I was just reading Tom McPherson's book on the Miller-Meteor professional cars and came across the Guardian ambulance. What a neat ambulance! Are there any of these still around?
By the way everyone, New Mexico is not in the Midwest....................
I was just reading Tom McPherson's book on the Miller-Meteor professional cars and came across the Guardian ambulance. What a neat ambulance! Are there any of these still around?
I'm tracking one down thats supposedly rumored to be in Western Kansas out on a ranch in a field under a tarp. Possibly used as a hunting camper but overall still in decent shape just missing the lights and equipment. It's south of Dodge City is all I know at this time.
I have an email into a guy in Chicago who is sharp as a tack at 90 years of age who owned the ambulance service where it was rumored through a person who is now deceased that this company which this guy owned had purchased a special "one off" 1969 MM "high-Boy" that had a special bubble roof built by MM and overhanging rear roof lip just like the original MM Guardians did. There is an interesting back story on this car and the guy and his company. He might even have some old MM files and information which is part of the story.
I am waiting to hear back from him after sending him a long list of questions to verify this claim or to dispel it. I also have his phone number but wanted to wait until after the holiday to call him. In my original email to his daughter she shared with me photos of their fleet from the 20's thru thru the 70's with some very interesting vehicles including a really neat carved panel hearse I have never seen before. I also think these images might never have been posted on line before and I am awaiting their permission to post them and their company history.
They did share with me me a neat picture of another one of their new (at the time) 1969 MM which is rather odd since it has the tunnel light configuration and not the standard light configuration or a common color combination. Heck at first I thought it was a Cotner Bevington on a Cadillac chassis. at any rate I am not one of those who is so secretive about the information and as soon as I hear something I plan to post it.
It could be a pinner.
I'm tracking one down thats supposedly rumored to be in Western Kansas out on a ranch in a field under a tarp. Possibly used as a hunting camper but overall still in decent shape just missing the lights and equipment. It's south of Dodge City is all I know at this time.
I know of 2 (one second hand), and if yours turns out to be one, that will make a possible 3 survivors. It might even be 4 if you count the one that was sold out of the salvage yard in Arizona, that has yet to resurface. The one that I know of first hand, I have chased the person (claimed owner) for a while, and they will only talk in generalities. It is one of those cases of "someday, I intend to restore that old ambulance", but they are running out of time like so many of us old ambulance jockeys. There is only so much one can do in a given amount of time, and I already have 5 ambulances, and keeping them all going, and moving forward with restoration work, is becoming a full time job. It is getting to the point where it is no longer enjoyable to work on these cars, so I am actually thinking of selling.
If you wish, PM me with the location and contact information. I - and/or Mike Burkhart - will be glad to take a look at it.
I bet my father will be able to tell you the name of the little town he sold them to; they were always driving the out-of-date models to small towns that had purchased them.
They did share with me me a neat picture of another one of their new (at the time) 1969 MM which is rather odd since it has the tunnel light configuration and not the standard light configuration or a common color combination. Heck at first I thought it was a Cotner Bevington on a Cadillac chassis. at any rate I am not one of those who is so secretive about the information and as soon as I hear something I plan to post it.
It is not far fetched to think that the 69 M-M has Cotner/Bevington parts, they were both owned by the same company, (Divco-Wayne Corp.)
We would love to see pix, we may be able with more info.
The '69 is a Classic 48, which is unique in its own right by the optional tunnel lights.
Your `69 is a relatively stock 1969 Miller-Meteor Classic 48 limousine ambulance: what makes it look different are the tunnel lights fore and aft, and the two chrome trim strips above the windows. These were, however, standard M/M options. Wayne Works, which owned M/M, acquired Cotner/Bevington in the mid-1960s, and there was some sharing of components between them. But your coach looks standard M/M to me -- but an especially attractive one. But those tunnel lights -- more common on Cotner/Bevington Oldsmobiles than they were on M/M Cadillacs -- give it a distinctive touch. Nice car.
But it was the other photo that really grabbed my attention......
This is one of the best photos I've ever seen of one in its original form
I'm tracking one down thats supposedly rumored to be in Western Kansas out on a ranch in a field under a tarp. Possibly used as a hunting camper but overall still in decent shape just missing the lights and equipment. It's south of Dodge City is all I know at this time.