There's a hole in my garage...

There's a hole in my garage tonight.

No, there's no sinkhole under it. And the roof and walls are fine (I fixed the roof last year). But there's an empty parking space.

After 24 years, the '47 Flxible Buick ambulance that my father purchased has now left, on it's way to new ownership. Yup, I sold one.

It's going to a good home though. It will be joining a lot of other ambulances in Bo Pounds' Gold Cross Ambulance collection in Georgia. Doug from Gold Cross (who was at the meet in Daytona) was here tonight with the tow truck and picked it up.

Obviously, I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, it's been here so long, letting it go is like saying goodbye to part of the family. On the other hand, it will be in a good home and will get a well-deserved restoration much sooner than if it waited for me to get to it. I think Bo and the folks at Gold Cross will be good stewards of it (as are other PCS members that dad or I have sold ambulances to in the past). I can put the funds toward restoration of another of my beasts. And frankly, with only me working on these now, it's one less thing I have to worry about.

By the way, a big "thank you" to Steven Vincent for making this all happen. I'm sure his boss will thank him, too (I hope so).

And so I say, not "goodbye", but "au revoir".

Now, what to do with the empty parking space???

Steve: Do you know where the Buick served when it was new? MM

Congratulations to everybody on this one! It seems like everyone is happy and the Flxible has found a wonderful new home. And to see this particular ambulance restored and in a museum is awesome!

Mike, I do. It was bought new by Huntemann Funeral Home in Washington, DC. Huntemann Ambulance was a large private ambulance service that operated well after the funeral home closed into the 1990s.

Second owner was Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department in suburban Maryland. Later, it was owned by Otis Beall Kent, a landowner, lawyer, and fire buff who had his own "fire department" for his property. Dad acquired it from his estate after he died.

Thank you Steve so much. I know this was not an easy decision for you. I honestly believe fate was involved in all of this.

I atarted posting in the forums after being a member for a while. My whole goal was to find information on the 1932. I started seeing names I knew such as Bill Marcy who helped us get the 53 Packard and his beautiful 77. And also Steve Lichtman who helped us put the finishing touches on the 53 with the original tunnel lights. After two weeks of talking about this centerfold and wonderful Flxible, two guys named Steve were able to shake hands. Not literally but hope to soon.

Then it got even more fateful. Doug who was at the Daytona PCS meet and drove around the track got the news and he was ready to head to get. He had met Steve and Daytona but when I gave him the address to the car Doug said "i grew up in that town and spend 20 years there." Mind you this is over 8 hours from us.

So thank you again Steve. This PCS centerfold will be a great addition to the museum. I can't wait to see it when Doug gets back. We will take good care of the 47 and you have an open invitation to visit us any time you are down this way.

It has for sure went to a good home as Bo has purchased many of my cars in the past and spares no expense in restoring them to their original luster and sometimes better.

Steve I am almost positive that it won't be too long before we see a new post "guess what I found" you guys were and are such good caretakers of vehicles that somewhere out there there awaits something to fill that empty space...:thumbsup:

the second happiest day of a pro car owner. now if you have any sense you will go start the rest of the cars, let them warm up and shuffle them around. add just a little more space between them and you won't have that hole. it will just be easer to open the doors and get in the rest. I like all my cars but wish I only had two.

WIsh I had known......

Wish I had known you were gonna part with it. It could have come back here to Flint Michigan where its drive train was manufactured.

Steve Lichtman said:

Mike, I do. It was bought new by Huntemann Funeral Home in Washington, DC. Huntemann Ambulance was a large private ambulance service that operated well after the funeral home closed into the 1990s.

Second owner was Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department in suburban Maryland. Later, it was owned by Otis Beall Kent, a landowner, lawyer, and fire buff who had his own "fire department" for his property. Dad acquired it from his estate after he died.

Click to expand...

As I recall "Huntemann's" was the company that had one of the (very last) high top M-M or Superiors too weren't they... and a little elusive with it?

Steve, do you have any other photos of the Flx that you can post?

Mike McDonald said:

As I recall "Huntemann's" was the company that had one of the (very last) high top M-M or Superiors too weren't they... and a little elusive with it?

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Yes, they are. Huntemann owned a '77 Superior Cadillac Transport. Roger White compiled photos of every Transport made except one - they refused to provide a photo. I used to see Mike Huntemann regularly, and I'd ask him for a photo, but to no avail.

Paul, here are three more photos:
1) as it was when we bought it, still lettered for CJP VFD, missing some teeth
2) in it's "Avalon" movie red paint
3) as it is recently, in it's "Something the Lord Made" movie white paint

(Steven, I'll forward larger versions of these for you.)

Brady D Smith said:

Wish I had known you were gonna part with it. It could have come back here to Flint Michigan where its drive train was manufactured.

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Brady, I didn't know you were interested.

I am under no pressure to sell anything - there is no "for sale" sign on my garage, and I'm not likely to show up at a meet with any of my ambulances with a "for sale" sign and sell it to the first guy who walks up with a briefcase full of money and nameplates.

I wasn't planning to sell the '47. Honestly, the main reason I sold it to Bo is, frankly, because he asked. Well, Steven asked anyway.

It's not uncommon for people to see one of my cars and say, "Man, I'd really like to have that." But if someone were genuinely interested in buying something from me, and they weren't interested in street-rodding it and weren't going to leave it outside to rust away, sure, I'd talk.

Steve,
VERY nice ambulance and it's a difficult decission to sell any part of a personal collection, I'm glad you cared enough to only sell one of your vehicles to a good home where it will be cared for!! THAT is something important.
The care for these cars is what this club is about and thats the reason my hearse didn't get sold for WAY WAY more that it is worth, it wouldn't have been a good home as the one that was purchased in it's place was dismantled and scraped.
and WOW!! that certainy looks to be a VERY nice "garage" you have!!!

Dana.