1957 Chevrolet / National Landau Hearse

[frizzen]

This build kinda fell into my lap, it's started taking on a life of its own and was taking over another thread. We now join a build already in progress...

**Staring at a thing from many angles, rolling it in hands, making weird faces at it**
"Do you even know what that is?"
Yeah, i know it's a vhs tape rewinder, but i think it could work for something...different. How much ya want for it?

I certainly don't need a 57 chevy, or even another car project, but it's a pretty nice looking body, and scale looks right. Someone else might need it, or it could be a rusted out trailer load. Besides, *nobody else* is crazy enough to try to drive a VHS rewinder!

...
This could work as a more period correct speeder for Adam-12 to catch...





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Then it got set down by a tiny Ecto-1 that i had wanted to convert, until i saw it was smaller than 1/18 scale. Hmm, Black, GM, lots of chrome, fins... you know it wants to! Ok, what's a 1950s Caddy or LeSalle look like? There might be enough similarity. Quick search, there are 1957 chevy hearses?!?!?!

Keep it the classic Shoebox 2-door 1957 Chevy everybody already knows and loves, or go coach-build professional car in a National Body Manufacturing Company kinda way?

https://jalopnik.com/1957-chevrolet-...35-000-5209282
https://hearseforsale.org/chevrolet/...ulance-hearse/

I like the look of them as a Landau style hearse. Maybe paint up a gothic girl driving it, or to lean on the fender. Maybe some hotrod or lowrider touches have been added since it's been retired out of service...



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The girl who didn't fit in the beach theme with the vw bus when it has surfboards just found her calling. Redo makeup & hair, maybe repaint corset, add stockings or miniskirt later. She's got the look and attitude to handle this ride.

Thinking about 2.5" stretch to add back doors, roofs going to be 'vinyl', landau-style coach with some full-view kinda windows next to the load door.

The girls take it out for 1 last party at the graveyard.


Send it!


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We've already taken a 2 piece junk body, remove all the rewinder, make it 1 piece and set aside until inspiration hits...

Make the 'perfectly good' body 3 pieces, make them not touch or touch weird. Grab solvent weld, make it 2 pieces. Grab soldering iron, make D-pillar connections stronger. Grab solvent weld and scrap plastic add at inner door, make it 1 piece body. Grab brass rod and epoxy putty, put rods at inside corners and alignment marks to make the roof sorta touch to keep things square.

Grab some masking tape and a sharpie, so the insanity can show up better. But *don't* actually look at the source pictures you've spent the weekend looking up, the phone's in the other room and you're somehow that lazy.



I know there's a lot of Superior, M&M, Eureka... sneaking into the mockup, however I'm already feeling that a lot more than a normal shoebox chevy.

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Wasn't sure the stock roof height hearse "chop-top look" was working, should i really hate myself and try to go for a high roof with commercial glass? If i chop in a little more at D-pillar window area it might give me the rake without fully hating myself, but would still adds lots of loathing in probably adding even more compound cuves. Or maybe it was once a high-top, but she had it chopped during the restoration?

If i keep the drip-molding area line on the roof full length, it'd be building it more like a Combination car (ambulance or limo style hearse with removable landau panels) instead of a Landau (no window, just steel with the irons).

Looks like National built these as end-loaders, no 3-ways, so i shouldn't suicide the back doors. Their rear loading door opened toward 'street side' for some reason, i'd rather it be 'curb side' even if it's not true to form.

http://www.hearseclub.com/members/larry/larry.htm
fairly close to what i was thinking for end goal.

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If it started as an Ambulance or Coach, i'd want the high top for the medic to have some room to work, or for adjusting bier pins around casket without cracking their head.
If it was a First-Call car, the stock roof works, strap a bag on a cot serviced in the rear, but those are mostly just wagons, trucks, sedan deliveries, or vans.

It's already going to be a custom pain in the butt. Screw it, i need to have the 'commercial glass' to look right!


Oops, ya broke it!

I don't even know how many parts the body has been now.


Tack it together by solvent welding alignment plates on, and get the masking tape again


That's about as high as the windshield can easily go, and that rake keeps the vent windows from needing completely reworked. I think for a rough in, that looks about right.

I'm liking either Metallic Black or Metallic Gray for body, satin or crinkle Black roof. Plenty of chrome. Accent colors either royal purple, blue or red. Either lowered level, or low nose / high rear. TorqueThrust rims, side pipes, lights, underglow, goth driver, a skeleton, casket, vanity plate...

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If there are any Professional Car Society people that see this build: Yes, i know.
I'm not a rivet counter, close is better than no hearse at all. It's not your style, and documentation on National Body sucks. There are NO 1/14 scale pro-cars to rob parts from to make it a stock coach-build. I'm open to all critiques and suggestions. I'd LOVE to see your take on building one of these!

[frizzen]

What were you whining about last time you wanted a hearse?


And this time?


Another mockup with the pipes and joke



Jada 1/16 fast furious chassis, stretched out. Needs wheels widened



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Someone suggested the wheels looked more 'Cragar' than 'Torq-Thrust'?
I'm not up on them enough to know the difference between Supremes, Cragars, or Torq-Thrusts. I like 5 spokes, wires, or steelies with hubcaps on hearses.

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Also saw the coach at the bottom of this page
http://www.graveyardhaulerz.com/Hearse.html
...uh...no.
Very glad that wasn't the only way these were built! I would not be building a hearse right now.

[sparkycuda]

Interesting build. Looks like your stretch work is going well and is matching original quite well.

Ken

[skeeter]

Looking good, frizzy!

[frizzen]

Most custom bodies will at some point enter into the 'Hammered Turd' stage before they go back to looking good.



Melt some plastic, file some plastic, melt some plastic, file some plastic...

It's on its way out of Hammered Turd, but i need to pick up a heatgun to get roof taken care of. I lost some arch, still needed more anyway, and it preloaded an A-pillar that's wanting to pop.

I kinda like showing some of the BAD to help when people see the pretty good at the end. Good, broken, offscreen magic, beautiful car. Even if its frustrating and you think it needs Malletized, it'll grow out of it.

Little rough file work and some sandpaper


Have a little faith, there's gonna be a bridge.

[frizzen]

Add plastic, file plastic, melt plastic...



Here's better side, mocked up with pillars like a Limo style hearse. Doors turned into 0.400" laminate of plastic. Roof is every bit as much fun as expected.

[frizzen]

Happy Halloween!



Blessed Samhain, and enjoy All Hallows Day

[frizzen]

Ya know when its leading up to Halloween and ya start to think it might be fun to drag your hearse out for some new pictures?
Then realize that it went about a year without doing any real body work to it...

Having another soldering station out in the garage now should help with everyone that never leaves whining about melting plastic smell.

Here's some history.
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/n/national/national.htm

[jerry56]

And I thought I was taking a long time with my loader build... LOL
Have you seen the 3D pens....My girlfriend was showing me one last night....pretty cool. Not sure I would have the skill or imagination to use it.....but you might...

[Tgrzes]

Nice! It kinda has a Munsters look to it.