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August 17th, 2007: We became allies with The Dead Society Hearse Club as a brother club.
July 13th, 2009: Grimm stepped down as President and handed control over to Scary Guy.
July 19th, 2009: We officially became a member of the NHAA.
Q. What are you people and this hearse thing about?
A. We are like minded individuals who own and have a similar affinity or interest in hearses/funeral related things and like having fun who have grouped together to better facilitate the sharing of ideas.
Q. Do you have events and meetings?
A. Yes, we go to car shows, have get togethers, barbecues, and hang out cruising around town. To find out about these events you can check the main page.
Q. Are you into haunted houses/the haunt industry/movie production.
A. Some of us are and some of us aren't. Some people like the cars just for the cars and hate all the skulls/death while others love the cars and anything related to the haunt industry.
Q. Do you rent out your hearses?
A. Some members do, you'd have to contact them individually to find out. Contact info for most members is provided on the members page or you can contact us directly through the contact page.
Q. Are you people gothic?
A. Some of our members call themselves that. If you can define what "gothic" is then we'll tell you if we are or not (in other words it depends on the member, but as a general rule no).
Q. Do you rob graves? Are you into necrophilia?
A. NO! While some of our members may joke about it we do not approve of those or any other acts that disrespect the deceased and furthermore have no respect for those who do.
Q. I joined the mailing list/myspace and/or signed the guest book and/or went to an event and/or a member gave me a button. Am I a member now?
A. No, you have to actually request to become a member.
Q. I just joined the NHAA forum, am I a member now?
A. No, you actually have to join Mortis City, not the national orginazation we belong to.
Q. I just joined the NHAA as a member in another club, does that make us part of your club too?
A. No, it doesn't, if it did there would be no need for a national orginazation. You are a brother club though and we welcome you as that.
Q. Can we join your club too if we're in another club/the NHAA?
A. Yes, If you move into our area (within 50 miles of Detroit in the state of Michigan).
Q. How do I request membership and actually join then?
A. Just e-mail us your name, address, phone number, and if you have a hearse the make, model, and year with a picture. A picture of yourself would be nice as well but it's also not required. You can also talk to any senior member in person and tell them you wish to join, or you can post on our subforum on the NHAA (forum registration required).
Q. Does joining your club mean I'm a member of the NHAA?
A. Yes
Q. Can I belong to any other hearse clubs as well?
A. Yes, however you cannot hold a high office if you do, unless you pledge your loyalty to our club primarily. The obvious exception of this rule is the NHAA.
Q. I live in a far off land and can't make it to events, can I join?
A. No.
Q. I'm close enough to make it to events but have a very busy schedule and can't make most/any of them.
A. While we would prefer you to attend as many of our events as possible, you don't have to attend many events to be a member although we're not sure why you would want to join if you can't make events. On top of that the less events that you make, the lower your ranking in the club. Two events a year isn't much to ask, if you can't make that then don't bother applying.
Q. I'm a certain race, religion, political affiliation, sports advocate, diatary path, etc... can I still join?
A. As long as you don't push your views on anyone you're fine.
Q. Do I need to own a hearse to join?
A. Yes, you actually need a WORKING hearse to join our club and you need to have the same appreciation, enthusiasm, and passion for them as the other members have (because what's the point of joining a hearse club if you don't actually have a hearse). Please note that you can still come to events though and the ONLY exception to this rule are former owners of hearses and you have to be actively trying to get another hearse (there is a year time limit).
Q. What are the restrictions for members who want to modify their hearses?
A. There are none, go as crazy with them as you want or keep them original. It's completely up to you.
Q. What are the member ranks?
A. Power in the club is determined by the following:
Q. Do you charge any fees or dues?
A. No as we think that's stupid.
Q. Do you accept donations?
A. Donations are gladly accepted in person and will be thrown into the clubs coffer. Also if we hold an event you can help out if you want but it's not required (Example: at a barbecue, you can bring food or drinks). Online donations shall be set up soon.
Q. Do you make anything off the merchandise you sell.
A. Every item purchased in the store donates one dollar ($1.00) USD to the clubs coffer.
Q. What does the money go to?
A. Club events, parties, domain name registration for the website, anything else club related.
Q. Does any of the money go to the NHAA?
A. No, unless we go in on them for something for all the clubs (like shirts/patches or something to that affect).
Q. What browsers can I use to view the site?
A. This site is designed to work primarily with Mozilla Firefox with full functionality, however it has also been tested and has proven to work in Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer and Lynx. It should theoretically work in any other browser as well.
Q. What resolution should I view the site at?
A. This site is designed to work with almost any monitor resolution down to a minimum of 800X600.
Q. How fast of a connection should I need?
A. Most areas of the site should work fine with dialup, however I only recommend visiting the gallery with nothing less than a cable/DSL connection.
Q. Where should I look to buy a hearse?
A. You should try E-Bay Motors, Craigs List.com, the NHAA forums, and C. W. Coach for starters. Be sure to shop around as you not only find the best value, but it increases your chances of getting what you really want as well. Don't jump on the first sweet deal you see either just because it's there, wait for something that really catches your heart.
Q. What is the going rate for a new/used hearse.
A. New hearses (less than 5 years old) typically go for between $60,000 and $75,000. I've heard the really nice professional ones go for up to $100,000. Ones between 10 and 5 years go for between $20,000 and $50,000. Used ones vary with age and features with the condition of the car and amount produced of that type taken into consideration. Obviously everything is only worth what the market is willing to pay for it.
Q. What is the difference between a "hearse" and a "hurst"?
A. Hurst is a type of shifter, a band, another band, a safety company, a boiler company, a chemical company, a woman who writes children's books, and even a city in Texas. However it is not a funeral coach, that is a hearse.
Q. Are they really that hard to drive and park?
A. Little side mirrors meant for the original car, no rear side windows (and those that are there have curtains on them), and an extended chassis (body) don't make it that easy. Not to mention if you have a casket in it, it can block your view of the rear window as well. So yes, but you get used to it after a while.
Q. Do they use a lot of gas?
A. These cars like gas as a fat man likes cake, especially the older ones which tend to be more hungry than most. These weren't built for long road trips and they're meant to carry a heavy weight (the car body is heavy enough as it is without a casket in the back) so they generally have V8 engines in them that will eat a ton of gas. The older ones also require a lead additive in the fuel mixture to function correctly as well.
Q. Are strobe/beacon lights legal, and if so what colors.
A. Strobe lights are only legal if you're parked (and off a public road, though I'm still checking into that). On private property they are perfectly legal. If you're actually in a funeral procession then the only colors that are legal are amber and purple (the purple varies by state). The car is to travel only from the funeral home to the church/cemetery with at least one car following the lead funeral coach (or else it's not a procession), and only during the hours of daylight. But this is just the information I found for Michigan. Check your local county and city ordinances for exact rules.
Q. Is it legal to dispaly the funeral flags.
A. We have found no law saying that you can't, but don't blame us if a cop messes with you over it. Again be sure to check local county and city ordinances for exact rules.
Q. What are "Bier/berrer pins" / "casket/coffin stops"
A. These are the pins that keep the casket in place during transportation. They go on the ends of the casket and have pads on them. One is flat and the other adjusts like a vice. They fit into holes in the bed of the hearse and keep it quite still.
Q. What is a moving table/bed, what is an "electric table"?
A. A moving table/bed is one that slides out to help facilitate the loading of the casket. An electric table is one that has a motor on it which automates the table movement in and out of the car.
Q. What is the difference between an "end loader" and a "three way"
A. An end loader hearse is the typical one where you load the casket from the rear "end" of the car. A three way means you can remove the casket from either side of the hearse as well. "Three ways" have reversed "suicide" doors for the rear side doors, no partition between the front and back, and a moving table/bed. An "electric three way" is just what it sounds like, a three way with an electric table.
Q. What is "commercial glass"?
A. Most hearses come with commercial glass which means the glass used in the windows is taller than the glass on standard vehicles of that type. This is because the roof is raised to allow more room for the casket. There is also generally more headroom in the front as well. Typically it's also more expensive to replace than standard glass because it has to be custom made.
Q. What is an "ambulance hearse" / "combination car"?
A. These were hearses designed to double as ambulances in small towns and communities. The funeral home would double as the doctors office. The side panels on the car come off revealing windows and there are pull up seats in the bed. Plugs for medical equipment and heating and cooling run to the back as well.
Q. What is a "flower car"?
A. These are coaches that can carry a casket, however they have an open back end (like a truck bed or El Camino) for carrying flowers either on top of the casket, or following the lead coach which carries the casket.
Q. What are some rare things about hearses?
A. A half vinyl top is kind of rare.
Q. Are there haunted hearses?
A. No, though some people might claim other wise. The theory here is that spirits of the dead will hang around places they know and are used to, generally where they lived and went when they were alive. They probably don't want to hang out in a funeral coach/cemetery unless they were a former enthusiast like we are, in which case you can relax because you're in good company.
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Site maintained by Scary Guy
Last updated on 2010-07-06 at 20:02
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