Hearse Advice

[Vampirate_Maiden]

Hi. I'm new here. Figured I'd join this site since it seems pretty cool. Also, I was hoping I could get some advice about possibly getting myself a hearse. I've never had one before, but I've been wanting one for years. I need to get myself another car, and I want to know if anyone thinks a hearse would be a good choice now. The main problem is that I'm not exactly rich, and I know these cars can be costly in repairs and such. Please help!

[Guest]

Read this article that zack wrote about buying a hearse.

the only other thing i would add is make sure you have parking arranged, and you may want to look into any local neighborhood covenants or anything like that. be prepared for hell from the neighbors.

[hearseballer]

yep where i used to live they tried being pricks every way possible cuz my hearse. then when i used my casket as a grill all hell broke lose even worse lol

[nmacarthur]

Greetings and welcome to the board. Just wanted to say that the link for Zach's advice on purchasing a pro car is great advice. Seeing that you're in S Fla (hey there fellow Floridian) I know of another friend that was selling his hearse. Not sure if he's still here since he was moving out of the state. Anywho, my favorite places to search are:

*Ebay
*http://www.cwcoach.com/ (can be a bit more and there's transporation, but I love the one I got from him - he was very reliable on information)
*the various hearse clubs classifieds
*http://ww2.collectorcartrader.com/search.php

I'm just throwing some out there. Also, be prepared to look for a period of time. Do you have a reliable source of other transportation? You would want to take the time you need to find the coach that works for you and not be rushed to get one.

[Vampirate_Maiden]

Thank you all for the help. Reading the article made me realize that I should probably wait a little til I have more money and time to take care of one. Of course my dream of getting one is still there. I guess for the time being I'll just have to drive my crappy car (which some people tell me is possessed) until the right time comes. But I'll still look around and see what's out there so I can get an idea what I'll be looking at.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome, nmacarthur. I see that you live in Hollywood, which is close to me. Do you own the Chrysler New Yorker Hearse? If so, I've heard of you (don't worry it was good things)!

[mdeanr]

enjoy your stay here and you'll know when the right hearse comes along.

[nmacarthur]

Thank you all for the help. Reading the article made me realize that I should probably wait a little til I have more money and time to take care of one. Of course my dream of getting one is still there. I guess for the time being I'll just have to drive my crappy car (which some people tell me is possessed) until the right time comes. But I'll still look around and see what's out there so I can get an idea what I'll be looking at.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome, nmacarthur. I see that you live in Hollywood, which is close to me. Do you own the Chrysler New Yorker Hearse? If so, I've heard of you (don't worry it was good things)!

Yep, that's my first hearse Someday I'll drive it again (heh). But, knowing that the '53 would take some time to restore, it's one reason I bought an '80. I drive it everyday and yes, there is some maintenance on it, but really, not that bad. So a daily driver is doable. Just keep looking and if you find something and want more info, don't hesitate to ask on the board.

[jlprigmore]

Just a caution with cw coach don't believe the salesman. The people who run it are nice and honest but the salesman they have is shady. But I'm happy with the car i got from them.

[deadbride]

Welcome aboard! Join the looney bin.

[Vampirate_Maiden]

Well I'm glad to see all the welcome and support I'm getting here. Believe me, I WILL get a hearse someday. Until then, I guess I'll just stick around and talk about them here. I do have another hearse question tho. Are Buicks generally less expensive to fix then Caddy's?

[deadbride]

not really, all cars are going to cost money to keep up.

[Flymanj3]

Well I'm glad to see all the welcome and support I'm getting here. Believe me, I WILL get a hearse someday. Until then, I guess I'll just stick around and talk about them here. I do have another hearse question tho. Are Buicks generally less expensive to fix then Caddy's?

Just remember to keep the dream alive - no matter what. I've always wanted a hearse, too. Last year I turned 50 and said "that's it - go get a hearse"!!!

Hope it doesn't take you that long... but I believe - yes, you WILL get a hearse someday

(actually, just thinking.... EVERYONE will get a hearse someday )

As to expense, Deadbride is basically right, a car, no matter what it is will need maint. - the real difference is not the make, but YEAR. Money wise, the older they are, the more you'll spend - again, just like any other car.

[Zachary]

I would recommend Craigslist.org as well. I make it a daily ritual to check all the surrounding cities in my area for hearse sales too. Good luck!

[Guest]

(actually, just thinking.... EVERYONE will get a hearse someday )

not necessarily - if they are cremated then they will get the coffee can

[nmacarthur]

Something I would like to add to keep in mind when looking for hearses and costs - the early/mid 80's gas crunch and how it affected the way engines were manufactured. See this site for an idea: http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1980/cad82.htm

Basically, you're not going to get as much oomph with the 80's engines that have the V-8-6-4 and I would recommend keeping to a simpler older engine. It's one reason I decided not to go newer than the 1980 - it's a carb and not a fuel injection system. There's still some areas on the engine that make me go "huh?" But overall, I'm happy with this vehicle.