Southwest Saskatchewan's King of Horror drives this unique yet very fitting Buick.
Devon Oman, the founder, director, and producer of Dead Prairies Productions can often be seen cruising to and from car shows and events in his custom Buick LeSabre Hearse. Built originally in 1985, this unit has long since moved on from ferrying the dearly departed to their final resting place. Now, it carries Oman to movie premiers and festivals, and back to his lair in Swift Current.
The Sultan of Scream found this chilling chariot on Kijiji in Medicine Hat. Once he saw what could be, he had to have it.
"I was like, oh, I need to go check this out," said Oman. "I asked the guy, could you hold it till Friday, and he said yeah. So I came back with my friends and with the trailer, loaded it up on the trailer and took it back to Swift Current."
While many of the markings on the Hearse have been there from the time he purchased it in 2017, Oman has made a few of his own additions. He swapped out the hood ornament for a more fitting zombie head. He placed Michael Myers in the passenger seat.
"I actually bring Chucky sometimes with me. I bring the gremlins. I bring just a bunch of horror props with me. I even have a ghost face sometimes that I bring out with me, so it's fun switching them up."
Keeping it fit for a horror movie aficionado, the hearse does come with a real wooden casket.
"There's usually a fake dummy in there," said Oman. "The first couple of years, there was nothing and people kept saying, hey, what's in the coffin? I'd open the coffin, the people would be disappointed, so I was like, I probably should put something in the coffin."
Originally, this vehicle worked for a funeral home doing runs from Rosetown to Saskatoon. Oman knows that it was retired when the engine blew up, but didn't know if it happened while on the job. That's when it was sold and thereby resurrected with a new heartbeat.
Under the hood, Oman's corpse carrier has everything he bought it with, which is still more than the stock LeSabre would have come with. Housed in the engine bay is a 455 Oldsmobile "Rocket" big block V8, which was originally produced in 1968. From the factory, it could make between 310 and 400 horsepower. Dubbed the 'rocket', enthusiasts often cite the fact that these engines can pump up to 500 ft. lbs of torque as their best feature.
Oman has done some work to the shocks and other non-combustion-powered components and plans to keep the hearse in drivable condition. Next on his list is to patch the roof, which is starting to wear thin.
It's not always easy owning a vehicle like the Hearse. There can be people at car shows who tell Oman to park elsewhere, or that it's too creepy. Outside of opinions, it's a nearly 40-year-old Buick. It takes some love and attention to make sure things don't deteriorate. But at the end of the day, for Oman, it's been a joy to cruise to and from here and there in it.
This vehicle represents more than just an on-brand mode of transportation for Oman. It's a connection to his father and his childhood.
"I've been wanting a hearse since I was a kid. Me and my dad would look through the auto traders back when I was a kid looking for a hearse we could never find one.
"So it's been my dream car since I was a kid and I was so stoked that I got one."
In honour of Oman's father's love for the classic horror film 'Christine', Oman made a tribute film where the Hearse would kill people, pick up the bodies, and do it all without a driver.
Oman intends to hold on to the Hearse for a long time. He has no plans to send it to the scrap yard or otherwise be parted from it.
"I've been offered a few times for buying it, but I don't think that's going to happen because I've been wanting a hearse since I was a kid."
Under the Hood is powered by Great West Auto Electric, your local Bumper to Bumper dealer in Swift Current. Long live your car.