1958 Miller Meteor Combination Ambulance Hearse - Futura Limousine Duplex

 This rare Professional Car was built on February 12. 1958 at Miller-Meteor's Bellfontaine. Ohio plant. It is 1958 body #318 and was originally "Baltic Blue" in color. It had a list price of $9. 71. 00 and was one less than 2. 00 cars built on Cadillac's exclusive "commercial chassis" which was only used for ambulances. hearses. flower cars. and limousines. I am the 5th owner of this car. According to Rob Elliott. the former Collins Ambulance dealer in Boise. Idaho. this 1958 "combination" was always used as an ambulance. and was the "back-up" unit to a nicer ambulance owned by a funeral home in Milwaukee or St. Louis. In the early 1970's. the owner of that funeral home purchased a new Collins "van" ambulance from Rob and used this 1958 Cadillac as a "trade-in. " He drove the 58' to Hutchison. Kansas where he picked up his new ambulance. and Rob and his daughter drove it back to Boise  where it was sold to the Meridian Speedway and used as an auto race track ambulance for about 10 years. The car was retired in the late 70s or early 80s and used as a mascot and for novelty races etc.

Whether this Combination car was EVER used as a hearse is not known. We welcome any information from anyone who knows its early history. It may have been one of the 3 Futura Limousine Duplex combination cars sold to Chateau Auto Livery & Leasing Co. of Chicago who took delivery of 26 Miller-Meteor cars on July 6. 1958. The photo in Tom McPherson's Miller Meteor book shows what appears to be several single-color cars that could be Baltic Blue! Regardless of who first owned this car. it has been painted many times by the various owners. It came from factory in 1958 as Baltic Blue. Sometime later. it was painted a solid Burgundy (maroon) color and turned into an ambulance. as a "scene light" was added above the rear loading door on top of the Burgundy paint. Rob Elliott says it already set up as an ambulance when he bought it in 1970. and it has NEVER had a casket rack or rollers since it arrived in Boise in 1970. so if you wish to turn this into a combo (which I think would be great btw). you'll need to build or acquire the proper "speed-o-matic reversible floor panels. This car still has TWO of them where the attendant seeds fold down to make it a hearse. and yes. the CASKET ROLLERS are intact. as are the two casket rollers at the rear loading door! I also have NOT changed-out the original medicine cabinet - it is the same one this combination car originally had.

After Meridian Speedway bought the car. it was painted white over "Omaha Orange" to make it look like a 1970's ambulance. An electronic siren was installed. as well as a Federal Sign & Signal "Vis-a-bar" with dual Model 14 flat top beacons. After the car was retired. it was purchased by a long time supporter of the Speedway and turned into a "spook house" car. The Omaha Orange was painted BLACK and the car took on an "Alfred Hitchcock - "The Birds" 1960s look. In the late 1990s the car was sold again to the person I bought it from. who di some research and painted over the black with a 1950s bright red/orange which was very close the GM color many 1958 ambulances were painted. I bought the car in 2001 and had it repainted those same colors in 2005. using a Miller Meteor Sentinel low-top ambulance as the model for painting the hood red down to the Cadillac "V" with white below that. It looked spectacular. and once the proper "V" and hood crest and bezel are installed. will once again.

This car is ready to be whatever YOU want it to be. It could easily be turned BACK into a combination or an end-loader hearse (the rear rollers are there and you could add the needed casket rack. rollers. or reversible panels to make it a combination or a hearse. The siren and light holes in the roof will patch up nicely (they did before) and you could keep the Model 17 Beacon Ray and use it as removable light. just as it was intended to be used. I sill have the original "zipper" (that gives you inside access to the roof) for the headliner which could be reinstalled. Or you could continue the direction I was headed. as a full time ambulance. which is how the car spent most of its life. and most certainly the past 44 of it's 56 total years of existence.  

There's a LOT included with this car (see pictures) including: 

1. An original 1957 Shop Manual and the re-printed 1958 Supplement. so you'll have everything you need information-wise to restore the car.

2. The original 1958 Model 17 Beacon Ray with a new red plastic lens - it works and is very bright! The roof is properly wired for the light (a switch is inside) and the holes are still there.

3. The original Washington 2-man "lowboy" cot - often used low-top ambulances. The "X" frame and wheels are in great shape and the rear foot rest matches the interior color.

4. Proper Washington "cot-lock" on left side of ambulance. Hold cost perfectly (and securely) and works great!

5. Original Attendant seats (still in the original light blue and cream colors) plus two additional Superior coach attendant seats the upholstery shop re-upholstered in error.

6. New Door panels for front and rear side doors - 3 with Miller Meteor emblems. Original blue door panels for 2 of the side doors and the rear door - use these as "patterns" if needed.

7. Upper front cab door panels with Cadillac emblems. and the matching arm rests - all with new upholstery.

8. What may be the original spare tire (bois ply with wide white sidewall)

9. Original Horn Ring with Cadillac emblem (needs re-installed).

10. Interior trim pieces for front cab. and original "Day/Night" rear view mirror.

11. Kick-plates and floor trim to be re-installed (some newly polished to look like new). and additional metal trim to be reinstalled.

12. All needed exterior trim except for two side "spears" which can be located at many salvage yards and used Cadillac parts sellers.

13. Original "loading light" or "scene" light for rear of car.

14. All needed door and window handles & other hardware.

15. Miscellaneous parts removed from the interior that just need to be re-installed.

16. Newly re-chromed rear bumper exhaust ports. bumper ends. and inserts for rear exhaust ports. Includes center "rear-step. " Missing center section of rear bumper.

17. Two (2) rare "Meteor" metal shield name plaques. These go on the rear side doors and have the owner's initials on them.

18. Federal Sign & Signal "Interceptor" Electronic Siren with Wail. Yelp. and Hi-Low tones.

19. Federal Chrome CP-25 Chrome Speaker (under the hood)

20. All wiring and switches for red lights and sirens. including mechanical siren relay. brake button. chrome toggle switches for lights. and floor foot switch for mechanical siren.

Also published at eBay.com

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