The HeelRaiser Tailgating Hearse

The original seed for this hearse tailgate vehicle was originally planted at a North Carolina / Clemson football game in the fall of 2003. John L. Snipes and a friend had traveled from Atlanta to Death Valley to watch John’s Tar Heels stomp his friend’s Tigers, which was a rare occurrence in those days. Walking through the tailgating area outside the stadium, they saw a white hearse with an orange roof. On the hood was a giant, orange tiger paw, and written on both sides was PAW BEARER!

It only took till February of 2004, in Cabbagetown, an old mill village near Downtown Atlanta, where he saw a 1974 Cadillac Hearse parked behind a bar/restaurant called “97 Estoria.” It had a “For Sale” sign with a phone number listed, which he immediately called. Within a couple of days, and a $1000 later, the hearse was his with a Bill of Sale written on a cocktail napkin.

The vehicle was in bad shape, but after a few formalities, it was ready to go from hell to HeelRaiser. The hearse received a dual Flowmaster exhaust with chrome tips, new windshield, paint job, and custom made graphics that in-part included famous Carolina alums Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice, Andy Griffith, and Charles Kuralt. Also added into the mix was an 8-disc CD changer with a new stereo system and a couple of speakers. Even the engine was rebuilt over the summer, with all the work being completed in Atlanta.

Once back in North Carolina, the HeelRaiser continued to receive upgrades. After the christening, the seats were reupholstered, carpet replaced, and padding added throughout the rear compartment. Crown Embroidery sewed the HeelRaiser logo in the vinyl at the top of both front seats. Cunningham Collision put three sunroofs, a smaller one in the front and two larger in the rear.

Auto Acoustics created the Dodge Ram hood ornament, which glows yellow when the headlights are turned on, and boosted the audio system with an amplifier and speakers throughout the HeelRaiser. Then they continued the upgrades by placing a remote-controlled Carolina fight song horn under the hood, along with the horn for the J.C. Whitney touch pad that plays sirens, animal noises, laughs, and a “wolf whistle” for the girls. Also added was, the most recent toy, a train horn!

After thousands and thousands of inherited dollars spent, the HeelRaiser has evolved, and continues its growth. The next attraction, already purchased on eBay, is a ram’s skull, which will replace the little Dodge Ram hood ornament. Cousin Gary Lloyd, owner of Lloyd’s Body Shop, will paint the horns Carolina Blue, and Auto Acoustics will install blue LED lights in the eye sockets plus invent a way of blowing smoke (most likely nitrous) from the nostrils!

On football game days, the HeelRaiser cruises down Franklin Street (the main drag in Chapel Hill) blasting the train horn, blowing smoke from the roof, playing Carolina’s band CDs, and jamming popular party tunes that gets the crowd pumped for the upcoming contest. It travels to select opposing venues throughout the season, as well. And, let’s not forget basketball, something rather well known in Tar Heel Land.

In addition to all this, there's a VersaHaul Rail that literally carries HeelRaiser, Jr., a 200cc Vespa scooter painted to match its larger sibling, on its back.

For more information on the HeelRaiser, visit www.HeelRaiser.com.