Back in 2014, when I was working, I had to pick up parts, out at Harbor Island here in Seattle. I happened to see this very cool, elegant, I believe it to be, a 41 Caddy hearse. I always had a camera with me, for opportunity's just like this. Its great that there is this forum, that we can now post such pictures with out having to worry about the wheels. I have never seen this marvelous rig around Seattle again. I am glad I got these shots when I did. Thanks from Dennis.
neat car! probably 46-47, they modernized it just a little after the war. I spent enough time in a 40 LaSalle hearse to last me the rest of my life. What happens after, I don't care about.
Hello, Nice old hearse. From the time we started surfing as early teens, everyone was looking for the best usage of a station wagon for comfort and able to sleep on longer camping/surfing trips. Our 7 1o 10 day Baja Mexico surf trips definitely had to have a sleeping area inside for those misty, coastal fog, moisture nights. No on liked to have water on your hair or face if you were outside of a sleeping bag. The moist sleeping bags were always hung out to dry and acted as a shade structure while drying during the surfing hours. When someone always told a scary story around the campfire, then later on when we all split up to go back to our station wagons and vans, no one wanted to sleep outside under the stars. Why, it was nature and all of the dark sky with a zillion stars we normally don’t see in So Cal. In Baja, it is not hindered by big city lights and metropolitan areas. Big dark ocean, dark sky and no lights for miles makes for a perfect lit up sky with a zillion stars staring down at us or everyone. But, those stories of, “the wandering person that like to chop off heads” always comes up, especially when parked on an empty cliff area away from other places and in the dark. Only to be lit up by the blazing fire. So, when the fire dies down and we are all totally sleepy, those stories stick to us like a bad memory. Even though they were not true and we knew it, the image just stuck in our teenage minds. Despite the vans and station wagons, everyone wanted to sleep inside with locked doors. Ha, big brave teenagers… So, when the scramble popped up, it was actually funny. Those that had to sleep outside of the locked station wagons and vans rolled under the said vehicles, so they were safe from “the wandering person…!” Jnaki When we were usually surfing at our local beaches or down south in the Dana Point area, the cadre of cars, station wagons and trucks were abundant. But, one day, an older guy drives up with an old Cad staion wagon around a 50 style with fin taillights. It was black and slightly tarnished. Curtains on the windows and the look was as if it just came from the “service.” So, naturally, we all shied away from looking. The funny thing was, no one walked over and talked to the guy or checked out the hearse. It just gave off some bad vibes and no one wanted to be “jinxed.” Ha! Then many years later, I found a photo of a local So Cal race group that had a fast roadster and was pushed to the starting line by none other than a Cad hearse with fins. (plus an added surfboard on top) The history of the Sadd, Teague, Bentley Modified Roadster goes back to 1964. It has a sad…pun intended, story that get brighter with the new build from another historic roadster. This yellow version was done as a tribute to the good looking original build and team, plus the hearse push car, was a classic, too. Note : 1964 old Friday Art The Sadd Brothers Roadster at Pomona in 1964. At the time, the brothers used a 1949 Cadillac Hearse with a surfboard on the roof to push the roadster. Photo courtesy of Nick Sadd. In looking at this 1964 photo in front of the spectator stands, reminded me of those times at Lion’s Dragstrip when the race cars came whipping up the "fire up lane" next to the “class lanes.” It was supposed to be isolated, so no one would get hurt. For those racers that did not want to push start down the dragstrip and back, this was the place. The Pomona photo above, recreated that moment in time. “Sadd Brothers, Teague, and Bentley…these guys usually ran this roadster at the lakes and Bonneville, but also drag raced it…bright yellow, with an injected Chevy…later it would set Bonneville records with a blown Chrysler, until damaged in a return road accident…the body of the old Brammer, Burkhart, and Burns roadster was the replacement body….” For those that like to win the Best Appearing Car, Crew, Tow/Push Car and all of the marbles, here is a color coordinated look, including a custom yellow longboard and matching custom fin. Note 2: We still would not ride in the hearse to go surfing... it just gives off some "bad JuJu..." So the saying goes... YRMV
This one is up in the woods by my grandparent's cabin. Was stolen many years ago and driven as far as it would go and abandoned. All blocked in by forest now, but you can hike to it, which is how I got these pics.
The Jalopy Journal
