.

the car junkie daily magazine.

.

SEMA Show 2012 Featurette: The Thunder Taker 1960 Cadillac Custom Hearse by Bryan Fuller Hot Rods


SEMA Show 2012 Featurette: The Thunder Taker 1960 Cadillac Custom Hearse by Bryan Fuller Hot Rods

It is 8,000lbs of subtle metal work, flawless paint, a passenger compartment that’ll seat a football team with room to set up a train set inside, one of the largest sun roofs installed on any car in history and it rolls on the largest most heavy duty frame Art Morrison has ever built. This 1960 Cadillac hearse was built by Bryan Fuller Hot Rods for a customer and they call it the Thunder Taker. It is cool beyond all mortal measure and we believe that it is the single coolest car at SEMA 2012.

When you start to consider what Fuller and his henchmen did with this car it makes your head spin, especially because of the sheet bulk of the car. Superior Coach Works was the company who did the conversions on these cars back in the 1950s. They’d build them into hearses and ambulances primarily. Because of their intended purpose, a high roof was necessary. Superior accomplished this by using a windshield and a-pillars that were nearly vertical and then adding a big kick up in the roof, which carried all the way to the rear. That looked bad in the eyes of the Fuller so a 1959 Eldorado windshield and pillars were swapped in, the massive roof was chopped, the retracting sunroof was added, and then they went to work on the sides of the car. They sunk the awesome back glass deeper into the body and even stretched the huge fins. What’s really neat about the fi stretch is that rather than just adding height to them, the guys also stretched them lengthwise, starting to “built” the fin significantly earlier on the side of the car than it was originally. This keep the body line right and doesn’t make the fin stick out or really appear modified to anyone without taking a second look. Amazing workmanship. The doors could be used to help close a nuclear bomb shelter. The hinges alone way more than a Prius.

The engine is a fuel injected big block Chevy and we’re guessing that it has some oats because lugging this battleship around is going to take some! We were told that the car is over 8,000lbs and because it is all steel, we certainly believe it. Also, having been shown a photo of the Art Morrison frame that appears to be robust enough to serve as a dolly for a house moving business, there’s lost of beef on the bottom of this big girl, too. The laid out stance is achieved with air suspension (those poor air springs certainly got a tough assignment!) and the tires are wide white walls. The wire wheels are bitchin’, too.

Huge props to Bryan Fuller Hot Rods for building this amazing car. It literally a show stopper and honors both the cool history of the Cadillac but also the work that was done by the craftsmen at Superior Coach Works back in the day when it was converted to a hearse in 1960. This is a Caddy that has lived several lives!

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A BUNCH OF PHOTOS FEATURING THE THUNDER TAKER AT SEMA 2012

Bryan Fuller Hot Rods Thunder Taker


  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0

13 thoughts on “SEMA Show 2012 Featurette: The Thunder Taker 1960 Cadillac Custom Hearse by Bryan Fuller Hot Rods

  1. CTX-SLPR

    I’m probably the only one to notice but the air cleaner is off of a Buick 465 Super Wildcat dual quad 425, though they where chrome originally.

    I can appreciate the work but I think the sunroof is stupid and the interior fabric on the seats is so shiney it looks like it’s made of 90’s McDonalds vinyl covering, you know the ketchup and puke proof kind. I do like how they kept the door handles on it, something that I don’t always think needs to disappear.

    1. Jake

      The “shiny” seats are custom clear vynal covers that unzip off the fabric to protect it at shows and such.

  2. Greg

    Could the shiny seats be just seat covers? I’m sure lots of people are sitting in it, they probably didn’t want expensive seats messed up. Grandparents everywhere use shiny, clear covers on their furniture.

  3. pete

    Clear plastic seat covers were the hot setup back in the 50’s. You could see the upholstery but if you spilled something you could just wipe it off with a rag and not do any permanent damage.

  4. Remy-Z

    The work on this superbeast is just amazing. It’s one of the few cars there that just stopped me for a few minutes…

  5. gary

    I think they did the canvas sunroof because it was easier than trying to get a metal one that large to look right. I like it, however, just because its different and unexpected (the sunroof). The rest of the car, very cool indeed. Love the exhaust as well.

  6. Turbo Regal

    As a lover of Cadillacs (the ’60 is my favorite), this beast is amazing! But the fins are a little cartoonish for my taste. If you wanted crazy big fins, should have done a ’59.

  7. hoosier

    I like it. I would like it better if it was black, and the seats a burgundy leather. I like that they departed (lol ) from the hurst look and going with more of a station wagon look. I think caddy only made something like 4-7 factory wagons. Elvis had one. We need more.

  8. doubl0h7

    It has 50 era plastic seat covers. Actually a awesome, unexpected touch. Like sitting on Grandma’s parlor couch than has never been touched by humans.

    Love it!!

  9. CharlesW

    the seats are covered in glitter vinyl, its a trendy retro thing going on in the 50s-60s car scene right now

  10. Rick Phoenix

    First as a Caddy lover, DAAMMMM Flippin BEAUTIFUL!!! art in metal!
    2nd folks really the roof stupid??? its a work of art plain and simple. and the OWNER of said car can use that “stupid” roof. just dont put one in your car bud.look beyond that roof as a bodyman & painter my self the craftsmanship on this BIG ASS thing is amazing! and its silver!!! BEAUTIFUL!

  11. Superior1989

    As a long-time hearse enthusiast and custom car aficionado I must say, this is simply breathtaking. The ’59-64 Caddy Superior coaches have such elegant lines from the factory, it’s hard to imagine the kind of master metalworking that must have gone into making this one look so right. I’ve seen several attempts at chopped-top hearses (like the Barris Kargoyle), but they all look like cartoon caracatures by comparison. Kudos to guys at fuller, and the owner for knowing what he wanted from the build and picking the right shop to do the work. Just stunning.

Comments are closed.