Ambulance identity

B

Butch Holmes

This pontiac is from Williams FH of Beaumont, TX. I believe it is possibly a 1951 chieftain straight eight. Am I correct? Who is the coach builder?
 

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there were a number of people building on the Pontiac both short and long cars. with a fuzzy internet pictures it's hard to tell. the lolly pop lights were a Canadian and a Texas thing. all the ponchos I have seen were straight 8 but they did offer a 6 in those years also. you can find them with the power guide or the three speed stick. if there are no emblems on them your into the guess.. the lack of out side ambulance features does not rule out any of the players on these. but inside on most had the right seat able to flip backwards or not there. an attendant set behind the drivers. with of course the provisions to put in the gurney. the short were referred to in the business as jitterbugs
 
Car is a 1950 not a 51 this is by the grill and gravel shields. It looks like a standard sedan delivery just added lights and whatever unseen inside mods. Wheelbase etc. all stock Pontiac. I worked at a Pontiac Agency in the mid 50s for a big $1.25 an hour big pay for a 18 year old kid.
 
most of the short ones were that way on the outside. but cleaned it up as best I could and it only reveals the factory script to my eyes. it is one loaded up truck. fog lights, duel spots door mounted and fender skirts. no visor. one can only guess it's most likely the Power Guide. but in those years most older people still wanted a stick. National would be below the fender spear Economy on the door or same as National I don't have a pictures of a 50 Economy. the 50 Meteor built by them show scrip were the factory scrip is. so that could be a possibility still. but with out a clearer picture of the car to walk round who can say
 

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Looks like it also has optional light up hood ornament and full wheel covers. Also Pontiacs had Hydramatic starting in 48 and right on up only time with Powerglide was 53 with hydro plant fire when Olds and Cadillac got Dynaflow.
 
it very well could be. I haven't see any short wheel base ones from them. it's black so it could be a Armbruster also. they came in any color you want, but if it wasn't black you paid 75 bucks extra to get it. a lot of small shops in Texas turning them out too. they all loved the Pontiac as they had a lot of trim and that straight 8 engine. the only way to tell is in how the interior was made over. they were to short to put the cot in on the left. the right seat had to moved to let it slide up in and close the door. factory buckets in the car so relocating one was easy enough.

I would like to see one to check one out just how they did it
 
as good a guess as any. with out seeing the car you can't say.
but to me it looks no different then this pictures of the Meteor that Tony posted some time back
 
got ahead of my self looking for the picture. this one does have rear tunnel lights and the visor with the trip light it, one of the Economy built meteors.
with out the side glass not much of a hint that it went threw a after market plant
 

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Same year a 50 a cheapie though. Its a 6 cylinder (front fender script),Bottle cap hub caps,no fender skirts,non lighted hood ornament, rubber stone shields not sure but Williams car looks like stainless with dirt. Funny it was bought as a six my memory is an eight was $25.00 more and the six would be working hard with much of a load.
 
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