professional cars

[Mark D]

I've always had a curious interest in professional cars and I spent several years as a chauffer making extra cash as a second job when I was first married. It always intrigued me how coachbuilders (S&S, Eisenhardt, etc) would reinterpret anothers "completed" design into a limo, hearse, flower car, etc. I've seen someone on here post pictures of their Australian dodge hearse, not sure if it was Ozzy built or not. Came across this photo of a DeSoto S11 airport limo on ebay the other day, just thought I'd pass it along to inspire conversation.

Anyone else out there ever driven a long car? It's a remarkable feeling taking corners as well as feeling the distance between axles when you hit a bump in the road. I wonder if this Desoto was given any extra uumph under the hood to haul 12+ passengers and roof full of luggage?

[Don Coatney]

I oft wondered how long wheel based multi door cars held up without the doors becoming difficult to open or close. Had to be a lot of frame flexing. I have never driven one. Can you feel the flex?

[Mark D]

A good question Don, and the answer is yes from my expirience. I've had convertibles in my past as well and you can feel that opposite corner flex. I remember taking 90* corners in Boston's beacon hill district where the streets are really crowned and actually hearing stress relief in the frame/bodymounts. Most of the cars I drove where Hess and Eisenhardt Cadillacs or wide body Royal Lincolns. Royal had a factory in Lawrence Mass at one time and I did tour and see cars in progress once. It was fascinating to see the cars clamped to a jig and quite literally cut in half then rolled 24"-78" apart. Frame extension went in next and body work after that. Considering todays superior welding and formed steel shapes and knowing the stress I know they went through, I marvel at how tough the professional car builders made these cars in the 40's. I wonder if they pieced the frames together or built all new single piece?

[Don Coatney]

Thanks for the great response. I thought flexing would be an issue.

Time to go off topic as you mentioned Boston. I had the great opportunity to meet up with my good friend Blueskies in Boston as pictured below. Have you been there?

I also shot this picture for all the good friends of Normscoupe a forum member who has passed.

[BeBop138]

I was a member of the Professional Car Society for about 8 years. The coach works made the car more difficult to restore. as they used there own interior theme. This was the main reason I restored two professional cars---made the hunt for parts and fabrics all the more fun. I made sense for me as a retired firefighter---the ambulance was the most fun. There are many good books out there on the history of these fine cars. It was very interesting to say the least as most of the guys who owned these cars were funeral directors,police and firefighters---good stories.

[greg g]

I drove taxi in NY for a bit while in college there. I usually got an old biscayn, but occasionally drew a checker. While these were not limo long they were rated for 8 passengers and has jump seats either of the sides out between the back seat and front seat. They drove like underpowered trucks any way, as I recall most of them ran 6 or 8 ply tires. And flex, you accumulate 100 + K miles in NY city and you become the definition of flex.

Hey Mark, describe in the fewest words possible a Chauffer or Limo Stop

[Mark D]

I stopped.

[Mark D]

Actually there was that time when there was all sorts of noise in the back of the car and them newly weds didnt realize the glass wasn't one way mirrored. I almost didnt stop with the distraction and even then it took both feet on the pedal and two hands on the wheel.

Don - Cheers is right across from the occupy Boston clan at the moment. Mayor (mumbles) Menino doesn't have the stones to take care of the issue when it arose, however I think the 12" of snow may flush the toilet over there this weekend. Cheers is a place for tourists, locals favor the local establishments where they can drink with the cops. When I'm "downtown" I hang over in southie or eastie off Congress St.

[Don Coatney]

I drove taxi in NY for a bit while in college there. I usually got an old biscayn, but occasionally drew a checker. While these were not limo long they were rated for 8 passengers and has jump seats either of the sides out between the back seat and front seat. They drove like underpowered trucks any way, as I recall most of them ran 6 or 8 ply tires. And flex, you accumulate 100 + K miles in NY city and you become the definition of flex.

Hey Mark, describe in the fewest words possible a Chauffer or Limo Stop

I did my 15 1/2 year old drivers training in a Checker. Three speed stick with a floor shifter.

[greg g]

One must endeavour to halt the automobile in such a manner as to not allow the passengers to notice they have stopped moving. There should be a nearly inertia free deceleration, and the brakes should be able to be released so there is no decernable lurch at movements cessation.

[Niel Hoback]

This should be comfortable

[Rusty O'Toole]

If you like professional cars how about a 1949 Dodge hearse?

http://1949hearse.blogspot.com/

Made from a new car in Ingersoll Ontario, it is believed to be the only 49 Dodge hearse in existence.

[Rusty O'Toole]

I have seen hearses built from the twenties to the fifties. In those days, if the chassis had to be extended the customary way to do it was with lengths of steel channel overlapped and bolted together. Welding was not considered reliable in that application.

Car makers offered special long chassis to coachbuilders. But some preferred to convert existing sedans, or wanted a length of chassis not available.

[Rusty O'Toole]

I spoke too soon, further searching turned up another 49 Dodge hearse, only this one was built in Ireland on a pickup truck chassis!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1078824

Edited October 29, 2011 by Rusty O'Toole

[Mark D]

The word chauffeur comes to us from the French and means "burner". While not synonymous with garrotteur the words seem to have been used interchangeably to some extent. The term was used to signify a member of the bands of outlaws during the Reign of Terror in France who roamed over the northeast part of the country under the lead of John the Skinner or Schinder hannes. They were called chauffeurs because they roasted the feet of men and women to compel them to disclose hidden treasure. When the automobile came into common use as a means of recreation and transportation the operator of the machine and the mechanic who was in attendance to look after the machinery and fuel were called chauffeurs. The origin of this use of the term is found in France where automobiling first won favor as a pastime the word being there employed to designate a fireman or stoker. The word chauffeur involves the idea of a person having charge of, or operating an automobile. - 1921, The law of automobiles, Claude Perrin Berry.

[Mark D]

I spoke too soon' date=' further searching turned up another 49 Dodge hearse, only this one was built in Ireland on a pickup truck chassis!

[url']http://mobile.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=909397&r=15692988&hm=152167&mid=152167[/url]

Both of these are fantastic looking rides. Love the irish coach, amazing the differences in funerary practices. US= hide the body in the carraige, UK/Erie/EU= Show the world the dead guy!

[1940plymouth]

My oldest son came home on leave in '91, from Beale AFB in California, he decided he wanted some Samuel Adams beer, so he drove to Boston and did visit the site of the "Cheers" bar. Not long after he went to Germany, I wife and I drove up to Utica to visit the brewery there. Well. low and behold, Samuel Adams was being brewed there also. I didn't buy any, but did buy some good old Utica Club.

[Young Ed]

I wonder if this Desoto was given any extra uumph under the hood to haul 12+ passengers and roof full of luggage?

I can tell you the last limo I rode in was a an early 2000s Chrysler 300 stretched to ~8pass. Not only was it not given extra power it wasn't even ordered with one of the available big engines. It was a v6.

[greg g]

Hey most of he wakes and funerals of folks when I was growing up were held in the home of the deceased and usually Open casket unless the person had suffered some disfigurment at death. My grandfather was laid out in the living room of his house, and my grandmother enjoyed her last Lawrence Welk show in the living room of the house I grew up in. My Uncle was done up in the big room of his house. His was a bit unusual as the house had been a former photographers place and he had added on what was reffered to as the studio. basically a 16 X 30 open room with a big bay window at the front and a dark room at the rear. So he spent his last hours on earth nanging out in the bay window for all the neighbors to see.

The funeral director would close the casket after the calling hours were over and come back and reopen it for the next day. Usually the wake would be over two days and then the funeral on the third day.

Then there was the usual eat and drink fest back at the house after the funeral.

Interesting times when you were 8 or 10 years old. Lots of unfinished drinks and bears left around.....

[Big_John]

I oft wondered how long wheel based multi door cars held up without the doors becoming difficult to open or close. Had to be a lot of frame flexing. I have never driven one. Can you feel the flex?

A lot of the really long "airport" limos had operating doors on the right side only. A friend's cousin had a Checker airport limo that was built like that. I don't think the newer versions are built that way, but it would sure cut down the body flex.

The Checker limo was used mostly for bar hoping...

[Big_John]

Interesting times when you were 8 or 10 years old. Lots of unfinished drinks and bears left around.....

Did the bears get drunk?

[greg g]

just the brown ones.

[Uncle-Pekka]

There is a "taxi"-thread here on the forum, but it appears to go a bit "off-the-taxi-topic", thus I post this period photo here:

I would love to ride in a P15 taxi...

http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/getimage-idx?cc=hpicasc;entryid=x-000235.pic;viewid=000235PIC.TIF;x=1500;y=1194;width=7500;height=5970;res=0;view=image

Edited December 22, 2011 by Uncle-Pekka

[Frank Elder]

DeSoto taxi.....

[desoto1939]

The bigger limos such as the desoto still only had the big flat 6. To increase the rated hp they might have insatlled the factory Aluminum head. On my 39 Desoto if they used the AL head then the hp went from 92 to 100. That basically was the only option. They also might have insatlled the overdrive but not sure if they would go to that expence.

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com