Merry Oldsmobiles

[Brendan Martin]

Nice old rig. Is it still around?

Im not sure. An old photo from their website.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Im not sure. An old photo from their website.

The last time I saw an ambulance in MA was in January of '68 when we were in Fall River for my grandma's funeral home. We were sitting at this big Italian restaurant that overlooked the Taunton River, and a big red mid-60s M-M low top ambulance came roaring past. It was my first-ever view of a coach-type ambulance except for some of the combos that did double duty, so it switfly got my attention.

 

[Brendan Martin]

The last time I saw an ambulance in MA was in January of '68 when we were in Fall River for my grandma's funeral home. We were sitting at this big Italian restaurant that overlooked the Taunton River, and a big red mid-60s M-M low top ambulance came roaring past. It was my first-ever view of a coach-type ambulance except for some of the combos that did double duty, so it switfly got my attention.

Magoni's Restaurant in Somerset. Still open. The ambulance probably belonged to Somerset FD.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Magoni's Restaurant in Somerset. Still open. The ambulance probably belonged to Somerset FD.

That's the one, Brendan. I had a "senior moment" trying to remember the place. But it's only been 46 years since I was there. The good Italian food I remember. Couldn't remember "Somerset" either, and the paint-and-hardware store where I worked in Lubbock bought a lot from Parks Chemicals that made the packaged paint and lacquer thinners we carried. Speaking of Parks, I got really tickled one day when a shipment from Parks came in. Obviously whoever labeled the boxes for shipping had never been to Texas. They misspelled the name of the company, Felix West Paints, as "Felie West" and showed Lubbock as Lobboes, TX. Well there are a few lobos around Lubbock, but not like here in West, TX.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

'62 C+B Olds, Eastport VFD, Annapolis, MD

(from Facebook)

 

[Kurt Arends]

Huge potential on a car that really needs to be saved!

 

[Steve Loftin]

Huge potential on a car that really needs to be saved!

Kansas car?

 

[John ED Renstrom]

if the price was right I would be willing to try love those 74 years.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Steve,
Yes, it is in Kansas. Remnants of what looks like something with "Clay County" in an extremely faded roof decal.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Ed,
It's a '73 and you don't like the 54" high tops, remember?

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Steve,
Yes, it is in Kansas. Remnants of what looks like something with "Clay County" in an extremely faded roof decal.

Did you check out the mechanics of the car, Kurt? Looks like it would be otherwise relatively easy to restore.

 

[Kurt Arends]

I believe that he said it would lot drive. It does have some quarter panel rust issues, but I have seen much worse. The interior looked like it would clean up well. It has the brownish vinyl interior. I don't believe that there was any damage to the original vinyl in the driver's compartment.

 

[Steve Loftin]

Union Fire Co. No. 1 (Oxford, PA)
1957 ?
My guess is National. The rear window ambulance applique is neither National or Comet; however, it could be a special order by the customer. The basic window and drip rail design is similar to both builders. S&M tunnels were common on Nationals of the era (as seen on both of these cars). I love a mystery...!

This car later served Port Deposit, MD (scroll down, click on photos to enlarge):

https://cecilcounty.wordpress.com/page/11/

 

[John ED Renstrom]

could it be a dixie? and just because I hate washing a high top do not mean if the right one came along I would not jump

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

1972 Cotington combination/Summers
Jim Green F.H. (Pryor, OK)

1971 Seville combination/Summers
Easterling F.H. (Odessa, TX)

Summers Funeral Car Co., a M-M and C/B dealership in the Dallas suburbs, did at least three of these 54" hightop conversions that I know of. The third one was done on a 1964 M-M combination, also using Summers' standard Suburban top and roll cage.

Jim Green bought his car just after the conversion was done in 1976.

The Easterling car was done on a car already in the firm's fleet. It had to have been top-heavy, especially on a short wheelbase with the M-M-style backboard compartment on the roof. I imagine it handled like a water tower! The folding attendant seat was replaced with a Captain's chair (highback bucket seat).

(SL photos)

P.S.: I've also attached photos of two Summers hightop Suburban conversions for comparison.

(SL collection)

Steve: Do you have pix of the '64 you mention above. I saw the Easterling car one time prior to the Summer conversion, which was right after they got it. It was a very dark gray color originally. They exited the ambulance service for a time but were back into it when I returned to Midland/Odessa in 1991, and they had two Type IIs and a '69 white-over-blue Consort with "just" VisiBar on top.

 

[Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018]

Oak Forest F.D.
Oak Forest, IL
1966 Seville

Meda-Care A.S.
Milwaukee, WI
1974 Cotington 48

Community Amb. Ass'n.
Steelton, PA
1969 Cotington 48
1974 Cotington 54

(from my collection)

Steve: First time I've visited this thread in a while. Don't know why I didn't notice the Oak Forest car before. Do you know any of the history of this '66? I bought a solid red Seville ambulance in 1975 from Summers that had come from Holston Amb. in Lake Charles, LA, and it looked very much like this car except devoid of emerg. equipment when I bought it. It was still a runner, though.

 

[David Henry]

One more batch.

I worked in that DeLong rig once. But, it was after they were acquired by Professional Ambulance Service in Muskegon, MI. And I actually sold that ambulance when I was the Executive Director of Professional Ambulance. Great seeing that car in the original DeLong yellow with the Dennis Distributor side lights.

 

[Steve Loftin]

The late Kirk Kuykendall took over the ambulance business in Lawton, Oklahoma when the funeral homes went out, in addition to his taxi and wrecker services. Kirk's operated a variety of procars over the years; mostly Oldsmobiles of all sizes and types, only two of which he bought new. Here are a few of them:

1975 Cotington 54

1973 Cotington 54

1974 Cotington 48
(ex-City of Tahlequah; now owned and has been nicely restored by PCS member Greg Jeter)

1969 Cotington 48
(originally from Kansas, this car is still owned by Kirk's; whistle is a #28)

(SL photos)

Here is what the '69 looked liked yesterday. Unfortunately, the sun didn't cooperate.

All of the other Kirk's cars have been gone for at least 35 years. To my knowledge this car is one of only two running and driving hightops in Oklahoma:

 

[Steve Loftin]

Here is what the '69 looked liked yesterday. Unfortunately, the sun didn't cooperate.

All of the other Kirk's cars have been gone for at least 35 years. To my knowledge this car is one of only two running and driving hightops in Oklahoma:

See here in a parade:

https://www.facebook.com/kirksemslawton/videos/1654396627950082/?v=1654396627950082

 

[Kurt Arends]

'64 Cotington Visited In Central Iowa Today

I don't remember if this one has been documented here yet.