Daniel McCann - Deceased - 1965 - 2016
September 16 1965 - September 16, 2016
Idid my first ambulance run in a1978 Superior . I was lucky to drive the same ambulance on it last emergency run in 1991.
What is the oldest ambulance that you have worked in?
- Thread starter Paul Steinberg
- Start date
Was TCA the original owner of the Olds, and if not, which agency/firm was?
Any idea where it went after TCA?
Oldest ambulance worked in
At Ambulance Company Inc., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we had a 1957 Mercury Memphian and a '58 Mercury Memphian as back ups to the GMC Suburbans. This was 1969-70, and I ran the '58 out on a highway auto accident call at night. The instrument panel lights weren't working and I remember the State Trooper who had followed me to the scene saying "You'd be wise to slow that thing down before you get in trouble!" I have no idea how fast I was going, but I guess fast enough to get chastised for it. Funny how speed is a relative thing when you're young and dumb.
At Ambulance Company Inc., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we had a 1957 Mercury Memphian and a '58 Mercury Memphian as back ups to the GMC Suburbans. This was 1969-70, and I ran the '58 out on a highway auto accident call at night. The instrument panel lights weren't working and I remember the State Trooper who had followed me to the scene saying "You'd be wise to slow that thing down before you get in trouble!" I have no idea how fast I was going, but I guess fast enough to get chastised for it. Funny how speed is a relative thing when you're young and dumb.
Kent Dorsey
PCS Member / Funeral Director
S & S
Oldest car was a 1963 Cadillac S&S red and white high top out of Salata Ambulance Service(operated by the Gurnee Funeral Home, Gurnee, IL). That car just screamed down the road. I worked there for three years, also helped out at the funeral home a little. In all, we had:
1963 S&S Cadillac Hightop
1968 C/B Oldsmobile 48 height(I think)
1968 M&M Cadillac combo
1970 Buick estate wagon conversion ambulance and first call car- home brew
1971 Superior Cadillac hightop
The 1971 Superior was by far my favorite, all white, Aurora Borealis light, great cabinetry, and generous equipment space. This car actually began running ALS transfers in 1974.
The station wagon made a lot of round trip runs with kids to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, IL, near Chicago, as it had the only CT scanner within forty miles of us at the time.
Oldest car was a 1963 Cadillac S&S red and white high top out of Salata Ambulance Service(operated by the Gurnee Funeral Home, Gurnee, IL). That car just screamed down the road. I worked there for three years, also helped out at the funeral home a little. In all, we had:
1963 S&S Cadillac Hightop
1968 C/B Oldsmobile 48 height(I think)
1968 M&M Cadillac combo
1970 Buick estate wagon conversion ambulance and first call car- home brew
1971 Superior Cadillac hightop
The 1971 Superior was by far my favorite, all white, Aurora Borealis light, great cabinetry, and generous equipment space. This car actually began running ALS transfers in 1974.
The station wagon made a lot of round trip runs with kids to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, IL, near Chicago, as it had the only CT scanner within forty miles of us at the time.
Bill Leverett
PCS Member/Super Site Supporter/Paramedic Supervis
Philip Scanio
PCS Member / Super Site Supporter
1961 Buick Flxible ambulance. White with blue/silver interior. I wish I had a photo to post showing the bullet hole in the right rear quarter.
Peter Grave - Deceased - 1938 - 2022
PCS Member
Oldest I worked on 1948 Packard Henney and my 51 Henney Hi top.
1971 Miller/Cadillac in 1991. Dallas Ambulance, Dallas Texas. Our 1990 Wheeled Coach Type II was in the shop and it was the only vehicle left.
Dan Brintlinger
PCS Member
a close call, too!
The oldest unit I worked in was a '58 Superior Cadillac combination, made into a permanent ambulance. Purchased from a Bloomington, IL, funeral home by the AAA Ambulance Service.
We were bringing a patient into Bloomington on old US 66, from a nursing home, in a blinding snowstorm, when the driver lost control, we fish-tailed both directions, before SPINNING COMPLETELY AROUND on the road while doing about 50 mph!!!! And somebody passed us as we going backward!
We slid off the road, killed the engine, but got it started again. The patient managed to stay on the cot, too! It was a real relief to get to the hospital!
The oldest unit I worked in was a '58 Superior Cadillac combination, made into a permanent ambulance. Purchased from a Bloomington, IL, funeral home by the AAA Ambulance Service.
We were bringing a patient into Bloomington on old US 66, from a nursing home, in a blinding snowstorm, when the driver lost control, we fish-tailed both directions, before SPINNING COMPLETELY AROUND on the road while doing about 50 mph!!!! And somebody passed us as we going backward!
We slid off the road, killed the engine, but got it started again. The patient managed to stay on the cot, too! It was a real relief to get to the hospital!
David Henry
PCS Member
In Muskegon, MI the oldest I worked out of was a 1972 Wayne Sentinal suburban, my favorite was the 1973 S/S Medic Mark. We also had a couple of 1975 Dodge STARLINE modular rigs which were our primary units, but is seems every time I got stuck in one of those it would develop a "mechanical issue" 
and I would load all the ALS stuff in the caddy...life was good
and I would load all the ALS stuff in the caddy...life was good [/URL][/IMG]
1973 model; ex-Leawood, KS FD:
http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=30821&postcount=111
1980 Wheeled Coach on a 1980 Ford Chateau (Econoline) chassis, gasoline power, sold by Foster Coach in Sterling. Featured 2 red fireballs on the hood, flashers, factory installed wig-wag headlights (the first emergency vehicle in our town to use wig-wag brights on the headlights), twin-sonic lightbar with clear and red lenses.
That girl could move.
She was moved to our back-up unit when fundraisers purchased a 1986 brand new Ford Econoline gasoline powered chassis, and refurbished Horton body dropped onto it. That unit SUCKED. I hated it, completely Gerry-rigged but bought at a bargain, again at Foster Coach who dropped the used body onto the brand new chassis. Uuuuuugh. Dukes of Hazard type light bar, with this blinking clear-lensed light screwed into the cut-away chassis room in front of the Dukes of Hazard type lightbar since there wasn't a working speaker in the middle (the Federal siren speakers were above the grill lights). To make matters worse, half the switches did nothing, you only needed to hit 2 of the switches to fully light the girl.
The biggest selling point? She had a back-up alarm.
That girl could move.
She was moved to our back-up unit when fundraisers purchased a 1986 brand new Ford Econoline gasoline powered chassis, and refurbished Horton body dropped onto it. That unit SUCKED. I hated it, completely Gerry-rigged but bought at a bargain, again at Foster Coach who dropped the used body onto the brand new chassis. Uuuuuugh. Dukes of Hazard type light bar, with this blinking clear-lensed light screwed into the cut-away chassis room in front of the Dukes of Hazard type lightbar since there wasn't a working speaker in the middle (the Federal siren speakers were above the grill lights). To make matters worse, half the switches did nothing, you only needed to hit 2 of the switches to fully light the girl.
The biggest selling point? She had a back-up alarm.
Great thread
1980 Braun built on a Ford van chassis was what our volunteer service had when I started. I think I worked in an older dodge while working as a paramedic. A BLS company we met up with had one. I also worked a mutual call in a wide bodied van too.
1980 Braun built on a Ford van chassis was what our volunteer service had when I started. I think I worked in an older dodge while working as a paramedic. A BLS company we met up with had one. I also worked a mutual call in a wide bodied van too.
Oldest Ambulance
The oldest ambulance was a 1961 Superior Ambulance high top for Aids Ambulance in Toledo. Couldn't believe it still ran. This was 1974.
The oldest ambulance was a 1961 Superior Ambulance high top for Aids Ambulance in Toledo. Couldn't believe it still ran. This was 1974.
Peter Grave - Deceased - 1938 - 2022
PCS Member
Not the oldest but an interesting foot note to this thread. When I got married in 1966 we moved into our first house using a 1962 Cadillac Superior HI TOP White bottom red top. As we unloaded the first of many loads the next door neighbor came over and asked " Is anyone ill ?" Same year my wifes work friends had a Halloween Party we went with the 62, one of her coworkers dressed as a nurse her husband as the patient my wife as the doctor and me as the driver. We arrived lights a blaze no siren (bad taste)and needless to say went home with award for best costume.The 62 went on to serve with the Bucks County Rescue Squad for a couple of years came back to me again and was sold to a Squad upstate the name of which now escapes me. The second one is a 1966 Cadillac Miller from the Oxen Hill Maryland Fire Dept. I bought it from their Insurance Co. The story that came with it was it was on a high speed run to a hospital on the Beltway and came upon a Chevie Corvair stalled out in the center lane the crash was horrific one or more in the Corvair were killed the ambulance crew were badly hurt and the ambulance was totaled. We got it to the yard/shop and the rig from the cowl back was fine the front and front frame completely destroyed but the headlights not broken Corvair must have fit between them. The transmission broken and front of motor heavilly damaged. We had a 66 Coupe Deville burned out inside we used the Deville front, motor and transmission along with front frame to repair the Miller when finished it was a beautiful rig we again sold it to a Fire Company in Pa. There were several other Cadillac Ambulances we repaired from totals in the late 60s early 70s but that would use up too much bandwidth to tell more and at this point my memory has faded a bit.
My First
I got my first EMT job with Morgan Ambulance of Santa Ana, California in November of 1973. I ran my first call as a "Third Man" trainee, assigned to a regular 24 hour crew.
We picked up an elderly Barrio woman, a grandmother who packed nearly everything she owned along with as many family members as possible into our reserve unit, a 1967 Miller-Meteor straight limousine low top with red leather interior. Its name was Unit-297. It had a white roof, red center section and the lower body rocker panels repeated the white of the roof. I guess you'd call white over red over white... It looked a lot like the private ambulance pictured on the old Jo-han model kit marketed in the 1960s.
I was packed into the rear of the unit as an afterthought, crouching in the corner by the rear door at the foot of the gurney along with shopping bags loaded with clothing. It was hot and stuffy not to mention claustrophobic. I remember holding my breath almost all the way, not wanting to contract TB on my first call! We took her to the Communicable Disease (CD) unit on the Orange County Medical Center (OCMC) campus in Orange County, California, maybe 1/2 tenth of a mile, total from the ER.
As soon as our mechanic finished the oil change on our regular unit, a 1968 red and white Superior 54" headroom Rescuer model (Unit-298), we switched back to the front line car and I ran my first real emergency call later that night in the '68. We picked up a bleeding head injury (from a cop's nightstick) at the Santa Ana jail going to OCMC ER.
I only ran the one call in that '67 M&M, but it taught me to appreciate the quality of a well-built ambulance. By the time I was employed by Morgan's, the '67 spent most of her time parked in the back of the company's garage next to the dispatcher's office. I spent many an afternoon napping on the Model-30 gurney in back on slow weekends. It was definitely a good car with good vibes for all the ugliness it likely saw as a front line city ambulance in its younger years.
That old '67 was more hearse than ambulance, but whoever spec'd it out had the factory use all the high grade appointments. The '67 had a Federal 184 on the roof as I recall and a B&M Superchief on the right front fender. It was a handsome car, but being a young buck, I definitely had a thing for the '68.
I got my first EMT job with Morgan Ambulance of Santa Ana, California in November of 1973. I ran my first call as a "Third Man" trainee, assigned to a regular 24 hour crew.
We picked up an elderly Barrio woman, a grandmother who packed nearly everything she owned along with as many family members as possible into our reserve unit, a 1967 Miller-Meteor straight limousine low top with red leather interior. Its name was Unit-297. It had a white roof, red center section and the lower body rocker panels repeated the white of the roof. I guess you'd call white over red over white... It looked a lot like the private ambulance pictured on the old Jo-han model kit marketed in the 1960s.
I was packed into the rear of the unit as an afterthought, crouching in the corner by the rear door at the foot of the gurney along with shopping bags loaded with clothing. It was hot and stuffy not to mention claustrophobic. I remember holding my breath almost all the way, not wanting to contract TB on my first call! We took her to the Communicable Disease (CD) unit on the Orange County Medical Center (OCMC) campus in Orange County, California, maybe 1/2 tenth of a mile, total from the ER.
As soon as our mechanic finished the oil change on our regular unit, a 1968 red and white Superior 54" headroom Rescuer model (Unit-298), we switched back to the front line car and I ran my first real emergency call later that night in the '68. We picked up a bleeding head injury (from a cop's nightstick) at the Santa Ana jail going to OCMC ER.
I only ran the one call in that '67 M&M, but it taught me to appreciate the quality of a well-built ambulance. By the time I was employed by Morgan's, the '67 spent most of her time parked in the back of the company's garage next to the dispatcher's office. I spent many an afternoon napping on the Model-30 gurney in back on slow weekends. It was definitely a good car with good vibes for all the ugliness it likely saw as a front line city ambulance in its younger years.
That old '67 was more hearse than ambulance, but whoever spec'd it out had the factory use all the high grade appointments. The '67 had a Federal 184 on the roof as I recall and a B&M Superchief on the right front fender. It was a handsome car, but being a young buck, I definitely had a thing for the '68.
Oldest ambulance
The oldest rig I ever worked in ? It was a 1975 Stoner Chevy Suburban hi top with a North American red and clear roof light similar to the Federal Signal Model 174 with two LOUD Federal Signal Interceptor electronic sirens . She also had two California steady burn red lights on the hood with red flashers on the back and both sides , and alley lights . The radio to the hospital was a 2 channel Motorola Motrac dating back to the late '60s , same for the police radio that was converted from VHF Low Band to UHF Low Band in 1981. That Suburban had a hefty 454 V-8 engine with a 4 barrel carburator and could hit 80 in no time flat ! The first emergency ( Code 3 ) call I ran in it as an ambulance aide back in 1979 was for a male assault victim that was drunk and got the crap beat out of him . This was back in the day that anyone with a Red Cross First Aid and a CPR card in Idaho was good to go work on an ambulance crew and my job was to get vitals . The patient was disorientated and at times combative and it was a bit cramped back there with two of us and a cop ! So , we arrived at the ER where they stitched our patient up , let him wear out of his intoxication , and kept him overnight .
The oldest rig I ever worked in ? It was a 1975 Stoner Chevy Suburban hi top with a North American red and clear roof light similar to the Federal Signal Model 174 with two LOUD Federal Signal Interceptor electronic sirens . She also had two California steady burn red lights on the hood with red flashers on the back and both sides , and alley lights . The radio to the hospital was a 2 channel Motorola Motrac dating back to the late '60s , same for the police radio that was converted from VHF Low Band to UHF Low Band in 1981. That Suburban had a hefty 454 V-8 engine with a 4 barrel carburator and could hit 80 in no time flat ! The first emergency ( Code 3 ) call I ran in it as an ambulance aide back in 1979 was for a male assault victim that was drunk and got the crap beat out of him . This was back in the day that anyone with a Red Cross First Aid and a CPR card in Idaho was good to go work on an ambulance crew and my job was to get vitals . The patient was disorientated and at times combative and it was a bit cramped back there with two of us and a cop ! So , we arrived at the ER where they stitched our patient up , let him wear out of his intoxication , and kept him overnight .
Dan Brintlinger
PCS Member
'54 Superior?
I think it was a '54 Superior combination that came along with the little funeral home my Dad purchased in 1960 (Cerro Gordo, IL)
I think it was a '54 Superior combination that came along with the little funeral home my Dad purchased in 1960 (Cerro Gordo, IL)