Bouctouche SJA Identification Project

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

I have this picture of an old ambulance used not far from here. Unfortunately, no one seems to remember it, and I was not able to find any information about it.

The car was definitely heavily modified with the addition of the high roof, and maybe extending the D post.

What are your thoughts about the car itself? Are we looking at a Ford or Chrysler chassis and possibly the year of the vehicle?




Thanks.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

Looks like a mid 70s Chrysler wagon. As i recall a Demeares build. I'll see if i can dig out a picture of one.

 

[Terry Lange]

Hard to tell with the front and back cut off in the photo, but I agree with Ed that it is a Demers, since they were common in your neck of the woods. I would guess that it's about a '72 Chrysler or even a Dodge. Nice looking car!

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

I do not think it was a Demers. Here is a picture of a Demeres that was not far from where I grew-up, probably very similar time frame.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

The St. Johns ambulance appears to be a 1970s (?) Dodge Monaco Station Wagon. The car in post #4 is a Ford product.

 

[Tim Prieur]

It is based on a 1969-1973 Chrysler Town and Country, featuring the "fuselage design". This is a 72 example.
I hear John about Demers, but my vote would be locally homegrown.

 

[Bob Dyke]

That wouldn't be a Ballantyne or a Strathroy would it?

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

That wouldn't be a Ballantyne or a Strathroy would it?

What are those?

 

[Terry Lange]

Strathroy built a ton of "entry level" van ambulances that were sold all over Ontario and into Manitoba and beyond for many years. The private service that I worked for had a pair of them. They also did suburban conversions. To the best of my knowledge, the only car-based unit that they were involved in was putting a raised roof on a '69 Superior Pontiac Consort. There are photos of that rig floating around somewhere.

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

Strathroy built a ton of "entry level" van ambulances that were sold all over Ontario and into Manitoba and beyond for many years. The private service that I worked for had a pair of them. They also did suburban conversions. To the best of my knowledge, the only car-based unit that they were involved in was putting a raised roof on a '69 Superior Pontiac Consort. There are photos of that rig floating around somewhere.

Thanks Terry!

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

The consensus from the Station Wagon folks is 1 1973 Chrysler Town and Country.. There were questions between the 72 and 73, but the 72 had a smooth front clip, and the 73 had a snout.

 

[Bob Dyke]

Ballyntine was out of Windsor. Built mainly on Chryslers and Dodge units. EMS Classics shows a few Ballyntine vehicles.

To add to Terry-I think Strathroy was an autobody shop out of Strathroy, Ontario.

 

[Terry Lange]

Bob, you are correct, they were in Strathroy. I suspect they were much more than a body shop with the number of vehicles that they produced.

 

[Bob Dyke]

This was our hospital's Ballantyne Dodge high rise. It was sold to Gull Lake (30 minutes west) to start their ambulance service. It was sold later to an RCMP officer who took it with him when he was transferred. One of those things that is gone for good.

 

[Bob Dyke]

My bosses had this package of pictures in their files. This was a Ballantyne they were looking at buying back in the '60's.

Yes, they gave me the package. I didn't skillfully acquire them. Lol

 

[Bob Dyke]

My buddy's Strathroy Suburban. Kind of cool. 3 door body. Hard to see from these pictures but the body and frame were stretched a bit.
Thing only has around 8,000 miles on it. It was owned by a nickel mine in northern Manitoba.

He has this and a '71 Longhorn I keep going after. So far all I get told is 'no'!

 

[Terry Lange]

I believe that Ballantyne Chrysler ended up at Halliday's Ambulance Service in Swan River, Manitoba.

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

Thanks Bob! Those are very neat pictures.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

Looks to be a tail stretch on the suburban.

 

[Steve Loftin]

Bob, you are correct, they were in Strathroy. I suspect they were much more than a body shop with the number of vehicles that they produced.


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The raised roof headroom claim here is interesting. The standard 1967-72 Suburban headroom was 45", or 44" in an ambulance conversion assuming that a 1" sheet of plywood was used for the floor. Adding a 10" raised roof would, of course, have offered 54" headroom (as opposed to the 46" noted on the flyer).