Restoration of JM’s 69 Pontiac Superior

Jean-Marc Dugas

PCS Member
The restoration of my 69 Pontiac Superior has been delayed due to the acquisition of the 67 last fall. The plan is to complete the restoration of the 67 over the next year and get back to the 69 in the fall of 2010.

What I plan to do with the 69 is to restore it with as many factory options and accessories as possible with the idea to make it the “Cadillac” of the Pontiac. In order to achieve this, I will need you help in identifying some of the factory options that were available and maybe also assistance with sourcing the parts. I have already purchased some items, but many more will have to be acquired.

In comparing the options that came with the 67 to the ones that came with the 69, I think that the 69 was fairly well equipped compared to the 67 which was an industrial rig.

I have a 69 donor car, however, most everything that can rot or rust is too far gone to use. I was however able to see some options & accessories that could be installed in my 69 such as the inverter system and forward floor compartment.

Looking at the 69’s sales brochure, here is a list of options & accessories that came with the car:

• Beacon Ray Model 176 (Clear dome with red & clear beams) (Standard Extra)
• Back Door Compartment (Optional Extra)
• Rear Wheelhouse Compartment (Optional Extra)
• Rear Floor Compartment (Optional Extra)
• Retractable Hanging Stretcher Hooks (Optional Extra)
• Air Conditioning in the medicine cabinet (Optional Extra needs to be replaced)
• Textured vinyl

Here is a list of options & accessories that I would like to install in the car:

• Replace the standard driver side Unity spotlight with driver & passenger side Spotlight/Warning light units (got them)
• Replace the siren with a B&M Super Chief
• Add rear compartment buzzer with signal light panel
• Add illuminated side roof signs
• Upgrade the front roof sign from non illuminated to illuminated
• Add rear roof sign (This one may not be possible as I understand that the rear roof sign was molded as an integral part of the fiberglass roof, not an add-on)
• Install an inverter system (My donor car had an inverter system. I retrieved the inverter itself from under the hood. All of the interior components were rusted out. In order to have it functional again, I’ll have to incorporate a new inverter somewhere, maybe inside the shell of the old one. The electrical wall plug located at the rear of the car behind the heater was also rusted out and unsalvageable)
• Install a tell tale (door ajar) warning light
• Upgrade to a dual battery system with battery cut-off switch
• Side mounted flood lights
• Rear bumper step
• Forward floor compartment
• Install a cot light
• Install a squad bench
• AM / FM radio

In all of the pictures that I have seen of the 69 Pontiac Superior, there are a number of options that I have never seen installed (such as the rear step, cot light and squad bench) although they are listed as available options in the sales brochure. Anyone has pictures or knowledge of these installed in a Pontiac?

This seems like a long list (and it is), however, if any of this can be done, this is the time to plan for it and to acquire the specific items. The car is totally strip and I have access to all of the area which will become inaccessible once the floor, headliner, etc. are back in place.

Any comments on other options or accessories that would be correct for the car will be appreciated, along with comments on listed options or accessories that should not be installed.

As usual, thanks in advance for your assistance.
 
Cot Light

As you can see, the patient care area control panel has an option for a cot light. Would this be what is refered to as a cot light? The light is a Do-Ray 27.

Patient Care Area Control Panel
picture.php


Cot Light?
picture.php
 
Don't know if the dash on the 1969 is the same as the dash on the 1967, because if it is, I know of a 1968 (same as 1967) Pontiac AM/FM Stereo Radio.
I believe that you can also add side cornering lights to the fenders. These were a factory option, and the wiring is already in place in the front fender area. If some some reason, the pigtails were cut off, you can just unwrap the wire harness and install new ones.
The cot light can be like the one you are holding in your hand, or it could be as simple as a dome light over the cot. The best way to know is to look for a similar light in other Superior Ambulances of the time period. Usually it is period correct to use what you find was used up to 2 or 3 years prior. One thing to keep in mind, is how are you going to install the light. Many times, they would put an additional metal piece in the roof to accommodate the mounting of the fixture. I know that the rectangular lights that were commonly found in the Miller Meteor cars had a mounting pad spot welded to the roof structure under the headliner to screw the lighting to. I learned this when I took some parts out of a Miller Meteor parts ambulance and was able to cut into the headliner. The way that they were welded in, you would have thought that they were going to hang chandeliers from the brackets. :D
 
the thing with the cars is you could do it any you wanted. the loading type light used for ditch lights looks cheap to me. I like the mounted on the side type lights. first of all they mount a lot more secure and the other looks to me one more thing to knock off. but if you look long and hard enough you can find a picture to justify about any combination. if you can come up with one of dealer fliers showing the options in the year your working on. well then you know what was for sale from superior in that year. anything else was added by the service. a lot of times they had there favorite things and they would add them to the car when they got it. so looking at pictures you don't know who added what. the accessory page of the flier will show you what superior had that year. here are a couple pictures I have on the 68 flier
 

Attachments

  • 1968 superior.jpg
    1968 superior.jpg
    82 KB · Views: 458
  • 1968 superior flyer.jpg
    1968 superior flyer.jpg
    64.1 KB · Views: 457
It'll be a while until this baby is on the road....

Last weekend I had to move the 69 to a new storage location where it will stay until next fall. Here are a few pictures of the move.

In the old storage location
picture.php


On the flatbed 01
picture.php


On the flatbed 02
picture.php


On the flatbed 03
picture.php
 
Not that scares the crap out of me. What an undertaking (no pun intended) but what an ambulance you will have when done. No MACCO paint job there. Looks good!
 
Nothing to update.
The plan was to restart work on it this fall, but with all of what occured with the 67 this summer, I'll have to push that date to next fall.

On the bright side, all of the work done on the 67 this summer will make me more prepared to take-on the 69.
 
Superior Ambulances

Best of Luck with your '69 Superior Jean, I'm still tinkering on my '70 yet as well its nice to see others out there of very similar styling and size to what I've been toying around on.

I Had been watching a '69 Superior Hi-Top myself, that I was interested in buying and doing something with, if nothing else to use as a reference to put my '70 back together, But being the 'Dummy' I am, made the mistake of letting it slip right through my fingers, as its gone now....Been kicking myself ever since.

Let me know how things go for you on this Project, maybe we can help each other out from time to time too, as I've got the '70 Stripped down to a bare shell and am Dreading putting it all back together, Its been a while....too long....and I've collected other project Pro-Cars since...So My memory may be a little cloudy
 
Back
Top