Toronto based Eureka Thread (Pre 1989)

[Mike Boyer]

Now before anyone jumps all over me for posting this I did a search and found threads on Rockfalls Eureka's, Superior's, S&S, MM, but nothing on the 1980's Eureka's. if I missed it then I'm sorry

now I know there are other threads that may cover this like Classy Cadillac's and such. so I'll leave it up to the "Big Guy" and if he feels it should be moved into another thread then move it.

I know alot of you don't like the 80's stuff

I just thought it would be easier to view them this way

I will start this with my own

1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours Landaulet Endloader Built in Toronto, Ontario

 

[Mike Boyer]

1988 Eureka Chevrolet Landaulet

 

[Pat Post]

Those are nice! But be forewarned. I tried to do a thread for Superiors of certain years and was lashed.

 

[Mike Boyer]

Those are nice! But be forewarned. I tried to do a thread for Superiors of certain years and was lashed.

I know Pat....I'm just waiting for it to start ! lol

I know alot of guys on here hate the 80's front wheel drive cars, but too bad thats what a forum is suppose to be about.

We are The Professional Car Society not the Pre 80's professional Car Society

Even if we don't like the new Pro-Cars of today..... they are still Pro-Cars

I'm done

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

But be forewarned. I tried to do a thread for Superiors of certain years and was lashed.

Sour grapes provides you with lack of clarity. (Face it, you're in the minority on this one. Had site members agreed with you, your Superior thread may have sustained.) As you have oh-so-eloquently stated in the past:

It's whatevs.

Mike's idea deals with an entirely different era and company that happens to have the same name. May not prove everyone's cup of tea however there is cohesiveness. Even better that there are not many images collectively available on the web, comparably speaking.

Carl's '87 (from his site):

There is a funeral home in NC that ran both front and rear wheel drive Eurekas together in their fleet when new. Here they are today long after leaving FH, each saved from certain demise years apart, and patiently awaiting attention. Town Car has been posted before.

 

[Kyle Martin]

90 eureka

hey mike, i have a 90 caprice eureka coach. know who bought it new but never wondered where it was built. 90's made in canada too? i love this thread already so keep it up. if it gets moved please let me know where,so i can find it please.

 

[Mike Boyer]

Kyle
Your 1990 is not a Toronto based Eureka. The Eureka Coach Company of Toronto closed its doors in early 1989 The Eureka name was sold to CCE and moved prodution to Norwalk, Ohio where they started to build the new Eureka's.
So your 1990 Eureka Caprice was built in Ohio

 

[Mike Boyer]

Here are a few Never before seen (brand new) factory Photo's of Toronto based Eureka's.

Tom McPherson heard that I started this thread and has granted me permission to share a few with you.

All photo's are credited to Tom McPherson ( Toronto )

enjoy

#1 1986 Eureka Oldsmoble Regent Tiara Landaulet

#2 1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours D'Elegance Limousine Style

#3 1988 Eureka Chevrolet Caprice-Regence Versailles Landaulet

 

[Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020]

Here is a 1988 Eureka Buick Patrician landaulet that we enjoyed for awhile last year before sending it to IL where a friend placed it back into service. I've always liked the Buick Patrician model with the C pillar opera window. These Eurekas were beautifully styled cars; while everyone else was stretching station wagons, Tom McPherson was creating elegant, commercial glass professional cars.

(Karsnia photos)

 

[Mike Boyer]

here are a few more of Factory fresh Eureka's

again all photo's ( except #4 ) are credited to Tom McPherson

#1 and #2 1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours D'Elegance Landaulet

#3 1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours Landaulet ( all white )

#4 1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours Landaulet Endloader ( photo taken 2010 )
Mike Boyer


Stay tuned for more later !

 

[Darren Bedford]

I worked with a guy who use to install interior trim in those Eureka coaches.

I did Bill of Material and catalog work and that guy did warranty work where we use to work together.

My current shop is beside a auto repair shop now and the guy who owns the car repair shop also worked at Eureka back in the '80s. This guy did paint work on the coaches.

Both guys stayed in automotive work after leaving Eureka.

A little personal info I had to share regarding Eureka.

Other than that, it was Tom who met me at a car Show in Brampton ON back in 1993 and invited me to the PCS meet in Chatham that summer.

I went, I was amazed, I met some fantastic people who became great friends, I joined and have been a proud PCS member ever since !!!

I had a short visit with Tom today in fact and in a few days I will be seeing 5 of the PCS members I met in Chatham back in '93 in Boston !

20 years later and still enjoying the friendships made at that first meet I am so glad I went too !

Gotta love the cars and people in this club.

Mighty fine I have to say,
Darren

 

[Peter Jennings]

Mike
THANX for this thread. I don't really like the FWD cars but they are history.
Hope it survives the nay sayers.

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Eureka Pontiac Chieftain Landau still in service @ Brinkman-Dress FH in Cleveland, OH.

 

[Keith Snyder]

These Eurekas were beautifully styled cars; while everyone else was stretching station wagons, Tom McPherson was creating elegant, commercial glass professional cars.

In addition to being good-looking well-balanced vehicles, the front wheel drive Eurekas were, at the time, the most technically sophisticated and advanced professional cars ever offered to funeral directors. They featured such ground-breaking features as a one-piece FRP roof cap that envoloped all of the upper parts of the car from the A-pillars to and around the back door and the quarter panels (something everyone else later copied), a commercial trailing arm and beam rear suspension system - in place of the standard Cadilac rear suspension struts used by competitive makers (which intruded into the casket compartment), four wheel disc brakes (standard on all Cadillacs) - before even Cadillac offered these on passenger cars, inegrated rear high-mounted brake lights - in the back doors - later copied by all, and a one-piece, jig-built, monoque body structure that used only the front portion of the base passenger car - that is from the B-pillars forward. From the cowl back, Eureka built the complete body structure for these cars. These were not, like competitive brands, simply cut and stretch versions of Coupe de Villes. And, to top it all off, Eureka offered FWD coaches on Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile platforms. As I said, these were the most innovative and advanced hearses ever offered to funeral directors.

 

[Mike Boyer]

Here are a few more Factory photo's from Tom McPherson

#1 1987 Eureka Cadillac Concours Brougham Landaulet

#2 1985 Eureka Pontiac Chieftian Landaulet

#3 1984 Eureka Cadillac D'Elegance Limousine Style

 

[Mike Boyer]

The picture of the Eureka Pontiac Chieftian that Attila posted looks like it could be the same car ( except for the rear fender skirts) Its hard to tell from Tom's b/w photo

 

[Larri Dirks]

1988 Eureka Cadillac Concours RWD I believe they called it the Concours Landaulet, purchased new for Allen Funeral Homes Sterling, IL. Wood grain floor in rear, dark blue interior, dark blue velour draperies and wire wheel covers. Front line coach from 1988-2001. Still to this day this coach was my favorite, Tom McPherson really had an eye for producing beautiful vehicles. Wish I knew where this coach went.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

sitting at breakfast with Tom and Walt in Flint was to me what the the PCS is all about. Tom got to telling how the proper rear end came to get under these cars. all standard stuff out of the GM book but one that was designed if I remember right by a firm that supplied rear assemblies for GM. it was designed for a wagon body they never put into production but was just the key under these cars. there are answers for problems out there if your will to do the research to find them. ask the question to the right people gets you the right answer the key is find the right person.

 

[Keith Snyder]

According to Tom, the story Ed is referring to is about the trailing arm and beam rear suspension Eureka used on its FWD cars. The assembly Eureka used was initially designed for a FWD Buick station wagon that was never produced but, the engineers showed Tom the original drawings and told him where they were to be built and by whom - I believe that it was a GM supplier firm in Tennessee. At any rate, the assembly was almost identical to that used for the GM "A-body" cars - Pontiac 6000, Malibu, etc. - and was available with 4-wheel disc brakes. Eureka had these axle assemblies made up for them in a heavier form and slightly wider for use under their FWD hearses. Ed's right. All you have to do is seek answers to problems....they're out there. You just have to be willing to innovate....and in this vein....only Eureka sought answers to what they saw as a problem. All you have to do is look at the rear compartment of a 1985-1987 Superior or S&S and compare the size, length and width between the wheelhouses with what was available in a comparable Eureka to see the difference. Innovation makes the difference. Sonething the industry seems to lack today.

 

[Mike Boyer]

when I was doing the rear brakes on my 87 fwd Eureka I had to call Tom and ask him what was used for the rear brakes ? Tom told me that on the fwd cars they used a rear beam axle from a 1987 Pontiac 6000 G.M. then sent them down to a plant in Tenn ( I think) and was widened by G.M. that why Eureka could eliminate the rear Suspension struts and also eliminate the "bump" that intruded into the casket compartment. The rear disc brakes were from a 1987 Pontiac 6000 sport.