1958 Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance, Seeking Info

Casey Borders

PCS Member
Hello! I just got a 1958 Bonneville high-top ambulance and I'm trying to research its history.

PXL_20221017_171348627.jpg

Other than the VIN there is a little plaque in the engine bay from the bay saying that it was turned into an ambulance by the Superior Coach Company.

PXL_20221017_172601330~2.jpg

I've reached out to phs-online.com and the Superior Coach Company but neither of them have records going back to '58. Here's the information that I have including the text of what's on the plaque:

VIN: P758H37167

Mfgr's Serial: 251
FSN Number: 2310-542-4927
Contract Number: DA-20-113-ORD23216

There are some hints that it might have been a military vehicle at one point because the insides of the door wells and engine compartment are olive drab with some information stenciled on.

PXL_20221017_172506470.jpg

The car also came with the owner's manual, a parts catalog, and some pretty fun marketing material from the era, which is exciting!

PXL_20221018_004000775.jpg

PXL_20221018_004305929.jpg
 
The hint in its start is the tag co track number is the GSA contract it was built to. The property of the US is the other. Most of them were sold at auction or given to other goverment agencies like state county or city. It was a cheap wat for the city to get ambulance equptment.
 
All military vehicles have a date plate as John said. FSN is Federal Stock Number, anything to do with the gov has a FSN from a paper clip to a plane. This is the one from Karl I assume, looks the one he was selling. Defiantly a military purchase when first sold.
 
Using what you two said got me a little farther along! Contract Numbers started with "DA" from 1953 to 1961 and FSN was the system used from 1955 to 1974. This lines up with the car being a '58.

The FSN breaks down into a two digit group, a two digit classification, and seven digit serial number. This also tracks because 23 10 is passenger vehicles, including hearses and ambulances. So that's awesome!

I haven't been able to find a way to search the contract number or the FSN serial number (FIIN) but I'm going to keep digging.

@Daniel Scully This is the one from Karl. He took great care of it and I'm happy to be able to take it the rest of the way!
 
Here is another '58 Superior Pontiac straight ambulance owned by the ambulance service that I worked for in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the early to mid '70s. I took these photos in '67, and the Pontiac was traded in for a new '70 Springfield International a year or two before I started there.

VP 58 Pontiac.JPGVP Fleet 2.JPG
 
Back
Top