Aug 1, 2018  •  For Sale  •  20 Comments

Hearse/Pickup: 1987 Chevrolet Caprice

 

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Oldsmobile fans have the Hurst/Olds, and now Chevy fans have something similar to get excited about in the form of this 1987 Chevy hearse/pickup, for sale here on Craigslist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  This might be an ideal ride if you need a Caprice-based El Camino with a little more headroom than a normal Caprice would provide.  Thanks to Fred H. for the unique submission!

From what I can tell based on the pictures, this car started life as a Caprice sedan that was converted to a hearse by Eureka Coach.  1987 would be the first year for the Caprice-based Eureka hearse, replacing the Pontiac Parisienne-based hearses.  With its stronger frame and wider rear track, a wagon seems like a better starting point, but I suppose someone at Eureka thought the sedan made a better base.  It seems unlikely, but maybe the folks at Eureka never anticipated that one of their hearses would be cut into a pickup and need the extra chassis strength.

I’ve pondered buying a hearse to use as the basis for a cool car build, but somehow I always come back to thinking that a hearse is just a little too over-the-top as project cars go.  Sure, it would be less common than a ’69 Camaro, but there will always be a certain social stigma attached to any car once used to transport the deceased.  Apparently, whomever built this car had no such concerns.  The seller doesn’t explain how this car came to be, but somewhere along the way someone decided that a hearse would make a great platform out of which to build a pickup.  Maybe they longed for the days when the El Camino was based on GM’s full-size cars rather than the mid-sized models, as they were in the ’80’s.  Maybe they needed a pickup bed and liked to wear tall hats.  Or maybe they wanted a vehicle on which twin rear-mounted whip antennae wouldn’t look out of place.

For $3500, it’s hard to find a V8-powered crew-cab pickup truck, so this vehicle might make a lot of sense for someone.  Sure, there are a few issues I’d want to address right away, like the uncomfortable-looking rear seat and the lack of a traditional receiver-type rear hitch, but maybe this vehicle is just what someone out there is looking for.

Comments

  1. Jimmy
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:15am

    It’s a oddball that’s for sure, mount some heavy artillery and your ready for the zombie apocalypse.

    Like 7
  2. Classic Steel
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:19am

    It’s haulin dead a@@ for sure..
    I would’ve saved the top as a pop on topper for Halloween ghost tours.
    FYI
    Zombies are here already and recide in DC 😼
    (It’s why nothing gets done )lil both side of isle humor…

    &
    I would rather not have it as it’s kind of ugly 😳

    Like 9
  3. Mountainwoodie
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:31am

    Someone had a lot of time on their hands. The ubiquitous flat black rattle can adds a certain je ne sais quoi

    Like 7
  4. Will Fox
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:45am

    Yikes! Let’s not & say we did, shall we?! Makes the ‘Family Truckster’ Griswald family hauler look downright practical! Sorry; I hate back-yard brainstorms that have gone awry…..they always turn out as disasters. This one would’ve done fine in a “Mad Max” sequel. I can picture it now; busting over a sand dune at 80MPH with 3 savages riding shotgun on the back!!

    Like 9
  5. Hank from illinois
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:49am

    Oh my, how many wheel weights are on that front tire? No thanks.

    Like 7
    • George
      Aug 1, 2018 at 9:05am

      Not only is the person who made this unbalanced, so are the wheels!

      Like 7
  6. Little_Cars Alexander
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:59am

    This would make a great mate to the 80’s Ford station wagon made into a Ute from a few weeks back on BF.

    Like 0
  7. Wrong Way
    Aug 1, 2018 at 10:02am

    Love what someone did to this bow tie! Looks really trashy! They should be hung for doing this to any car! If they had to destroy a car/hearse I am glad that they chose a bow tie to do this to! Very ugly, but probably useful! LOL

    Like 2
  8. CCFisher
    Aug 1, 2018 at 10:14am

    What kind of cheap-a$$ funeral home uses a Chevrolet hearse? As much as this thing cost when new, they couldn’t swing an extra $10K for a Cadillac or even $2K for a Buick? I bet they source their caskets from Walmart and use dry-erase boards for headstones.

    Like 11
    • dweezilaz
      Aug 1, 2018 at 11:24am

      For what I paid just for my cremation service and burial slot, if I’d popped for traditional burial, casket and funeral services at probably double the price , it had better be a Cadillac.

      My way, they’ll probably bring the urn out riding a skateboard, but that would suit my sense of the absurd anyway.

      Like 5
      • ChebbyMember
        Aug 2, 2018 at 2:15am

        You paid for your cremation already! Are you talking to us from beyond the grave….is this Beetlejuice?

        Like 1
  9. half cab
    Aug 1, 2018 at 10:58am

    What a waste of time,talent and materials

    Like 4
  10. Fred H
    Aug 1, 2018 at 4:18pm

    They were smart to use a hearse instead of a station wagon .Because a hearse would have a tailgate. I think its cool and not in the box like a 57 Chevy.

    Like 1
    • George
      Aug 2, 2018 at 9:23am

      Station wagons also have a tailgate. It’s that thing on the back. However the station wagon variety opens down or to the side. On a hearse it only opens to the side. I would prefer a wagon tailgate myself.

      Like 0
  11. P Wentzell
    Aug 1, 2018 at 5:37pm

    Just because you can, does not mean you should.

    Like 1
  12. Mike R in De
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:51pm

    Have some fun, upgrade to a camo paint job and use instead of a pickup. Would be the only one at the hunting camp! Might have to add a skid plate and fuel tank protection.

    Like 3
  13. ChebbyMember
    Aug 2, 2018 at 2:17am

    This car meant a whole lot to a certain person. Alas, he is the one selling it.

    Like 0
  14. Little_Cars Alexander
    Aug 2, 2018 at 6:19am

    Match to the LTD from a few weeks ago on BF.

    Like 0
  15. Brian
    Aug 2, 2018 at 11:48am

    It’s weird but I like it.

    Like 0
  16. Wiley Robinson
    Aug 2, 2018 at 1:48pm

    Wasteland!

    Like 0

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