Some are mostly web-based, some are tied to a particular locality. They range from conservative to wild, hyperactive to moribund. Most of them have fun things for sale as well. Be aware that you can meet the same people in more than one club, especially in online forums and message boards. Here is my list of clubs (in alphabetical order) worth checking out.

 

Superior Manuals- If you have a 1950 through 1979 Superior, or you think you might like to get one some day, get these CD-ROMS! These are body manuals, not shop manuals, so they won't show you how to replace a timing chain or tune up your engine. Instead, they contain a fascinating collection of photographs of these hearses, ambulances, and flower cars, with closeups and cutaways of the doors and interiors, with all parts marked. There are also pictures of bodies "in the white", showing the internal bracing for the rear compartment. This would be invaluable if you're doing major bodywork or customization. Even the parts lists may come in handy- You'll impress your parts supplier if you say "I need a gas tank door bezel." instead of "I need the little chrome doo-dad that attaches to the flap thingy that covers the gas cap."

If you're looking for a used hearse, many of the hearse clubs have "for sale" listings or ads. There are also, believe-it-or-not, used hearse dealers out there. Most funeral directors don't want to put their old hearse out front with a "for sale" sign on it, lest some teenager buy it and cruise up and down main street in it. So they trade it in. Look near coachbuilders, or ask them where their trade-ins go. You can also check used auto-for-sale publications, ebay, call out-of-town funeral homes, or just drive aimlessly around looking for used hearses for sale. Sometimes sellers have unreasonable expectations of what their car may sell for, and there isn't a blue book for pro cars, so look around a bit before you buy. Hearses are most expensive and sell quickest before Halloween.

CW Coach- is a used-hearse dealer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Carl has an extensive inventory on his website, so it's a good "wish book" to see what is available and how much it might cost. The bulk of his stock is 1980's hearses, though sometimes he gets something more classic or unusual. He seems to be good at "matchmaking", so before you call, think about the various parameters and be ready to list what you're looking for- he also has lots of cars and parts that aren't on the website. He can sometimes be very, very busy. Carl sometimes advertises cars in Auto & Rv and similar publications, and sells cars on ebay.

Tim Fantin in Indiana often has very interesting cars for sale. They are also sometimes listed in the PCS message forum. (219) 942-8374. You can also reach him by email. If you're looking for a really special hearse, and aren't on a beater budget, give him a try.

Robert Cox of Deep South Fire Apparatus (Northern Distributor) Monroe, Michigan, sometimes has used hearses for sale, and has his own collection. If a 22' long hearse seems a bit small for your needs, he always has a nice selection of fire trucks at unbelievable prices. How about a gargantuan ladder truck or pumper? That will show those annoying S.U.V. drivers! (313) 291-7294.

International House of Hearses

The German Hearse Page, run by Anja Zoe Christen, is an English-language version of leichenwagen.de. A great place to view international funeral cars, and get acquainted with the Funeral Trailer, an idea that never seems to have caught on in North America.

Ingo Marx has an excellent collection of international hearse photos on his German Funeral Car Archives. If your German is as bad as mine and you'd like to read the captions, you can cut the following address and paste them in the translator below, picking "German to English", and browse his gallery there.

http://www.bestattungswagen-literaturarchiv.de/

 

Many ill-advised attenpts to convert a hearse into a limousine have resulted in yet another car fed to the crusher (see customizing below). However, it is possible to do it right. One of my worldwide favorites is Destiny Tours of Sydney, Australia, who have beautiful '62 and '67 Cadillac limo-hearses. They ought to fly me out there as a consultant, don't you think?

BTW, ever wonder what my '65 would look like with bikini-clad Aussies? Take a look at Brenda and Cathy.

In some sense that's "Guilding the Lily", since motorized hearses are already custom cars! Just try to find two that are exactly alike! When you modify an already-customized car it raises the difficulty level by at least one order of magnitude. You might want to look up some people who have successfully completed a project and learn from them before you get out the torch and saw!

One of the pitfalls of customizing a hearse is that you really have to know what you're doing, or be incredibly lucky, to succeed. Even experienced car customizers can be thwarted. Case-in-point: even the Monster Garage TV show, with George Barris for gosh sake, managed to take a fairly rare and desirable '72 Miller Meteor 3-way coach and completely trash it- another hearse sent to the crusher. If you're going to mess around with something, at least pick a car that someone has gutted for rock-band transport. However... Here's an example of a some custom jobs done right:

Mortified Modifieds is a good place to look for at some impressive modified hearses. This is the way to do it, guys, not with a pile of cheesy stickers, house paint, and some scuba tanks and refrigerator parts for the roof.

Carthedral What happens when you cross a 1971 Cadi hearse, 1959 Cadi tail fins, an old VW Beetle, and a gothic cathedral? More photos on her FAQ page.

Want to race your hearse? Take a look at Stiff City Warrior and progeny. The former owner of Lucretzia, my 65 Superior, was so impressed with SCW that he bought American Racing Outlaw II wheels for her.