Talk me out of this. It's too expensive, right?

So, I accidentally (really) came across this ad for a 1962 Caddy Hearse.
 
 I've fallen in love with the idea of a resto-mod project on this thing. It has FINS! I am guessing a D-Body Series 75.

The wife (a former goth) is more excited about this potential project than she has been about any of the Miatas, RX-7s, RX-8s or 4x4s I've ever brought home.

It would probably be a BIG project. Hell, I am not even sure I could tow it home. Putting disk brakes and other modern running gear on it would probably cost a bunch and drive me slowly insane.

It's likely rusty.

But I can't shake the idea.

Talk me out of it, or give me ideas on how to get this thing safe enough to pick the kids up from school with while emitting a deep, V8 growl. There is no middle ground.
 

If Toyman can roll Sanford, you have no excuse. That deserves to be on bags, an inch off the ground, rolling on Astro Supremes. Never, ever paint it.

Rusty, with a 283 Chevy engine instead of the original Cadillac engine...I'd pass.

Oh, you know you want it! You're not going to sleep tonight!

Yeah definitely needs an actual cadillac engine in there,62 would have been the 390 but you could drop in a 500 or 472 etc in there.

I had a friend with several hearses of different generations, including this one. 

He was in a club. Only thing I remember about it was how terrifying it was to ride in at 110 on an open highway. (His had a 500 in it.)

I've always dreamed of having one with a remote release for the rear door and enough gear to have a tethered casket fall halfway out and drag down the road. 

I'm sick, and incapable of doing anything short of enabling. Although IMO it's priced at a premium for what is essentially a donor shell.

I don't see any huge rust issues, so there is no logical argument against buying this project. 

Rear fender skirts are missing.

Pete

The exhaust must spit fire, one way or another,and it should have a blower sticking through the hood. Never paint it. 

All I can think of is Ghost Busters

Windshields on these are very difficult to find and expensive. That one's cracked, so you'll have to hunt. The high roofline with tall windshield is called "commercial glass." I found mine from CW Coach Sales in Cincinnati about 15 years ago; I have no idea if they're still in business. Looks like they are:

http://cwcoach.com/

But they may not have a windshield for you. The "best" part is that you're not likely to get a guarantee on the glass installation because 50 year old glass cracking on install isn't unheard of.

That car is incredible, though. The long wheelbase will make it interesting to drive. Turning radius of a limo and handling of a sailboat. Mine was a standard wheelbase so it handled more like a typical 60s American car.

If you're ready for a multi-year massive (in all ways) project then there's not anything more worthy. You will get a ton of attention. But if you're thinking it would slap together over a winter, well... that's probably not going to happen.

I doubt this will fit in your garage. The regular Caddys of this era were close to 19 feet long. This one is probably around 21 feet. Your garage had better have 25 or so feet clear to be able to fit this in and walk around one end of it.

markwemple said:

All I can think of is Ghost Busters

That was a 1959.

Honestly some rust or patina on a hearse should add some character and maybe potentially more scary lol

DIG THROUGH THE DITCHES AND

BURN THROUGH THE WITCHES

If the wife is into it, hellz yeah... 

Run_Away said:

DIG THROUGH THE DITCHES AND

BURN THROUGH THE WITCHES

LOL that's exactly what's been playing in my head since the first post! That, and this:

Sell the hubcaps, some of the chrome and interior trim and you would be sub 500$ into the project. Throw a giant BB Chevy in it and drive the snot out of it. someone above is right about the glass but it depends on the coachbuilder so used the factory glass and added metal above. This one not so much.

Like someone I worked with said: They ain't making any more of them, so we gotta save what is left. I say go for it. I would look at putting something wild in it, like a LSA engine from a CTS-V or ZL-1, or a Duramax, just seems right for such a land yacht.

living with an old car as a DD isn't that hard, honestly.

source: i do it

motors are all relatively the same imho. i hope you do it and wish ya the best of luck

We need pics of the Goth wife. 

Right now what you have is money. Money is boring and dumb and the only reason anybody wants it in the first place is to trade it for something good. 

What you are looking at is something good. Trade money for it. 

spitfirebill said:

We need pics of the Goth wife. 

That was my second thought.

Casket subwooofer was my first

barefootskater said:

Right now what you have is money. Money is boring and dumb and the only reason anybody wants it in the first place is to trade it for something good. 

What you are looking at is something good. Trade money for it. 

This x1000

barefootskater said:

Right now what you have is money. Money is boring and dumb and the only reason anybody wants it in the first place is to trade it for something good. 

What you are looking at is something good. Trade money for it. 

The Enablers' Code....  

I can't find the link to the build thread?