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Final Ride
©2006 GirlsandCorpses.com. All rights reserved. Reprinted only with written permission of Girls and Corpses
"I dig girls and Corpses Magazine because I drive a hearse and I like my corpses, and my women, as I like my whiskey... Cold and stiff!" Chris Null
Girls and Corpses continues to scan the globe for the dark side of life... and death. This month we take a final ride with hearse customizer Chris Null.
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G&C: So, chris tell us about you and your wicked hearse, Final Ride:
CN: I've had a vision for years to do something like this to a Hearse, but never had the room to do it. One day I found a cheap rent garage and started on the long journey of building a custom car. When I found just the right car, I began the long evenings and weekends of customizing and bitching, But with the loving wife, Valerie, (who is also the person who bought the car for me), I was able to get through all the headaches.
G&C: What did it cost to buy the hearse?
CN: I started with $3oo to buy the car. I sold the motor, transmission, driveshaft, and rear end for $300. That left me what I wanted. A shell of a hearse. With many designs and many that didn't work, I had come up with the perfect setup, for me of course. Two truck frames to make one frame, that's the best way. So I ripped my old mud truck apart and used the front 2/3rds of that frame and the rear 1/4 of my friend Pat's truck. Bang the frames done. Now I found a motor from another friend Mike (he works at Advance Auto, the local parts place). A 1969 383 Magnum BB $2500.00
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G&C: Chrysler, huh?
CN: Sure, how many Caddies' have a Chrysler power plant. Ok got a motor, now a tranny. Off to the local transmission shop, Dr. Trans, first sponsor. A custom modified 727 torkflight 4x4 Trans, now known as a 727 mud flight. $35oo.oo. This turned out to be a "freebie" Now a transfer case. 203 Gear drive. Local junk yard $250. Axles, hmm, Something beefy, but not to expensive. So Pat comes through again. Dana 60 1 tons off his old truck traded for the 1/2 tons off my old truck. Go figure but I'm not arguing. Gears, 6:17 f/r. Spool in the rear, Powertrax locker in front. Tires 44" Ground Hawgs,(l&m Tire and wheel) not my first choice but a good deal. $1378.oo. Suspension, Super lift 12 inch, which I have my good friends at Street Customs Inc. to thank for that.
G&C: She's a killer ride. Have you won any awards?
CN: I have won a few trophies in the past two years of showing, which I never intended to do, but the paint and bodywork turned out so good I couldn't get it dirty. Until now. Paint scheme designed by me mostly, and one of my very best friends, Shupe. He is the talent behind the airbrush. 141 hours of welding, grinding, Body filler, sanding, priming and painting. $13, ooo.oo. The biggest lump sum on the whole project. I can not thank him enough. But back to the trophies. They are as follows:
1st Place non street legal race car.
1st place wild (custom class) at York All-Truck 2004
Best Graphics York All-Truck 2004
Best of Show York All-Truck 2004
3rd place tallest Carlisle All-Truck 2004
1st place Truck Advance Auto 2003
2nd place Carlisle all Truck Nationals 2005
G&C: Congrats. You've done well. So, what are the complete specs on the hearse, if one of our readers wants to customize their own hearse?
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CN: Here you go:
-1972 Cadillac S&S Victorian Funeral Coach 4x4
- 383BB Chrysler Magnum-450hp
- Indy Big Valve, Big port Racing Heads
- Elderbrock Marine 750 cfm
- MSD 6AL Ignition with adj. rev limit control knob
- MSD Pro Pack 7 Racing coil
- MSD Billet aluminum magnetic pick-up distributor
- Full compliment of Auto Meter Gauges (Which includes oil temp, trans temp, and Monster tack)
- Full roll cage- (custom built by Beard Fabricating of Hanover PA)
- 5 point quick release racing harnesses
- Quicksilver floor mount shifter
- 727 Mud flight Trans-(custom built by Dr Transmission, also of Hanover PA)
- Borg-Warner 203 Gear drive Transfer case
- Dana 60 1 ton Front ratio-6.17 Powertrax Locker
- Dana 60 1 ton rear ratio-6.17 Spool new 35 spline Yukon Racing Axles
- 44" Ground Hawgs on Weld Wagon wheels,(rock crawler for strength 3,000lbs per rim)
- 12" Superlift Suspension, 10 Shocks, 8 Superlift shocks 2 per wheel, 2 RS9000 adj on rear
- Two truck frames to make chassie-2/3 83 Chevy Scottsdale,1/4 Chevy Silverado
- 13'-1 and 3/8" wheelbase center to center
- Custom 2.5" Exhaust by Mineke
- Drive shafts to be made by High Angle Drive Line
- Height to top of roof 9 feet 1.5 inches
- Car is still fully operational with original rolling Coffin tray, and is sporting a creepy graveyard scene
- Airbrushed down each side of vehicle, with old school street rod style flames on front of car with skulls in the flames Special feature-shaved door handles. This will also be my Mud Bogger to race later this year. Custom built by CPR MotorSports. Hoping to get freebies from superlift-18" lift,3" body lift, and superswamper-49" Iroks, and Weld-20"x14"x8 lug wheels.
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G&C: Wow. What a mouthful! What else you got coming up for Final Ride?
CN: I plan to do many more shows this year and hopefully get to race it a few times at the mud bogs.
G&C: Thanks Chris. By the way, I need a lift– you going by the graveyard?
CN: Hop in
For more info on Final Ride check out Chris Null's site:
/www.4x4funeralcoaches.com
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