Thanks Chase. Oddly enough, I like yours the best out of all of those. The rest just looks like they tried to too hard, yet still failed.
Question.
How many 59 miller meteors are in existence? I read somewhere it was like 800 or so..
How many of those 59 miller meteors are actually ecto-1 replicas? Not including the ones that were in promotion of the movie or made by a company associated with the movie. I’m talking about fan made cars? The best one I’ve seen is rusty’s 61 I think it is. The 59’s I’ve seen all had something weird about them. I’m completely cool with seeing non 59 ectos that aren’t 100% accurate (how can you be, your not even using the same car) But, thats whats cool about using different cars.. because your free to use your creativity to make it your own. If your rocking a 59 miller meteor, its alot bigger of a deal to be accurate.
No one knows exactly how many 59’ Miller Meteors are around today because the records were lost… We know the Cadillac made roughly 2000 pro cars that year… There are a few styles of miller meteor for that year; the sentinel, the landau, and the one that we see with Ecto 1 is a futura, which is the rarest of the three. It is rumored that only about 80 were actually made. There is a registry of ones we have found http://www.theecto1.com/forum/index.php?topic=960.0.. Right now we are at a total of 24 counting and that includes all 1959 MM Futura ambulances, not just Ecto conversions.
Hope this helps.
JESUS GODDAMN CHRIST
Will you please take a day and just skim through the topics in the Ectomobiles forum? There aren’t that many. Just like, the first four or five pages of topics. You will find it to be SO ENLIGHTENING.
Done.
Don’t apologize. Your question was perfectly legitimate and around here there’s more dicks than a gay ■■■■■. There are so many threads around here it’s just not reasonable to search EVERYTHING. The more active members have these little index.dat files in their heads where they remember the keywords of their posts to find and link. The price of admission to their effort to locate and post these links? You’re berated. Around here, we call this… Thursday.
Chris is right, the most factual answer is “no one knows.” Despite that, almost all hearse enthusiasts will tell you there were between 88-92 of the '59 M&M combo ( or “futura” ) made that year. It was definitely not 800. There were only 2000 '59 Commercial chassis cars even made that year, and those were distributed between various coachmakers like Sayers and Scoville, Miller-Meteor, Eureka and Superior. From there, the coach builders made ambulances, hearses, combos, limos, flower cars, etc. When Miller-Meteor was bought out decades ago all of their records were destroyed or lost. No one thought they would ever be of value. ( and they aren’t, to anyone but us. )
My contact at the Superior Coach company tells me there were 241 made of the model I own. He also indicated that he seemed to think the M&M combo was much closer to 88 than 92 or anything higher. Personally I’m going with the notion that there’s only 88.
An enterprising soul on TheEcto-1.com has started a registry where all known existing M&M combos are being documented by serial number. The '59 M&M combo is often referred to as “the holy grail” of cars to find and fix up.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unless you’re a millionaire, hang it up. Find something else that isn’t a '59 M&M. A 1960 is the exact same body with the exception of fins and grille/hood/bumper goes. In fact the shop manual I have from Cadillac is for the 59/60 which sort of spells out how similar they are. Same car, minor changes. …BIG difference in initial cost!
Having been through this journey of building one of these, may I offer some advice about making it from a '59?
Don’t.
It is way more effort, time, money, pain, blood, etc. than anyone could imagine. We all think we’ve imagined how hard it will be but then when you’re in it… (sigh) You only thought you knew what you were in for.
Check out Boomer’s advice and/or tutorial on how to build an Ecto. His basic advice and guidelines are dead on. He has a real eye for not going overboard but not holding back. I’d call his take on it “just right.” This isn’t to slight any of the others who have made some really cool HHRs, and a couple of mixed wagons or pickups and even an occasional ■■■■ van here and there. ( Mostly Ohio, the epicenter of all bad things to ever happen to the franchise. ) Check out what BSJohnson is doing down in TX or what the AZ guys did with their kickass Pontiac. Check out the faces of people in the backgrounds of those pics. Everyone is perfectly happy seeing your take on how to make an Ecto from something unique.
Making it from a '59 is an excursion into madness.
It will make a friendly person into a total ■■■■■■■, and a total ■■■■■■■ into this guy.
Bryan is right… Making it out of a '59 will drive you mad… Trust us friend…
Thanks guys. I’m really not trying to ask stupid questions. My wife has already been badgering me because everytime she walks by I’m STILL looking at the ambulance/hearse conversion thread that boomer made up for us. I’ve looked at those pictures and descriptions so many times its not even funny. I’ve spent all of tonight looking at youtube videos of different folks and their ecto’s. I found one I’d never seen before that I thought as actually pretty darn cool.
I was just curious about those numbers simply because.. its only natural to want to have something as accurate as possible. But after pining over forums, pictures, and videos. I’ve come to the realization that those who have 59s should consider themselves lucky. Those who don’t, but still have Ectos.. well I didn’t see any of them having any less fun, or getting any less attention from random passerbys. And as you said, Boomer’s description on what makes an ecto and ecto.. is pretty much dead on.
Two days ago I was working (I run a delivery route) and I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I was like.. “what is that?”… I kept looking harder (my vision isn’t great) and I was like “Hmm… I am gonna ride over there and check it out”. I’d been by this spot like 1000 times previously and never saw this. Maybe it wasn’t there, who knows. I pull up, and sitting in this yard full of hacked up cars is a 79 Miller Meteor Hearse. Nope, it wasn’t a 59.. but I got the same chills down my spine as if it had been. I could already see what it “could” be sitting there in the grass. Oddly enough, the owner had already put a roof rack on the top of it. It was completely wrong, and too far back.. but I sort of saw that as a sign. The owner came running out to talk to me, and he was a really nice older guy. The window stated that he was selling the car for 700.00. I asked him if it ran, and he drove it around the yard for me. The interior looked great, and as is the case with most hearses.. it had low miles. I asked him if he was selling it for 700, and he said he’d let me have it for 600. I’ve been over there 3 times since, and once I drove it myself.. I was pretty much sold. It will need “some” work.. but its completely driveable as it is. I’ve already told him to “hold” it for me, because I didn’t want to lose out on it, and he was very cool and told me he won’t sell it to anyone else til I’ve decided. He said I was the first person to even look at it in months, except for some teenagers.
So I was all set to get that car (and I still probably am) but then I got an email about someone who had a 60 Park Row for sale. Which looks quite a bit more accurate than the 79 I was looking at, but… its 3 hrs away, and they want quadruple the price for it, and its in MUCH worse shape. It runs, but from the pictures they gave me.. I’d be spending another quadruple the price just to get it in good working order.
So, I “was” stuck on what to do. But, I am not really that hellbent on it being as accurate as possible to the movie. I think I can create a memorable and attention getting ecto out of the 79 just as well without having to spend the next 5 years or so doing it, and spending every penny I have on it. Besides light laws in our state pretty much throw 100% accuracy out of the window. I don’t even think we can have blue or red lights ON the car period.. On or not.
Anyway, so thats where I’m at.
I would advise against converting a landau hearse.
you mean like this guy did?
While I do like that coach, Boomer is correct, landaus dont make good ectos (I speak from experience) and landaus with the section cut out for another window make even worse ones…If your set on a caddy commercial chassis, go with a combo.
As a somewhat cheaper and easier to find alternative, I suggest the '67 or '68 specifically the Superior which has an awesome curved roof. I owned one years ago before I was that in to doing the GB thing, I wish I’d kept it.
I have no idea what a '60 Park Row is. A google for images only brought me locations, not cars. A 1979 M&M hearse, however, I already know without googling. As for which is more accurate, neither is a '59 so why worry? A unique Ecto is a unique Ecto. No one gives out prizes for being closest to the actual year. 
Just do what you’re happy with and what’s affordable.
That '79 could be a really good idea. One of Aykroyd’s plans in his original Hellbent script was to update the Ecto to be something newer like a '70’s-'80’s style hearse anyways so technically you’re about on par with what the man himself once had in mind.
I like the Ecto in that video you posted. The production quality of it was very Boomerjinks. ( Hey Kev, you’re an adjective now! ) Although I’m with Kev and would suggest to modify the landau sides to have windows, I like what the guy in the video did with diamond plate on the sides. At least it did something different and interesting. Unpredictable. Dent’s hearse is pretty cool and I support whatever he does, but if I were in his shoes and had the same choice to make? Replace landau sides with glass. It’s not that hard. We’re talking flat glass. My '59 was once a hearse with laundau sides; the previous owner replaced it wirh glass, saving me the time of doing it anyways. Glass = much cooler.
The Park Row is a trap. A big, expensive, hard-to-find-parts-for, rusty, needs welding, I-will-bankrupt-you-and-drive-you-insane, trap. If you have that car local and you have already had a chance to put hands on it ( not buy it sight unseen over ebay ) AND he’s willing to part for $700 then the heavens have opened and sent you a gift. Don’t look that gift horse in the mouth.
Thanks for your opinions guys. I had the same sentiments when I first saw the car, but over the past week or so. I’ve “visited” it just about every day to check out stuff on it, and talk to the owner. He’s an interesting fellow, and there’s just something about it that I’ve become attached to and after seeing dentarthurdent’s car and really liking the way his turned out, he’s literally giving me the car at 600.00.. It will sit and rust, otherwise. As fifth said, I cannot look a gift horse in the mouth. I just bought a camera that cost more than 600.00 so this is an absolute steal. Picking it up tomorrow.
I’m not sure if you can change the thread title or what not, but if someone wants to hook that up.. that’d rock.
Disclaimer: I took all advice into consideration before going ahead with this build. I agreed with alot of the points made, but for the cost and convenience of location and my intentions for the vehicle.. this was a good compromise. Alot of things on this ecto will be semi custom, and alot of “fun” stuff vs. accurate stuff on the inside. I’ve never had a “fun” car before, so I’m excited to get to do whatever I want to it. I’m going to do my best to keep it far away from shrinerville.
I’m doing a video journal of the entire process, from getting the car all the way to finishing her.
Here’s where we are at so far:
I was supposed to go get my car today. I had everything planned around it today, and had a friend going with me to follow me back. I took my camera to document the event, as I’m planning on doing a video journal of the whole project. We get there, and the guy isn’t there. He had told me earlier in the week that he’d be there all day, and to just come anytime. He worked across the street so we went over there to see if he was there. They said he’d gone to lunch and wouldn’t be back til 2. My friend had to be at his work at 2.. so I had to take him back home.
I convinved my mom to come back with me, at 2ish. I called ahead of time, and his work said he was there but they couldn’t find him in the building and that he may have stepped out. They took my number for him to call me back. Despite that, we went anyway.. and again he was nowhere to be found. That week I’d seen him out taking the for sale signs down, and getting the car cleaned up for me.. so I knew he was still intending on selling it to me. So it was odd that he wasn’t there. We waited over an hr, before I finally thew in the towel and left a note on his door. I was extremely irritated.
An hr ago, he finally called me back and it basically turned into a case of just missing each other every time. Gonna try it again tomorrow lol.
Here’s the first video in the series. Not much to see in this one, but its a good start.
Here’s some photos I took while I was there the first day waiting.
The biggest problem so far seems to be the rust on the body. Hopefully it isn’t too bad. I think the first thing I am gonna tackle is the rust on the exterior. My father in law is going to check out the mechanical stuff and see if theres anything that needs to be replaced immediately. Like I said, it drove like a dream all the way home so I’m thinking we are gonna be alright on that for a while at least. Working on figuring out the best way to tackle that rust.
It drove amazingly well, and I drove it all the way home.
I missed the Halloween hubcaps on your first batch of pics but I sure see them now. Yuck. I suppose it’s a niche thing for real serious goth/Halloween people but it comes off as cheap as a carnival ride.
My point is, this car is going to get more dignified treatment under your ownership. Nice job you did.
Yeah, i agree. It would have just became a pile of rust had I not bought it.
speaking of rust… Found alot of rust damage today, rusted all the way through… eeek…
Eh.
If you are hell-bent on using a landau hearse, my buddy is selling this 83 that is absolutely immaculate.
Thats a very nice Hearse boomer. I wouldn’t want to do anything to a hearse in that good of shape honestly.
…it’s an 80s three-way, They aren’t exactly rare or highly sought-after. You’ve thrown everything else out the window and decided to make a 80s landau Ecto, but you’re clinging to the notion of respect for the original body?
80s landaus are a dime a dozen, almost literally. It blows my mind that you’ve settled for something that will require sooo much money and work to get it to a decent state instead of sitting back and waiting for the car that is right for you. I’ve seen this happen so many times -both with Ectos and with Jeeps- of someone so excited to get started that they blow their load on a car that stupidly inappropriate for their conversion.
HEY.