Jenny ' s compulsive shopping, Whoah boy!

JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
Hi boys,


My compulsive shopping got me again! (Be thankful your not married to me! Lol :p ) This time I purchased a rusty vintage Ambulance. It's a 1973 Cotner-Bevington 54" hightop Ambulance on a Oldsmobile nintey eight commercial super chassis. Yes I speak Ambulance too not just lightbar lol! The ad was this vehicle's last hope before it would be sold for scrap and crushed! There was no way I was gonna allow such a beautiful vehicle who spent it's entire life assisting saving lives have that fate. It be such a waste. Anyways I am very happy with it and look forward to getting her running and restored. It currently has no engine or transmission I am on the search for a Oldsmobile Rocket 455 cu big block.


She is equipped with 7 tunnel lights and 2 scene/ditch lights. The lower tunnel lights are Mars 888 ' s (how awesome is that!!??) the top three are par 36, scene lights par 46 and rear lights par 46 too. There is one Federal Signal Power light 184 on top center. I will be adding two per side par 46 tunnel lights for side warning. If I'm lucky and find some Ful-vu lights I hope to add those to the corners.


The interior has been gutted of most of its ambulance stuff so I'm not sure if I will restore it to original or just convert it into my family station wagon. My plans are to paint it light blue metallic and white. Anyways here are some pics enjoy!

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stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
That is awesome!  Especially the Mars 888's in those tunnel mounts.  It should not be too difficult to find an Olds 455 engine, they were popular items back in the day.  You can find them in junkyards and on eBay, engine re-manufacturers offer them and even performance engine building shops offer them.
 

jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
Too bad the interior was gutted, but it's a cool find, especially with the 888s! I wouldn't add side warning because they didn't do that back in the day, but that's just me. Light blue metallic and white will look sharp! :)
 
May 21, 2010
1,203
Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Holy crap! Now that's a buy. If I had the property and garage space I would have some engines ambulances and cruisers its hard to pass on awesome stuff like that. Its a great car, have fun with it.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
If I had a few billion dollars and a few thousand acres of land, I'd own all of everything ever. But I don't and I probably never will, so now I'll just oogle at your impressive find. Awesome! I've seen the 888 tunnels before but not often.
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
Nice find.   Gonna be $$ to make pretty.
 

JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
Now there's a PROJECT!


Nice Jenny!
Thanks Dan!
Wow, super find. And I love that it has the Mars 888's.
Thanks, me too I can't wait to see them in action all lit up!
That's going to be a cubic-money project there, missy! Cool car but whoah is right!
Thanks, it will take a bit of money but I will save a lot by doing most of the work myself (that's the fun part anyway!) ;)
That is awesome! Especially the Mars 888's in those tunnel mounts. It should not be too difficult to find an Olds 455 engine, they were popular items back in the day. You can find them in junkyards and on eBay, engine re-manufacturers offer them and even performance engine building shops offer them.
Thank you, yeah I'm lucky the engine is a popular block especially In the muscle car community. I already have a lead on one.

Too bad the interior was gutted, but it's a cool find, especially with the 888s! I wouldn't add side warning because they didn't do that back in the day, but that's just me. Light blue metallic and white will look sharp! :)
yes it is too bad that the interior was gutted, the cabinetry would/will be very hard to find now. The ambulance was purchased by a Rock n roll band after it was retired from service, I assume it was them who gutted it to make room to carry their music equipment.

Side warning was available and used on many ambulances back then it was just available as an option at extra cost! Here is a pic of a cadillac ambulance of the same era and another Olds, note their side warning.


The light blue and white will look perfect it will be devided by the trim like on the Cadillac in the pic.

Holy crap! Now that's a buy. If I had the property and garage space I would have some engines ambulances and cruisers its hard to pass on awesome stuff like that. Its a great car, have fun with it.
Thanks Jeff, Same here if I had the property and garage space I'd have a variety of emergency vehicle's too. I currently have two cop cruisers and this ambulance, I will probably end up with a fire engine someday. Your right they are just too awesome to pass! But space is pretty tight right now. Once it's running it will be very fun especially in parades code 3!
If I had a few billion dollars and a few thousand acres of land, I'd own all of everything ever. But I don't and I probably never will, so now I'll just oogle at your impressive find. Awesome! I've seen the 888 tunnels before but not often.
Wouldn't we all! Lol. Thank you,glad you liked!
Nice find. Gonna be $$ to make pretty.
Thank you, not as much as you may think with my talents.
Very unique and cool! Don't see a lot of those around anymore
Right!? No you don't and as you know Tony, I'm a big fan of rare. Lol
WOW just wow
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JazzDad

Member
Aug 5, 2011
5,165
USA
Hey, Jenny: I've got some nice land for sale in Florida.  It's high and dry. 
 
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Searching for Olds parts? Time for you to join Olds Club of America (OCA: oldsmobileclub.org). Lots of helpful members with lots of knowledge on all things Olds, including free classified postings. Another resource in finding the powerplant and transmission you need.


But, sounds like you are an experienced "old car" collector....
 
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Wailer

Member
May 24, 2010
2,290
Canada
If I had that ambo I'd replace the CP25 speaker with a Q2b siren instead of installing a period correct Federal electronic siren.  Just my opinion.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
If I had that ambo I'd replace the CP25 speaker with a Q2b siren instead of installing a period correct Federal electronic siren.  Just my opinion.
Feelin ok?  Sarcasm?
 
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JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
If I had that ambo I'd replace the CP25 speaker with a Q2b siren instead of installing a period correct Federal electronic siren. Just my opinion.
Feelin ok? Sarcasm?
Mr. Electronic siren himself would prefer a mechanical siren over an electronic for my Ambulance? ?? Ok Mind blown! KaBoom!

I agree with you Wailer this ambulance does need a mechanical siren. I'm going to mount a Federal C5GA siren in between twin PA'25's. I prefer the sound of this siren over the Q's plus it's less bulky and won't block the clear center tunnel light. Set up similar to picture below.


Federal C5GA Siren: http://youtu.be/e-m8zEukzLY

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JazzDad

Member
Aug 5, 2011
5,165
USA
I like the angle on those speakers.  How about one to the rear, too?  Never know when you have to clear traffic in reverse.
 
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Wailer

Member
May 24, 2010
2,290
Canada
Feelin ok?  Sarcasm?
I would much rather listen to a Q siren than those horrid sounding 1970s Federal electronic sirens with the screamy high-pitched wail and yelp tones.  The PA15A series 1E and PA20A series 2E would be period correct for 1973, but I wouldn't bother with either one.  

That C5G is a nice sounding mechanical siren.  It's a little easier on the ears than the Q.

Again, just my opinion.
 
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badge22

Member
Aug 14, 2010
934
MI, United States
Please don't put Ful-vu lights on a Cotner-Bevington.  :nono:
 
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JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
Please don't put Ful-vu lights on a Cotner-Bevington. :nono:
Why not?
Both Cotner-Bevington and Miller-Meteor were both owned by Wayne Corporation at that time. C-B's were being built in the same factory as M-M after 1971. Since they were owned by the same company and built in the same plant, any "M-M option" such as the M-M "Ful-Vu 360 lights"could be used on a C-B, and vice versa. Not many C-B's were ordered with them, so it is not a common sight but there was a few out their equipped with them. Here are some examples of some Olds C-B's with Ful-Vu's.


Fun Fact: The Miller-Meteor Ful-Vu 360 lights were not just specific to Ambulances. They have been found in use on Fire Aparatus as well. Such as this Pirsch Fire truck pictured below. S&S a competitor coach builder has been known to have equipped at least one of their ambulances with Ful-Vu's. They were available for purchase separately and available in more colors than the common red. They could be ordered in red, blue, amber, green or clear.

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badge22

Member
Aug 14, 2010
934
MI, United States
Because it amounts to replacing the emblems on a Cadillac with Chevrolet emblems. I wasn't aware that they were available in amber or blue, that's interesting. Wayne dealers often stocked these beacons, so they were available as a dealer add on or sold outright. They are an aircraft beacon converted for use by Grimes for MM.
 

JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
Um...Cadillac, Chevrolet? It's an Oldsmobile. Lol


Not many people are aware that different color lenses were available. I would love to find any of the other 4 color lenses. Here is pic of a set of Amber and Red glass lenses.


Grimes aircraft beacon.....actually that is a very common misconception about these lights. Though it does look similar to its aircraft beacon counterpart, the Miller-Meteor Ful-Vu 360 light is not an aircraft light nor is it made by Grimes. The only part it shares with the Grimes Aircraft light is the red Glass lense. Grimes aircraft beacons had a single par36 sealed beam lamp in the base which reflected off of a rotating mirror. The motor for the mirror was mounted in the upper portion of the housing. M-M Ful-Vu 360 lights were assembled using various parts. The skirts and lids for the Ful-Vu lights were cast at a local foundry. M-M also farmed out other castings (siren mounts,etc.) to a foundry 20 miles away. Anyways far as the Ful-Vu's are concerned; they consist of glass lenses and light bulbs produced by Grimes, with motors by Bader-Brown, and aluminum lids/ skirts by a local foundry. They were assembled by Grimes for Miller-Meteor. Ful-Vu lights were originally created as an economy alternative to Federal Signal Products, But there sleek styling quickly caught on and became a standard.

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JennyCop

Member
Jan 19, 2012
2,021
Sunny Arizona
Update: I just purchased a solid, rust free parts car out of California for $35. 1972 Cotner-Bevington end loader hearse. I now have all the sheet metal/body panels I needed.
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Scoot163

Member
Nov 15, 2013
848
Tacoma, WA
Wow! 35 bucks! I think he should have asked at least $37.96 for it! Reading this thread it simply amazes me the depth of knowledge that is out there about emergency equipment. So cool!
 

bpollard

Member
Jun 13, 2010
422
USA, SC
My grandfather's chief's car was a Ford Galaxy station wagon, with two of those beacons mounted on the back. (two model 17's on the front with a Q). thanks for bringing back some memories.

Bob
 

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