"I acquired my hearse in
1997, poor thing had been sitting out on US 301, in Summerfield Florida for a couple years, and I'd eyed it
every time I happened to go that way. Foolishly, I paid 3500.00 for it, but being the
connoisseur I am, I paid that price anyway, this being my first real coach. Seems the car has
been in storage for several years, it had been a service car for removals, and such, then was put out to pasture. The vinyl roof was
almost new, sadly though, I believe that whomever was selling it, had
put the new vinyl top on, (to hide the true roof) over an already badly rusted roof, for now it seems, the roof is rusted through in a couple
spots,..no prob though, I've restored cars before, and know the power of
fiberglass. In the beginning, I drove the car as my only vehicle, but then the
engine started to have trouble (bad carburetor),..which I attempted to fix myself, being an
amateur mechanic, I screwed it up, ...The gas mileage got so bad, 6 mpg, ..that I couldn't afford to drive it
everyday, to my job 24 miles away. Then the timing chain jumped a couple sprockets,,had that replaced with new timing set, ..but its
never run the same since it was replaced,..now it runs on 7 cylinders, ..and has been parked, for 2 years.
Recently, I removed the entire vinyl top, and have started to restore the rusted roof, which I plan to paint sable black like the rest of the
car, and just keep it that way,..I like the painted roof better, low maintenance, being
that's its here in Florida, and I have no inside
storage for it, the humidity does a number, (not to mention the sun) on it,..and a painted roof will be just fine with me. Hopefully, soon I'll
have the 472 engine rebuilt, or pop a 454 Chevy into it. Sometimes I'm sorry I ever bought it, but in the long run, It sure has been an
attention getter, especially if cruising through Orlando, everyone assumes it belong to one of the movie studios.
Well that's about it for the car. As for myself, I reside in Summerfield Florida.
I've had the car for sale every now and then, but people assume they can get something for nothing...(Please)....I'd
rather watch it rot in the yard, then sell it for 500.00 ..besides, its a hell of a sturdy storage unit...(hurricane
safe)....lol"
-David Green
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