'50s Chevrolet Ambulance

[Jacob M. Fournier]

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/3006427133.html
**WRECKING YARD FINDS** (Colville/Spokane)

Date: 2012-05-09, 5:07PM PDT
Reply to: ghmkz-3006427133@sale.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Looking for a project?
Couldn't bring myself to crush these cars:
1950 Chevy Panel Truck.
2-1963 Chevy Impalas - both 4 doors, one with motor and tranny, one without.
1967 Lincoln Continental w suicide doors.
1950's Hudson Custom Commodore.
1950's Buick Eight.
1950's Chevy Station wagon - old ambulance.
1960's Corvair.

***We are taking offers on these vehicles***
All vehicles have junk vehicle affidavit signed by Sheriff and
notarized by landowner, along with a licensed wrecker's bill of sale.
These vehicles will need to be inspected before a title is issued.
Please reply by email only. Can send more detailed pics to interested buyers.

Does anyone recognize this as a coach built car or was this a homemade conversion?

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

From seller:

"This car has no motor, tranny, or seats, but you can vaguely read 'Emergency Ambulance' on the back door. I need at least half of these cars gone by the end of the weekend, so cash talks."

'54 as I recognize those grill teeth. My initial guess was National but after studying pics, that side glass has Barnette shape and ambulance etched glass design (which is usually on rear side door of stretched wheelbase).

Sadly, doesn't sound like there's much time for this one left. Incomplete but certainly doesn't look rotted.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Doesn't appear to be a Barnette, as this is the window design they used through the early '50s (from a Barnette ad). Not a National or Weller, either. I'm not sure.

It may not matter unless someone can get to Spokane in the next two days.

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Thanks for the photo Steve. I too have similar Barnette ambulance designs from the early '50s. This Barnette ('53?) however (possibly saved from this site, via Ed maybe?) appears to match.

Glare makes seeing side glass not easy but enlarging this Barnette shows same dimensions.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

That's Bill Leverette's ambulance. From the fact that those are later photos and that I haven't seen color window markings in any ambulance in the early '50s, I'm inclined to believe that those decals were a later addition.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

that one is Bill Levitt's barnette combo. but the etched glass is not a good way to ID it. best one could say it it's looks similar to. the sedan delivery was a easy conversion and the number of people cranking out a ambulance on them for small towns makes it all most impossible to say. I'm still trying to ID mine I have been able to eliminate most all of the players I know except Barnette and Superior. even though the glass looks like a economy the body does not. but one that is not stretched could be built in any shop. if the interior is gutted not really anything left to salvage, as far as a ambulance goes. just the shell of a 54 Chevy sedan deliver some on has put etched windows in. if you look hard you will see that were the etching looks alike on the Chevy the center strip is the same size. on the pon it's wider not much different I know but a difference none the less if they were stenciling the glass it would be the same on each car.

 

[Jacob M. Fournier]

Doesn't appear to be a Barnette, as this is the window design they used through the early '50s (from a Barnette ad).

While this won't narrow down the builder of the Chevrolet, I just wanted to throw in that a photo I have of another '53 Pontiac Barnette ambulance, taken approx. early 60s, shows exactly the same window design shown in the Barnette ad, not the one in Bill's windows.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

can you send me that pictures of the 53 you have. as I said I'm still looking for the manufacture of mine. finding a 53 ambulance is vary hard as most of them were combos. both of those post by Attila are the same car. one in service one latter in life. it is a combo. my address is jer57747@hotmail.com
here is the glass treatment on the 53 I have here.