JFK Pontiac ambulance up for auction

[Darren Bedford]

Many thanks to JUSTIN HYDE of JALOPNIK for his help promoting this story !

THANKS for you assistance ! We appeciated it !

Darren

[Rick Duffy]

Hi!

I also send MAJOR KUDOS out to Justin!

In other news, I came across this today... and thought it was timely.

http://www.comcast.net/video/lincoln...ged/1767172939

I have trouble with techno stuff... but someone may be able to post this as a link that you don't have to cut and paste.

Thanks!

Rick

[Steve Lichtman]

I found something interesting today. As I was looking through files on my computer, I found some photos of other '63 Superior Pontiac Navy ambulances that had been for sale some time back. These cars never claimed to have any connection to anything, just more '63 Navy ambulances that went on to civilian service.

The photos included in the sale showed photos of the dash plates. And guess what? They look NOTHING like the plate on the Scottsdale ambulance. Interesting that both ambulances have plates that are silver (aluminum?) with black printing, and have the Superior name pre-printed on them. The plate from the Scottsdale ambulance is brass and Superior is stamped.

Is it possible that they had different style plates? Certainly. But two of one style and one of another makes me curious....

First two are from the rough ambulance advertised through Central Valley Classics, the third is from an ambulance that later served Grant County, Utah:

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Originally Posted by Steve Lichtman

The photos included in the sale showed photos of the dash plates. And guess what? They look NOTHING like the plate on the Scottsdale ambulance. Interesting that both ambulances have plates that are silver (aluminum?) with black printing, and have the Superior name pre-printed on them. The plate from the Scottsdale ambulance is brass and Superior is stamped.

Is it possible that they had different style plates? Certainly. But two of one style and one of another makes me curious..:

Things that make ya go huuuuummmmm!!!!!!

[Brad Ross]

Just out of curiosity, can anyone tell if the VIN tag on the '63 ambulance in Steve's post attached with screws or rivets?

[John Royark JR]

Last night my girlfriend told me that she talked to her dad (a long time PCS member and followed the B-J auction as well) and he told her that on Sunday he was at a military show in Phenox, AZ and there was a guy selling data plates. When talking with him the seller stated that he would put anything on it he wanted. Andy then asked him if I wanted all my truck numbers on it you would do it? The seller said yes.
Sounds like the data plate can be faked easier than we all thought.

[Steve Lichtman]

Originally Posted by John Royark JR

Last night my girlfriend told me that she talked to her dad (a long time PCS member and followed the B-J auction as well) and he told her that on Sunday he was at a military show in Phenox, AZ and there was a guy selling data plates. When talking with him the seller stated that he would put anything on it he wanted. Andy then asked him if I wanted all my truck numbers on it you would do it? The seller said yes.
Sounds like the data plate can be faked easier than we all thought.

Interesting (not too surprising). Do you know the man's/company's name? I don't suspect they are doing anything illegal, though it certainly may lead to things like this.

We do know the previous owner displayed the ambulance at a military vehicle show last summer.

[Scott Crittenden]

Further reinforces what several of us have been thinking. This was the Kosoff car cleaned up with a knock-off data plate and a "supporting" letter. Superior didn't make enough of these to be using different data plates. I bet Superior had to order more data plates than they ever made ambulances for. As we can see, Superior supplied the data plate with the car, so it already had the Superior name on it. Why would they stamp that non-changing info. As Steve Barrett was kind enough to demonstrate the plate is easily removed! As others have already stated I am in no position to point fingers of who did what. The red spotlight with knob, low band antenna mount, U.S. Navy, and the seat dings and crease along with the "drive out to California" story in one of the interviews tie the B-J car with Kosoff.

[Brendan Martin]

In my 18 years in the fire service we have had quite a few military surplus vehicles, and I have never seen a brass vehicle information plate.

[Jerry Jacobson]

Originally Posted by Brendan Martin

In my 18 years in the fire service we have had quite a few military surplus vehicles, and I have never seen a brass vehicle information plate.

The government did use brass on some vehicles. This one has the black paint removed however.