Hearses and ambulances are a specialized section of the car hobby.
They’re not something most people want in their collection because their past tends to haunt them.
That wasn’t the case with this 1964 Pontiac Bonneville hearse/ambulance because this car was part of the family.
Jerry Sutherland
Cory Yelk is the proud owner of this classic hearse because it was his father’s car. His dad ran a cemetery so when this Pontiac came up for sale he saw it as a big station wagon—not a commercial vehicle. Cory even kept the hat his dad wore when he drove the car years ago.
Cory remembers playing in it when he was a kid, so the car’s grim history meant nothing to his younger self. This is a rare car—Cory said they only built 20 of these Pontiacs.
Cory explained how these vehicles came with a false floor for the jack and spare tire and there was a jump seat for the ambulance attendant or funeral home employee—depending on the daily workload.
This was originally a 389 car, but Joseph had other plans. The first thing he did was strip it down to a nut-and-bolt level because he wanted this family legacy to come back better than factory. In fact, he wanted something that could haul his Harleys on a trailer behind the Pontiac.
The 389 was replaced with a monster 455 out of a 1974 Pontiac because Cory wanted to keep it pure Pontiac—but with a lot more power. He accomplished that because this is now a 470 stroker with 750 horsepower—no hearse or ambulance ever had that kind of power under the hood.
Cory has done some power-to-weight math on the Pontiac, and he believes it would run a 10.8 quarter mile if tested. Cory admits it does “horrendous burnouts” when asked to, and there’s serious thunder when the cutouts are opened up. A bonus is that his hearse will also throw flames on request.
Cory converted this hearse to passenger level comfort by using brand-new Yukon Denali seats and covering them in leather. There’s also a massive sound system that could conceivably wake the dead if they still rode in the old hearse.
There was some rust on this old Pontiac. Cory said he had to fab up new quarters because you can’t open a catalogue for 1964 Bonneville hearses/ambulances. He also changed the color from Maroon Red to a more conventional black—because this is a hearse.
The only detail left is the hood. Cory wants to cut a hole in a new hood because the air cleaner won’t fit under the factory version.
This hearse/ambulance is full of gruesome reminders that it used to haul deceased and injured people. The theme fits the past, but it might keep a few kids awake at night. Cory grew up with this old Poncho so he appreciates the humor behind it—parents may have differing opinions.
Cory finished the project in 2006 and fortunately his dad did get to see the Pontiac in its new version before he passed away.
In the end, the key to this project was the family connection, because at one point it was just dad’s big station wagon.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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