JIMMY DRIVER: This here is Mortis. It’s my custom built 20,000 lbs toy.
JIMMY DRIVER: I am Jimmy Driver; I am 42 years old and I am from Naples, Idaho.
JIMMY DRIVER: Oh, life in Naples is very nice. It's laid-back.
COMM: Jimmy might love the peace and quiet of rural Idaho, but his Monster
Hearse Mortis is about as far away from silent as you can get.
JIMMY DRIVER: It’s a 20,000 lbs Cadillac superior. Bought him originally for $600.
Mortis is 22 feet long and a little over 10 feet tall and 10 foot 4 wide. The tires
in the back are 23.1 on a 26 inch rim and the front ones are 16.9 on a
34 inch rim. And then I had to custom-build the rims to match the crane front-end.
Engine in it’s a 6v 53 Detroit Diesel.
JIMMY DRIVER: Best way to drive a Detroit powered anything is to get in it, get it running,
slam your finger in the door and try and blow it up the rest of the day.
COMM: Looking at this gigantic hearse, you might be wondering just how anyone gets into it.
JIMMY DRIVER: They perform a lot better.
JIMMY DRIVER: So kick the air, electric fans, blaster switch, earmuffs.
COMM: And whether there is any tricks to getting such a massive vehicle started?
COMM: Maybe not.
JIMMY DRIVER: One must wear earmuffs when sitting in this car because it is so loud
and that it’s quite deafening and I generally carry two pairs: one for me and one for my
passengers. Just so that we can get out and not have your ears ring for an hour.
JIMMY DRIVER: Mortis’ top speed is roughly 10-12 miles an hour now.
JIMMY DRIVER: Most of the work done to Mortis has been with scrap parts. Yes, we robbed
a lot of parts from an old paddled wheel to build the transfer case and then stole parts
off a school bus for the radiator and some off a motor grader for the front links.
COMM: Jimmy can’t take credit for all the work on Mortis. His wife Leah also helped create it.
LEAH DRIVER: Building mortis has been really fun. We have started building it. I think
2004 was our first mud bog. We went to one and he was like, ‘I wanna do that.’
So we just started tinkering on it from there and it’s been a lot of fun.
COMM: Mud bogging, you ask?
JIMMY DRIVER: Mud bogging is, well mud bogging is pretty much a bunch of rednecks getting
around a mud puddle and stirring it up with their four-wheel drives. Having a good time,
burning gas and drinking beer.
JIMMY DRIVER: Most people think it is a pretty awesome car when they first see him and want
to run up to him and get photographs.
LADY: I think he is a little bit crazy around the edges but, but it’s a good time.
COMM: And with so much adoration from others, would Jimmy ever be willing to part with Mortis?
JIMMY DRIVER: I just don’t think I am going to get rid of Mortis, no matter what they
offered. I don’t really like money that much. It seems to detract from the fun.
JIMMY DRIVER: I don’t think I'll ever get rid of Mortis.