what's new?

Mike Stevens

Mike Stevens

PCS Member
We have all been wondering what the next new hearse will look like. The end of the Cadillac commercial chassis is in sight. So we have been told. I just talked to Tom Caserta who says he saw one of these today. Go to the site of the Lima Commercial Coach Co. www.limacommercialcoach.com They have pictures and a short video of something new. I think it will be a love it or hate it thing. But that is just my opinion. What is your's?
Mike

:wowguy:
 
That is a great looking first call car, or flower car, airport shuttle, etc, It ain't no hearse just like those trucks ain't no ambulance
 
I think it is sad that just like the amublances, now the hearse is basically a truck. There certainly isn't any class or style compared to a "regular" hearse, in my opinion anyway. I know the coach companies don't have much to work with these days, but imagine what a PCS meet will look like 30 years from now.....
 
needs fender skirts and change the wheels. they make it look more truck then anything else. then drop the suspension down to a decent higth. plenty of stuff around to do that put smaller wheels and tires on it and you got a low rider you see down town every day. maybe if they did it limo style it would look better. they all reaady did this in the 70's. still can't stand the lift gate.
 
It has potential

Change the wheels to something more conservative. Ive never been a fan of fender skirts on 'Burbs. A local FH here had a First Call Suburban with skirts and it looked odd. I still think the Chryler 300 makes a good platform for a hearse.
 
This coach has been discussed on three different forums and alot of people say the same things... mainly that it needs to be lower. In all fairness look at this thing, it's no more than 4" off the ground all the way around and actually it sits lower than my S&S Victoria did at stock height. This Suburban sits no higher than any of our coaches, even the loading deck height. As for the wheels, they are all that's available on anything nowdays. Go look at your cars & trucks in your driveways, they all have 16" - 18" wheels from the factory and our good old traditional 15" wheels won't clear the brakes on anything & hubcaps are all but gone forever. As for more traditional wheels I can't think of anything that would fall into that category to put on this unit unless Wheel Vintiques offers a steelie wheel in 18" with a center cap & trim ring... but on 2nd thought look how BAD that stuff looks on a PT Cruiser! The old doesn't mix with the new anymore... bummer.

We don't have to like it, and 99% of us don't. It's the nightmare we all knew was coming eventually since we have so few to choose from for a conversion to begin with. At least it's not a front-wheel-drive turd. I'm with Ed, i'll NEVER like a lift gate & wish they'd put more work into designing a side hinged loading door. Other than that i'll accept it but don't like it because of our traditional views on procars. There are so many classy mods to this Suburban it's unreal, but it's still a Suburban at the end of the day...
04.jpg
 
I don't know I think t looks OK with skirts and your right a more solid wheel in the darker tone with the smaller chrome cap would look better. as it is all you see are the wheels
 

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Ron's reply pretty much sums up my sentiments here. Might as well just buy a work van and put rollers in it. Wouldn't look any worse than this thing. Maybe, at least for short distances, it's time to revert to the horse-drawn hearse, if this black blob represents the "future." Giddap, Dobbin.........
 
Knowing what I've heard and read I did some digging around with those in the business. From what I am given to understand - from those supposedly in the know- both Cadillac and Lincoln are committed to the professional car industry and will offer their current products (without much change) through 2011 with all-new platforms appearing for 2012 - they may be late but that's what the coachbuilders are being told. Letting folks think that 2010 will be the last of the current cars is simply a ploy to bolster sales of the cars they are currently building - you gotta keep the line running. That's what I'm being told - right from the horses mouth so to speak and you can take it for what it's worth. Based on historical precedent, I'm betting this information is correct.
 
Atilla's limo model

I think Attila's limo model softened the thing a bit. I am not good with the idea of an Excalade hearse either. Anything that looks like a truck or is truck based just dosn't do it for me. More reason to keep my 61 M-M.
Mike

:wowguy:
 
The shrinking hearse

Keith Snyder said:
Knowing what I've heard and read I did some digging around with those in the business. From what I am given to understand - from those supposedly in the know- both Cadillac and Lincoln are committed to the professional car industry and will offer their current products (without much change) through 2011 with all-new platforms appearing for 2012 - they may be late but that's what the coachbuilders are being told. Letting folks think that 2010 will be the last of the current cars is simply a ploy to bolster sales of the cars they are currently building - you gotta keep the line running. That's what I'm being told - right from the horses mouth so to speak and you can take it for what it's worth. Based on historical precedent, I'm betting this information is correct.
Click to expand...

Actually, the platforms for 2012 already exist. The coachbuilders just aren't using them yet. Take a look at the Buick LaCrosse and the Lincoln MKZ. That's the future. The 2012 Cadillac XTS will share the same chassis with the LaCrosse. As for the MKZ, maybe the body will see a freshening in 2012. Gotta believe the hearse/limo builders and their customers are going to be less than ecstatic about the smaller chassis. Wouldn't be surprised to see an additional decline in funeral coach sales starting in 2012.
 
Mike Stevens said:
We have all been wondering what the next new hearse will look like. The end of the Cadillac commercial chassis is in sight. So we have been told. I just talked to Tom Caserta who says he saw one of these today. Go to the site of the Lima Commercial Coach Co. www.limacommercialcoach.com They have pictures and a short video of something new. I think it will be a love it or hate it thing. But that is just my opinion. What is your's?
Mike
Click to expand...

This is not the right solution. If this is the only option, our 2011 Cadillac fleet will remian in service for long time....
 
you know for years we use the standard caddy wheel cover on the pro cars. so what is now wrong with the stock caddy wheels on the Escalade? part of what is wrong is the after market wheels and no stretch. it's a short dumpy box. but to me it still looks better the the fiberglass cap. that is bad bad bad and always has been.
 
You can bet that the new platforms will be professionally extended just as current ones are. If they can build acceptable funeral cars (and ambulances) in Europe on Mercedes and other chassis, I'm sure that the folks at Accubuilt and Eagle will come up with something acceptable to North American funeral directors. Remember the fuss over the "downsized" '77s and then again over the FWD models in '85-'86. These have become the norm today and are quite acceptable. Although our major coachbuilders may not know much about style and tradition, they do know how to build suitable vehicles for the profession. Have faith. Cadillac (and Lincoln) based professional cars will be with us for sometime to come. No, let's just pray that the builders will hire someone who really knows something about funeral car styling and design balance.
 
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