CLC Member needs HELP asap

[Lexi]

He may have been more comfortable if he had left the coffin in the car. At least it would have been padded and warm, lol!! And just think if there were some poor idiot that might have tried to break in, when the coffin lid opens up and a person begins to sit up in it. That thief would never try that again.

I say go for the article. You have my vote.

Rick

Good one Rick. Reminds me a bit of that 1974 - 1975 one year series, Kolchak:The Night Stalker. In episode #2, "The Zombie", intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak tracks down the walking dead that hides out in a vintage Hearse, smack in the middle of an auto graveyard. Carl crawls in and lays beside the dormant zombie, as he must pour salt into its mouth, then with a needle and thread, sew it's mouth shut to destory it. Of course as soon as the needle is plunged into the zombie's lower lip it is awakened and alertly sits up. Being an end loader model, Carl has to escape through the back door as the zombie takes pursuit. One of TVs greatest psychological-claustrophobic scare moments, plus that zombie featured great make up for the time.

For you Cadillac movie buffs out there, have a look. This is the best episode of this horror-fantasy show. As I recall it was difficult to identify the exact make and model of Hearse used in this scene due to dark gloomy lighting, but it looked like an early '50's Cadillac which I seem to recall still had it's tattered curtains. Tough to beat a Cadillac for this type of scene, and '50's Cads are particularly gruesome looking, especially with age patina-sitting in a salvage yard. Clay/Lexi

[Scott Nellis]

   Thanks to all for the thoughtful comments and praise. As the saying goes: "Necessity is the mother of invention." Calling for a tow definitely would have been the easiest and most comfortable option, but I would have somehow felt like a failure. Changing a water pump on a 472 isn't exactly open-heart surgery. In fact about fifteen years ago I was in L.A. on vacation and at the time I was a member of The Phantom Coaches Hearse Club even though I lived a few thousand miles away. A kind lady known only as Dee picked me up at my hotel in a 1970 Superior Cadillac 3-Way Funeral Coach to take me to a club meeting. She had converted the back into a Tiki Bar and while I was in the back getting primed for the meeting the hearse started overheating on the L.A. freeway. We pulled off the freeway into a parking lot to investigate. With so many club members for support and a bit of time on our hands as well as tools, we decided to pull the water pump and see if the impeller had somehow come loose. When I took that water pump off things went much smoother and quicker and it had appeared to have been removed fairly recently. It ended up being full of black sludge, but the impeller was fine. We cleaned things up and got her back together in time to make the meeting. That situation was far different than my recent experience. There was literally at least twenty hearse owners available to fetch tools, parts, or supplies.
   The real hero in my recent misadventure is of course Clay Foley. Without he and his wife's selfless kindness my hearse probably would have ended up on a tow truck. Hats off also go to Jeff of rural New York who offered help to a total stranger asking nothing in return, but receiving a mailbox chock-full of Canadian beer. We can't forget my beautiful 1968 Cadillac Hearse. I wasn't upset with her at all. She just needed some attention, then ran flawlessly to complete our eventful trip of just under 1000 miles.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

OK, they want this for a story for the Self-Starter.
Clay, Scott, write it up, collect pictures and send it all to Jeff Shively.
clceditor@yahoo.com

[Scott Nellis]

   Once again thanks to all for the interest and comments on my recent adventure in my 1968 Cadillac Hearse. I am not proficient with computers and such, but I will contact Jeff Shively at some point and work on getting my story into The Self Starter. I guess the two main things to observe and conclude from my experience would be to not be afraid to embark on a long distance journey in an old Cadillac, and to encourage people to step out of their personal comfort zone to help others in need. Clay and his wife could have stayed home that particular afternoon/evening and had a nice meal and perhaps watched the sunset in their backyard, then later fell asleep whilst watching a movie. Instead they chose to help me, which enabled me to get my Cadillac back on the road and make my destination, then return home later the next day with a sense of satisfaction and a huge smile on my face, and yet another story to tell.
   Thanks again Clay.