew Joe Summers very well (as well as his son and the majority of his staff) with whom I worked closely. I was a guest in his home and it was Joe Summers himself who told me that they used Plexiglass in the rear compartment windows of their vehicles. We had numerous discussions with regard to Trinity and his adventures with this fledgling firm.

 

[John Ehmer]

Flxette

I think you are right Keith....... pic appears to be a 62 Flxette.
Keith , you seem to be very knowledgeable on your Buicks and made a comment about the Buick Chassis supplied to Flx for the Flxette. I have never seen any thing in print before about this chassis....... can you be more descriptive as to what was supplied to flx with this chassis?

I have owned Flxibles and National products (still do) and can say there is absolutely NO comparison between quality of these two. never owned a trinity.

John Ehmer, Buick Chapter

 

[Al Casby]

..........and made a comment about the Buick Chassis supplied to Flx for the Flxette. I have never seen any thing in print before about this chassis....... can you be more descriptive as to what was supplied to flx with this chassis? John Ehmer, Buick Chapter

Hi John,

Don't wish to butt in, but I do know that at least in 1959, the knock-down chassis/body combos sold to Flxible were 4411 LeSabre 2-dr sedan base cars with added Electra features, but were designated as 4730 Electra Stripped-Chassis cars by Buick. Delivered upgrades included such items as the 401 ci engine in place of the 364 ci normally found in the LeSabre series in most, but not every, car ordered. Interiors featured basicLeSabre instrument panels, LeSabre rubber floor mats, and LeSabre front seat and door panels. The cars were shipped devoid of rear seats and trunk lids, as these would not be utilized in the conversion.

Buick utilized a series of holes punched into the front of the frame side-rails which identifies the frame origin, in this case LeSabres. Also note that all 50 Flxible Premier's produced in 1959 bore 4F- serial numbers, another give-away as to the cars original LeSabre genes.

The sole Flxette in 1959 was also built from a 4411 LeSabre sedan stripped chassis, but the delivery included rear doors from a 4435 LeSabre Estate Wagon, and was designated as a 4490 LeSabre Stripped-Chassis by Buick Motor Division.

Hope this helps,

Al

Al Casby
1959 Flxible-Buick Premier Limousine Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick LWB Panoramic-Landau Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick SWB Limousine Ambulance

 

[Al Casby]

I haven't seen Bill's car; but my favorite Buick has to be the nice '59 Flxette ambulance that was owned by Brown F.H. in Tulsa, OK. I've only seen the b/w photos that Steve Loftin has of the car. That pic was taken by a newspaper fotog in the rain as the car ran "hot" past him. Nice!

Skip:

That photo of Steve's is indeed a great shot. The car however, is not the sole Flxible Flxette, as it has been mis-identified on many other websites. That car is actually one of few 1959 Comet-Buick SWB straight ambulances that were produced, and it's still in existance in my collection, patiently awaiting restoration.

The car changed hands after serving in Tulsa, going north to the city of Iola, Kansas; then being used as a tornado chaser and foul-weather alert car out of Neosho Falls, Kansas until it was finally retired to a low-lying, often water/fertilizer-logged pasture with typical results. I do believe that every rodent and insect in the state of Kansas at one time or another called it home. When I drug it to my facility, I was so tired after a day soaked to the bone in 33 degree rain that I stopped and sat in a lawn chair and just stared at it.....and a pack-rat about the size of a water buffalo was staring back at me from atop the air cleaner!

It requires the full-meal-deal restoration-wise, but hopefully will be stunning when finished.

Al

Al Casby
1959 Flxible-Buick Premier Limousine Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick LWB Panoramic-Landau Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick SWB Limousine Ambulance

 

[Keith Snyder]

John...I'm glad that Al jumped in there and he is 100% correct. Some of this information was included in McPherson's Flxible book - along with photos of the base cars on the assembly line. Tom tells me that in a future issue of The Professional Car he details the complete history of the 1959-1950 Flxible-Buicks so....I am assuming that he'll tell us more about the base cars Flxible used to make these coaches as well.

 

[Keith Snyder]

Skip & Steve.... I contacted Tom McPherson on this and forwarded the photo to him. This is what he came back with: "This is a 1962 Flxible-Buick Flxette. According to what information I've seen on the posting, this car was most likely the Flxette owned by the Marsh Funeral Home in Albion, Michigan. Dennis Distributors of Flint, Michigan sold this car to Marsh and delivered it on February 28, 1962. It was Flxible's body number 1220 and was a Flxible Model FB610-62 which was a Flxette Combination Car. The motor/frame number of this car was 4I-1019067. In 1962 Flxible sold only four coaches in the State of Michigan and two of these were Flxettes. One, as noted above, went to the Marsh Funeral Home in Albion and the other to the Rupp-Durell Funeral Home in Monroe. Both of these cars were FB160-62 Flxette combinations." I believe that this should end the debate over what this car is/was and who built it.

 

[Martyn Donaldson]

Check posts #1 and #9 on page 1 of this thread for more '62 Flxette photos courtesy of Steve Loftin and Terry Lange..

http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3679

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Skip & Steve.... I contacted Tom McPherson on this and forwarded the photo to him. This is what he came back with: "This is a 1962 Flxible-Buick Flxette. According to what information I've seen on the posting, this car was most likely the Flxette owned by the Marsh Funeral Home in Albion, Michigan. Dennis Distributors of Flint, Michigan sold this car to Marsh and delivered it on February 28, 1962. It was Flxible's body number 1220 and was a Flxible Model FB610-62 which was a Flxette Combination Car. The motor/frame number of this car was 4I-1019067. In 1962 Flxible sold only four coaches in the State of Michigan and two of these were Flxettes. One, as noted above, went to the Marsh Funeral Home in Albion and the other to the Rupp-Durell Funeral Home in Monroe. Both of these cars were FB160-62 Flxette combinations." I believe that this should end the debate over what this car is/was and who built it.

Thanks for clearing the air on this, Keith. I didn't notice the age of the car in the pic. You're right, Trinity only operated from '65-'68. It was a '68 Triune I got to work out of. Since you knew Joe and Jim Summers, just wondered if you'd heard that Jim's son, Eric, who was the last hold-out for Summers Coach passed away about a year or so ago. Quite a shock, as I had just talked to him. An article of mine about Summers/Trinity had been published in another car club newsletter, and he'd called to thank me for the article. He was gone about 2 weeks later. His brother, Chip, now has funeral homes in Lubbock and Plainview (and maybe others by now).

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Skip:

That photo of Steve's is indeed a great shot. The car however, is not the sole Flxible Flxette, as it has been mis-identified on many other websites. That car is actually one of few 1959 Comet-Buick SWB straight ambulances that were produced, and it's still in existance in my collection, patiently awaiting restoration.

The car changed hands after serving in Tulsa, going north to the city of Iola, Kansas; then being used as a tornado chaser and foul-weather alert car out of Neosho Falls, Kansas until it was finally retired to a low-lying, often water/fertilizer-logged pasture with typical results. I do believe that every rodent and insect in the state of Kansas at one time or another called it home. When I drug it to my facility, I was so tired after a day soaked to the bone in 33 degree rain that I stopped and sat in a lawn chair and just stared at it.....and a pack-rat about the size of a water buffalo was staring back at me from atop the air cleaner!

It requires the full-meal-deal restoration-wise, but hopefully will be stunning when finished.

Al

Al Casby
1959 Flxible-Buick Premier Limousine Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick LWB Panoramic-Landau Ambulance
1959 Comet-Buick SWB Limousine Ambulance

Wow! A Comet Buick! Thanks, Al. A local funeral home had a '63 C/B short Pontiac that I thought for a long time was a Consort. But the dealer from Abilene who sold the car later told me that it was, indeed, a Cotner/Bevington, and only one of four made.