Never seen one

[FC-V8]

Hi All
         Just wondering if there was a  FE or FC HEARST ever produced as i have never seen one ?
        What a project that would be, talk about being unique a real head turner.
Glenn  

[craiga]

This is a picture of a Hearse at the last Nationals in QLD. Car is from Victoria, and had only 7000 miles from NEW!!! Even had the original tyres  

[craiga]

Different angle.

[FC-V8]

Thanks Craig
                     Would you know how many of these were produced ? and would you have an interior photo
Cheers
Glenn

[craiga]

No idea how many were made - maybe someone else can help?

I have seen a picture of another one - a silver/black modified which you can see here http://www.phantomcoaches.org/galleries/gallery16.html.

Alex (custom_fc) has an excellent StarPhoto site with lots of photo's, including some of the Hearse at the Nats.





I do remember seeing pictures of the interior, anyone else know of these?

Cheers,

Craig.

[kalfe]

what a great car
original tyres and all
gee thats low mileage

[RET]

I think it would be just about impossible to say how many hearses were made, as they were all custom built by coach-building firms - indeed they still are.  They left GM-H as regular (and presumably black) panel-vans.

FWIW the hearse in these photos is a standard length van, with a hole cut between the driver and passenger to have sufficient room for the casket.  I have seen one stretched hearse, which appeared at the Wagga Nats in 1989 - it was the silver one referred to previously.  I'm sure someone could dig up a photo (exhume one perhaps? ) of it.

I've not seen another hearse, although I have seen another FC Van that was standard length and used as a flower car.  It had chrome rails on the roof and etched glass in the sides, but was otherwise just a standard black van.

Hope that's some help,
RET

[Shayne]

Photo borrowed from: http://www.phantomcoaches.org/galleries/gallery16.html.  

[fcpv]

the above photo of the hearse was one of our Victorian members, I cant remember his name as it has been about 12 years or so since we last saw him.
The Hearse was 18 inches longer than a standard van and this particular Hearse was well modified with a V8 engine and various other little goodies which made it get up and go real well.
It was amazing to watch this car do a U turn because the extra 18 inches made a lot of difference to its turning circle.
Russell Bates  FCPV

[NascoHunter]

Hi all,
    Yes Russell your wright. His name was Brett Becroft
(Barnie) was his nick name. He lived in Korumburra Victoria but now lives in QLD. I last saw him about 2 years ago at Korumburra Swap Meet. He still has the car. Also Richard you have seen the car before. At Wagga FE/FC Nationals.
     
     Tony Galea

[RET]

Also Richard you have seen the car before. At Wagga FE/FC Nationals.
     
     Tony Galea

Ummm, isn't that what I said?  I remember the car and the owner quite well.  He's still infamous for flashing his Prince Albert at the barbecue.  Quite a character....

cheers
RET

[Lindsay58]

they are few and far between we also saw the car at the wagga nationals and it was one sweet ride brettthe omner was one nice bloke with a truly wonderful car also have pics have not seen it since the black one is also a beaut example  lindsay58

[fcpv]

Hey Tony,   what a great opportunity to have a stir about Brett Becroft moving to Queensland ?  the only problem would be that 4 hammers will bounce back at me in no time at all.
Russell Bates   FCPV

[4hammers]

Ha ha ha, LOL,
You know me too well, Russ.
Hey, have you heard the latest bureau of statistics findings? QLD has Australias largest rate of obesity, with 50% of Queenslanders being overweight!! Wow, that sure puts a dampener on the myth of hot meter Maids & chicks in bikinis everywhere, doesn't it?
Regards,
Rob J

[fcpv]

this boy is quick, just look at the time difference between our entries and as for the other, well I believe that the meter maids were done away with some time ago and there are some lovelies that still get around up there, perhaps this is why barny never came back to melb ?   OK  I am timing you now young Robert ??
FCPV on the run

[customFC]

Ok, here's my 2c worth with pics.
This is a pic of a FC hearse owned by Keith Matthews in Qld. 6900 miles, fully maintained in storage in central Qld for over 30 years. I believe this may be the same hearse that we saw at the Nats, that is pictured above, now residing in Vic. When this pic was taken, it was for sale, about 10 years ago.

[customFC]

Next pic....this is the stretch FC hearse taken at the 6th Street Machine Nats in '84.
Regards
Alex

[customFC]

Now about that "Flower Car". Here is a pic I snapped a few years ago. I was at lunch whilst at work when I spotted this FC. I grabbed my carkeys and raced home to grab my camera to take these pics. It shows what is believed to be  a "flower car", so named as it was used to accompany the hearse on funerals and was used to carry the floral tributes. I suspect it may have been pressed into full service at times also. All guesswork.
Regards
Alex

[customFC]

Here's another pic of the "flower car". Notice the full length roofrack. Had 2 chrome strips behind each door that had the name of the funeral director. The car had windows done by canopy industries.
In the early days of the NSW club, we had a member for a short time that also had a car similar to this one. He had a set of mags on his, but did not stay a member for long......may even be the same car.
Another piece of trivia.....about 15 years ago whilst at a show with my car, a guy told me he had a FC van that used to be a hearse. He told me that he removed all the "hearse" parts and had them in storage.....was I interested in them. I took his details but was never able to contact him.
Regards
Alex

[robbzfc58]

alex    great pics of great cars
love the stretched one, but would rather be the driver than pasenger  :-/