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Member
Posts: 7
| Here are few pictures of my 1958 Chrysler hearse. I pulled it out of a salvage yard last year, where it had been sitting since 1971. It needs everything replaced/rebuilt on it. It was converted by the National coach company. If anyone has any info on other National built Chryslers please tell me. I have found photos of Plymouth built Nationals and an Imperial as well, but no other Chryslers in '58.
Edited by kshearsedriver 2007-05-14 12:30 PM
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Location: The Mile High City | Hi, Travis: can you send me the full-size photos of that gem? Very nifty! My e-mail address is msutherland@ci.broomfield.co.us
Thanks,
Mike |
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Location: Parts Unknown | I will NEVER understand why Ma Mopar didn't give the wagons full fins like that !!!
That is SO much better looking than those shaved off stock jobs! On this point, this semi-purist would customize a wagon in a heartbeat!
Neat, neat car !
B. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Yeah; full-fins (a converted 4-door sedan), but the car-model was the low-rent Windsor, in a HEARSE!
You can get me to a HOSPITAL, in any old thing, but, when I go-"out", I wanna be 'taken' to the bone-yard, in an IMP!
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Location: Parts Unknown | d500neil - 2007-05-16 5:59 PM
Yeah; full-fins (a converted 4-door sedan), but the car-model was the low-rent Windsor, in a HEARSE!
You can get me to a HOSPITAL, in any old thing, but, when I go-"out", I wanna be 'taken' to the bone-yard, in an IMP!
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That DeSoto collection that is coming up for auction soon sports a 58 DeSoto Ambulance .... in guess what ? ... the low-rent Sweep line! Show me a bruiser Fireflite or NY'er hearse or ambulance with full fins. Now THAT would be a real Q-ship in my book!
I would like to see a 57-9 Imperial hearse or ambulance. Anyone have a photo ?
B. |
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Location: Staffordshire, England | Doctor DeSoto - 2007-05-16 6:21 AM
I would like to see a 57-9 Imperial hearse or ambulance. Anyone have a photo ?
B.
We've not updated it for a while but somewhere in this album there's pics of Imperial hearses and ambulances.
http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?album... |
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | From the Imperial Club's web site:
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | Here's the text:
Imperial Made into 'Hospital on Wheels'
A new kind of ambulance, built from a 1959 Crown Imperial into "a hospital on wheels," was shown buy the Guy Mullen Ambulance Service to St. Louis doctors and hospital administrators for the first time.
Guy Mullen, who was instrumental in designing the ambulance known as The Blue Guardian, announced that he would start building another such ambulance as soon as 1960 Imperials were available. The completed new unit will be placed in service as soon as ambulance orderlies have completed a course in the use of its equipment.
BLUE GUARDIAN-That's the newst ambulance shown doctors and hospital administrators in St. Louis. Name was chosen by Guy Mullen, who designed ambulance, using a 1959 Crown Imperial, to start with.
In commenting on the choice of chassis, Mullen declared, "The Imperial was selected because of its torsion-aire ride, the design and operation of the brakes, the horsepower and the fact that the chassis is constructed of eleven gauge steel, all of which attributes to the safety and comfort of the patient. Nylon tires were added as another safety measure."
Mullen, whose family started an ambulance service in St. Louis in 1890, worked on the new ambulance with an engineer from the Comet Coach Co. of Blytheville, Ark., the firm that made the actual conversion.
The name, The Blue Guardian, was chosen because of the blue leather interior of the 1959 Imperial. It was used throughout the front and rear compartments of the ambulance.
The new ambulance is equipped with such innovations as an electric lung for the patient in need of resuscitation, an electronic cardiac monitor and electronic pulse pick-up with room amplifier, a sphygmomanometer for taking blood pressure, an electrocardiograph machine, as well as oxygen and portable resuscitation equipment.
INTERIOR-Photo above shows stainless steel interiors and some of the equipment which makes this ambulance a "hospital on wheels," designed to transport critically ill or injured persons under conditions as sterile as an operating room.
The primary purpose of the ambulance is to transport critically injured or sick persons to the hospital under conditions as sterile as an operating room and as safe and comfortable as a modern hospital room.
The patient's compartment is completely lined with stainless steel and includes and electric kitchen, water fountain, water cooler, all in stainless steel and chrome.
In addition to the Imperial, Mullen has an ambulance built on a Windsor in his fleet of seven ambulances.
The first Mullen ambulance in use in the St. Louis area was a horse-drawn vehicle put into service in 1890.
(This story was originally printed in the October, 1959 issue of the Chrysler and Imperial Times dealership newsletter.)
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Wise Old Village Idiot
Posts: 3591
Location: Dellslow, West ("By God") Virginia ! | NICE!
3 or 4 years ago, I advertised in all of the US's, Funeral Coach/Hearse club's want ads, and the PCS want ads, looking for a '58 Chrysler Funeral Coach.
Those ads ran for close to a year. No one knew of any survivors.
Wonder how yours went unnoticed?
I wanted to find one, and swap my 300-D front clip, motor, etc, and make a one of a kind Funeral Coach. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | "I wanted to find one, and swap my 300-D front clip, motor, etc, and make a one of a kind Funeral Coach."
Now THAT would be cool !!!! 
B. |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | 1959 Chrysler Saratoga from Ian,s Album
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | 1957 Imperial Landau from Ians Album
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Member
Posts: 7
| alumcanTandThd - 2007-05-18 9:48 PM
NICE!
3 or 4 years ago, I advertised in all of the US's, Funeral Coach/Hearse club's want ads, and the PCS want ads, looking for a '58 Chrysler Funeral Coach.
Those ads ran for close to a year. No one knew of any survivors.
Wonder how yours went unnoticed?
I wanted to find one, and swap my 300-D front clip, motor, etc, and make a one of a kind Funeral Coach.
This one was buried in a small salvage yard in S.E. Kansas. It had been sitting in the exact same spot since 1971 when they drove it in. The last tags were still on the car. The owner doesn't let too many people into the yard anymore. I sat and talked with him for quite awhile before he would even take me back to see the cars. Then I had to talk with him some more to convince him to sell me the coaches. He's a real nice guy but since he had a stroke he doesn't spend as much time in the lot anymore. He has some other old Mopar remains out there as well. But like I said getting him to sell anything can be a chore. I haven't had a chance to walk the whole yard yet. In fact I've only seen the front 1/3 of it, while loading up the '58 Chrysler and the '50 Caddy hearse. I can only imagine the rides that my be tucked away back there. There's an old DeSoto just a few yards from where I dragged out the Cad.
I'm kinda curious about what info you were able to find. How many Chryslers did National make that year? Best I can tell it is the rarest of my collection.
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Any updates on getting the '58 hearse back on the street??? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 340
Location: Tacoma, WA | YES, any update? I had forgotten about your National. My Chrysler ambulance/hearse combo (from an even lesser-known coachbuilder) hasn't made much progress, and it was great seeing another one rescued. I hope yours is farther along than mine.
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/n/national/national.htm
I'll look through my PCS roster and publications. as well as my copy of the black-book "Bible." http://www.amazon.com/American-Funeral-Ambulances-Since-Automotive/...
Thanks for bumping this thread - I'm going to go into the garage and work on my '60.
Edited by Dave L. 2011-06-25 5:51 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 957
Location: Signal Mountain, TN | Wow, this thing is cool. I love seeing any kind of old ambulance or hearse that ISN'T a Cadillac... sumthin' different, ya know? I will second the others. Any updates?
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Member
Posts: 7
| Still in pieces, other projects have taken up my spare time. The motor and trans were pulled and sold in 2011. There is a newer rear end tucked up underneath it now. |
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1958 chrysler hearse/ambulance combo
