Pontiac procar pics

[Steve Loftin]

This shot was taken at a Collingswood, NJ parade in 1970:

Woodlynne, NJ
1954 S/P

This picture - probably taken in the early 1960s - is from a dealership somewhere in NJ, but I have no idea which one or where. That '59 is calling my name! I'd sure like to see what else was on that lot:

1956 S/P

(SL collection)

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Whoa! That last shot is incredible. '56, '56, '59, '57, '60...can't figure out what last one is behind '59s hood.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

are we sure the 54 is a superior?? it the only other car that I have seen that has the same tunnel light treatment as my 53 and Tod's GMC. I only have two 54 superiors in my collection and they are both hearses. but the script is in the same place. any chance of getting a close up scan of the light set up?
anyone have a pictures of a 53 superior pon ambulance??

 

[Steve Loftin]

are we sure the 54 is a superior?

We are quite sure...!

 

[John ED Renstrom]

do you have the picture? can you do a scan of the lights or others of different 53-54 pon ambulances by superior? I reall want to find out who built this car here. but you got to love that picture black wall tires, snows still on in summer

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

This shot was taken at a Collingswood, NJ parade in 1970:

Woodlynne, NJ
1954 S/P

This picture - probably taken in the early 1960s - is from a dealership somewhere in NJ, but I have no idea which one or where. That '59 is calling my name! I'd sure like to see what else was on that lot:

1956 S/P

(SL collection)

Have you seen that '59 or the nice '56 Pontiac since those pix were taken, Steve? Is that nice S&S ambulance in your avitar yours? Very nice car!

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

1. This is the newest Superior I've seen with their optional quad corner lights. Does anyone know (or have a photo) of a '70 model, Cadillac or Pontiac, with these lights?

2. Typical Pontiac hightop

3. This is a fairly basic but very attractive car; I think the C6 adds just that certain classy look!

4. Nameplate says "CITY OF BRANTFORD"...Ontario, perhaps?

(factory photos)

Steve: The "typical Pontiac hightop" in this post: do you know where this car came from? When I was in Lubbock, I got some pix of a Pontiac ambulance just like this one in color: it was blue and white, and was for sale for a whopping $900 at the time. The only reason we couldn't get it was because it was in PA and we didn't have a way for getting it transported.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Another Euro style, this a '59. No idea of coach builder.

This unusual '59 reminds me of a '60 stretched Pontiac wagon that belonged to Baker Ambulance in Odessa, TX. Jim and Nate Cawley brought it with them, along with a '62 lowtop International Travelall ambulance, when they moved their operation from Baker, Montana to Odessa. I don't know who did the stretch or if the Cawleys were the original owners. It was quite plain looking: A w-lamp Trippe beacon in the center rear of the roof, and single-faced red "turn signal" lights on all four corners and a 28 siren underhood. Despite the extra length, the ol' gal was a fast runner.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

This place has a nice looking 56 Pontiac ambulance... would be nice when its finished.... ?

http://www.dirtybirdclothingco.com/gallery_projects.html


were these stretched or just converted on the regular Chieftan stationwagon chassis? Theres a 56 wagon for sale locally and from the pics the square side door windows look about the same as the ambulance?

http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...wagon-Easy-resto-or-driver-W0QQAdIdZ341567984

Robert: Could you post some pix of that nice looking International? What year is it? Is it a Canadian rig?

 

[Keith Snyder]

Skip....the red and white ambulance is a 1956 National-Pontiac. Looks to be in decent condition and fairly well optioned as well. Coud be restored and saved. There's not a whole lot of these around.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Skip....the red and white ambulance is a 1956 National-Pontiac. Looks to be in decent condition and fairly well optioned as well. Coud be restored and saved. There's not a whole lot of these around.

Thanks, Keith. It is a decent looking old car. But I'm afraid it would just cost too much to get back to Texas...plus the restoration. Someone will give it a nice home!

 

[Martin Harvey]

1951.. National? From a private collection.

The restoration was done by the olde shop at Demers Ambulances. That explain the white stripes, their old trade mark.

 

[Keith Snyder]

Can't tell if it's on an American or a Canadian Pontiac chassis - they were quite different. If it's a Canadian Pontiac platform, it would be highly unlikely to be a National - or anyother U.S.-based coachbuilder's work. Check the GM serial plate to see where the base unit - a sedan delivery - was made or.....post some other photos so that we can clearly see the front end of the vehicle. It really looks great - from what we can see.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

If it is a Canadian Pontiac, it will have a Chevrolet engine... If a US built chassis car, then it will have the Pontiac engine.

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

Can't tell if it's on an American or a Canadian Pontiac chassis - they were quite different. If it's a Canadian Pontiac platform, it would be highly unlikely to be a National - or anyother U.S.-based coachbuilder's work. Check the GM serial plate to see where the base unit - a sedan delivery - was made or.....post some other photos so that we can clearly see the front end of the vehicle. It really looks great - from what we can see.

From what I understand the Canadian Pontiacs (at least in the late 60s) were built off a Chevy chassis with Pontiac trim and front clip. This makes it hard for me to find spare Pontiac parts for my Superiors.

A quick way to spot a Canadian vs. American Pontiac (60s anyways) is to look at the wipers. The American Pontiacs had the "scissor type" wiper mechanism and the Canadian Pontiacs had the "parallel type" mechanism.

 

[Martin Harvey]

shot from the web of the same car:



I first saw the car back in 2006 and it was night so I didnt took any good pictures. From what I know the car was hauled from somewhere out the province and restored by the Demers Ambulances shop. So even if it's in Canada, I know for sure this one dont come from Quebec.





I was driving from here to Montreal and passed by the town of the owner, tought to update my pics but the guy was not there at this time, I wanted to take some shots but the car stayed in the garage.

Passing thru another little town during this trip I stumbled across this OLD ambulance sing in front of the hospital... It means they have the same since BEFORE 1976?? Guess it represents a 66 pontiac station wagon?

 

[Keith Snyder]

Thanks for posting the images. As one can clearly see from the frontend view of this car, it's a Canadian Pontiac. No telling who created the coachwork. Perhaps it was a Tillsonburg conversion. Is there no coachbuilder nameplate or serial plate anywhere on the car? Very interesting.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

now this is for my education. I'm not calling anyone out but I can't see the difference. I working vary diligently to find the manufactures of my 53 so look over these type of cars a much as I can. this 51 to me looks like nationals work
now they would build off any car you sent them you did not have to buy the whole package from them. so if it is a Canada built poncho it could have still been converted by national. the body tag would be inside the right center door on the base of the divider. but let me know what the difference in the cars is. I had me a 62 convertible built up there with the Chevy engine in it. the molding were all the difference i could see in the body

 

[John Royark JR]

The placement of the tail lights is unusual, they should be much lower. This maybe a hint to the coachbuilder if we can find more with this tail light placement.

 

[Martin Harvey]

Just discovered the complete history of this ambulance on emsclassics !

"This 1951 Pontiac began life as a panel wagon, then was cut in half and lengthened by the John Little shop in Ingersoll, Ontario. Center doors were manufactured of solid oak. These "suicide" doors were very heavy and were supported by three hinges.

This ambulance was manufactured for the Canadian Armed Forces, however they never used it and sold it as surplus army stock to Imperial Oil for use at Devon, Alberta.

Imperial Oil stationed the car on standby at their oil drilling wells from 1951 to 1954.

In 1954 Imperial Oil sold the car to the Town of Devon for $1.00. The Town of Devon Public Works employees operated the ambulance and affectionatly named it "Leapin Lena".

In 1979 the Devon Legion purchased a Chevy van and brought it to Crestline for a basic ambulance conversion. Crestline took the Pontiac in trade as partial payment for the ambulance conversion. The car was equipped with a 6 cylinder engine and still had the original cot. The odometer stood at 26,000 miles.


Crestline used this ambulance as a Parade Car until 1983 when it was sold to the ambulance service in Shawinigan, Quebec."

... The ambulance service is actually near there but the owner still run the company. He also bought the 1968 Pontiac Hightop Superior on Ebay 2 years ago, It was in a body shop when I passed... so no pictures for now!