Perhaps the most overlooked street machines ever gather in L.A. And wewere there.
In L.A., going out in style is almost as important as staying in style.The idea behind the Hearse-A-Thon, after putting "fun" back in"funeral," was to add another page to the Guinness Book of WorldRecords, specifically to set the record for the world's longest hearseprocession. We covered it because you get so much with a hearse. It'shard to not see them for their vintage hardware, big-block power, andhardly used condition. You can buy one right out of an air-conditionedgarage with low miles--having spent most of those at less than 15 mph.What could be better?
A guy driving a hearse called "Deadmonkey" was thrown out because ofexpired tags and no insurance and for doing burnouts at the PetersenAutomotive Museum.
On an afternoon in October, more than 70 funeral cars of all makes,models, years, and dispositions converged at the Petersen AutomotiveMuseum. The event was organized by The California Funeral Car Consortiumand Forest Lawn Cemetery. The procession of hearses completed a 2.5-mileloop around the city then came to a rest at the top of the museum'sparking structure. Crowds of onlookers gathered along the route, andmany asked, "Are you making a movie?" No, we were making history. It wasa hearse-a-thon.
Stepping out of her chopped, slammed, and flamed '66 Caddy hearse was"Mora," with her trademark coffin purse and a hairdo that would havemade the Bride of Frankenstein green with envy. Her ride was the work ofthe legendary Barris Brothers, the guys who gave the world the Munsterscars and the original Batmobile. | 
Dudes get style points for graveyard scenes that always include 'dembones. Also good for a quick nap. | 
And they're cheap! For $5K you get a big-block Cadillac with a rumpusroom for all your friends and a tailgate for football games. Plus youcan tow your race car, and it guarantees looks at any car show. Butwe're not going to tell you what to buy. |
(above & right) This is a '77 Cadillac flower car used in funeral processions to, whatelse, carry flowers. If you think about it, all hearses are customs. |  | 
Event co-coordinator Bryan Moore's '51 Cadillac Superior Sideloaderappeared in Ed Wood and several other films. "We all love hearses andwanted to raise the bar by having a classy event, giving our hearses thebest we could give them, and treating them with the pride and dignitythey deserve." |
Rock Griffith drove from Bullhead, Arizona, in his less-than-pristinePontiac Bonneville hearse, but he got here quick. | 
Rock's hearse has a 468 Rat and a14-second timeslip. | 
In addition to collectors, there were people from the funeral industry.This '02 Cadillac Eureka is driven by Travis Brown at his job as afuneral director. |
Mathew Cole is the Webmaster for the Southern California Chapter of theProfessional Car Society. His hearse is a white '66 S&S Park Row on aCadillac chassis. All the S&S cars were more expensive than thecompetition. Their brochures said, "Of course it costs more!" | 
Richard Pierce and his wife Debbie found this '47 A.J. Miller Landau 10years ago rusting away in an Oakland, California, backyard and spent twoyears restoring it. They own five other hearses. "Strangely enough, itstarted as a stunt for a Halloween party, but the cars turned out to beso much fun, it just grew from there. Our neighbors think we'redifferent." | 
This is a custom-built Cadillac Superior End Loader Funeral Coach builtby The Superior Coach Company in Lima, Ohio. |
The Caddy weighs 7,000 pounds buthas a 500-inch Cad engine so it can pull a race car trailer for E TicketRacing in Eagle Point, Oregon. | 
John Koresko has owned his '64 Miller Meteor hearse, his first ofseveral, for 10 years. "I had planned to cut off the back and add acamper shell, but it drove so nicely I decided to keep it in itsoriginal form. My neighbors think I'm weird. I usually drive around witha skeleton in the passenger seat." | 
Gator McMurder (left), lead singer of The Coffin Draggers, arrived withhis friends in his '69 Cadillac Superior Three-Way. Says Gator, "I workin Pasadena and park on the street. Every hour they ticket people. Inever get one. A parking-ticket person even told me they don't tickethearses. Another perk for hearse ownership." |