Ironically, this happens on a regular basis in the mainstream, whether you call it a clone, restomod, or whatever, it is widely done and for good reasons. How many Chenille SS454 were built, or Yenko, COPO, Hemi Mopars, etc. People want to enjoy the cars they want to enjoy and may not be able to find, or for that matter, afford the "real" car.
Just some musings while on night shift. I think anyone who with interest in - or owns - a professional car appreciates and likes these vehicles... On top of that, I think folks often have one or some combination of the below:
1. An interest/appreciation for the automotive aspects of these vehicles, be it mechanical or aesthetic design.
2. An interest/appreciation for funeral service, ambulance service, or fire service history which these vehicles participated in.
3. An interest/appreciation in the history of a local area where a vehicle(s) served.
4. An interest/appreciation of “hot rods.”
5. An interest/appreciation for the macabre, “gothic,” or other “shocking” aspects of these vehicles – particularly with funeral coaches.
6. An interest/appreciation for a 1980s movie that had a 1959 Miller-Meteor combination in it.
If the car’s yours, it’s of course surely yours to do with as you please. However, we are well within the period where I believe it is most important to maintain the legacy of our forebears in the professions these cars served. It is oft-cited here that even 20-30 years ago, that these cars were plentiful and often in good, original condition. All of my vehicles (1961, 1963, 1963, and 1970) were still in active emergency service in 1988. The men who built these cars were just a phone call away. Increasingly, this is no longer the case. I think it is important for us to preserve historicity best we can, lest the truth become convoluted into some caricature to future generations. The JFK ambulance story could’ve easily gone that route had it not been for the historians of the PCS! After all – that vehicle is “period correct” and a quality restoration of a Navy ambulance that I’d enjoy having in my collection – but it’s surely missing its historicity now. Sadly, there is no viable museum for ambulance/rescue service, and the PCS is all there is.
These cars are very different from the identical hordes of passenger cars put out the same year. Pick at least one: The hand-crafted construction, the scarcity, uniqueness of each vehicle, the noble purpose of its service, and the local history each vehicle is entwined with. I personally believe owning one is a responsibility in being the caretaker of a historical artifact. While I derive pleasure from them – that’s not their purpose for existing. I personally don’t see this in terms of scoring points on a judging checklist – or being able to say “Yeah man, it’s all original” at some car cruise. There’s a lot of leeway, and I see no harm in “period correct” alterations on a poorly documented or otherwise “orphaned” vehicle. After all – it “could’ve been done that way.” Sometimes, no good answer can be found for “what went where” after decades of modification and missing equipment. However, for well-documented vehicles like my 1963 Pinner-Chrysler from Rhinecliff, NY and my 1963 GMC Rescue from Norfolk, NE – I think it’d be a real shame if I decided to change them to suit my preferences. I’ve toyed with the idea of opening an actual ambulance museum one day, and I’d like to be able to say what legitimate museums from the Smithsonian on down can – “Yes, that’s what it would’ve looked like, best our research can tell.”