1960 Cadillac sedan ambulance

[James Shao]

Does anyone have any information on a 1960 "invalid car"? I received the first 2 of 3 '60 Series 75s, one which is a formal limo, the other had a handle low on the B pillar. Took a closer look today and the B pillar is latched top and bottom to the body and there is a large chunk of track/mechanism inside as well as a number of casters like those in a sideloader hearse. Would this be something Cadillac built or coachbuilder built?

 

[Brady D Smith]

OOOOhhh and again Ooooohh.

Sounds like you may have a sedan ambulance or some variation thereof. How about some photos of the modifications you are talking about.

 

[James Shao]

So sedan ambulance is the correct name for the car. Does Sedambulance refer to a particular model from one coachbuilder?

 

[Steve Loftin]

So sedan ambulance is the correct name for the car. Does Sedambulance refer to a particular model from one coachbuilder?

Your car appears to have been converted to a sedan ambulance. Are there bucket seats in the front, with the passenger side seat being removable?

A quick "search" of this site will confirm that a Sedambulance is a McClintock conversion:

 

[Steve Loftin]

These conversions were offered by several companies around the country.

This ad is from the July, 1961 issue of MORTICIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. Morris Bram was a funeral director in northwest Missouri that sold procars on the side. His sedan ambulance conversions, done for him by a local body shop, featured a 180-degree rear door opening (and oxygen bottle)! Cot shown is a Washington #54.

http://www.bram-turnerfuneralhome.com/

 

[James Shao]

Thanks for the info, I'll try to get some photos later this afternoon. The rear door currently does not open, but I haven't tried to work the latching mechanism loose yet.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

it it is a sedan ambulance you should be able to remove the font passengers seat easily. that will give you a lot of room to see just how the door opens. the pillar may be with the door and you need to trip the latch on it to get the door to swing. let us know. so few of them have survived to get played with today.

 

[Peter Grave - Deceased - 1938 - 2022]

As kid I remember Yellow Cab in Philadelphia had a fleet of Dodge limos with an "invalid conversion". They marketed the service as a "Cabulance". The cars carried the Gurney full time no right front seat. Cabulances were dark blue with Yellow Cab in yellow letters on the front door and as I recall the phone number on the rear door. Not sure but as I recall the Cabulance was dispatched with only a driver and if aid was needed to load the gurney help had to be obtained at the scene. Someone better than I at photo search should be able to find a picture they were on the road for years into the 50s.

 

[James Shao]

Right now, everything in the interior is just jumbled into a pile. Once I can get everything out I'll see what all is in there as far as the seating goes. There's not much daylight left after work right now and none before I have to leave for work in the morning.

 

[JR Rotramel]

Not to hijack the thread, but I was wondering what made a car "invalid"
Then I put proper emphasis on the correct syllable and no longer thought of things like passwords. (forehead slap goes here)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Not to hijack the thread, but I was wondering what made a car "invalid"

An IN-va-lid car was usually used for non-emergency transports; many didn't have warning lights or a siren.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Not to hijack the thread, but I was wondering what made a car "invalid"
Then I put proper emphasis on the correct syllable and no longer thought of things like passwords. (forehead slap goes here)

Not much different than some other words in the English language... such as lead and lead, or plead and plead.. When in doubt, consult www.dictionary.com for additional details and pronunciation...

 

[James Shao]

Here are some photos taken this afternoon.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

James, can ya zoom out just a bit please? It's hard to tell exactly what we're looking at or where things are in perspective. It certainly sounds like a sedan ambulance, but I can't figure out where the "track" goes.

(Our local TV stations do the same thing. They'll have the news chopper hovering over a fire, the reporter/pilot is talking about what a "huge fire" this is, then they show an extreme close-up of one burning board. It's great they can zoom in on a single board from 500' away, but that doesn't tell us much about how big the fire really is.)

 

[John Royark JR]

Someone may have put the track in to convert it from a sedan ambulance into a sedan hearse. Ive heard of that being done before. As Steve said we need more zoomed out pics.

 

[James Shao]

I don't know that zooming out would help the picture of the track any as it is sitting on top of a pile of seat parts. I'm going to try to get it all pulled out tomorrow and see if there are attachment points for the track on the floor. The floor is pretty well rotted, but I picked it up as a parts car before figuring out what it was, and now plans for the 3 have changed.

The end of the track closest to the camera is sitting on I believe a back cushion of the front seat so it is angled upwards toward the front of the car.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

the track may not have had any thing to do with the car either. but I have seen similar in airplanes to slid a special made gurney in to them. from what I can see the top latch on the pillar is released and they should be a trip on the lower to do the same. then the door and pillar will swing as one unit. it all most looks like they used latches out of a back door in a van for it.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Isn't that track and rollers out of a 3-way hearse?

 

[Daniel Scully]

rollers

Isn't that track and rollers out of a 3-way hearse?

Same roller Supieror used ,kinda looks like all 3-way stuff.

 

[James Shao]

the track may not have had any thing to do with the car either.

My first thought was "What are hearse parts doing in this limo?", then came "What is this handle on the B pillar for". It took a day before the sedan ambulance possibility popped into my head. I'll get some more pictures tonight.