It seems that Elvira the hearse has quite a "fan club" with many Sydney-siders continuously admiring her awesome beauty. But have you ever stopped to consider the maintenance involved with keeping an old girl like her on the road?
Well today she had her RTA heavy vehicle inspection, and she passed, but only because of recent maintenance. Last week the automatic transmission was serviced and several leaks rectified with new seals. Also the steering box that had been leaking fluid was rebuilt and modified with bearings that will guarantee no leaks. Likewise a coupling between the steering column and steering box had disintegrated and a new one had to be fabricated. That was at a cost of more than $1600. But wait, there's more! On Saturday she wouldn't start and it turned out to need a new starter motor and another $400. $2,000 in a week! Owning an old hearse is definitely an expensive proposition!
