Death’s Personal Ride: Custom 1953 Cadillac Hearse

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Cadillac, once the standard of the world. They’ve been making expensive, luxurious, and flashy cars since they started as a company. Lately, with the advent of their V performance sub-brand, they’ve embraced the nature of the powerful V-8 engines they’ve put in their cars since the early twentieth century and started making faster and faster Cadillacs. V could only ever dream of making something this extreme. You can find this 1953 hearse here on eBay, and I encourage you to check out the listing.

To begin, the body and interior are just about the only thing relating to Cadillac. At first glance, the proportions seem a little off, and there’s a weird intake on the hood, but the big chrome grille is distinctively Cadillac, and the landau top has formal connotations to it. Inside, there are plush velour seating surfaces, dark hardwood veneer trim, and plenty of storage room. You won’t be able to fit a coffin in there, not that you would want to, but some luggage could definitely fit no problem. It would definitely turn some heads at the Home Depot parking lot, if you had some home improvement projects on your to-do list.

Underneath…is not a Cadillac. The sleek two-door hearse body rests on a NASCAR frame with a 108-inch wheelbase. You get tubular steel in all the right places (all the places) to protect you from a crash, and enough torsional rigidity to support the car under speeds only ever seen on race tracks. There doesn’t appear to be any rust, dirt, or grime, and the tires look wide enough to have different zip codes on each wall. The body is for decoration only, but it will likely give a more comfortable ride than the race car donor as a happy side effect.

Powering this mad scientist’s creation is a Chevrolet 427 V-8 with a truly herculean Weiand 8-71 supercharger, driving the rear wheels through a locking differential and a Tex Racing T101 four-speed manual. No word on figures, but it’s safe to say that it makes enough power to safely merge with highway traffic. The word “hybrid” conjures up images of bizarrely shaped cars that are absurdly practical and quiet with low costs of ownership. In reality, it just means two things that come together. This car is a hybrid; it brings together the worlds of racing and luxury. Smile and be proud, future owner, of owning one of the only manual transmission hybrid Cadillacs ever…that measures its fuel efficiency in gallons per mile.

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Comments

  1. Steve Clinton

    Clown hearse?

    Like 7
  2. Steve Clinton

    …for midgets.

    Like 5
  3. Classic Steel

    Its a reaper machine for sure.
    Its a last responder for sure.
    ..it hauls @ss and anything else in the box.

    Seriously…

    The 427 and tilt looks good….

    The Nascar frame definitely supports the bigger engine too.

    Good luck on sake 👍

    Like 2
  4. Will Fox

    …………..what did a gorgeous `53 Cadillac ever do to deserve this? I bet the builder kills puppies too.

    Like 18
  5. Rodney - GSM

    The original “Ride or Die”.

    Like 2
  6. ray sebesian

    Bahahaha, originality is at the least unique, If I saw this coming down the pike in the rear view, I’d certainly move to the slow lane.

    Like 5
  7. wuzjeepnowsaab

    Cool custom build. Not my cup of tea but I bet it’s fun to drive. Also…that guy has a lot of faith in those jack stands lol

    Like 5
  8. Ron

    A college friend — tired of steep rental costs — bought a hearse and lived in it. I’m sure he saved money, but I doubt it was very good for dating…

    Like 4
  9. lbpa18

    Unless you’re passing someone, you should already be in the right lane. That way, if this guy comes upon you he can either take the left lane as it was intended, or punch this beast and leapfrog you :)

    Like 1
  10. its1969ok

    The roof profile and hood scoop are truly horrid, but I like the rest of it.

    Like 1
  11. Scott L.

    I don’t get the hardwood flooring in back.
    Everything makes perfect sense.

    Like 2
  12. Troy s

    Hot rodding has no barriers, no rules, just imagination and then creation. I could can just picture this burbling down 2nd street on Friday night, with the loud whine and all that, a biker looking dude grinning ear to ear….nowadays it would be seen at an organized car show with family values and all that.

    Like 6
  13. TortMember

    Whatever floats your boat but nope for me!

    Like 2
  14. Mike

    The add on Ebay says: No expense spared in building. Well the seats and the wheels on the car say different. But if it showed up at a show and you saw it you would have to go take a look. Looks like it going to sale on Ebay with only about 2 and a half hours left it’s over 20K.

    Like 0
  15. Morley BrownMember

    I love this build, even though it looks like a dog trying to hump a football. Not for me but way better than doing all this to a Camaro!!

    Like 4
  16. Nick G

    I like the “attic”.

    Like 0
  17. t-bone BOB

    Item location:
    Taylors, South Carolina

    Like 2
  18. Arby

    When you gotta get there in a hurry…

    Like 1
  19. Lowell Peterson

    Super well done out of the box streetrod! VERY KOOL!

    Like 6
    • BJ

      Go find another one, not just Kool but also different to say the least. Built by someone who thinks outside the box, I like it!

      Like 4
  20. Ralph

    Looks pretty well done overall, but begs the question: why?
    If I had a NASCAR frame there are a thousand other bodies I would choose to hang on it, this just looks goofy…YMMV

    Like 3
  21. Mutt

    Now I have heard that with these vintage Caddy’s you really gotta watch out for leaking head caskets.

    Like 11
  22. Autoworker

    Is that a “Hearse” shifter? Would be a fun one for local car shows.

    Like 6
  23. BR

    Winning bid:
    US $20,601.00

    Like 1
  24. John Klintz

    What an expensive and arduous way to destroy a beautiful old Caddy hearse! IMO, disgusting.

    Like 1
  25. Angel_Cadillac_Diva Angel Cadillac DivaMember

    Not gonna say a word…….

    Like 3
  26. Don Leblanc

    Those Dagmars tho’ …

    Like 1
  27. 370zpp 370zpp

    This is like taking a Maine lobster and covering it with Cheese Wiz.

    Like 1
  28. martinsane

    I love it and at 20k (sold), thats a lot of car in need of and for next to nothing.

    Wish i saw this b4 it sold and i was without boat anchor so i could have nice things.

    That said and to wach their own, but being a complete custom that it is i would have had the front windscreen be the same height as the other windows, that little detail does make it look a little squished. Also not a fan of those rims but that’s ticky tacky.

    Like 0
  29. Dave

    Munster Koach 2.0. Anyone seen Butch Patrick lately?

    Like 1
  30. t-bone BOB

    Ended:
    Jul 31, 2021
    Winning bid:
    US $20,601.00
    [ 25 bids ]

    Like 1
  31. Andre

    Would those find on the rear end be from a Henry J?

    Like 2
  32. Andre

    …fins…

    Like 0
  33. Cattoo Cattoo

    That’s awesome and with a lot of go fast parts on it for $20 grand.

    Like 0
  34. Rj

    Sounds like the wee kits are nursing, and the vixen crying.

    Like 0
  35. 57Chevt

    The only thing uglier would be an Edsel!!!

    Like 1
  36. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember

    Hey! This thing is to die for! NOT!

    Like 0

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