Steve, was that the Lazarus collection? The guy that keeps advertising the 59 Eureka for way too much money?
Have you ever made a trip to look at a Pro-Car that wasn't what it was said to be?
- Thread starter Josh Gentry
- Start date
Well, I won't name names....but I can tell you that I saw that '59 Eureka and it was in worse shape than the Travelall, if that's possible, and that was probably 15 years ago. I doubt it's gotten better with age.
I have heard many many of horror stories about a certain guy in IL. To be honest, from all the stories I've heard about him, I'm not sure I would consider buying any Pro-Car that comes up for sale anywhere in IL no matter what it is, unless its owned by a PCS member, or owned by a good friend of a PCS member.
Great story Steve. Its always nice when a bad story can turn in to a good one.
Josh
Great story Steve. Its always nice when a bad story can turn in to a good one.
Josh
Well, the bad story is still a bad story. The good story was a different story altogether.
I certainly won't knock everyone in Illinois just because of the one guy. I've got a lot of good, honest, PCS friends in Illinois. My Travelall from southern Illinois was nice as I said. I also bought replacement front fenders for my Packard in Chicago, they were fine, just as advertised.
But I'd be very wary of anything in Rockford.....
I certainly won't knock everyone in Illinois just because of the one guy. I've got a lot of good, honest, PCS friends in Illinois. My Travelall from southern Illinois was nice as I said. I also bought replacement front fenders for my Packard in Chicago, they were fine, just as advertised.
But I'd be very wary of anything in Rockford.....
John ED Renstrom
PCS Member
been there, seen that, got to look a a long list of vary bad stuff including a rusted out Springfield. all with a sellers price attached. but the memories will stay with a man for the rest of his life. even a bad day pro car hunting is better the a good day working. but in your case as the 6 door in Flint Kevin checked out for me. it is a lot less expensive to have some one look for you then travel that distance for nothing.
Dan Brintlinger
PCS Member
56 limo
I flew to the east coast 20 years ago, to look at a 56 limo. It turned out to be in a cave. The owner gave me an extension cord with bare light bulb, said it ran when he backed in into the cave, and said maybe he could get it running if I came back.................I didn't fly back.
I flew to the east coast 20 years ago, to look at a 56 limo. It turned out to be in a cave. The owner gave me an extension cord with bare light bulb, said it ran when he backed in into the cave, and said maybe he could get it running if I came back.................I didn't fly back.
Bruce Biancalana
PCS Life Member
I saw the Intenational in Rockford just before he picked it from the speedway back in the eighties. It was a super nice rig then, but as everthing that guy gets he lets them degragate to junk. He always is overpriced so they rarely leave him. The 59 has been in his inventory since 72. I bet it was nice when he got it. The 59 was only 13 years old when he got it. His age is starting to catch up to him. I am not sure hom much longer he can keep it up.
Jeremy D. Ledford
PCS Volunteer Chapter President
Oh yeah, been there done that!
Here's a story about a certain 73 M-M Classic duplex known of around here! The current owner was looking for his first pro-car back in 2001 and really wanted a M-M combo! He found what fit the bill on the old PCS website for sale only a couple hours from him. He called the seller and made arrangements to see the coach with money in hand. Car is taken out on test drive. All seems well till they get back to owners home (in not so good part of town), transmission leak! Finally settled on a deal and got to keep 176-D Beacon Ray (not originally in deal) on car due to the leak! Comes back to where the car is at a couple days later to pick the car is and its behind a 7 foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire all locked up in (remember) a not so good part of town! Luckily the new owner already had the title in his name at that point and a set of car keys! Had to chase around town for two hours to find the owner because he wasn't there and didn't answer his phone(s). Owner finally shows up and delivery is finally taken of car. Start the voyage home with what was thought to be a full tank of gas as per "former" owner as he said it was already gassed up and the fuel gauge was right on! Got about thirty minutes from home, sputter, put put, car dies one side of road. Had car towed home to only find out that it ran out of gas showing a half a tank on the gas gauge! Now lets fast forward two weeks, the car has all been cleaned up, the dried up spilled cold drinks and half eaten candy and other misc trash has been cleaned out of the back! All hoses, belts have been changed along with a tune up and oil filter and grease job done and running like a sewing machine. Now its ready to go to its first cruise in so the new owner thought! Gets about half way to the cruise on that sunny Saturday afternoon and, KABOOM! The engine decides to blow! That fall the engine gets redone (2001)! Later down the line more problems, spark plugs get rewired WRONG during rebuild and hinders future tune up (2008 or 07), fuel pump goes out (another tow bill), starter and alternator too (2008). Transmission finally give up the ghost later on (yet another tow bill) as well as does the master cylinder and the front suspension (2010/11). That's not to mention all the other "little" problems between 2001 and 2011 the car has had and replacing everything that was just missing, damaged or broken on the car as well! 2009 till 2011 have been the only years the car has been dependable enough for him to make any road trips of any distance to PCS chapter meets since he has owned the car! The owner is hoping and firmly believes that after the suspension and steering system rebuild that is currently going underway on the car that it will solve the LAST of the BIG mechanical issues that car has had and hopes it will be FINALLY ready for its first PCS International Meet in Ohio this summer!
Here's a story about a certain 73 M-M Classic duplex known of around here! The current owner was looking for his first pro-car back in 2001 and really wanted a M-M combo! He found what fit the bill on the old PCS website for sale only a couple hours from him. He called the seller and made arrangements to see the coach with money in hand. Car is taken out on test drive. All seems well till they get back to owners home (in not so good part of town), transmission leak! Finally settled on a deal and got to keep 176-D Beacon Ray (not originally in deal) on car due to the leak! Comes back to where the car is at a couple days later to pick the car is and its behind a 7 foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire all locked up in (remember) a not so good part of town! Luckily the new owner already had the title in his name at that point and a set of car keys! Had to chase around town for two hours to find the owner because he wasn't there and didn't answer his phone(s). Owner finally shows up and delivery is finally taken of car. Start the voyage home with what was thought to be a full tank of gas as per "former" owner as he said it was already gassed up and the fuel gauge was right on! Got about thirty minutes from home, sputter, put put, car dies one side of road. Had car towed home to only find out that it ran out of gas showing a half a tank on the gas gauge! Now lets fast forward two weeks, the car has all been cleaned up, the dried up spilled cold drinks and half eaten candy and other misc trash has been cleaned out of the back! All hoses, belts have been changed along with a tune up and oil filter and grease job done and running like a sewing machine. Now its ready to go to its first cruise in so the new owner thought! Gets about half way to the cruise on that sunny Saturday afternoon and, KABOOM! The engine decides to blow! That fall the engine gets redone (2001)! Later down the line more problems, spark plugs get rewired WRONG during rebuild and hinders future tune up (2008 or 07), fuel pump goes out (another tow bill), starter and alternator too (2008). Transmission finally give up the ghost later on (yet another tow bill) as well as does the master cylinder and the front suspension (2010/11). That's not to mention all the other "little" problems between 2001 and 2011 the car has had and replacing everything that was just missing, damaged or broken on the car as well! 2009 till 2011 have been the only years the car has been dependable enough for him to make any road trips of any distance to PCS chapter meets since he has owned the car! The owner is hoping and firmly believes that after the suspension and steering system rebuild that is currently going underway on the car that it will solve the LAST of the BIG mechanical issues that car has had and hopes it will be FINALLY ready for its first PCS International Meet in Ohio this summer!
I'll bet that I can guess the owners name, and even the sellers name. That seller had a lot of bad luck, with cars getting washed away in floods, and others being destroyed in fires...........
Jeremy, like I told you the other night, by the time your finished with that car, it will be better than a new one. Hey, but at least you can't say you have ever got bored with it, there is always something there to keep you busy.:drive2:
Josh
Josh
Darren Bedford
PCS Member
I have a story too !
I guess it was about 1998... I was wanting a vintage hearse again after selling my 1968 Cadillac MM Citation in 1996.
The reason I sold it was because it started to rust out in the rear corner of the front fenders and random other things needed attention. I figure it would be better to get another car than repair the rust and repaint it.
I put an ad in the Canadian Funeral Magazine. It said something like this:
Looking for a 1959-68 funeral coach. Must be in good original condition.
Call with price and location.
Well, I got a call !!! I wasn't home but this is what the guy left on my answering machine... The guy said he had a 1967 MM Cadillac in mint condition, 19000 original miles with original tires !!!
I was in shock ! Jumping up and down with joy ! I booked a flight and called the guy back saying I was going to be in Moncton NB the next day at 5pm.
He said he would pick me up at the airport and take me back to see the car.
I told him I needed to get a hotel as I couldn't book a flight there and home in the same day. He said no problem, you can stay with us and we will drive you back to the airport the next day.
I was thrilled all this was happening so fast and I would be the owner of a mint hearse within the next two days !
I flew out to Halifax then got the connector flight to Moncton.
All this was happening between Christmas and New Years ! It was cold and snowing. Really dark out at that time as well.
Hey came to get me from the airport ! IN THE HEARSE !
I was happy but pissed at the same time. There was salt all over the roads.
Thats the last thing I wanted on a mint 60's hearse was salt.
It was dark and cold so we decided to wait until morning to go out and have a good look at the car.
Morning came and out we went to check out the car.
It did have just 19000 mile ! Original bias ply tires ! Was all there !
...but the car was a complete rust bucket. They had a pit that they used for oil changes. I went down and looked at the frame and gas tank area. It was rotted and likely the worse I have ever seen.
So the disappointment set in BIG TIME !
I ended up telling them that it was not what I expected and had more rust than the one I had gotten rid of because of rust.
Now I had all day until my evening flight. What do I do ?
Well, I ended up going to a Christmas dinner at a relatives house with this family. It was very comfortable and I fit right in. Felt like I had known these people for years.
The car wasn't at all a mint car. To me it was something I wouldn't have wanted for free. I wouldn't have spent any money on that car with a rotted frame and needing major body and paint work.
It wasn't my dream car so no chance I would have paid anything for it.
(Maybe today for a parts car, but not to restore.)
I forgot the asking price but I think it was about 3000.00 15 years ago.
The family were very nice friendly people but their idea of mint and mine were about as far off as it was from Toronto to Moncton !
I had three more jumper flights to get home. Moncton to ? (forgot) to Montreal to Toronto. After the 5 ups and downs over two days flying, I was so glad to be home.
Really sad and really glad I went. So glad I never bought it sight un seen.
It cost me a few hundred dollars for this story in this thread.
I hope you enjoyed it ! LOL
I have to say that it is always better to go see it for yourself than buying from word of mouth or seeing photos ! You never know what you are getting unless you see it for yourself.
I hope someone learns from this thread and prevents a disappointment down the road.
Thanks for reading,
Darren
I guess it was about 1998... I was wanting a vintage hearse again after selling my 1968 Cadillac MM Citation in 1996.
The reason I sold it was because it started to rust out in the rear corner of the front fenders and random other things needed attention. I figure it would be better to get another car than repair the rust and repaint it.
I put an ad in the Canadian Funeral Magazine. It said something like this:
Looking for a 1959-68 funeral coach. Must be in good original condition.
Call with price and location.
Well, I got a call !!! I wasn't home but this is what the guy left on my answering machine... The guy said he had a 1967 MM Cadillac in mint condition, 19000 original miles with original tires !!!
I was in shock ! Jumping up and down with joy ! I booked a flight and called the guy back saying I was going to be in Moncton NB the next day at 5pm.
He said he would pick me up at the airport and take me back to see the car.
I told him I needed to get a hotel as I couldn't book a flight there and home in the same day. He said no problem, you can stay with us and we will drive you back to the airport the next day.
I was thrilled all this was happening so fast and I would be the owner of a mint hearse within the next two days !
I flew out to Halifax then got the connector flight to Moncton.
All this was happening between Christmas and New Years ! It was cold and snowing. Really dark out at that time as well.
Hey came to get me from the airport ! IN THE HEARSE !
I was happy but pissed at the same time. There was salt all over the roads.
Thats the last thing I wanted on a mint 60's hearse was salt.
It was dark and cold so we decided to wait until morning to go out and have a good look at the car.
Morning came and out we went to check out the car.
It did have just 19000 mile ! Original bias ply tires ! Was all there !
...but the car was a complete rust bucket. They had a pit that they used for oil changes. I went down and looked at the frame and gas tank area. It was rotted and likely the worse I have ever seen.
So the disappointment set in BIG TIME !
I ended up telling them that it was not what I expected and had more rust than the one I had gotten rid of because of rust.
Now I had all day until my evening flight. What do I do ?
Well, I ended up going to a Christmas dinner at a relatives house with this family. It was very comfortable and I fit right in. Felt like I had known these people for years.
The car wasn't at all a mint car. To me it was something I wouldn't have wanted for free. I wouldn't have spent any money on that car with a rotted frame and needing major body and paint work.
It wasn't my dream car so no chance I would have paid anything for it.
(Maybe today for a parts car, but not to restore.)
I forgot the asking price but I think it was about 3000.00 15 years ago.
The family were very nice friendly people but their idea of mint and mine were about as far off as it was from Toronto to Moncton !
I had three more jumper flights to get home. Moncton to ? (forgot) to Montreal to Toronto. After the 5 ups and downs over two days flying, I was so glad to be home.
Really sad and really glad I went. So glad I never bought it sight un seen.
It cost me a few hundred dollars for this story in this thread.
I hope you enjoyed it ! LOL
I have to say that it is always better to go see it for yourself than buying from word of mouth or seeing photos ! You never know what you are getting unless you see it for yourself.
I hope someone learns from this thread and prevents a disappointment down the road.
Thanks for reading,
Darren
this was about 1998 I had a guy I know from Kentucky tell me he had a friend that had a hearse in a junkyard and it was nice. He preceded to tell me it was a 58 eureka and in good but not mint condition, so i worked out a deal with him to bring me the car from KY. So he calls an lets me know he has gotten into town and its a rusted out 61 M&M, so always go see a car never take someones word for it..