A Winner in the Pinner

Ron Devies

PCS Ohio Chapter President, PCS Vice President
I went to my first show tonight. Given the weather was a little on the crappy side I took the Pinner. Eleven cars showed up to compete for five trophies and my Pinner took Sponsor's Choice. WhooHoo! Oh and on the way home, got a lead on another car.
 
taking the Pinner

Ron,
Is taking the Pinner slang for I drove the van? Congrats on the win.
Mike
 
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It isn't a Pinner... it is a Pinner wannabe... It is a Mid American... Please have respect for the Pinner name!!!!!!:yankchain:
 
Congradulations Ron. I'm about to die to get the 76 out to a show or chruis in soon. I haven't ben to any this year yet,

Josh
 
It isn't a Pinner... it is a Pinner wannabe... It is a Mid American... Please have respect for the Pinner name!!!!!!:yankchain:

It is kind of like the old butter........Parkay commercial. You say Mid American but you open the door and it says Pinner.
 
It isn't a Pinner... it is a Pinner wannabe... It is a Mid American... Please have respect for the Pinner name!!!!!!:yankchain:
No no no. Jack and Tom said that, while Gene Knisely got the contract to sell van ambulances to the State of Kansas, he wasn't building ambulances, so he got Pinner to build them. (It's like our local Chevy dealer getting a contract to sell police cars, the dealer wins the contract but the vehicles are built by Chevy, not the dealership). After the Pinner plant burned and the company closed, Tom Pinner went out to KC and partnered with Gene and that's when Mid-Continent Conversions was started. So Ron's van is legitimately a Pinner. :respect:

Congratulations, Ron, that's probably the first time ever that a van ambulance has won an award at an antique car show!
 
Congrats on a trophy Ron! :thumb:

If the judges were blindfolded another Pinner would give you a run for your money LOL

IMG_0913.jpg
 
No no no. Jack and Tom said that, while Gene Knisely got the contract to sell van ambulances to the State of Kansas, he wasn't building ambulances, so he got Pinner to build them. After the Pinner plant burned and the company closed, Tom Pinner went out to KC and partnered with Gene and that's when Mid-Continent Conversions was started.

Gene Knisley started selling S&S as well as Pinner in 1967 while working full-time as a funeral director. While he had these vans built by Pinner for the Missouri contract, they were badged as MCC products. When Gene's plant (known by then as Stratus Specialty Vehicles) burned in 1990, he had some existing orders completed by Taylor and CRS Coach. While built by other manufacturers, they were still sold as Stratus products. Superior did this as well when they had some of their Pontiac and Buick products built by Armbruster over the years.

I sold Stratus products from April of 1991 through July of 1994. The Knisleys are back (still?) in business, selling new McCoy-Millers as well as new and used ambulances, busses, and medicars:

http://uscoachworks.net/home/index.php?page=home
 
Congratulations Ron ! I'm in the process of cleaning up mine up for a local show this Saturday. Looking forward to it if it can manage to stop raining long enough !
 
Gene Knisley started selling S&S as well as Pinner in 1967 while working full-time as a funeral director. While he had these vans built by Pinner for the Missouri contract, they were badged as MCC products.
OK, sorry, I did not know they were badged as MCCs. This is different from what they said. Thanks, I stand corrected!
Well, I'm sitting, so I guess I sit corrected. :hide:
 
So is the car a "stretch" :2gunsfiring_v1:

it is stretched about 30" to 36" based on my memory. It is a stretch of the imagination how they did it. I know that they added 30" to my Chrysler when they stretched that, and they maintained both the body integrity and alignment. All this was done long before they had laser measuring devices. It is amazing what they could do with a tape measure and a string.
 
To actually stand and look at that car in person though it is just a funny looking creature. Dwayne is really going to have something special there when he finishes his restoration on this car.
 
Gene Knisley started selling S&S as well as Pinner in 1967 while working full-time as a funeral director. While he had these vans built by Pinner for the Missouri contract, they were badged as MCC products. When Gene's plant (known by then as Stratus Specialty Vehicles) burned in 1990, he had some existing orders completed by Taylor and CRS Coach. While built by other manufacturers, they were still sold as Stratus products. Superior did this as well when they had some of their Pontiac and Buick products built by Armbruster over the years.

I sold Stratus products from April of 1991 through July of 1994. The Knisleys are back (still?) in business, selling new McCoy-Millers as well as new and used ambulances, busses, and medicars:

http://uscoachworks.net/home/index.php?page=home

I went to KCMO in late 1971. Gene had quit as a mortician at a local funeral home and started sales of new & used funeral cars plus ambulances as well. He was doing business Knisley Professional Car Sales. Early in 1972 it was changed to Mid-Continent Conversion. He was also part owner of Clay - Platte Ambulance Service.

I continued to develope the 1972 Dodge Van type ll ambulance at a farm near Liberty, MO. Notice my picture of 1968 Cadillac ambulance roof is the same on Dodge van Stratus type ll ambulance.
 
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