This custom vehicle was inspired by the Drag-U-La coffin car featured in a 1965 episode of the television series The Munsters. Constructed by a Long Island, New York, owner between 2008 and 2010, the car rides on a custom box-frame chassis and for bodywork features an 8’ fiberglass casket modified to house a driver’s seat behind the rear axle. Power is from a carbureted Chevy small-block V8 backed by a TH350 automatic transmission and a Ford 9” rear end. Additional highlights of the build include bronze-finished Race Star front wheels, front disc brakes, wide rear wheels wrapped in racing slicks, organ-style vertical exhaust pipes, lantern-style lighting, and wave-pattern velvet-style upholstery. This casket car was purchased by the selling dealer three months ago and is now offered with New York registration and a collection of over 50 awards and trophies.
The original Drag-U-La custom was designed by George Barris of Barris Kustoms for The Munsters episode “Hot Rod Herman,” in which Grandpa Munster constructs the drag car in an effort to win back the family’s Munster Koach that was lost by Herman Munster on a bet earlier in the episode. This creation’s layout borrows the Drag-U-La’s casket-bodied configuration, utilizing a modified casket mounted on the rear portion of a steel frame. Funereal design cues can be seen throughout the build.
The fiberglass casket is finished in a copper shade and is flanked by full-length gold-painted handles and escutcheons, while black-painted double-basket balusters are mounted horizontally at front and rear. The nose segment of the gold-painted frame hosts a fuel tank, a tombstone accent, and lantern-style headlights, while red lantern taillights and a black padded bumper are fitted at the rear of the casket. Ascending-height organ-style vertical exhaust pipes exit along each side of the casket, which incorporates a mesh front grille opening and three lid segments hinged at the front, side, and rear, respectively. The rear lid features the signature of Munsters actor Butch Patrick.
The big-and-little wheel setup combines 15” rear wheels wrapped in 32.0/13.5 Hoosier slicks and bronze-finished 15” Race Star front wheels wearing 165-width Widetrack Radial tires. The latter were reportedly fitted in preparation for the sale. Stopping is handled by hydraulic brakes with a proportioning valve distributing pressure to Wildwood discs up front and drums at the rear.
The driver’s compartment is positioned at the rear of the casket with the axle assembly passing under-knee, and blue wave-pattern velvet-style upholstery covers the single seat and side panels. Gold-color ornamental rope accents the dash and side panels as well as the perimeter of hinged lid, the latter of which is lined in purple wave-pattern upholstery and features a low-profile tinted windscreen panel.
A Momo steering yoke sits ahead of a marble-look dash panel that hosts Sunpro instrumentation including an 8k-rpm tachometer and gauges monitoring coolant temperature, oil pressure, voltage, and fuel level. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and total mileage is unknown. Areas of the dash covering have separated from the bottom of the panel.
The Chevrolet small-block V8 is positioned rearward of the chassis center and features a Holley four-barrel carburetor, an Edelbrock intake manifold, and ribbed valve covers secured by wing-style bolts. Fluid changes and a carburetor adjustment were performed in preparation for the sale.
The GM TH350 automatic transmission is finished in gold with painted rose accents and sends power to the rear wheels via a Ford 9” rear end. Front suspension incorporates a transverse leaf spring and hairpin radius rods.
Images from the car’s construction are included in the photo gallery below.
The car is accompanied by a collection of trophies and plaques won by the car at various events under previous ownership.
The car does not have a title, as it is registered in a state that does not issue titles for a vehicle of its age. It is being sold on its registration, which describes it as a 1928 Ford Pickup using identification number A522904, which is stamped on a tag affixed to the frame.
