Vintage Cadillac hearse is both trick and a treat

by Sam Barer

On a dark and stormy night in late October the ghouls, ghosts and goblins had frightened all the old cars into hiding. But one group of fearless classics was out and about, unfazed by the night of fright. If anything, these four-wheeled behemoths of death simply added to the gloom and doom in the air. For there is only one night of the year a vintage hearse is truly in its element: Halloween.

Classic hearses are becoming increasingly popular among a small group of unorthodox collectors. While some hearse aficionados revel in the fine craftsmanship of the hand-built coachwork, most are like Reverend Adam Cummings, owner of a 1978 Cadillac Hearse, and simply have a strong sense of gallows humor.

Readers of Sound Classics are no strangers to my friend Reverend Cummings, the go-fast mechanic who moonlights as a Universal Life Church minister. Cummings simply finds enjoyment in just being different than the masses, so when he saw an advertisement for a Cadillac Hearse hot rod, he couldn’t pass-up the opportunity to expand his repertoire to both weddings and funerals.

Hearses started as ornate horse-drawn carriages, but became motorized shortly after the turn of the century. Hearses have been built predominately on extended passenger car platforms (usually designated in records for “profession vehicles”) with customized bodywork created by specialty coach-makers, such as Meteor, Cunningham and Henney. The custom coachwork on a luxury carmaker has earned certain hearses eligibility into the prestigious Classic Car Club of America, but unlike passenger cars of identical make, model and year, the death stigma means hearse examples are still quite affordable.

Cadillac has been America’s most popular hearse since the first carved-panel example was built on Cadillac platform by coachbuilder A. Giessel and Sons. In Europe, Rolls Royce and Daimler have been the choice for upper-crust funerals. Over the last century, though, literally hundreds of other marques, including REO, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Ford, Lincoln and Packard found favor in offering platforms for professional cars.

Cumming’s 1978 Cadillac started as a Fleetwood professional car chassis. It was sent to coachbuilder Miller Meteor, which attached a standard hearse body. A couple of years ago, the body was modified. The doors and roof were shaved, the taillight clusters moved and the whole car lowered. The car was finished in gunmetal gray primer and fitted with large mag wheels wearing low-profile rubber.

This hot rod hearse --referred to by its owner as the “Dead Sled,” garners a great deal of attention. Young and old, male and female, people feel the need to say or do something in response to the odd mode of transportation. In his first week with the vehicle, one woman flashed Cummings as he drove by, and then days later a high school girl asked him to her prom – just so she could arrive in the hearse. The twenty-something Cummings graciously declined, admitting his girlfriend wouldn’t approve.

Since I’ve never driven a hearse, I couldn’t pass up an October invitation to drive the Dead Sled to see the reactions I could get.

Cummings hands me the keys. I press a remote button to open the door. I find the interior to be typical of 1970s Caddy: comfy leather chairs with plastic and faux-wood trim on the dash. A twist of the key brings the car of death to life. Tugging the column shifter into reverse, I realize the coffin behind the dividing window blocks rearward view, requiring the use of side mirrors.

The low-compression 425 cubic inch V8 only provides 180 horsepower, but plenty of torque for stoplight acceleration. Though steering via the thin plastic wheel is loose, horribly geared and as responsive as a dead mime, handling is quite surprising. Due to its lowered ride and larger rubber, the gargantuan hearse with its 157.5-inch wheelbase actually handles better than its sedan contemporaries. There are downsides to the lowered ride. The vehicle thunks on its suspension bounce-stops when hitting even small road irregularities. Also, entering parking lots requires a liberal approach angle to avoid high-centering.

During my short drive I notice many wide eyes, a few smiles and a couple of open jaws. No flashing women or offers for the prom, though.

Reverend Cummings has plans to modify his Dead Sled by next Halloween. First he’ll install an air suspension to fix ride height issue, and then he’ll have a new paint job with ghost flames applied. Finally, on the hood he’ll add a large skull-and-crossbones with his Dead Sled motto: “Putting the ‘Fun’ back in Funeral.”

Sam Barer writes for Apex, an Olympia, WA based freelance writing company. To submit a car for a future “Sound Classics” story, email soundclassics@apexstrategy.com

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