1961 Eureka-Cadillac Hi-Boy comes home

Nicholas Studer said:

Do you have the reverse side to that ad that lists accessories/options?

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Nicholas, here are both sides of the Ambulance card from the '61 Eureka portfolio -

Front -



Back -

Nicholas Studer said:

Was the winged design all plain etched - or was it colored in some fashion? The fact the cross is faded differently than the rest suggested to me it might have been some other color - perhaps red?

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The cross certainly appears to have been applied differently than the rest of design in your windows and Eureka did offer their designs in colors other than the standard frosted-white pattern. If another color was used, you should find traces of it on the glass. It's possible the cross was a light grey/silver shade to contrast with the white wings or possibly a blue tone to compliment the paint/interior colors.

Nicholas Studer said:

Anyone got a lead on those door emblems!?!?

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There are reproductions on eBay -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CADILLAC-19...IPT-/151832446800?hash=item2359eb4750&vxp=mtr

- I may have some originals in my pile-o-parts

Hi again Mr. Donaldson. Thanks indeed for the other side of the ad - but what I was asking about was the funeral service ad that said "see reverse side for partial features." Interesting since I have yet to see a listing of Eureka options.

Thanks for the link, and look for a PM too.

Here's a few more photos.

1. Interesting power plug and odd phone-jack like connector. Wonder where the inverter is. Has to be one with power-plugs on board. Also has a shore-line on the rear of the car.
2. Close up of the glass - all that's left.
3. Fascinating folding attendant seat.
4. Resuscitator cabinet - either big E&J or Emerson it seems.
5. More holes under the rear canopy. Odd. Anyone have ideas?
6. Right front fender. Wonder went here - maybe a siren? What does the hive mind think?
7. Odd switch up front. Perhaps corresponds to the big ole' switch up front.
8. Looks like lexan/plexiglass of some kind on the antenna mount. Maybe a faint outline surrounding it? Perhaps a bit newer than the car itself?

The 3 holes in a triangle and one in the middle, look like a Unity deck mounted spotlight.
The electrical outlet is a standard one that was used back in the 1960's. The phono jack below it is for ????? Headphones????

"Phono Jack" can be several types and look like this. The normal one has two connections however there are others that can have if my memory is working up to seven connections. Thus could be for a headset intercom to the driver or a hook up mike and headset with push to talk for two radio. You would have to see connection to know more.

this may answer a few questions. the home made base on the low /cb band wip antenna was a normal fix. the cheap plastic would brake and some one would cut a thick on out of Plexiglas glass. up hight like that a 9 ft whip would catch a lot of stuff. here is the rear of the 64 on McDonald's. I have one of these lights if you don't. the fold up jump seat is neat. my guess would be the O2 most likely E bottles would be strapped in the old army strap. the seat when folded would set agents them. one doesn't know what all Eureka did in WWII but I can say the zippers in the headliner in the 58 were OD green. my guess on the phone jack is about like everyone else. the emergency pull would be a t handle and cable. as one can see only the outer housing and mount are still there. I do not believe it along with the battery cut off are Eureka. but I not positive on that.

Paul Steinberg said:

The phono jack below it is for ????? Headphones????

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Very possible its for a handheld spotlight, and being next to the outlet it makes even more sense that's what its for.

I can probably fill in some history of this ambulance.

I was a volunteer Firefighter EMT with the Socorro Fire Department from 81-88.

From what I was told as I was not in town during the time this unit was in service, I arrived there in 79 after visiting at times from 76 on. This unit was long gone by that time.

The Chief of the FD told me how this unit was donated to the department as the result of one of the volunteers that was from the town in New Jersey that it originally was in servlce with. IIRC either he or another family member was with the department, they were upgrading their equipment and he procured it as a donation to the city. This was probably about the time that the FD got into the ambulance service due to the private ambulance service in town closing, IIRC correctly someone named Miller. Again, IIRC, when he closed up shop he donated a couple of Ford van conversions and possible a 70-71 Suburban. That ws still in service as the Chief's vehicle until about the mid 80's

There was a newspaper article in the Socorro El Defensor-Chieftain regarding this, again IIRC this would have been about the early to mid 70's

Our administrative secretary/EMT Instructor compiled a history of the department in the early 80's and it was in the training room of the main station along with some historical items found in the station and around the town.

Before the fire department was called Socorro Fire Department it was named Socorro Hose Company.

There were some photos of the old equipment around on the walls there, may still be there. You may want to contact the present Chief there for photos. I still have some contacts that were on the department when I was there that might be able to fill in some of the blanks too.

WOW!! what a Beaut, odd color Cabinets though I find.. Great find!

I can't get over that awesome door welting that only Eureka would do!! The '60 thru '62 M-M Guardians don't really begin to compare in quality of finish to the '60 thru '64 Eureka High Boys!

Wasn't this coach discussed a few years back when it was for sale in Taos?

To think it was the Socorro unit.........if only I had the money and space for it at that time.......! Of course if I had bought it and brought it home I may have needed it for a place to sleep........

As an update and a thank you to Paul as he PM'd Nicholas for me.

I called one of my friends who retired from Socorro FD while on the way home tonight from work. He could not remember if it was still there or had just left when he rejoined the newly formed Socorro Fire Department in 1974 but he remembered the unit. He also gave me a name of a current member of the department that would be able to help with research of it's service there.

The Socorro Hose Company #1 was if I remember my history correctly was a semi-independent organization until 1974. When I joined there were still three pieces of equipment in service from that earlier era, a 1970 Suburban low top ambulance later used as the Chief's car, a 1957 B Series Mack pumper and a 1968 Boardman/International pumper, both open cab configuration. The Boardman was later reconfigured into a closed cab, about the mid 1980's. There was a 1951 American LaFrance Ladder that was acquired in the early 1980's as a purchase from a dealer that was previously in service in DuBois Pa. That truck was another story.......

Somewhere I have a new unissued Socorro Hose Company 1 uniform patch that I got from a uniform company in Albuquerque, our official supplier. Story was that they ordered a run of new patches just before the Hose Company was absorbed into the city government with the name change............
I went up to pick up some shirts and the salesman told me the story and gifted me with a patch.

61

Kurt Arends said:

I can't get over that awesome door welting that only Eureka would do!! The '60 thru '62 M-M Guardians don't really begin to compare in quality of finish to the '60 thru '64 Eureka High Boys!

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Same material they used on the floors and side. There is a name for this type of material something like frazztia ????

what one discovers with a eureka is they did everything in house. vary little on the car that was not either built by them or modified by them for a different propose. just as easy for them to make up wind lacing from scraps as toss it out.

Mr. Royark - You have a winner! A 1957 brochure references "Unity searchlight with plug-in outlets at each door, with 25 feet of cord." Paul - got one in your stash?

Mr. Rackov - What invaluable info! Yes - this ambulances has been discussed before here. Thread from the Public Surplus sale is http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10120

I've reached out to both the Socorro FD and their newspaper by e-mail and we'll see what comes up! Very much appreciate the lead - it had thus slipped my mind to reach out to them. I had heard a similar story from the Tres Piedras chief - regarding a college student in Socorro obtaining the ambulance from his hometown. Indeed interesting what happened...

You know, another question comes to mind. There does not appear to be fold down hooks or similar in the middle ceiling of the patient compartment like my 1970 C/B-Oldsmobile Cotington 48 has for the middle sides of the hanging cots. There's just the braces on the sides above the windows (missing on one side unfortunately but looks easily replicated.) This is also the case in Mr. McDonald's 1964 Hi-Boy. How then did the 4-litter configuration work?

it may have not been set up to hall 4. that would be a customer option.

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John ED Renstrom said:

it may have not been set up to hall 4. that would be a customer option.

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I don't think so Ed.

4-litter was a standard feature from what I can tell from all the ads I've seen. My car, the 1959 that is currently in Europe, and the 1964 with Mr. McDonald all have the 2 hooks for hanging hardware on both the sides of the car above the window. (Mr. Parish's former car has the mounts present, but hooks are missing. Mine are missing above the squad bench - my guess is this is one of the things "removed to improve efficiency" by Tres Piedras since they probably hit their heads on it or something. They look like they'd be fairly easy to duplicate) This would accept one side of each stretcher. What it doesn't explain - is how the sides of the stretcher running along the car's midline were held up. There's no evidence on any of the three cars of how that was done and none of the three have holes that indicate something was removed from up there. I'd expect some kind of pull-down bracket or strap...

it could have been like superiors and have rings in the ceiling but as you said they are not there. just because they are the right shape to hold a gurney doesn't mean they are not just hooks. meant to hold what ever you want scoop, back board or hanging your stethoscope from. the thing I have learned working on this Eureka was they were a farmer frugal company. with a no frills approach to construction. if there are no provisions in the ceiling for hooks it was not built to hang stretchers. if they though that hooks on the side wall were a good Ida they would use what was on hand rather then make up something different. same with all the marker light on the top. don't make up new when you can us a taillight already made up. they were making a top' just as easy to make it fit existing lights as not. by going that way save you one step in the process. as you go threw the car you will find a number of this kind of thought in there construction.

Nicholas Studer said:

Mr. Royark - You have a winner! A 1957 brochure references "Unity searchlight with plug-in outlets at each door, with 25 feet of cord." Paul - got one in your stash?

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I know they were offered for several years (I know 47 S&S offered them as an accessory), so that may open up a year range for your search.

If the photos from the previously named Socorro sources are found it should show the ambulance in "as received" condition. From what I remember reading the article and looking at the photos in the station it was a dark color, hence the blue it was originally painted in.

On the antenna mount, from what I remember seeing an obituary, the gentleman that did the communications work for the city passed away a couple years ago. Possibly he could have been some help in clearing that question up.

A lot of modifications were done "in house" at the fire station as Socorro was 80+ miles from Albuquerque and due to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology being in town there was a lot of talent there not to mention the staff at the department. A LOT of talented people in that department.

John ED Renstrom said:

it could have been like superiors and have rings in the ceiling but as you said they are not there. just because they are the right shape to hold a gurney doesn't mean they are not just hooks. meant to hold what ever you want scoop, back board or hanging your stethoscope from. the thing I have learned working on this Eureka was they were a farmer frugal company. with a no frills approach to construction. if there are no provisions in the ceiling for hooks it was not built to hang stretchers. if they though that hooks on the side wall were a good Ida they would use what was on hand rather then make up something different. same with all the marker light on the top. don't make up new when you can us a taillight already made up. they were making a top' just as easy to make it fit existing lights as not. by going that way save you one step in the process. as you go threw the car you will find a number of this kind of thought in there construction.

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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.