Afternoon all! Mike King here, chiming in from Saskatchewan, Canada. I've always been intrigued by antique cars, especially those with a darker past. Recently acquired this gem of a unit via a public auction. As the title states, it is a 1927 Essex/Henney hearse. The drivetrain was replaced with a 1928 Chevy engine in the late 40s. I am currently on the hunt for more specific local information about it, as it was used only approximately 3 hrs away from where I live. What I know as of now is that it was last used in the Perdue, Sk area by a fellow named John O. Courtney. He used it until the late 50s when he got ill and passed away. At that time, the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, SK, took possession of it in 1959. They kept it until 2024 and then decided to part ways with the vehicle. I just purchased it this past spring. As you can see, it's just as I bought it. Since then, I have just done some maintenance items. rebuilt the points ignition, new plugs, and wires. Redid all the battery cables and ignition wiring. Managed to get the century-old engine running quite nicely, actually. All systems seem to be operating, but we should not rely on 100-year-old brakes; we will need to address this issue.
The top half of the car is all covered in what seems to be leather. I've found a couple of articles about this practice, but there really is not much information about it. Does anyone have any more information about it?
Secondly, I've gathered that Henney took care of the coachbuilding part, but I'm curious about the rarity and potential value for insurance purposes. I plan on keeping the car right now, but I'm conflicted as to what to do with it. The drivetrain requires manual oiling of the top end every 50 miles, and the vehicle also has grease cups on the distributor and water pump. With a whopping 35 horsepower, I'm tempted to modernize it just to make it drivable and add modern brakes. Yikes, hard decision to make.
Thanks to all for any information, and I look forward to chatting with like-minded individuals.
The top half of the car is all covered in what seems to be leather. I've found a couple of articles about this practice, but there really is not much information about it. Does anyone have any more information about it?
Secondly, I've gathered that Henney took care of the coachbuilding part, but I'm curious about the rarity and potential value for insurance purposes. I plan on keeping the car right now, but I'm conflicted as to what to do with it. The drivetrain requires manual oiling of the top end every 50 miles, and the vehicle also has grease cups on the distributor and water pump. With a whopping 35 horsepower, I'm tempted to modernize it just to make it drivable and add modern brakes. Yikes, hard decision to make.
Thanks to all for any information, and I look forward to chatting with like-minded individuals.
