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Old Hearses / HAMB Friendly or not?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by OldColt, Jul 28, 2013.

  1. OldColt
    Joined: Apr 7, 2013
    Posts: 504

    OldColt
    Member

    Drove by an old hearse yesterday that is used every Halloween for a haunted house advertisement.
    I'm guessing it is based on about a '61-63 Caddy.

    Is there just not much interest with rodders and customizers? Maybe to morbid?

    An old black hearse with a blown 392 Hemi, 5 Spoke Mags, and some tasteful pinstriping would be over the top cool in my opinion.

    --- Steve ---
     
  2. There's a hearse club close by and personally I don't get to excited by them. I really don't understand the one's that go the morbid death looking theme. Not traditional in my opinion but if a guy want's a hearse, we live in he U.S.A and he can have one.
     
  3. Steve,,I'm not into the big hearses but a local funeral home has a pretty cool looking early Dodge. HRP

    [​IMG]
     
  4. I never had an appreciation for old hearses, but I have had a few cars
    that smelled like dead people. Whatever floats your boat.
     

  5. 54rat210
    Joined: Jun 5, 2012
    Posts: 391

    54rat210
    Member

    Old hearses are cool. Even some of the early 1900's. Some of the work that was involved and the design is absolutely amazing. Ive never been much in to tradition.
     
  6. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,724

    George
    Member

    Used to see a late 30s Packard Hearse @ shows in Miss, looked good best I recall.
     
  7. mashed
    Joined: Oct 15, 2011
    Posts: 1,473

    mashed
    Member
    from 4077th

  8. OldColt
    Joined: Apr 7, 2013
    Posts: 504

    OldColt
    Member

    I was thinking somewhat along these lines. Maybe 30's to 40's era with fat fenders. Something that looks like a proper rod, but is long enough to be unique. No tacky death theme's and crap like that though.

    --- Steve ---
     
  9. The Body is hand carved wood. HRP
     
  10. Hell, if a '59 Rambler 4-door is HAMB friendly why wouldn't a beautiful old custom coachwork vehicle like a hearse be? I personally like old hearses - not for the death, spiderweb, goth, skull thing - but because they are usually beautifully crafted old vehicles.

    I know that some people get so freaked out by them that they almost get violent. Maybe it reminds them of their own mortality, I don't know. I'm not superstitious, nor does it scare me that so many people took their last ride in it. I would be more freaked out by an old ambulance.
     
  11. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    Friend of mine in high school had a band, and a 55 Pontiac hearse to cart the equipment around in. Silver, with a black vinyl top. Forget what kind of wheels were on it, but it was a good looking car. 287 and a Hydro. I'll bet he wishes he still had it. Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
  12. I have a '56 and love the custom coachwork they did back then. Unless your brain is stuck on the morbid aspect, it's just another custom car.
     

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  13. Hemi j
    Joined: Sep 17, 2009
    Posts: 389

    Hemi j
    Member
    from Colorado

    I love old hearse, had a 66 and about the question about HAMB friendly, Hell yes there cool!
    Look at the Boot Hill express.
     
  14. hellerlj
    Joined: Oct 12, 2005
    Posts: 1,176

    hellerlj
    Member
    from Minnesota

    HAMB FRIENDLY ????

    Might depend on if you are driving or lying in the back ????
     
  15. slammed
    Joined: Jun 10, 2004
    Posts: 8,150

    slammed
    Member

    Now OP, why do you think there has not been too many of these things made into a custom/rod/camper/driver? Ever bury someone you really, really cared for? Bingo.
     
  16. OldColt
    Joined: Apr 7, 2013
    Posts: 504

    OldColt
    Member

    Thanks for the link mashed. I'm having some java settings issues right now, and didn't hit anything.

    Good reading, and this one caught my eye. hearse.jpg

    Just add five spoke mags, a blower scoop barely peeping out the hood, and some dark metallic violet paint.

    Personally, a hearse wouldn't be my first choice of car (at least for a few more years lol), but they are cool to look at if done right.

    --- Steve ---
     
  17. SMOG_GUY
    Joined: Jun 28, 2011
    Posts: 388

    SMOG_GUY
    Member
    from Dinuba

    The early ambulances often doubled as hearses. Would be kinda weird, today.
    So ambulances should be included here, too?
    I owned a WWII Packard ambulance that the US miliary bought for a local military installation and it was cool!
    Along the way it was it used by the Cholame Ambulance Service in Cholame, CA.
    Don't remember Cholame? That's where James Dean died in 1955.
    I put in on eBay as "James Dean's Last Ride"!
    People went nuts.
    Sold it to a Packard-loving mortician in the North West.
    Very cool.
     

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  18. SMOG_GUY
    Joined: Jun 28, 2011
    Posts: 388

    SMOG_GUY
    Member
    from Dinuba

    BTW, the hood scoops aren't for the engine. The US Military was BIG on fresh air for the sick and injured.
     
  19. I remember see a early Dodge very similar to the one I posted made into a hot rod back in the 70's that had the paint striped and the owner had stained the wood,,it was nice. HRP
     
  20. hawkerdriver
    Joined: Feb 26, 2006
    Posts: 381

    hawkerdriver
    Member

    To each their own- personally they give me the fricken creeps.
     
  21. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,724

    George
    Member

    Recently saw a motorcycle towing a trailer, the trailer was made out of a coffin!
     
  22. guitard
    Joined: May 16, 2012
    Posts: 198

    guitard
    Member

    Just be careful and clean it real good. I've heard you can catch some kind of funereal disease...
     
  23. guitard
    Joined: May 16, 2012
    Posts: 198

    guitard
    Member

    My cousin Mal had one, but it was so big when he was trying to get away from a speeding ticket... (sigh)...

    ...there was nowhere formaldehyde.
     
  24. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Yeah....NECROPHILIA! (thought I caught it when I was married to my ex wife...)
     
  25. That's funny! :D HRP
     
  26. waterhorse
    Joined: Oct 17, 2008
    Posts: 138

    waterhorse
    Member

    There is a whole 'Proffesional Car Collectors Society' that is based on Ambulances, Hearses and flower cars. I really respect the effort in keeping these custom contracted body styles alive.....so to speak.:D
     
  27. joeycarpunk
    Joined: Jun 21, 2004
    Posts: 4,446

    joeycarpunk
    Member
    from MN,USA

    They make great donor cars since they were often lower mileage vehicles. Never got into them myself but have a friend who is into caddy's and has had a few hearse, amblulances and limos and really likes them. Likes 'em big, takes all kinds. :)
     
  28. guitard
    Joined: May 16, 2012
    Posts: 198

    guitard
    Member

    My father has one - when I was a kid I'd fly out for visits in CA and one time he picked me up at the airport in it... 56 Pontiac hearse, rake, moon discs. This was early '80s. Being a sales rep on the road a lot (not in the hearse of course), he did buy a casket for the back... and wrote it off as a tool box.
     
  29. bathcollector
    Joined: Jul 8, 2006
    Posts: 291

    bathcollector
    Member

    Hahaha, very good.
     
  30. Trophydash
    Joined: Mar 12, 2010
    Posts: 247

    Trophydash
    Member
    from Tulsa, OK

    I have four, my wife has one.....always lookin' for more.
    Just a big 'ol station wagon. Drove my '88 Lincoln daily for a year and a half, would go out of my way to run errands for the shop!
    We belong to the Chariots of the Dead out of Joplin, MO, be sure and check out the Nation Hearse and Ambulance Association on the web too!
     

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