Need some opinions/help....(long post)

D

Dana Bennett

PCS Life Member
Hi Everyone!!
My friend Tim Gaylord who was a PCS member for a few years when he owned a beautiful silver/gray? '69 MM hearse. We both attended the Kingston PCS meet in 2000 with our cars (mine is a white '76 Superior Sovereign Regal Hearse).
Tim is the type who LOVES cars and although he takes EXTREMELY good care of his cars he has been the type of guy buy a car, put a little work into it, enjoy it for a while and then sell it to buy another car, he has had some VERY nice cars!! Unfortunately when he was selling his '69 MM I was to STUPID to buy the car (it was in OUTSTANDING condition needing very little to be perfect!!) especially considering I could have had it for about $2,500.00and at the time I DID have the money!!! Also, the owner before Tim (in michigan) bought this car from Doug Scott (in Ca) must have been around 1997 ??, and I think it's safe to say that Doug Scott's cars are pretty darn nice!!
Anyways, we each have wondered whatever became of the car!! Unfortunately Tim just found an E-bay auction that he is CONVINCED was his car!! and I think that there's just no way!! I will say that someone DID put a lot of time and money into customizing this hearse (looks like it might be alot of fun to drive!!) and while I am a person who likes most custom cars I think that IF this is the SAME car then it is a BIG shame as the car WAS (in my opinion) simply AWESOME and clean the way it was!!!
I will try to link the auction (if I fail could someone please ad it for me??), also check the link on the auction site to see more in progress project pictures.
Tim believes it to be his car because the hood trim is cracked in the same place, the rear bumper has "identical" dents (he is comparing to a picture of his of the bumper) and that in a picture you can see the PCS sticker that he put on the windshield. The seller also believes this could have been Tim's car. Tim isn't thrilled that this was the fate of his car but thinks it is better than sitting in a junkyard, or worse!
I believe it could NOT be the same car because, my biggest reason, is that this car has suicide rear doors and his did not. Tim says that he talked to the current owner and he says that this car was already customized by some type of "pimp my ride" type school. I know it COULD be possible to change the doors but not very likely. Also, Tim's was a straight hearse and in the project pictures you see a space on the right rear interior where they had removed an A/C unit before installing another, does the opening look like something just cut out or could it have been a rear heat-A/C unit done by M-M thus making it a former Combo car, I would also think numbers from a data plate on the car would confirm this?? of course it is possible that parts (rear bumper, hood, windshield) could have come from Tim's car, but I certainly hope not!!
Anyways, I hope this is NOT the same car and would REALLY like any help in possibly locating where Tim's '69 is today!!! Seriously, it was in excellent shape (NO rust, looked to be perfect paint, some people thought it to be a repaint and others thought original), it was completely plain, no power windows, vinyl interior, I don't even think it had A/C!! plain but NICE!!
Unfortunately, I only have one poor online photo of Tim's car on myspace and will include a link, maybe someone can also post that photo?? I do know it was also photographed in kingston and maybe if someone has that they might share??(all the cars were lined up and filed through an area, I think behind the hotel, to be photographed individually- would love a copy of the picture of his car and of mine!!)
Anyways, Thanks for reading and for any opinions/comments.
Dana Bennett
Forestville, NY

myspace picture:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...iendID=89661056&albumID=727111&imageID=433709

E-bay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1969...ewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item4cee6bb1a8
 
Really hate to see a nice car done up this way. M-M (to the best of my knowledge) only had suicide doors on 3-way coaches and nothing else. So in all likely hood this was done by a shop somewhere. I to have seen cars or have had an opportunity to purchase cars at a good deal but the time just wasn't right at the time and I know how it feels to let one slip by, we can't buy all them like we would like to do. But it does look like it was a nice car at one time though.
 
Details

As much as I hate to tell you this, Dana, I'd say this could very well be Tim's former car. I agree with Jeremy that it is unlikely a Miller-Meteor of this vintage would have factory suicide doors unless it was a 3-way, which this car clearly never was. Considering the modifications that were done to this car, it's entirely probable that the rear doors were "gutted" and retro-fitted to become suicide doors. (Notice that in addition to the external door handles being reversed, the interior handles were too.)

While it gets harder and harder to find a late '60s Cadillac that DOESN'T have a cracked hood trim moulding, it seems awefully coincidental that the crack is in the same place, the rear bumper dents are the same, and the presence of a PCS symbol all match Tim's car.

As detailed as Tim's car was, and as meticulous as he is, I would think he'd have photos of the engine compartment, specifically showing the data plate. The numbers can be compared to tell for sure if this is the same car. Depending on the state the seller lives in, a title history can also be done, which would reveal Tim's former ownership.
 
Also, you can see in this photo, the side door handles are not there at all - probably, the photos were taken while work was still in progress on the doors.
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Since the blower is also not in those pics, those photos are of the car earlier in it's customization.
 
WOW!!! , and I really thought I was right!!!, now (sadly) I guess this could have been Tims car.
I knew it most likely could not have been a three-way because there are still door posts between the doors but I did not know M-M did not have suicide doors as an option on all coaches like Superior did. Thing is that the door hinge area ( there is at least one or two pictures that show this area) including the hinges and mounting really looks factory done.
Tony, I will see Tim next week and I will see if he has any underhood pictures, I do not know if he would have taken one of the data plate. Unfortunately ,if I remember correcty, there were some title issues with Tim's car and even thought he did have it registered (NY only has titles for '73 and newer vehicles) and insured here in NY I think the VIN did not match properly between vehicle and paperwork. I will ask him if he has any record of either VIN number.
Dana.
 
just goes to show if you sell a car scrape the sticker off unless it to another member. but from looking at the pictures it most definitely a 3 way some one trashed then the school got it and finished it.
 
Not a 3-way because...

In addition to there being "B" pillars, this car does not have the "door into roof" extensions that Miller-Meteor put on the 3-ways to compensate for the clearance needed when side-loading.
 
another thing I did not know!! I will try to remember
to look at the door/roof area the next time I get to see a
MM threeway!! (had hoped to go to Albany but still being
unemployed since July '09 it looks like I will not be able to
attend)

Dana.
 
well, just went yesterday to see Tim, and upon looking closely at some of his pictures this without a doubt was his car!! In addition to the noticable dent in the rear bumper there is also a shallow dimple on both the rear bumper and on one of the sides of the front bumper. Also, what I didn't notice/remember before, is the locking gas door that Tims car had as does this car!
Again, I think it's unfortunate that this car ended up this way as it was certainly a clean original show worthy vehicle!! I guess it really wouldn't bother me as much had it been a rough or damaged car. Tim wonders what happened to the basically mint interior that was in the car?? He is pretty certain that it was just thrown out as trash without regards to someone else who may have been restoring one!!!

Dana.
 
Here's a pic of the car when Tim still had it. I took this picture of it at the 2000 PCS international meet in Kingston, Ontario. It was such a great looking car - definitely one of my top two favorites at the meet.

 
Thanks for posting the picture Sarah!!
and I'm sure Tim will really appreciate hearing that you liked it!!
and to think that a few people seemed to not like that Tim had white letter tires on the car!! I can imagine what they would think if they saw the car today??!!
 
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