'56 Superior Ambulance

Been on a torrid pace of late turning up stuff...some may be starting to resent me. Ha.

Yesterday in central TX I spotted this in the distance off a highway:

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Yes, I *do* travel with a camera in my lap. Yes, this was a first take shot @ 70mph. Not bad.

Of course I find an exit and circle back~ 45 minutes and 60 pictures later I'm flabbergasted with how utterly rust free this 51k original CA ambulance is:

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Was it for sale??? No fair putting up a tease picture like that... :14_6_12:
 
Carefully inventoried what was there, literally taking notes to accompany photos. This rig is 98% complete.

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Most everything not on the ambulance is located inside; hubcaps, skirts, front bumper/grill, both pillar spots, etc. Tunnel lights are the largest item missing. Federal Beacon Ray 173 is incomplete. Only mechanical modification noticed is an electric fuel pump. More fun detail schtuff:

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Although the owner was not present, I made an offer to the employee that he found receptive enough to give me the owner's cell phone number. We'll see what happens. This isn't a procar I'd personally keep~

It wasn't until I got home today and downloaded all the pictures that I realized something. I already have a few pics saved of this rig! My memory jogged, it ran on eBay March, 2009. I do not recall what happened with the auction but think it was a high opening bid price for starters AND 'Reserve Not Yet Met' on top of it. No one bid. Correct me here if wrong. Also, I do NOT remember this being in TX!
 
And today it continued! 4 straight days of procars 'in the wild'>>>>>

My navigator spotted this '58 Superior combination off a secondary highway traveling a different route home. This was posted private property, which could lead to gunfire here in Texas. I drove straight to the house and knocked, nobody home. Friendly large dogs greeted me. Left a note, snapped a couple pics on the way out, and continued on our way.

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There were numerous old cars present. Wasn't comfortable being there without the owner. The Superior is too crusty, damaged, and incomplete to restore. Someone put love into the old girl in her past - disc brake conversion and a Chevy big block it looked like.

Sure hope the owner contacts me. I really need the back bumper for my '58 Superior...maybe I can help him out in return.

Tomorrow brings another visit to the rough '53 S&S ambulance. 5 days in a row. Heh.
 
as the Aussies say

It would be my guess none of us will get tired of any of your pictures and posting here. Some of us may get a bit lighter in the wallet but that is the price we pay for enjoying these cars. You should have 'no worries' about us getting bored.
Mike
61 M-M
 
What a life. I just might have to move to TX.:smileTEXAS: Keep them coming, we could never get tired of seeing new Pro Car finds.

Josh
 
What a life. I just might have to move to TX.

The land here is heavily laden with quality old iron in general. Procars? 80% of what I locate is in Mexico. Time stands still down there. I'll waive as you pass through.

What year is that Fleetwood? That thing is the bomb!

Friggin' impressive beastie in person! Those quarters were the same size as a coach's. The vertical additions to the rear bumper really set it off. This is also a '58 - part of a '58 Caddy theme on this property.

Since the '56 is going over well~

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Atti, thanks for posting the pics! I've been anxiously checking the message board for them since you called and told me about the car the other day. It looks great!
 
Iselton Fire Dept

The Iselton FD (River Delta Fire District) is up near Robert Shepherd and Tom Shafer's neck of the woods in (CA).... they may have more info on it when it was in-service?

One good sign is there are no fork-lift push marks on the rear bumper.... may have driven in to the parking slot in Texas? (*) Reminds me a little of finding our former (X-Moffat County General Hospital) 1956 Meteor-Cadillac Ambulance peacefully sitting under a large oak tree on a Ranch in Colorado after it had been driven there.... then totally untouched for over 25 years still with the keys in the ignition. MM
 
What's that GOLD thing beside the ambulance?

I seem to have a fixation for gold....what is it beside the ambulance please, if you get back there :) and thankyou

Dave
 
Isleton Fire

The Iselton FD (River Delta Fire District) is up near Robert Shepherd and Tom Shafer's neck of the woods in (CA).... they may have more info on it when it was in-service?

One good sign is there are no fork-lift push marks on the rear bumper.... may have driven in to the parking slot in Texas? (*) Reminds me a little of finding our former (X-Moffat County General Hospital) 1956 Meteor-Cadillac Ambulance peacefully sitting under a large oak tree on a Ranch in Colorado after it had been driven there.... then totally untouched for over 25 years still with the keys in the ignition. MM

I live aprx 30 miles from Isleton,and was a ambulance driver back in the 70's and 80's,I can remember this unit being used in the 70's...and then later is was used as a back up.....Isleton then had a population of about 400 people and also served the lower Sacramento Delta for emergency services....
It had this unit , a Vanpelt pumper,and 1 police car........
It ceased all services in the early 90's and is now serviced by Sacramento Metro Fire and Sac county Sheriff.....
The unit was awesome in its day,and even turned heads back then !!
Isleton WAS famous for its "Crawdad Festival" but due to mis-management it went belly up....after 22 years...
 
Yeah, it used to belong to PCS member Mick Spivey. Not sure who owns it currently. And I agree with Mike, it's probably really worth the price.
 
'56 Meteor Ambulance

Is this the '56 Meteor ambulance that was formerly owned by the Altura, MN Fire & Ambulance? I assume that it is as I owned the car from about 1983 until the early '90s. If this is in fact that same car, it was originally built as a combo in that beautiful tri-tone brown/rust color combo featured in the '56 Meteor brochure. The exterior would have matched the interior color originally. It had been painted red and white decades ago. Had a lot of fun with that car!
Kurt
 
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