Can this 1958 Cadillac hearse/camper be raised from the dead?
You’ve probably heard of a houseboat; how ’bout a “house car”? A combination of classy and trashy, this unique rolling domicile on eBay is half 1958 Cadillac, half camper, and 100-percent weird.
The seller doesn’t provide a lot of information about the vehicle, which is built from a Superior Coach Corporation ambulance/hearse, but if a picture is worth a thousand words, you’ll find 7000 of them in the listing. The most important one: rough.
Not only is Caddy Superior unable to move under its own power, its paint is covered in patina—nothing wrong with that, actually—and the interior is absolutely trashed. The cab is covered in grime and features a bench seat that’s ripped and heavily worn. The “living area” in back is a long way from being livable… unless you’re a rodent, in which case you might already be living there.
The Cadillac’s non-working engine is a 365-cubic-inch V-8 mated to an automatic transmission.
On the bright side, you can tell that once upon a time this contraption was a gem, complete with a mounted clock on the dash and a CB radio below, as well as a sink, stove, fridge, and dining/sleeping area in the rear. While you’re perusing the photos, check out the antique fan mounted on the ceiling—definitely not the bland modern type to which we’ve grown accustomed.
Let’s face it: in addition to the purchase price, the buyer of this oddball Cadillac (currently in Lubbock, Texas) will have to spend a lot of time, effort, and money to get it running and habitable. And with four days to go in the auction, that reality seems to be scaring people away; it still hasn’t received the minimum bid of $3250. However, before you declare it unrestorable and take a pass, consider this: Superior built only 500 of these Cadillac-based ambulances/hearses, and the creepy part—the area that once transported the deceased—is itself long gone.
If you think about it, this Cadillac conversion actually makes a lot of sense. No matter where you travel, it’s perfect for that long journey home.