68" ? ambulance

[kursplat]

not mine but it's oh so sweet lookin'. wonder if the owner happens to be on here.

info from the owner...
"In the case of my Dodge, it was built by National Coach in Knightstown, Indiana. It is one of two Dodges built by National in 1968, the last year that any manufacturer is believed to have built an ambulance on a Chrysler car chassis. Unlike ambulances built on the Cadillac, Pontiac & Oldsmobile Commercial chassis, my 68 started life as a Polara 4 door sedan, police pkg car (440 cu in, 375 horsepower) The factory cut the car in half between the two rear doors and lengthened the body by 20inches. The roof was removed as was the trunk and then a raised roof and rear door added to create the patient compartment."

 

[polara71]

Anyone know why they wouldnt start with a wagon

 

[kmccabe56]

This car is currently on display at the Ambulance Museum located on the grounds of the Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage Village, located just outside of Kingsville Ontario.

Because National did so much work on GM vehicles, the outside door handle on the rear door as well as some of the interior handles are GM sourced parts and not Chrysler parts.

Also interesting is that the Polara sedan itself was built at Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant, that now produces minivans.

 

[1978 NYB]

Seems like all of the coach builders (Penner Coach) used 4 door models with 413's and later 440's.

 

[1978 NYB]

Here's a 1964 Imperial Hearse. Seems like the coach builders last year with conversions to ambulances and hearses was 1968.

 

[kmccabe56]

Here's a 1964 Imperial Hearse. Seems like the coach builders last year with conversions to ambulances and hearses was 1968.

View attachment 6910

Yes, I think so. A friend of mine is an expert on these, I'll ask him. On display with that '68 Polara is a second generation Ford Econoline van ambulance conversion. I'll have to check the m/y the next time I'm out there (probably later today) but IIRC, it was 1970?

 

[commando1]

Sucked when the Feds stepped in and set standards for ambulances.

 

[polara71]

There were some cool machines out there in the 70's

 

[kursplat]

love that 63'. needs a long ram intake though...

 

[1978 NYB]

I would like to have one today. With sirens and lights. They are cool!

 

[Bryan]

That 68 almost looks like it has a variation of 60 Imperial tail lights as the roof corner lights

 

[has2bmopar]

Anyone know why they wouldnt start with a wagon

Exspense possibly?... I would assume that they have to cut it up to almost the same degree, but the endgate opening, and the gas tank/filler neck, I would think would be a better starting point with a wagon.

As far as the apparent question in the title of this thread, I am certain this ambulance is longer than 68"....

 

[1978 NYB]

In the case of the Imperial hearse.......no wagons available.

 

[kmccabe56]

Anyone know why they wouldnt start with a wagon

Just a guess, but the base vehicle as a sedan would have been less money than a wagon. The top of the car is probably the same basic `cap' that would have been used on all of the GM stuff that National was turning out at the same time, just tweaked to fit over the Dodge windshield header.

 

[kmccabe56]

That 68 almost looks like it has a variation of 60 Imperial tail lights as the roof corner lights

They struck me as being a cross between '59 Cadillac lenses and bezels and '61 Plymouth lamp bodies that had been plated.