'61 Pontiac Amblewagon in NJ

[Kurt Arends]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2141518879483461/

Looks to be a very solid wagon! I love the '61 & '62 Pontiacs!

 

[Daniel Scully]

61

Looks pretty solid!! Anyone know what is on the left inner fender well? Right by the battery cable.

 

[Ken Elliott]

My guess is a rotary style flasher for the emergency lights it had at one time when used as an ambulance.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Better photo. It shouldn't be rusty, given the time in service was in ND.

 

[Steve Loftin]

My guess is a rotary style flasher for the emergency lights it had at one time when used as an ambulance.

The other item is a solenoid for the siren; a Federal 28 was standard on Amblewagons through the late 1960s.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

I believe that this is the car that once belonged to Bill Marcy, which he had a difficult time with the brakes on it. I remember him telling me the sad tale of woe with a shop that he took it to for repairs. That was quite a while ago, and I will let him tell all about it if he should care to.
The car was last posted about on these forums on March 2014, and you can read about it here..... Doesn't look any better today than it did 5+ years ago.
Anyone thinking of buying this car can expect to spend a lot of money redoing the interior. Replacement door cards are about $1000 for the 4 doors, and the front seat is going to be another $500.
As for his saying that the car sat for a year, and that lead to it not being running now, makes me very suspicious. Cars running when parked, if they were in good running condition when parked, will usually start up with a little effort. If it was running in poor condition, it will deteriorate over a year, to the point that it will take a lot of effort to get it running again. Many times, the reason that they are parked, is because the engine is tired, and will need to be rebuilt, especially on a 1960's car with lots of miles on it.
Looking at the pictures, it is also going to need a new windshield. That is going to be another $500...

 

[John ED Renstrom]

Bill needs this

 

[Bill Marcy]

Paul is correct, this turd once belonged to me. My butt still hurts from this one. I bought it about 2004, from a guy in ND, he seemed like a nice guy, but...... When this car arrived, I was very disappointed, because nothing was right about it, other than that it was a red 61 Pontiac.

I wasted lots of money at a local loser shop and I finally gave the shop owner the car in lieu of another $3500 I owed him. ALL FOR NOTHING!!

Funny thing, the story the current seller tells about the history of the car. The only part of the story he has correct, is that it came from ND.

I spent a ton of money at this shop and truthfully, almost nothing was done. They took me over the coals, for sure. BTW, they never even fixed the rust, it ran terrible and drove worse. It is a shame, because I still think it would be a pretty car, once restored.

My advice, buyer beware!

 

[Steve Loftin]

According to the seller all of the ACC items are gone; cot hook, load lights, grille lights, siren, beacon, window inserts, etc., and so forth.

Currently it's a standard station wagon with Amblewagon emblems and some extra wiring.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Bill,
It's not the car's fault that you got ripped off by a repair shop! That doesn't make the car a "turd"!

 

[Bill Marcy]

Bill,
It's not the car's fault that you got ripped off by a repair shop! That doesn't make the car a "turd"!

I agree with you, but the car was a turd, plain and simple. Using an inept shop was a poor decision on my part, but the shop was actually recommended to me. Another lesson learned, I guess.