IMPALA SS 427 Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Nice work, the chassis is looking perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan_m Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 nice work grafting the frames together, i was gonna suggest doing that, but you beat me to it.......lol. keep it going, its looking good. i have an ecto 1 kit, and 2 caddies set aside for a future build, but i have so many things started if i start one more i should be slapped! cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Any updates on this one, David? The work is quite good. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 cool ! i have that same kit , got it from a guy without the ecto stuff , so just body drivetrain and stuff .. its sitting in a box waighting to get turned into something crazy and custom so very curious on this build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan_m Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Any updates on this one, David? The work is quite good. yes david, im in agreement with charlie here......... cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I LOVE IT....!!!...Love hearses anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Wow! It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I did any work on this one! As I recall, I got a bit hung up on the engine and suspension. I think I'll take a look at it today and see if I do something to get it going again. Sometimes my ambition outpaces my my skill, patience and/or energy. Thank you all for the encouragement and kind words. David g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Nice work on the chassis, David, and I love the way you concealed the seam with natural-looking bracing! Looking forward to seeing this one at Desert Scale Classic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impcon Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 My hat is off to you for the quality of workmanship, creativity and ingenuity that you are displaying here. I see thatthis thread seems to have ground to a halt four months ago - I hope thatyou will continue working n this project and sharing your techniques and ideas with us. This will be one very unique and attractive piece when it is done and unique is always good in my books. It's seeing projects like this that inspires a lot of us to take things to the next level and step out of our comfort zone by trying something new. Please keep us informed as to how this is progressing and thank you for sharing thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitforbattle Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Wow! It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I did any work on this one! As I recall, I got a bit hung up on the engine and suspension. I think I'll take a look at it today and see if I do something to get it going again. Sometimes my ambition outpaces my my skill, patience and/or energy. I believe you have the skills, but sometimes all of us need to step back and look from a different perspective to know how to tackle certain obstacles. Unfortunately you've let this one lay for a year, but I'm certain you can figure it out. Have a look at it and keep on working, that chassie looks way too good to be left in a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 A one year delay.Well at least you can be sure the body putty is good and dry! Where are you getting your reference material?Just as a side note,I live about 30 miles from where the Miller-Meteor factory was located(Piqua,Ohio)and every summer there is a festival there that has a separate car(?)show for just Miller-Meteor built vehicles.There is always some really interesting stuff on display.A lot of "formal"cars were built in this area including Superior Coach in Lima,Oh where Cadillac flower cars were pretty much built by hand and Hess and Eisenhart in Wapakoneta,Oh that built limos.All of those are out of business now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 After almost eight years I've decided that I have developed my skills enough to tackle some of the matters that previously stumped me. Hopefully I can get this one finished this time around. I just completed the engine today so here is a quick shot of it. Onward and upward! David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Great to see this thread David. I like what you've done so far, good luck with getting it finished this time around. It took me over 25 years between starting and finishing my Ecto-1A to hearse conversion, and mine was nowhere near as thorough as yours! I kept mine super-simple by using the original chassis, front seats, bumpers etc as I didn't have the Monogram donor, and I started it in pre-internet days so had very limited reference. I built mine with rear side windows, as that's how hearses tend to be here. 1:25 AMT 1959 Cadillac Hearse kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:25 AMT 1959 Cadillac Hearse kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr The racks inside and out were made from brass rod and boat fittings. I look forward to seeing yours progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 3 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said: Great to see this thread David. I like what you've done so far, good luck with getting it finished this time around. It took me over 25 years between starting and finishing my Ecto-1A to hearse conversion, and mine was nowhere near as thorough as yours! I kept mine super-simple by using the original chassis, front seats, bumpers etc as I didn't have the Monogram donor, and I started it in pre-internet days so had very limited reference. I built mine with rear side windows, as that's how hearses tend to be here. The racks inside and out were made from brass rod and boat fittings. I look forward to seeing yours progress. Thank you for your kind comments encouragement Nigel. You did a great job on your conversion, thanks for sharing the photos. Converting the Ghostbusters equipment bay back into a casket-accommodating cargo area is the main reason I put this project back in the box. This is where my ambitions outpaced my skills of the time. Your solution is interesting and something I hadn't considered. As far as window vs landau, I still consider knocking together a couple of panels and making mine a landau but the Ecto-1 looks to be a Miller-Meteor hearse and those were just as likely to be either. Besides, I'm hoping that the cargo area will be worth showing when I'm done. I'm quite interested in the roof rack on yours. Is that something that is done in the UK? I've driven hearses here in the US for more than twenty years and I've never seen one with a roof rack. Are they actually used or are they vestigial coach remnants like the lanterns and landau bars? Regards, David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldmopars Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) I love where this is going. I converted my Ecto-1 into an Ambulance not a hearse. These are fun kits and to me, a great looking car. Converting the rear into a stretcher/Ambulance area was a challenge too, but I just cut it all out and rebuilt it. Edited March 31, 2021 by Oldmopars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, David G. said: Thank you for your kind comments encouragement Nigel. You did a great job on your conversion, thanks for sharing the photos. Converting the Ghostbusters equipment bay back into a casket-accommodating cargo area is the main reason I put this project back in the box. This is where my ambitions outpaced my skills of the time. Your solution is interesting and something I hadn't considered. As far as window vs landau, I still consider knocking together a couple of panels and making mine a landau but the Ecto-1 looks to be a Miller-Meteor hearse and those were just as likely to be either. Besides, I'm hoping that the cargo area will be worth showing when I'm done. I'm quite interested in the roof rack on yours. Is that something that is done in the UK? I've driven hearses here in the US for more than twenty years and I've never seen one with a roof rack. Are they actually used or are they vestigial coach remnants like the lanterns and landau bars? Regards, David G. Thanks David, I hope you didn't mind me dropping a couple of photos of mine here. My version was pretty crude, much of the work was done in the '90s and it was only when I got replacement glass last year that I was able to get on with it again. For the interior I simply choppd the back off and replaced it with a piece of varnished plywood. I glued it in place at the line formed by the underside of the windows. As much as anything, I added the roof rack to break up the big expanse of plain black bodywork complete with my less-than-perfect filling. Also it was an enjoyable little exercise to see if I could scratchbuild something and make it look vaguely realistic. I'm in the happy position of not having had to attend too many funerals so it's not something I've sen in person, but occasionally the rack is used for flowers (we don't tend to have separate flower cars here). I also wonder if it's to add an extra air of formality? Seems to have been a feature on old and newer hearses: Humber Hearse by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Ford Granada Mk2 Hearse (Duffy?) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1996 Vauxhall Omega Hearse, P34MLA by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Some of the really swoopy modern ones I looked at when I did a search seem to be doing without it. Edited March 31, 2021 by Spottedlaurel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 19 hours ago, Oldmopars said: I love where this is going. I converted my Ecto-1 into an Ambulance not a hearse. These are fun kits and to me, a great looking car. Converting the rear into a stretcher/Ambulance area was a challenge too, but I just cut it all out and rebuilt it. Thank you Scott. Beautiful work on your ambulance, thanks for sharing the photos. You should see if you can get some livery decals for it. 13 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said: Thanks David, I hope you didn't mind me dropping a couple of photos of mine here. My version was pretty crude, much of the work was done in the '90s and it was only when I got replacement glass last year that I was able to get on with it again. For the interior I simply choppd the back off and replaced it with a piece of varnished plywood. I glued it in place at the line formed by the underside of the windows. As much as anything, I added the roof rack to break up the big expanse of plain black bodywork complete with my less-than-perfect filling. Also it was an enjoyable little exercise to see if I could scratchbuild something and make it look vaguely realistic. I'm in the happy position of not having had to attend too many funerals so it's not something I've sen in person, but occasionally the rack is used for flowers (we don't tend to have separate flower cars here). I also wonder if it's to add an extra air of formality? Seems to have been a feature on old and newer hearses: Some of the really swoopy modern ones I looked at when I did a search seem to be doing without it. No worries Nigel. My version of the "quick & easy" solution to dealing with the rear area would have been to tint the rear windows and/or add a landau roof. I did consider this briefly but decided that I wanted to go all-out and include a casket and church truck in the back as well. Interesting information on the use of roof racks in the UK. Here in the States most funeral homes would use a van to transport flowers to the cemetery. I know that traditional flower cars can still be ordered and I'm sure that some funeral homes still use them because I see them in the trade publications, but I don't think I've ever seen one in person. Thank you for sharing the photos of old hearses too. I especially like the old Humber. Regards, David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Hi David, keep going! Here is my version... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 2, 2021 Author Share Posted April 2, 2021 7 hours ago, Steve H said: Hi David, keep going! Here is my version... Cool, thanks Steve. Love the low ride height, that should make loading the gurney much easier. I'm guessing that you had the decals custom made, right? David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 2, 2021 Author Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) While waiting for the paint to cure on my Joker-Mobile, I've been able to get some work done on this monster. I've also gone back and re-edited the old photos in this thread so they are a little easier to look to look at. Wheels Down! With the chassis mostly completed, that should give me a stable platform for building the interior... the main task that arrested my progress before. I still have to dab a couple spots of flat black in the tailpipes. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G. Edited April 2, 2021 by David G. typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 15 hours ago, David G. said: Cool, thanks Steve. Love the low ride height, that should make loading the gurney much easier. I'm guessing that you had the decals custom made, right? David G. Hi David, yes, I made the decals. By the way, love the chassis extension. I did similar work on a Johan hearse using 2 Impala chassis, I did an ok job of it, but not quite as nice as yours. Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 Looking good so far! If I could make a suggestion, it would be to cut out the gas tank area between the rails, and replace with that area from an AMT 59 El Camino. The Elky has an incorrect gas tank setup, in that it is the station wagon type; being shaped to fit around a spare tire. You could even swing a spare tire under there for added detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 4 hours ago, bisc63 said: Looking good so far! If I could make a suggestion, it would be to cut out the gas tank area between the rails, and replace with that area from an AMT 59 El Camino. The Elky has an incorrect gas tank setup, in that it is the station wagon type; being shaped to fit around a spare tire. You could even swing a spare tire under there for added detail. Thank you Rusty, I'm glad you like it. I was not aware of the difference between the El Camino and station wagon gas tanks but after doing a quick search, I can see what you mean. I also located an illustration for the Cadillac professional chassis which I assume that Miller Meteor would have used. The illustration shows a tank similar to the one on this model. I can be happy with that. There is one thing that I know is incorrect that I may fix and that is the filler neck location. On my model, it feeds to the center rear of the tank while on every hearse of this type that I've seen it feeds from the left. I'm considering correcting this, but haven't made a final decision yet. Thank you for your suggestion Rusty, I always appreciate help when it's offered. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 8 hours ago, Steve H said: Hi David, yes, I made the decals. By the way, love the chassis extension. I did similar work on a Johan hearse using 2 Impala chassis, I did an ok job of it, but not quite as nice as yours. Cheers, Steve And a beautiful job you did on them too! Thanks again for your kind words. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 14 hours ago, David G. said: The illustration shows a tank similar to the one on this model. I can be happy with that. Cool reference. It makes me wonder, though, IF and WHERE does a hearse carry a spare?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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