Finally Have My Suburban Ambulance

Over a year ago I saw and considered the 1971 Stoner GMC Suburban in this thread but ended up taking no action:

http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15074&highlight=1971

Well, the truck never really left my mind so on a whim in late July I contacted the seller through eBay to find out if it ever sold. The seller got back to me with the news that it indeed sold and was paid for but the buyer, a Toronto PCS member, never got transportation arranged so it was still sitting on his property. He agreed to give me the buyers contact info and after some discussion the buyer decided to sell it to me. :)

By last week I was finally able to arrange my own transport so yesterday a friend with a very nice tow rig and I undertook the 800 mile journey to retrieve my dream ambulance.

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See more photos here:

http://public.fotki.com/Classicchp/1971-gmc-ambulance/

What I like about this rig is that is was always fire department owned while in-service, first by Okanogan County FPD in Washington from new-1979 then Etna FD in California from 1979-2000 and is built on the less common GMC 3/4 ton Suburban. It is equipped nicely on the Super Custom model and includes lots of heavy-duty component options plus factory A/C and the 402 cid big block under the hood. The owner started to undertake a conversion to a race car hauler but stopped midway and the vehicle just sat untitled or registered for nearly 15 years. Thankfully he kept some of the ambulance parts but guess I will be scrounging for or recreating the missing stuff.

Just started to inspect everything today but from what I've seen so far I'm very happy with the purchase...honestly feel like a kid on Christmas morning! Will definitely be picking some brains (esp. anyone else with a Stoner) and posting updates here as I proceed with this long awaited project.
 

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it a little more than I had to began with. but looking at the back pictures I not seeing any evidence that it ever had a gurney mounted in it.

they are my favored gm truck body
 
it a little more than I had to began with. but looking at the back pictures I not seeing any evidence that it ever had a gurney mounted in it.

they are my favored gm truck body
Ed, I'm in the process of contacting the two fire departments to try to get some history on this rig. What should I be looking for to establish if it had a gurney? If it wasn't used as an ambulance, would it have been some kind of rescue squad instead?

I found more parts that go in the back stashed in the cabinets today. Looks like they mount up over the side windows and to the roof. :)
 
What should I be looking for to establish if it had a gurney? If it wasn't used as an ambulance, would it have been some kind of rescue squad instead?

This is definitely an ambulance. What about this rig makes you think it may not have had a gurney (or gurney mount)?

I don't see any evidence of a cot hook mount on the curbside wheelhouse, so it probably had a #28. Are there mounting holes in the floor for #28 brackets (head and foot)?
 
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that would be a best guess. some form of floor mount. this one was a loaded up rig. the wide step in the rear and the cabinets in the doors. the big bottle O2 side ways accesed threw te center door. but no evidence of a ACS cabinet or the center jump you see in sum.
 
Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Burbs

Aw that classic Stoner design of placing the cot backasswards. I am envious, you have not one but two medicine cabinets. They are fun to drive and attract a lot of attention. I had to have my bench rebuilt in. The biggest problem I foresee for you is the etched glass on the driver side. Here are some pics of mine.
 

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but then if you ask I would bet Ron will make you a penile tracing of the etching. that way you can place it under the glass tape it off and use onn of the spot blasters and some fine grit etch the glass before you put it back in.

one trick is the clear self sticking shelf paper. cover the side you want to etch, lay your pattern under the glass and use a razer blade to cut the pattern. then etch. I have seen them leave the cut out in place and pull the rest but were it looks OK from 10 feet is not the same.

the 70 looks good Ron.

bite my tong that is the med cabinet laying back there on the floor. maybe the two of you can swap patterns.
 
I was referring to a tracing of the rear window pattern that stoner used on all there suburbans. Ron would I know like to get the dimensions and some pictures of the med cabinet that goes on the bulk head.
 
I was wondering myself why he would want my "penile tracing" but hey, I got nothing to hide. :D Yes, I would like pics and measurements on the bulkhead cabinet.
Ron, yes I'll get some good photos and measurements of the bulkhead cabinet for you. Some glass etching tracings would help me out. Also, does your rig still have a console between the bucket seats up front that may have come from Stoner? If so, I need pics and measurements to replace the one that's missing from mine.
 
Got to spend a bit of quality time with my new GMC in the last couple of days to take care of some preliminary cleaning, inspection and pest removal. I also got over to the DMV late on Friday and thankfully pulled off a nice clean getaway with a new title transfer, registration and plates in hand. Phew! I had all the right paperwork and answers ready and maybe it helped to catch them when they were already worn out from a whole week's worth of harassing others!

Some new shots from today:

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strange they took all the hanging hardware off. one can of coarse match them up with the holes in the sides and roof. seams to be a stander get stiff out of there. the one I sold to Ron was missing the back straps and the removable hooks.
 
OK, while sorting things out yesterday, I came up with this preliminary list of missing items from the business end of this truck.

1. What's the technical name for these ceiling hooks and who made them? I need one.

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2. One of these small ceiling lights is gone. Anybody recognize the model or maker?

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3. Something was mounted on the ceiling with two screws toward the front and in between the two forward ceiling hooks. Any ideas of what I might need to look for?

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4. And the biggie MIA item is the missing gurney. It looks like it attached to the curbside cabinet as there are mounting holes still there so will need the bracket(s) too. May have been similar to the one in this 1970 Stoner?

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Not a bad list I guess considering what Ed said about how some people can't get ambulance stuff out and in the trash quick enough! :mad:
 
Let me try this on on the kindle. The top funding hook go in the long set of holes. That are the same a mms used. The close set of holes were for the IV hooks. You can see the pattern on the headliner as to the direction they go. The short plates go on the killer that long one went to the rear of the side glass the removable hook went in them. That made up the hanging hardware. The stoner was designed to carry 4. Two hanging one on the bench and one on the Grundy. There was a cold known jump seat on the bulkhead beside the cabinet for the attendant when it was loaded
 
now that I'm back here on the decent computer may be I can find a pictures or two
 

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Looking Good

It is really coming together, please keep those photos coming. You are doing great.
 
Well, it's been a long while since a progress update but the news is good...many months and dollars later and my Suburban is now a beautifully driving rig.

The mechanical renovations included a complete new braking system, full tune up with carb adjustments, all new under hood hoses and belts, fuel pump and sending unit, fuel lines, starter, sway bar bushings, wheel bearings, replaced the missing glass, wipers and all the mirrors, new custom exhaust system, serviced the rear axle and transmission, repaired the trans pan, removed trailer hitch, repaired a ton of wiring issues and replaced many missing bits and pieces too numerous to list.

The looks are now much improved and on a recent 250 mile trip to the Ripon EV show it drove and ran like a dream. Still have plenty to address and more equipment to track down but for the time being I've got to give the 'ole pocketbook a rest and just enjoy some drive time.

All the project photos can be viewed here:

http://public.fotki.com/Classicchp/1971-gmc-ambulance/

Happy holidays!
 
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