Casket Cruisers of Virginia : Q & A with Steven Shultz, Jr.

The Casket Cruisers of Virginia are part of a growing number of hearse enthusiasts around the country. The group is based in Hopewell, and since 2011, its 20 members-whose occupations range from construction workers to daycare teachers – have come together to share their love of hearses, Halloween, and hair-raising spookiness.


You don't have to be dead to enjoy this ride.


The club’s president, Steven Shultz, Jr., took a little time to talk to me about his unique passion, misconceptions, and a dreamy “coffin carrier” he believes is to die for.

Why hearses?  I mean, we see people with their classic Chevys and Corvettes and all that…

Well, that’s exactly why I went with the hearse. I’ve always liked things that were unusual, things that other people didn’t have. I started looking into hearses and I started to do the research on them, and found out that they’re handmade. So, every hearse is completely different from one another. You can have three of the same year hearse, and it won’t be exactly the same. That’s what I like about them.

Can you remember when you started liking things that other people didn’t prefer?

Oh, from a very young age. I’ve always been into zombie movies and monster movies. Whenever my mom would take me to the library, I wanted to go to the monster books.  I wanted the ones with the werewolves in them. It’s been like that ever since I was little.

How many hearses do you own?

I own two, and I’m hoping to own more.
 

Shultz (on left) with Casket Cruiser of VA member Dave Allen

 
Tell me about them.

I have a ’75 Cadillac Superior. It’s what they call a “high boy.” I also have a ’67 M-M, which is more of a “lower boy.” It’s got more of a torpedo shape to it. So, it’s a little bit lighter. The styles are completely different from one to the other.

Do you drive one every day?

Yes. We take the boys to school in them. We go get groceries in them. It’s just an everyday car.

What is the reaction from other people?
 
It has been a wide variety of reactions from total shock to people telling us stories of history like ‘hey, my boyfriend had a hearse back in high school when I was so-and-so age’, to people walking up to me, completely disgusted. I had a guy fuss at me about how much gas my car was using when his car was sitting right next to me, and it was no way my car was using any more gas than what his car was using. It’s just a wide variety of reactions, but most of the reactions are cheerful ones. They want to see what it’s all about, and that’s why I like showing them off because you know when it comes to hearses, the only time people see them is at a funeral. This gives us a chance to allow people to see the craftsmanship that are in these cars.

Describe your dream hearse.

I’ve already seen it. There’s a lady here in Virginia who has a hearse. She renamed it the “Crypt Deville.” It’s a completely restored hearse. It has a hood scoop on it, a fancy paint job, and hydraulics. It’s a beautiful piece of art that drives down the road.



A hearse lover's dream - a group of casket-carryin' Cadillacs.



What color?

It’s a purplish color car and I believe it is a ‘60s model – ‘65, ‘66. It is just absolutely beautiful!

 What are some of the “classics” when it comes to hearses?

I like the ‘60s models a little bit better. They have more angles on them. Some of them have a rounded rear glass to them, which is very unusual and you can’t find anywhere else, and there is just a lot more style. Once you hit the ‘70s, they start bringing them down, making them smaller. Still, they kept the style. Then in the 80s, everything in the 80s went boxy, but still it’s a Cadillac, and they still had features that you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Any weird things happen while driving your hearse?

We get the random people hanging out the windows of their car taking pictures of us when we’re out riding on the highway. You know, people stopping us in traffic and jumping out of their cars to take pictures of us while we’re driving, because sometimes we are on our way to car shows , or on our way to events and we are dressed up. When we have the makeup and stuff on, people get really excited when they see that stuff coming.

What have you noticed around the country as far as the popularity of hearse clubs?

It’s picking up quickly. In Colorado, they have 200 hearses show up for their car show every year. There are multiple hearse clubs down in North Carolina, South Carolina, and it’s really big in Ohio. The reason they have so many in Ohio is because two out of the three manufacturers are right there.

Are there any misconceptions you would like to squash about hearse clubs?

People think that the hearse is haunted, like people died in them. That’s not the case. Nobody has ever died in a hearse. There were dead people in a hearse, but they were usually dead before they ever got to the hearse.


If you would like to see some of these cool, restored hearses, mark your calendar for Saturday, July 13. The Casket Cruisers of Virginia will host a car show and blood drive at Advanced Auto Parts in Hopewell, Virginia from 2-6 p.m. It is located at 3609 Oaklawn Boulevard.