Vintage Buick hearse attracts focus at car or truck selection

RAVENNA, Neb. (AP) — Jeff Knapp’s 1939 Buick Century seems larger sized than an 8- or nine-passenger Suburban, but it by no means hauled that a lot of persons at a time.

As a hearse, the Buick’s mission was to carry only the driver, an assistant and their visitor — who rode toes initially in the horizontal placement.

“This Buick will get a large amount of consideration at motor vehicle demonstrates,” Knapp advised the Kearney Hub.

Swinging open up the rear door, Knapp reveals a cavernous area.

The Buick was developed big mainly because, in its time, a whole lot of hearses did double responsibility as ambulances.

As a consequence, there was a respectable total of area in the rear compartment for an attendant and individual.


Knapp’s Buick isn’t a rapidly-mover, but if the patient did not endure the trip to the emergency area, very well, the funeral dwelling was the next stop.

For the past numerous months the ’39 Buick has been on loan to the Traditional Car Collection. It is a person of the 70 or so automobiles on bank loan to the attraction on the east facet of the Cabela’s making on U.S. Freeway 30. At present, the assortment is exhibiting 200 automobiles.

Knapp is aware of from his travels to car exhibits that his black behemoth is a curiosity, but it’s not loaded with automotive technological know-how.

The hearse’s most seen contributions to engineering are the fender-mounted rear turn signals. For good reasons Knapp simply cannot describe, there are no entrance-mounted flip signals — only the rear signals. They are managed by a swap on the steering column.

“Maybe they had been just fearful of becoming rammed from at the rear of,” Knapp mentioned.

The in-line 8-cylinder motor is mated to a 3-velocity transmission with a shifter on the steering column. The Buick is solidly designed, and its heft contributes to a smoother trip. But don’t assume a lot in the way of cornering. With all of that weight, coupled with the extended wheelbase, the Buick handles straightaways just good, but it will get docked for lousy cornering.

“The hearse rides like a lumber wagon,” Knapp mentioned.

The Buick is shod in period of time-accurate 8-ply Firestone blackwall tires. They search very good on the hearse, but the tires really do not inspire self-assurance when Knapp requires his Buick for a spin.

“They hold air, but I do not go quite far on them,” he claimed.

Knapp trailered the hearse to a motor vehicle present in Immediate Town, South Dakota. He did not want to risk a breakdown.

“Where are you likely to uncover substitute pieces for a 1939 auto?” he explained.

He paid $15,000-$16,000 for the hearse. He’s performed very minimal restoration, which pleases him since correcting old automobiles can be like tossing income into a gap. The Buick still has its initial paint, and there are blemishes and a handful of rust places, but those people really do not bother him so substantially.

He stated his best joy is that his previous Buick hearse has a steady mate, a ’39 Buick Restricted sedan he procured in California. “I acquired the hearse because it matches my other Buick. It’s black, too.”

Knapp mentioned he’s drawn to big luxury cars. His selection contains many other Buicks, a pair of Lincolns and a few of Cadillacs. Knapp said his blue 1983 Mercedes two-doorway coup has been in the shop pretty much 4 decades.

“Restoration can be a actual money pit. You can pour a great deal of dollars into it,” he stated about his Mercedes.

Knapp reported there is an explanation about all of individuals Buicks. “It’s a illness. My individuals experienced Buicks when I was growing up.”