Hearses aren’t just for Munsters and Addams. While some might leave these beautiful raven vehicles to the good graces of undertakers and funeral directors, others have thrown themselves into the world of hearse culture.
Hearse culture is all about the tight-knit community surrounding the selling and buying of these kickass deathwagons, refurbishment and preservation, and participating in hearse clubs and cons.
The Darlings of Hearse Culture
Some hearse owners were initially drawn to their atypical vehicle because they love car culture and have affection for old cars. Others like the attention that driving a hearse brings, or appreciate its reliability (hearses drive like tanks, have usually been well cared for by a funeral home, and can fit just about anything inside them). Some hearse darlings are actually hearse drivers, who like driving the same deathy car during their off-hours, while others might be goths or adherents of dark culture, and find that hearses best reflect their lifestyle.
Makers of Hearses
When it comes to picking the perfect hearse, there are so many makes and models to choose from. Some hearse manufacturers have even been around since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, like Sayers & Scovill (S&S), which got its start in 1876 building horse-drawn hearses. Miller – Meteor (M&M) is another well-established hearse maker who makes a boxy style of hearse, and Superior, founded in 1923, added hearses and ambulances to its production of buses in 1925.
Other well-known hearse makers include Eureka (no longer in business), National (extremely rare to find their hearses today, known for their 1960s Mercury hearses), and Flxible (went out of business in 1965). Federal and Krystal are two newer companies who still churn out these decadent cars.
Types of Hearses
Whether your daily toilette includes layers of Witches lipstick, or whether you are more of a Marilyn Munster type, you can choose a style of hearse that appeals to your personal taste. Hearses range from having a limousine style, to having a boxy shape as previously mentioned, to being more of a traditional style, known as a Traditional Landau.
The Traditional Landau is the most common type of hearse seen today and is known for its landau bars, or the chrome bars that adorn the casket compartment of a hearse. Other examples of hearse types include the First Call Car, commonly converted from a station wagon, or less commonly, a mini van. Combination cars serve dually as a hearse and an ambulance.
Hearses can also be bought in their iconic black lacquer color and kept that way, or can be jazzed up with paint jobs and new interiors. Old-fashioned and classic or new and flashy, the choice is yours.
Hearse Refurbishment and Restoration
As with any older type of car, caring for a hearse requires a lot of dedication. Car parts, like windshield glass and engines, can be really difficult – sometimes even impossible – to find if the hearse’s model is older than 1970. Undercarriage rust can also be a problem because hearses often sit for a while after leaving the funeral home. Hearse clubs are really popular for these reasons – they provide the opportunity to share valuable knowledge when it comes to knowing where to get the right parts.
HearseCon
Devotees of hearse culture attend a variety of events and celebrations, but HearseCon seems to be one of the favorites. A four-day event that has caught the attention of the Travel Channel, Discovery, Forbes, NBC, and CBS, among other notable publications, HearseCon is a fab opportunity to show off all of the hard work you’ve done on your hearse and to bond with fellow hearse lovers.
Some things you have to look forward to at HearseCon include hearse cruising, cemetery picnics, fire performances, and even camping out in your own hearse! There’s also the “Decay and Shine Hearse Show,” which features badass Hearse Girls.
HearseCon2016: Invasion takes place June 2-5th in Denver, Colorado.
Buying Your Hearse
If all this hearse-ness has piqued your interest in buying one, here are some tips:
- Save your money. Hearses can range from $2,500 to $16,000 for more for in-demand types, such as those with fins. After you purchase your hearse, you will also need to put money into keeping it operational.
- Think about which type of hearse is perfect for you!
- Be on the lookout for undercarriage rust, and have a mechanic do a thorough overall inspection on the hearse you’d like to buy.
- eBay and Craigslist are definitely options when looking to buy, but will require you to be even more careful about inspecting for possible defects.
- CW Coach is one of the most popular and trusted places to buy a hearse and is recommended by many hearse culture devotees. Other recommended places include Southwest Professional Vehicles, Parks Superior, and S&S Coach Company (list courtesy of Lisa Rogak).
- Be sure to purchase commercial insurance for your hearse.
For more hearse buying tips, check out the following resources, all of which helped to better inform this article:
Featured Image: Hearse Girl Killa Kassie at HearseCon 2015. Photo by Kory McNail.
