1961 Eureka-Cadillac Hi-Boy comes home

I've never known hanging hardware to be standard equipment from any manufacturer. In every brochure or spec sheet I've ever seen, they were optional.
 
Nicholas Studer; said:
Can't say I can agree. This car is from 1961 - "first aiders" didn't have stethoscopes, backboards really weren't in use, and the Robinson Orthopedic Stretcher didn't come out until the next year. With so few Hi-Boy's built, and all references I've seen noting 4-litter capability in what was one of the highest-headroom ambulances of the day - do we really think all three of the known Hi-Boy's don't have it? I think there's just more to the story...

These hooks are screwed onto permanent weight-bearing mounts cut into the headliner. And - I have no idea what it would look like - but I missed these mounts in the headliner before - photo attached. Maybe I just can't seem them in the photos of Mr. Parish's former car and Mr. McDonald's - or they were covered up during their restoration. Anyone got photos of Eureka hanging hardware? Guess next thing to find out is what the diagonal cut was for!

Engine compartment could be worse. I really don't think that Model 28 is original. During the "restoration" in 1991 they said it needed a siren. I'll bet it was pulled for another apparatus.

I would say that the diagonal cut is what's known as an "Ooops!" ............ or a place to stash your flask!! Get yourself a new roll of white duct tape and you'll have it fixed once again!
 
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I was thinking the same thing as Kurt about the diagonal cut. Looks like someone was just careless.
Any idea what the overall height is on this?
 
the two little silver things in the roof on the same bow as the pegs. if there is a ring in there thats what your looking for . there would have a j hooks with holes and slots to fit those pegs and set of bent rods that hooked at that point in the ceiling. for the inside mount. what you looking at over the window is just the pegs
 
Ed - Unfortunately only one of the brackets is still present on the wall. Luckily it looks simple enough to recreate.

Martyn - WOW. That explains it. None of those to be found in the car. I'm thinking that's not going to be an easy thing to find. Probably able to make them if need be.

That cut is odd - looks like someone duct-tape covered it at one point too.
 
at least you have one. the rods aren't really all that confusing hook on both ends all 4 would be the same. big hook 90 degrees to the small hook. either a high strength aluminum or stainless steel. here is a set of superior's. I have them hanging in the 53 as you can see they are just a little long for it
 

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Having seen Nick's '61 in person I can attest to the very cool nature of this beautiful car! She must have been a real "cat's meow" when she was new in what I guess were some beautiful shades of white, blue, and maybe silver. Kurt A., you have a good eye as that door welting jumped out at me right away as one of the neat "Eurekisms." A few others are evident in the photos, but I told Nick I'd leave some things for him to discover when he gets to see it in person (that's one of the joys if a new purchase, right?). Like Mr. Royark said my thought was a portable spotlight plugged into that phono looking jack. My '72 Superior has that-apparently that was an option from time to time on various ambulances. The car is very solid and all of the doors save one are very tight w/ no sags. I think it's the passenger front door that has a slight sag. Thats a testimony to Eureka's high build quality as many of us I'm sure have some door sag on our more "pedestrian" brand pro cars :eek: . This is one of those cars where you find some interesting feature new every time you look at it! This has been a great thread w/ many questions about this ambulance answered by various members. "Who but the PCS?" :D
 
Door sagging is a result of the weight of the door, and the hinge pin wear. GM supplied the door hinges to all the body builders, and if there was a quality issue, that issue belongs to GM, not the body builder. Eureka did build quality cars, but to give them credit for what was supplied by GM, and they had no control over, is ludicrous. :D
 
Eureka did have a vary solid way of mounting there doors. it is independent of the rest of the body. as this 58 will attest. you could push any of the Eureka body doors close with a finger sitting out in the yard when I first look at it. thats what fooled me on the amount rust I found . interesting find was one back door hind was frozen on the pin and the pin twisted off. it still closed easy. then one center door the pin was broken off the upper hinge. the door still worked fine. Eureka knew what was impotent easy opening and closing door and a quit ride. the accomplished the first by building a stout set of door post for there side doors and a full independent frame for the rear door. then they hung the rest of the panels off from them. the latter by spraying a heavy coat of under coating in side and out on every inner panel. and inside every exterior panel. they used the left over upholstery to stuff between the top Bowes and the roof so that no sound from any road would make the car like riding in a base drum. they did a simple stout construction but maintained there farmer frugal company alive buy using every bit of scrap. I'm betting they only had two 30 gl trash cans for the plant. but a beautiful body style and a wow interior with easy opining doors and a quit ride. what more could a man ask for in a hand made car.
 
Hey, here's another 1961! Probably long gone now, no idea on where/when the photos is from. Says Ogdensburg, NJ from what I can tell. I think I like the dual front lights on mine more than the single beams. http://fvd.x10host.com/1961_0001.php

Can anyone identify the beacon?
 

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That 1961 is long gone. I did some leg work last year and it is no where to be found and current whereabouts are unknown :(:(
 
The beacon is a Sireno; the front tunnels are Solar Ray lights.

Note what appears to be a 1947-ish S&S in the background.

Thanks Steve! Is that the same beacon as what's on top of my car in two photos from the lot in Taos, NM? Looks like a different dome maybe - seems the one that was on mine is taller? I was told by the previous owner they believed the beacon that came with the car was not original and didn't keep it. While we're at it - check out the a teaser from a newspaper clipping I will be posting soon. All the same beacon, or no?

That 1961 is long gone. I did some leg work last year and it is no where to be found and current whereabouts are unknown :(:(

That's too bad.

If it happened to still be there no matter condition it would be in it would need to be saved. Even if just sitting on blocks....:D

Easier said than done. My original project - the 1970 Cotner/Bevington-Oldsmobile is maybe 50% complete now.
 

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Thanks Steve! Is that the same beacon as what's on top of my car in two photos from the lot in Taos, NM? Looks like a different dome maybe - seems the one that was on mine is taller? I was told by the previous owner they believed the beacon that came with the car was not original and didn't keep it. While we're at it - check out the a teaser from a newspaper clipping I will be posting soon. All the same beacon, or no?

That one looks like a #14, with an incorrect replacement dome.
 
That one looks like a #14, with an incorrect replacement dome.

Indeed, thanks again! The picture from the newspaper clipping is early 1970s vintage. A photo from 1991 seems to show the beacon gone (prior to a "restoration" and then back again as you see it when it was on the lot 2000-2012. Wasn't sure if it was the same beacon that made it back on.
 
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