Guy Barnette & Co. out of Memphis, Tennessee built ambulances and hearses from the late 1940s through the mid-1950s. Chevrolet and Pontiac sedan deliveries were typically what their conversions were based upon. This 1952 Pontiac is one of those vehicles and probably started life as a Chieftain. It’s an unfinished project where the engine and transmission have already been upgraded with more modern hardware. Located in Sherman Oaks, California, this interesting artifact is available here on eBay where the first bid of $8,500 has been elusive thus far.
Barnette was considered one of the smaller players in the custom coach business. They were only in operation for a handful of years (1947-55) before folding up shop. But they would return a couple of years later under a different name. The seller believes that the hearse featured here was built in small numbers, though we can find no sources that will identify the figures. The history of the vehicle is incomplete, but we know it was in service to a funeral home in Idaho for more than 40 years.
A project like this begs the question, “What do you do with it”? These things sometimes turn up as props at Halloween haunted houses and are also used for ghost tours and the like. We don’t know where the seller was going with this one but dumped the straight-eight in favor of a 350 cubic inch V8 with an automatic transmission (TH-350 perhaps?). The engine bay was prepped before the new engine went in and some work was done on the suspension. The powerplant is not completely stock with an Edelbrock carburetor, aftermarket distributor, and dual exhaust.
Some work has been done on the exterior, like having all the chrome refurbished. But there may be parts of the body that need work although the patina on this thing looks rather cool. Some of the flat glass will have to be replaced and the interior will require an extreme makeover. The seller has run of out time to further the project, so someone else needs to finish it to his/her tastes. What will that be?
Very unusual and likely rare. Probably not more than a handful of `52 Pontiacs outfitted by this co. Me, I’d finish work under the hood, and give this a very stock appearance outside. Pontiac dog dishes/period correct whitewalls, etc. but the interior begs for custom work! GLWTA!
You would need an old guy that did vans in the 70’s
As a Pontiac it’s pretty cool. Would it make a good catering wagon or prom/wedding limo. The uses are endless. lol
The grille is the money shot for me. Looks like it was used as an attraction to some kind of tourist trap in California. Wonder if the 350 will meet the current emission codes? Any how it does look pretty solid but the cool factor is not worth the price and work in my thoughts.
Would work easily in Florida, because we don’t have useless emission testing. 👍
I think I’d give it a cool name, “The Haunted Wagon” or something, with a 1960s style paint job, then make a drag racer out of it. Maybe drop a hopped up LS in it, and put a blower on it. Skinnys up front and some wide slicks out back.
Unless this unit has all of its hard parts ……forget it. Few of us can go the Riddler build route so this thing is DOA for even me. If you are in it until death do you part, for better or for worse, you’re ok. If not you are likely to bury yourself in it and never get out.
yes, never heard of that coach builder.
I’d like to take it to the nxt level & pass on.
I think it would engage my interests that long.
Do everything but body’n interior. (I DO have a
few frnt bench seats I’d like to see if 1 fits, make a
load divider to stop at seat back hight.) Interesting to
see a 2dor (well, 3 lol). Would lead toward correct components
for solid worker, not toward hi speed (racer). LT wheel/tire w/matching
breaks (frames of the day were overbuilt so lill attention there), springs, etc. Keep the pedestrian motor, up the ante on exhaust & add low pressure small (ie quick spool-up) turbo, lrg capacity gas tank (long run cruiser). Just curate it
a lill, w/respect, make a lill ching’n have some fun. Shucks, thing’s as ol as me & coach built Plus some others have begun something (not sure what but wanna ‘influence’ it w/care).
What’s there looks pretty cool for some kind of project, but not the kind of thing I’d spend $8500 on. I’d give them a couple grand if I was wanting to build some kind of rat rod out of it…
I’m certainly in no hurry to ever step foot in a hearse.
Burn Out Car !! It’s the Smiles, not the miles that keep this Old Fart young,,,,
The Magic Bus
You don’t always (like hardly ever) get your money back in this hobby. Stopping the project at this point you are very unlikely to get your labor investment back. I missed a much more complete similar unit in Stockton last year with an asking of 3500
Many years ago I had both a Barnette and a National Coach like this car, but mine were 1953 and 54 cars. I’ve done much research into Barnette, and they made only a few funeral & ambulance conversions each year.
First off, this car was not converted by Barnette for use as a hearse. This vehicle was intended to be used as a funeral home “Service car”. Note the very plain grey vinyl interior. Even cheap hearses had velour mohair interiors, typically in maroon or dark blue color. Note that while the floor has the bier pin bracket [to keep the casket from moving during transport], there are no casket rollers visible, suggesting it’s a service car. My Barnette had the grey vinyl interior as seen here, my National Coach service car had a stainless steel lined interior.
Service cars did many jobs for a funeral home, including transferring a body from the home or hospital to the funeral home, picking up a casket from the supplier, and delivering the items used at the gravesite service, including folding chairs, flowers, etc. Sales of passenger car conversions ended once vans were introduced in the early 1960s. A windowless black van was far cheaper to buy than even the cheapest car-based service cars.
Barnette marketed their vehicles based largely on low price. While funeral homes often had more expensive hearses, typically built on Packard and Cadillac chassis, service cars were usually very plain, so the public didn’t notice them. I’ve not seen a Barnett Pontiac with the curving landau bars on a service car, they usually had no side emblem, or a stylized round wreath in cast aluminum.
Barnette Pontiac service cars could be bought in 2 basic versions, the smaller version used a non-modified sedan delivery body [they also offered a Chevrolet version too], or a stretched version as seen here, where the area to the rear of the doors was lengthened. Both versions were also available with a raised roof. This car has the higher roof line, and is likely one of less than a half dozen built.
Had this car NOT had it’s drive line changed, and it was a running & driving vehicle, it’s likely the car would have already sold, as the price would have been reasonable. A similar Burnette Hearse, with only minor modifications, and in generally nice condition, sold at a California auction for $22,500 last year. In my opinion this is going to be a hard sell, as the people who like funeral cars typically want original vehicles, and there are few people willing to take on a project like this, unless it’s a lot cheaper. In my opinion this car [if in running & driving condition] was probably worth about $8,000 to $10,000 before the modifications were started.
As they say here on Barn Finds; GLWTS!
My 53 Barnett was black with the landau bars. I wish we could post photos here.
I had a 53 Barnett Hearse. I used it as a demo sound demo vehicle for my mobile electronics business in the late 1980’s. It was updated with a 350/350 combo. It had 16- 15″ subwoofers and 3600 watts of bass….lol