Rhinecliff updates

[Nicholas Studer]

Someone very generous here in Texas helped me out with the second Big Beam light that was mounted behind the seat. Lights easy to find, brackets nay impossible. Looks great if you ask me.

 

[William Koryciak]

Fun progress on the Rhinecliff FD Rescue Squad 1963 Pinner-Chrysler ambulance.

1. New carpet's in place. Some may know the carpet had gotten wet from a chronic water leak, and Paul had cut it up a bit in the process. Unfortunately, the RockAuto standard stuff wasn't a good fit. We wanted to save the original heel pad too - which required a trip to the upholestery shop - who hooked us up for the privilege of working on the Pinner family's craftsmanship. We're very happy - looks just as good - if not better than new.

2. Motrac is back! Research coupled with annoying trial and error underneath the dash determined where the mounting brackets had been for the speaker and control head. Cable for the antenna was still there - the holes for the Low-Band Motrac itself were still present. With enough deduction and some time on eBay - all the major components were found. More importantly - the local Motorola dealer (in business since the 1950s) had folks experience with the Motracs and thrilled to work on it. Believe it or not - our Motrac is in fully functional order right now. They were even able to salvage a damaged pre-1965 metal connector cable so we're not tarnishing the vehicle with an inaccurate newer plastic cable. We had them disconnect the main tube in it so it does not draw a massive current draw - no reason for that when all we really want is for the red light to glow if mic is depressed. Otherwise - same as when first in service - November 1963. Well, besides the newer mic that we will replace shortly. And yes, we'll be replacing the damaged/near-gone water-slide decals on the dash that show the radio call sign and station ID as soon as we find suitable near-exact replacements.

3. A dusty environment in the pseudo-desert (regardless of indoor storage) - requires a blanket. A T-10D parachute canopy works well and seems rather fitting.

Thanks and kudos again to Paul Steinberg for fixing all of the mechanical nightmares few others would've been able to tackle. I surely wouldn't be able to worry about these minor details on what is a solid car above all. Next stop - full stocking of the ambulance with equipment as described in recently discovered documents from when it was placed into service! Hopefully in time for the meet in June...

It was a pleasure to meet you and your "better half" in Houston. The 63 Pinner-Chrysler Ambulance is a beautiful project and I was especially excited that the Pinner Family also came to Houston and participated. Keep us up to date on your progress! Hope to see you in Gettysburg!

 

[Nicholas Studer]

The Dutchess County Fire Museum came to the rescue and went to Rhinecliff Fire Dept to scan old photos and documents (they didn't have a scanner). They happened to capture the only photo I've been able to find of the car after it was put in service in October 1963. (Yes, there were the three factory photos taken in Victoria, MS prior to delivery) It's pictured with the ALF engine that it was housed with for most of its 25 year service life.

It sheds a bit of light on the mystery of what went behind the driver's side of the front bench seat. I am stunned I was able to get this far, as it's basically the sole remaining missing "mystery items." I've been privileged to speak with 3 folks who worked on the car - one each for the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s (a lot of stuff apparently removed by then as the car was no longer a "rescue" and more straight ambulance.). No one can seem to really remember what went on the driver's side - a few remembered the "Big Beam" lights we already identified on the passenger side. One person recalled maybe putting coats and helmets/hats on the driver's side - but wasn't sure. Sadly, the photo was very aged and highest possible scan still quite faded. I blew up the area in question. You can barely make out the "Big Beam" lights on the passenger side (seen in above photo). There's then an elevated flat item that corresponds to the rectangular screw pattern (photo reposted below), and a "blob" that corresponds to the two diagonal screw holes (and broken off pop-rivet in the wall!) closer to the midline. Does the hive mind have any ideas?

I still am bemused that 25 years in service - and seems no one took a photo! P.S.: If you're a whiz at enhancing photos, message/e-mail me and I'll send you the original.

 

[Bill Marcy]

Very exciting to see that original photo! I wish I could find an original "in service" picture of my ambulance, but so far nothing.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

send it to me I have a couple programs that work will. if you have the original that is even better I can scan it in a large file and then you can do a lot with it

 

[Nicholas Studer]

Very exciting to see that original photo! I wish I could find an original "in service" picture of my ambulance, but so far nothing.

Takes persistence. A lot of it. This one photo took two years. I followed up for months with the fire department itself, the Dutchess County Historical Society, the Dutchess County Fire Museum (they're just getting started), SPAAMFAA, the gentleman who owned the car before Paul Steinberg, Paul himself (many times), and even trolled Facebook to see if anyone talked about the car or remembered it (found two folks posting things publically, one responded).

Keep at it and something will turn up when you least expect it.

send it to me I have a couple programs that work will. if you have the original that is even better I can scan it in a large file and then you can do a lot with it

E-mail sent.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Takes persistence. A lot of it. This one photo took two years. I followed up for months with the fire department itself, the Dutchess County Historical Society, the Dutchess County Fire Museum (they're just getting started), SPAAMFAA, the gentleman who owned the car before Paul Steinberg, Paul himself (many times), and even trolled Facebook to see if anyone talked about the car or remembered it (found two folks posting things publically, one responded).

Keep at it and something will turn up when you least expect it.



E-mail sent.

email sent last night...

I'm not telling you anything about the car!! I am keeping it a secret. lol

 

[John ED Renstrom]

hard to say what kind of pictures it was but either a Polaroid or a Instamatic. the color goes to the red tones on them. old slides are another that fad off . best thing to do with a picture like that is to change it over to gray tones. then you have something to work with. played a little last night and came up with this. looks to me like it's selves built behind the drivers head.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Nick,
Since you are such a stickler for equipping it as it was originally, is it safe to assume that you will be putting the single, full body width mud flap back on it??

 

[Nicholas Studer]

Nick,
Since you are such a stickler for equipping it as it was originally, is it safe to assume that you will be putting the single, full body width mud flap back on it??

Maybe? Was wondering what that thing was. Jack Pinner and I had no idea what it was when we first saw this photo. Got a picture of such an animal?

One thing at a time leads to progress. If you know my circumstances, this investigation is a happy distraction from the usual day-to-day work. Next project is getting the Dutchess County Ambulance & First Aid Association sign remade for the front of the car. The photo in question cleared up the size (see it as a white disk on the driver's side by the grille) - so it's only a silk-screen (Paul's suggestion) or hand-painted sign-on-a-stick away...

One day (hopefully sooner rather than later) - the car will get repainted and the thankfully minor corrosion cleaned up. At that time, I'll have the rear bumper step made and mounted - plus redo the lettering in the original gold leaf. Sadly, unless something turns up - we'll be stuck with just "blob" and "stick" on the shelf and we'll leave it be. Maybe one day I'll be able to horse-trade Paul for the original Reeves stretcher that this car carried! Patience...

The history and necessary detective work is more than half the fun of these cars for me. Working on a formal article on the at least four Pinner ambulances in Dutchess County.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Please, just don't go back the black wall tires in this last photo! What do you have on this rig in the way of wheel covers? They, obviously, are not '63 Chrysler wheel covers if it has 15" wheels.

 

[Daniel Scully]

63 Chrysler wheel covers if it has 15" wheels.

Please, just don't go back the black wall tires in this last photo! What do you have on this rig in the way of wheel covers? They, obviously, are not '63 Chrysler wheel covers if it has 15" wheels.

Could be, 15" was a option. Hubcap is a fairly odd one.

 

[Peter Grave - Deceased - 1938 - 2022]

All 63 Mopar cop cars had 15 inch wheels that I had in the day so 15 inch wheel discs would be a available option. As I remember the Chryslers the New Jersey Garden State Parkway cops drove had full caps they were New Yorkers to boot.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Those are the correct wheel covers for the car. The car came equipped with 15" rims. The strange thing is that as rare as those wheel covers are, I was able to find a spare pair, either on eBay or at a swap meet. Don't remember which it was, because I got them many years ago. Whenever I saw spare parts available, I purchased them, knowing that they are not going to get any easier to get as time goes by. What was commonly available only 5 years ago, now have become almost extinct. Todays crazy prices are going to be tomorrows bargains.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

don't forget the mud and snows. I have one N-78 studded snow tire I will throw in all you got to do is find another one.

 

[Nicholas Studer]

Please, just don't go back the black wall tires in this last photo! What do you have on this rig in the way of wheel covers? They, obviously, are not '63 Chrysler wheel covers if it has 15" wheels.

Could be, 15" was a option. Hubcap is a fairly odd one.

All 63 Mopar cop cars had 15 inch wheels that I had in the day so 15 inch wheel discs would be a available option. As I remember the Chryslers the New Jersey Garden State Parkway cops drove had full caps they were New Yorkers to boot.

Those are the correct wheel covers for the car. The car came equipped with 15" rims. The strange thing is that as rare as those wheel covers are, I was able to find a spare pair, either on eBay or at a swap meet. Don't remember which it was, because I got them many years ago. Whenever I saw spare parts available, I purchased them, knowing that they are not going to get any easier to get as time goes by. What was commonly available only 5 years ago, now have become almost extinct. Todays crazy prices are going to be tomorrows bargains.

The car indeed did come with blackwall 8.00x15 tires from the factory (although it had whitewall for apparently all of its service life). The car was shipped to the Pinner plant in March 1963 after being ordered in January. While it was ordered with 15" wheels with the oddball slotted wheel covers (some on eBay recently), heavy duty suspension, sway bar, and other components common to the police package - the car was NOT a "Enforcer" model (a modified Newport) itself as was suspected in the past. The car was actually built by Chrysler specifically to be cut up! Our only guess is that Franklin Body and Pinner felt they didn't need all the features of the "Enforcer" model and wanted to save money.

Now - the 1964 Pinner-Chrysler ambulance specified and purchased by the Belmar, NJ First Aid Squad.... That's a different story.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Do you have a close-up photo of the wheel cover?

 

[Nicholas Studer]

Do you have a close-up photo of the wheel cover?

Sure. Here's one from when I got the car.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Those wheel covers must have been used on something else that Chrysler built, but I have no idea as to what. When the Ghia Imperial limousines came out in '57 & '58, Chrysler put 15" wheels on those while all stock Imperial passenger cars came with 14" wheels. Most squad cars ordered with 15" wheels would have had dog dish hub caps. Chrysler used 14" wheels on nearly everything they built from 1957 thru 1968, with the exception of the Imperials.

Do you remember what the eBay sellers identified them as?

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Nick,
Since you are such a stickler for equipping it as it was originally, is it safe to assume that you will be putting the single, full body width mud flap back on it??

Where in this picture do you see a full body mud flap?

This picture also proves that the wheel covers that are on the car now, are the originals to the car.