52 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Odd  that the windows don't open with the rear hinged doors. 

Guess someone thought of strong roll over protection over ease of getting in and out. Weird for sure, but cool.

Apparently the coachbuilder (Armbruster in this case) used a Catalina 2-dr sedan shell and fabricated opening doors in the quarters.

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Guess someone thought of strong roll over protection over ease of getting in and out. Weird for sure, but cool.

Nah- I think one would be hard pressed to flip this float. Besides, hardtop were the norm vs. sedans in this era.

Edited January 11, 20188 yr by balthazar

10 hours ago, dfelt said:

Guess someone thought of strong roll over protection over ease of getting in and out. Weird for sure, but cool.

No one is worried about rollover protection in a funeral flower car. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

No one is worried about rollover protection in a funeral flower car. 

Especially in 1962.  People rarely wore seatbelts then... different world. 

I established my 'pilots license' in a pre-seatbelt car. Well, I didn't drive it much but I was deeply in love with everything about it.
When I later got another of the same year/make as a daily driver, tho it did have front outer belts, I never wore them. To this day I frequently drive without my belt on. I get yelled at / it's a work in progress...

Fed requirement for front outer belts went into effect for Jan of 1966. I know that at least as far before that as '62, GM was welding 'bosses' under the floor for dealers to install belts (which sometimes happened- and I believe they were also optional in this period (not an expert on this). No provisions for belts in my '59, tho I am going to install outer front lap belts.

In 30+ years of driving, I've mostly only driven in cars with 3 point seat belts, but have driven a few late 60s Fords with the lap belt / separate shoulder belt arrangement. In the 69 Mustang the shoulder belt doesn't have any give, so I can't reach the radio when I have it on, so I drive that car with the lap belt only (drove it a whole 25 miles last year).   Just seems so alien to me to drive without 3-point inertia reel style belts. 

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by Cubical-aka-Moltar

I feel uncomfortable in a car without my belt on.  It's such a mechanical thing for me to do when I get in the car, I've caught myself doing it just shuffling cars around in the driveway.