Shocks

i need to change my shocks on 2 cars and need some advice. i want durable long lasting shocks without breaking the bank.

the first car is a 1974 pontiac catalina that is a 6 door "limo" conversion. it weighs about 7000lbs. i intend on getting it to a point where i can rent it out. therefore i need something durable that can take the cars weight + the weight of 9 people if full.

the second car is a 1984 chevy caprice and it pretty much my daily driver. i don't mind a stiff ride if it ultimately means a longer lasting shock.

right now both vehicles have stock wheels and tires but i will be looking to do upgrades to both in diameter and weight of course. i'm not sure if that changes anything but i just wanted to throw that in there.

thanks for your help.
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Hands down, best shocks for B-bodies (in my opinion) are Bilstein 0929 and 1104 front and rear. Not the cheapest, but great valving for the street, good damping for holding loads, and not harsh.

I had a set on a 73 Impala and have a set on my current 96 Impala SS. Good stuff.

So the 'Carwash Catalina' is a 6-door. Nice. Is it black? 6-door stretch cars are pretty rare and are pretty much only purchased by the funeral home industry.

I seem to recall that shocks specified for old B-body station wagons were different (stiffer) than those for B-body sedans.

The B-body wagons were several hundred lbs. heavier than the sedan and had somewhat stiffer springs and shocks to accomodate the weight... remember, those wagons had 3 rows of seats and were designed for 8-9 people.

Imho consider '74 Catalina wagon shocks... go for gas-charged, not the cheapies. Monroe is a good brand if they are offered.

From the factory, they had different shocks, but if you look up the Bilstein part numbers for every single chevy B-body back to 71 and every BOP B-body back to 64, they will come up as 0929 and 1104.

yep, it's a 6 door. it was a funeral home car and i can't find any info on it or another one like it. i hope to do a little work on the inside to get it to be a money maker. (turn middle bench around or replace with two seats and a little bar in between). worse case scenario, it's a great road trip car for friends and family. it's only got 50k miles but little by little it's giving me problems. the waterpump, radiator, exhuast, and a few other things. i guess that's to be expected for a 35 year old car.
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it's a dark blue actually. that was the color scheme for that funeral home i think.
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i can't find any info on it or another one like it. ]
These cars were pretty rare, but not unheard-of.
Vehicles specifically designed as funeral cars (hearses, flower cars etc), limos and ambulances are called "professional cars"
Google those words and and you can find all kinds of info on the net.

Look here: http://www.professionalcar.org/

And here: http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/index.php?

Most professional cars made since the 1950's are Cadillacs, because GM manufactured a purpose-build commercial Cadillac chassis specifically for this industry.
However, Pontiac also offered a commercial chassis from the 1950's through 70's. It was not nearly as popular as the Cadillac chassis, but occasionally one does see a Pontiac hearse, ambulance etc.

Like all hearses, ambulances etc, your car probably started as an unfinished commercial chassis and was shipped to a coachbuilder company for its final completion.

Superior Coach Builders was one of the largest. There were other companies; some have gone out of business.
http://www.superiorcoaches.com/news.asp?offset=-1

Respectfully, your car may be worth something to a professional car collector in it's current original condition. Changing the seating arrangement might reduce it's value.
If you really want a rental-style limo, maybe you could sell it and buy a more appropriate vehicle. :)

Personally, I would absolutely love to get a hearse and add it to my collection. They come up for sale occasionally around here. However, my wife absolutely refuses to consider going anywhere near one due to its associations. She thinks that anything associated with funerals (including having a hearse-owning husband ) is bad luck.... :(

<p>it was put together by Armbruster-Stageway coachbuilder in AK. that co is pretty much no more so it's hard to get info. i've visited those websites to no avail even after contacting owners with pontiacs around the same age. the only thing i find is old
pictures or illustrations. as for the originality vs customization, i see your point. however, i would prefer to do the change if it can work as i am the type to find a car i like and accessorize it to fit me and my useage with no intentions to sell or diapose of ever. (god willing) i've seen other old limos like this but they were out of my price range (60's continental limo with the seats like i desire) or too far gone for an amateur like me to really get it somewhere. people already inquire or suggest renting it but i don't see it being as popular (a.k.a. income producing) with the current forward facing benches.</p>
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i've considered a hearse myself. the family doesn't mind but i think i need to stick to what i have and get it right for now. if something hard to resists falls in my lap, that's a different story.
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Interesting. It sounds as if you already have a firm grasp of the car's history and issues. :)

I would agree that the current configuration is not very useful for anything except an Earth Wind And Fire cover band.

I am familiar with the Lehmann-Peterson Lincoln limousines and their interior layout... with the fold-up rear-facing jump seats. They were originally sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers and have more aftermarket support than unusual cars like yours.

You might be able to find someone parting-out a limo which might have folding seats, bar consoles etc that you could use. Hemmings Motor News might have something, or just google "used limousine parts".