Lawrence Street Sighting: Cadillac Superior Coaches hearse

On the other end of the GM scale, there's this; Cadillac is one of my favorite brands (sorry Lincoln!)and I enjoy spotting and shooting almost anything the brand makes. However, there are some exceptions, but those exceptions are fairly recent. I have long liked big Cadillacs of this vintage, and rather recently, I started getting into hearses and other funeral/flower cars. I don't know all the brands, and I still have to look at the badges to see who makes what funeral car, but I do like that for the most parts, these do look like the Cadillacs they're based on.

I would date this one as a mid-1980s model, possibly a 1986 or so; at first I thought it was newer based on that hubcaps, but the headlight details tell me otherwise. Regardless, this hearse has been kept in great shape, especially for its age. I wouldn't be surprised if it has less than a hundred thousand miles on it.

Usually, I try to be cautious when shooting hearses, as in Minnesota, they're mostly found either in the hood, or I see them whilst driving; in Lawrence, its a whole 'nother story. I wish I shot this one even more in depth though, but I did get some decent pictures of it.

I love these things, and I love this one; its one of the newer hearses I've seen too, and its one of the coolest. Sure, it's a plain color, but its different than all the black ones I see. I wonder what this one's current life is, as I see its still in great shape. Both the Cadillac crest and the Superior Coaches plaque are still in wonderful shape, and neither has lost their luster; again, the hubcaps are in immaculate shape as well, and unlike many Cadillacs of this vintage, the metal hubcaps adorn this one versus standard wire wheels; I wonder if the hubcaps were a "business" option?

I haven't seen this one before, and I hope to see it again soon; I just hope that next time I see it, its still in awesome shape.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac hearse

Everyone knows that Cadillac builds great luxury cars, but what some people associate Cadillac with is service cars; for decades, Cadillacs have been the choice of car for funeral-homes, nursing homes, limousine agencies, and governmental folks. Obama drives one, the funeral-home near me has a few, and even the airport taxi service uses a few. However, none of the contemporary Cadillacs hold the amount of class an older model displays.
I usually go for pre-1970 Cadillac service cars, but I almost never see them; I do see quite a bit of 1977-1996 ones, though, as well as post-facelift DTS', but those are rather ugly, and not worth shooting in any way, shape or form. I usually like these with the wire hubcaps versus the plain aluminum ones, but these will do for now--kinda. I'm not sure what brand of coachwork this one is, so I'll make it easy and simply call it "Cadillac hearse"; it does no harm, without being ignorantly wrong.









With all due respect, this is an older set of photos; they're not very good; I know that. I haven't seen this once since, or I would've reshot it; from what I can tell, the paint looks very nice, especially for a decommissioned hearse being used as a personal vehicle; the hubcaps, too, look quite good. No visible marks, curb scuffs, or any sign of damage anywhere would suggest that the owner takes pride in his or her vehicle. One aspect which I found quite saddening, though is the appearance of rust slowly making its way through the metal, particularly under the hearse roof. While it was probably just cosmetic at the time I shot this, I can almost guarantee that rust was--or will be-- the immediate downfall of this poor hearse.
I love finding hearses, but sadly I didn't know much about hearse when I shot this. Hell, back when I shot this, my car knowledge wasn't what it is now; obviously, my photography wasn't either, hence the semi-blurry, and not very detailed pictures.
Overall, I wish I would've shot this better, but alas, I can't rewind time. I am glad I at least documented this hearse though.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Caprice hearse

I have always had a fascination with hearse, for as long as I can remember; when I was about 3 or 4, I saw a Cadillac hearse in all black, and I think that's what did it for me. Ever since then, I have taken an extreme liking to hearses, and other odd variations of funeral cars. I like flower cars, too, especially Cadillacs. They're too common, though, so as result, I tend to have a greater appreciation for non-Cadillac funeral cars.
I present this Chevrolet Caprice "Eureka Versailles". I question the "Versailles" badge, however, and that "Eureka" nomenclature looks like it was stolen from either refrigerator, or a home vacuum cleaner. That being said, this is example is in iffy shape. On the surface, it looks to be in alright shape, but up close tells another story. The main blue paint is pretty nicely kept, and shows pretty much no evidence of hard use/daily use. Even the trim seems all intact and in great shape, especially for its age.
Where it goes wrong though, is the roof. I question the hue in which the roof is painted. For one, it doesn't quite look like a factory job; I imagine it used to be black or gray or some other formal color. Number two, aside from the atrocious paint choice, the paint itself looks hand-applied-- not very formal at all. Also, what's with the Cadillac crest on the hood? Does this have the wonderful triuumph of a V8-6-4 engine underhood? Or better yet, a Cadillac-sourced 305 or 350 diesel. Either way, I would hope not. As much as I dislike the 350 or 305, those two engines would be a better choice than the two "powerplants" I mentioned above.
All in all, I wouldn't drive this particular hearse. I like it fine, but there's too much going awry for me to love it. I do respect that the owner is attempting to save it from scrap, but honestly, the modifications/alterations said owner has made are terrible. Let's hope its next owner saves it from modifying hell.