Oklahoma procars over the years

Pat Mace (Central, Tulsa) bought two new Superior 54s in 1972. These beauties featured Superior's CPR cabinetry package, Solar Ray front tunnels, lighted signs on three sides, Interceptor sirens recessed into the dash, and red "wet look" interiors. After little (if any) street duty, they were leased to other ambulance services. Both operators ended up buying their car after its lease was up.

Car 58 (first photo below) went to the Smith F.H. in Sapulpa where it ran as their first-out unit until the county took over on March 1, 1982. The Twinsonic was installed in about 1978. I personally put thousands of miles on her while I worked at Smith's part-time every other night and every other weekend for about four years. This photo was taken shortly after the county took posession of this as well as our 1970 and 1976 Superior/Cadillac hightops. The older two were sold as the county service bought new modulars in 1982 and 1984, both ending up in area salvage yards. The '76 was auctioned off in 1989, sold to an area individual, wrecked, and also ended up being scrapped. Too bad...when Smith's had her she was loved, petted, preened, and pampered and never used as a first-out rig.

Car 59 went to tiny Carmen, OK and stayed there until I bought it, absolutely like new and fully equipped, in 1985. Pat wanted it back in the worst way and a few months later made me an offer I just couldn't turn down. She's now in the John Burchfield collection.

(SL photos)Creek County 83 001.jpgCarmen car.jpg
 
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"They won't be able to tell the difference." (Pat Mace, 1972)

Steve Loftin said:
This 1973 Sovereign Landaulet is typical of Central's livery cars. Except for a lone Victoria, all were endloaders without vinyl tops. A few of them, as well as some of the limousines and even ambulances, had these aftermarket "Rolls-Royce" grilles installed in an effort to hide the model year.
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I personally think they're tacky. Thankfully, John removed the one on his car!
 
The grill caps had '70's "pimpmobile" written all over them!
Steve Loftin said:
...Car 59 went to tiny Carmen, OK and stayed there until I bought it, absolutely like new and fully equipped, in 1985. Pat wanted it back in the worst way and a few months later made me an offer I just couldn't turn down. She's now in the John Burchfield collection...
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Steve, did you own this when I moved out there in 9/85? I don't remember you owning it, you had the '74 S&S by the time I met you. Did Pat buy this from you to put back on the street? Wasn't there more than one of the '72's still on the street for Central when I was there? Or was it just this '72 and the '76?
 
Steve Lichtman said:
Steve, did you own this when I moved out there in 9/85? I don't remember you owning it, you had the '74 S&S by the time I met you. Did Pat buy this from you to put back on the street? Wasn't there more than one of the '72's still on the street for Central when I was there? Or was it just this '72 and the '76?
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You and I made a trip to Coffeyville, KS in this car, and perhaps another. Remember their Dodge/Collins minivan higtop transfer car that was ALS equipped?

Pat bought "the Carmen car," as it was known, to keep for posterity. I didn't know that he had sold it until after his death in 1996.

By the time you moved to Tulsa the oldest cars in the Central fleet were a pair of '74s.
 
Steve, Thank you very much for going to the time/trouble to post some of your photo collection. Great photos!!! Takes me back to when I was growing up in Houston/Beaumont during the 60's-70's during the private ambulance years.
 
Robert Knowles said:
Steve, Thank you very much for going to the time/trouble to post some of your photo collection. Great photos!!! Takes me back to when I was growing up in Houston/Beaumont during the 60's-70's during the private ambulance years.
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My pleasure, my friend! Please become a site supporter and start posting some of your goodies...we'd love to see 'em.
 
The cities of Bixby and Haskell are about 17 miles apart on US 64 between Tulsa and Muskogee. The populations in 1975 were around 3,900 and 1,900 respectively. Until the two funeral homes in these towns went out of the ambulance business in the late 1970s, they were one-car operations that used combinations. If one firm had a service, the other would cover both towns for ambulance calls. If both firms had a service at the same time, an ambulance would have to come from as far away as Tulsa, Coweta, or even Muskogee.

Leonard F.H. (Bixby, OK)
1972 M-M combination

This car had a #173-D and a PA-15 with single speaker. It replaced a 1966 M-M combination that was black.

Dowdy F.H. (Haskell, OK)
1970 M-M combination

This girl had a #17-D and a Federal E siren that came off of their 1968 Trinity/Buick. They were then moved over to the white over light blue 1974 M-M that replaced the '70. When moved to the '74, the beacon had to have a skirt extension added to the front to accomodate the sharper contour of the roof. This was done by Kent Dowdy in his garage and didn't look very professional, but it kept him from having to buy a new beacon with the '74.

Please excuse the grainy 110 photos.

(SL photos)Leonard 72 MM 001.jpgDowdy 70 MM 001.jpg
 
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Steve Loftin said:
If both firms had a service at the same time, an ambulance would have to come from as far away as Tulsa, Coweta, or even Muskogee.
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Wright's was a one-car outfit then, as well; if they were busy, you were out of luck. They were still in the furniture business when this photo was taken.

Wright F.H. (Coweta, OK)
1972 Victoria combination

This car had a #173-D (from an older car) and a #28. Not too long after this photo was taken the owner, tired of abusing his hearse as an ambulance, bought a used '73 Custom Cruiser. It was a typical family wagon, white, with woodgrain sides and a luggage rack. He bought a new standard Unity UniRack* for the roof and moved the #28 over from the S&S. Shortly after putting the wagon in service, it was broadsided and totaled in Tulsa. It was replaced by a '74 Seville combination with a #11, single CP-25, and a PA-15.

(SL photo)

*Exactly as seen here: http://s612.photobucket.com/albums/tt203/911disp/?action=view&current=100_0877.mp4Wright 72 SS.jpg
 
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Anderson's in Garber, OK had an interesting set of cars when they finally exited the ambulance business in the early 1980s. Even though the City of Garber started an ambulance service in the late 1970s, the funeral home backed them up (transfers, etc.) for a time with a downsized M-M that I never got to see. I don't know what they used for a hearse then, but in 1985 their garage housed a 1962 Superior combination (ex-?) and a 1951 S&S ambulance (ex-Gill-Lessert F.H., Ponca City). Photos of these cars, taken in 1985, are attached.

The '62 had factory front/rear A/C, dual #176-Ds, and a Q1B, but only a standard (35-50 amp?) generator and a single battery! The whistle barely fit behind the grille; in fact, its face plate had to be removed to squeeze it in. The most fascinating thing about this car was a piece of paper, taped to the dash, with handwritten instructions on how to operate the lights and siren. Oh, the joys of occasional part-time drivers! This car was sold to Paul Nix in California.

The '51 was photographed at my house in Sapulpa, waiting to be picked up by Steve Diamond. Steve eventually sold it to a first aid squad in New Jersey, after which it was sold to Tim Fantin. This car was in wonderfuly unmolested original condition and had quite a bit of period equipment and supplies in it at the time. What fun it was to drive this doll, too!

(SL photos)Anderson 62 Superior_001.jpgAnderson 51 S&S_001.jpg
 
Steve Loftin said:
Jones-Wilson-Cunningham F.H. (Locust Grove, OK)
1971 Superior/Cadillac 51"
Original owner unkown; then Harris F.H. in Pryor, then G-W-C in Pryor (after they bought the Harris place), then J-W-C in Locust Grove (after they bought the Jones firm), then traded in to me (seen here on the T-W chapel driveway), sold at auction; whereabouts unknown.
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Whereabouts now known; she's still in NE Oklahoma, but in rough shape. The drive train is intact, but - :pat: D'oh! - I forgot to see if the original 145-amp alternator was still there. The body itself is in very good condition. Thankfully, rust is not an issue around here...check out those rockers and the rear wheel opening! As far as Superior goodies, there's not much left:

(SL photos)IMG_20111230_104907.jpgIMG_20111230_104942.jpg
 
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Steve Loftin said:
A few more combinations:

1971 Sovereign Regency - Hayes-Hersman, Wagoner (ex-Smith's, Sapulpa, OK)
1970 Sovereign Landaulet - Davis, Okmulgee
1962 Premier - Yale F.H., Yale
1972 Victoria - Wright, Coweta

(SL photos)
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Wow, I did not realize until now that some combinations were Laundaus instead of limousines! I thought that combinations were *always* limousines, but it makes sense since both Superior and M+M offered the premium, high end Laundaulet style ambulances which didn't sell very well according to the Superior and M+M books written by Tom McPherson.

Abe
 
There are plenty of removable panel landau combinations around Abe. Fixed landau combinations? Not so much. I've only seen a dozen or so from '59-'70 surviving in the last 20+ years.
 
Abe Bush said:
Wow, I did not realize until now that some combinations were Laundaus instead of limousines! I thought that combinations were *always* limousines, but it makes sense since both Superior and M+M offered the premium, high end Laundaulet style ambulances which didn't sell very well according to the Superior and M+M books written by Tom McPherson.

Abe
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Abe, I thought the same thing for a long time, too! Many years ago my dad and I went to Charlie Butler's old place while visiting relatives in Indianapolis. It was sometime around Christmas or New Year's and it was a gray day w/ lots of slush on the ground. The lot was overflowing with interesting trade-ins that would be a dream lot for most of us today! Right in front of the building was a car being used by one of the salesmen: a gorgeous '72 C-B Olds Cotington landau combination. It was navy blue and what got my curiosity up was a beacon on the roof (this was long before some states required beacons on hearses) I peered inside and sure enough there were folding attendant seats and the other usual combo features! The beacon was a 175 Hill Light with one amber bulb in place of a white one. Mr. Butler said: "Oh sure, they make combinations in almost any body style." That car had an air of mystery for me since it was the first landau combo I'd seen.
 
Steve Loftin said:
Pat Mace (Central, Tulsa) bought two new Superior 54s in 1972. These beauties featured Superior's CPR cabinetry package, Solar Ray front tunnels, lighted signs on three sides, Interceptor sirens recessed into the dash, and red "wet look" interiors. After little (if any) street duty, they were leased to other ambulance services. Both operators ended up buying their car after its lease was up.

Car 58 (first photo below) went to the Smith F.H. in Sapulpa where it ran as their first-out unit until the county took over on March 1, 1982. The Twinsonic was installed in about 1978. I personally put thousands of miles on her while I worked at Smith's part-time every other night and every other weekend for about four years. This photo was taken shortly after the county took posession of this as well as our 1970 and 1976 Superior/Cadillac hightops. The older two were sold as the county service bought new modulars in 1982 and 1984, both ending up in area salvage yards. The '76 was auctioned off in 1989, sold to an area individual, wrecked, and also ended up being scrapped. Too bad...when Smith's had her she was loved, petted, preened, and pampered and never used as a first-out rig.

Car 59 went to tiny Carmen, OK and stayed there until I bought it, absolutely like new and fully equipped, in 1985. Pat wanted it back in the worst way and a few months later made me an offer I just couldn't turn down. She's now in the John Burchfield collection.

(SL photos)
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:4_11_9: Gaaaaaa-HOW did I miss this??!! I have been off the board for a while, but guess this goes to show you you can miss some INTERESTING posts when there's a lot of activity on the board! Steve, I'd always thought my car was #58 so interesting to learn she's really #59. I told my dad when we first saw the car in Tulsa "that grille's gotta go!" Fortunately I located a couple of stock '72 grilles in a Tulsa junkyard and bought the better one, so the replacement came home with the new car! I think I had the "Leroy Brown" grille, as I called it, replaced within a week. That custom thing is HEAVY. I still have it wrapped in a big plastic bag in my "parts department" in case anyone wants it! Thanks for these great photos. A couple of years after getting the car I discovered a sticker atop the radio head-you really have to stick your head way under the dash to see it. It's been a while since I did that, but the gist of it says "Purchased with funds from the Governors' Highway Safety Program" My guess is that Carmen Community AS upgraded the radio at some point, as their name is stamped on the radio box behind the front seat.
 
Steve Loftin said:
1964 Superior/Pontiac - Chandler F.D.
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I had a request for an enlargement of this shot, so here goes. Keep in mind that the original was taken from too far away, with a 110 camera, and printed on matte paper - there's not much to work with:

Chandler, OK
1964 S/P combination

I believe this to be an ex-Curry F.H. car. This firm had a fleet of white Pontiacs when they exited the ambulance business in about 1970 including station wagon ambulances in Chandler, Stroud, Meeker, and Davenport.

(SL photo, 1976)Chandler.jpg
 
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