Hello again!

K

Kurt Schlieter

Greetings from the soon to be frozen tundra of Northern Wisconsin. Some of the old timers will remember me, others will remember my brother Eric.

Since it looks like Eric will never fully recover, (more on that below) I'm buying his 1977 Lifeliner, number 77264. I know Tony Karsnia knows this ambulance, does anyone else have any info on it? Of the last 25 Miller Meteors, which number is it? Although the car has been stored inside the last five years, it's condition has deteriorated quite a bit. Unfortunately all manner of vermin have made it their home. Amazingly, when we put a fresh battery in it the car fired up after only about 20 seconds of cranking (on five year old gas!). The transmission is leaking (imagine that on an old Cadillac!) and the brakes are down. The biggest challenge of all is the fact that Eric had started to disassemble the car for restoration. I may have to call on other Lifeliner owners for pictures in order to figure out what goes where.

For Eric's friends: His condition has improved over the years following his brain aneurysm, he now talks and can feed himself, which are two things they told us would never happen. We bought a used transport van which allows us to get him out of the nursing home from time to time. It appears, however, that he will be institutionalized the rest of his life.
 
Oldtimers?

No way Kurt, just old, lost friends! A BIG HELLO to Eric! Tell him he is not forgotten about! It's really great to read an update! Often thought about the trip down to see all of his vehicles. Seems like only yesterday! I'm happy to hear you are going to restore that Lifeliner! Keep us all posted here on the progress! Looking forward to the day when you will drive it down to SW Wisconsin, returning to Prairie du Chien for a visit!

Chuck Kramer
 
Kurt; While i dont personally know you or your brother, i have followed this saga over the 6 years Ive been on the message boards. Im glad hes able to talk and feed himself; tha makes life just a bit easier for all. Im sad that he will be institutionalized but thats better than the alternative I suppose. Im sure the other downsized Cadillac Ambulance owners will give you whatever help you need in restoring the car. Imagine the joy it will bring to Eric to see it completed some day!......Best wishes to you and we will keep Eric in our thoughts and prayers.....Rick
 
Kurt....
Welcome to our new forums. It is good to hear the positive improvement that your brother is making. I remember the last time a few years that you had made mention of his illness, you were not very optimistic. It is a testament to his will and determination that he has recovered as well as he has.
I am certain that the car will improve in your good hands after Eric's tragic illness halted his work. I would suggest that you start by doing a complete cleaning of the car and inventory all removed parts. That way, you will know what you have, and what you will need to locate. I have always believed that it is easier to work on one segment at a time, and complete that before moving onto another area. For this reason, I suggest that you start with the brakes, since it will make it easier to move the car if you have a way to stop it. As for the transmission leak, that might be as simple as a leaking pan gasket. Since you know the car will run, you already are way ahead of many that acquire a car that has been stored for many years. While I don't have a downsized Miller Meteor, I do have a downsized Superior, which is identical to your car as far as the commercial chassis goes. I will give you as much help as I can on the mechanical aspects of the car. Just let me know what information you need.
 
Welcome back!

Kurt,

Glad to have you back here on the PCS forums, and thank you for the update on Eric. Like Chuck mentioned, I fondly remember the time he gave us a "tour" of his cars and I'll always remember the nice visit he and I had when he came to pick up the '77 Lifeliner from me in Roseville, MN.

As I may have shared with you, your Lifeliner originally came from Illinois, then went on to Tracy, MN (sale handled by John Ringdahl in Fergus Falls, MN.) Yours is the easiest of the '77 Lifeliners to identify because I'm pretty sure it was the only one built with a single beacon mounted on the front roof slope, just above the windshield.

Again, welcome back! If there is anything I can do to help with the restoration of 77264, please let me know.
 
glad your going to get the car back up and running. don't forget to give you brother a ride or two in it. just load him and and drive off. nothing will bring a smile more then and trip around the town in the back of the ambulance.
 
Kurt, welcome back to the group. Glad you found us. I'm sorry to hear about Eric's illness. Good luck on the restoration, we all look forward to seeing you and the car at a future show.
 
Kurt, although I don't think I ever had the pleasure of meeting you, or Eric, I have wondered what happened to both of you. I wish Eric's outcome would be more along the lines of a full recovery. But it sounds like you guys are making the best of the way things are. My best to you both and your family.

I owned a '78 Lifeliner for a while. It was a great driving professional car. It now belongs to Florida member Martin Schmeisser. I have no pictures of it. Good luck with your's and Welcome Back!
 
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