1961 Eureka-Cadillac Hi-Boy comes home

Nicholas Studer

PCS Elected Director 2022-2025
I was very surprised to have the opportunity to realistically add this vehicle to the "fleet" very soon after my wife and I decided to let the SPAC 1971 Superior-Cadillac go. Not really part of our plan to get this as we wished to cut down our ambulance fleet, but had to jump on this when it came up. Serendipitously enough, this became possible after I happened to mention to President Karsnia how much I liked the 1964 Eureka-Cadillac Hi-Boy owned by Joe McDonald.

Overall condition is not horrific - but very much needs new paint and new windshield. A lot of the flat glass on the sides is cracked, thankfully the rear glass is not. It has been white since the early 1970s, but obviously was dark blue previously. Original purchaser was somewhere in NJ, then shipped to Socorro, NM FD in the early-mid 1970s where it may or may not have ever been in service. It then spent another 20 years with a small rural fire district in Tres Piedras, NM - then was used as a parade car for a few years by the Taos County EMS in the 1990s. It then sat in a yard until sold to a car dealer in 2012 and then to me. I've had the privilege to briefly speak with some folks in Tres Piedras/Taos and found two news stories from the 1990s when the car was repainted for parades.

The car has an inverter somewhere, plus piped oxygen system with M-cylinder holder behind the seat similar to Paul's 1969 M-M. Dual ashtrays, some hanging hardware appears to be missing. Tres Piedras told me they removed things to make it more "user friendly." Still unclear what that means... Some curtain hardware from the rear is missing - but looks like we can replicate. Fascinating battery-kill switch in the engine compartment.

I am interested in learning any more I can about this car in particular. It's a fascinating vehicle - and the history I've heard thus far is almost as interesting as the Pinner-Chrysler (nothing can surpass that). I'd be interested in finding more literature than a small handout I found on Phantom Coaches website as well.

WAC - Feel free to change my teaser title.
 

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not bad looking . it would look better back blue and white. the cherry wood cabinets were a Eureka thing. they will clean up nicely. as will the flooring. they did a fairly simple straight forward construction on the car. the side lights are 53 Chevy and back side ones are 59 cad, but I have no Ida on the door kind of look like impala's. you will find a lot of this kind of mis match things on the car.
 
Nic, it really is a piece of art. From the use of multiple tail lights as warning equipment, to the beautiful wood in the patient compartment. A big job, but if taken on, would be quite a prize. Well done and best of success. Please keep us posted.
 
It's darn cool. Not exactly the best time for us, and one always wishes things were cheaper - but very happy overall from what I've been able to see. It'll be a while before its turn - but it drives and looks reasonably presentable now. Will try to post more photos tomorrow.

Anyone got a line on some literature for this model? All I've been able to find is a small blurb in the corner of a general ad sheet.
 
Congratulations Nicholas! These cars are a rare find and must be bought when they are available, because you may never get another chance. Good luck with all of your works in progress.

BTW, which ones will you be bringing to Gettysburg next year?
 
Congratulations!

That is such a beautiful and unique ambulance. You are a very lucky person to have found it and been able to purchase such a classic show piece. Just to look at it with out even having to drive it would give me so much pleasure.
 
More photos!

1. Underfloor compartment with No. 10 stretchers missing the vinyl...
2. Close-up of the cool side lights.
3. Extremely close tolerances on the door and the light. Wow!
4. Curtain rods only present on the side doors - removed from the rear windows and not sure if they were on the rear. Similar to the Pinner-Chrysler. Wonder what was the three holes in the door? It's on both sides. I thought it might be for power seats up front - but makes no sense here.
5. Predecessor to M-M's "First Aid Bar," I guess?
6. Winged etching in the rear windows is pretty neat. Any ideas on that? Maybe I've missed something - but haven't seen it before. The Eureka book unfortunately is not where I can get to it - but I managed to get one.
7. Linen cabinet is VERY cool.
8. Poor picture of the D-cylinder holder behind the seat.
 

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your wife takes good pictures. pass that one to her. we are seeing a lot of similar stuff on the 61 as this 58 combo has. nice to see it still has equipment in it. that answerers the question of what they were using back then.
the 53 Chevy taillight were the normal side markers on there high boys. from what I can till the sill plates were the same on all of the cars they just ran a wide piece out there etching set up and cut them to fit the car.

it will be a pretty car when cleaned up and put back together. as it was the flag ship. the made them sharp. I'm not sure on the window etching if that was Eureka or a design that was ordered.
 
Wow

Nicholas, I am jealous, that is a unique car. It is amazing how these cars fall into our lap and we cannot say NO. I am still holding my collection as "complete" but ya never know what opportunity opens up that makes you say okay one more........................
 
Anyone got a line on some literature for this model? All I've been able to find is a small blurb in the corner of a general ad sheet.

Here's the blurb you refer to -



Eureka's Hi-Boy Ambulances were built in very small numbers and advertising was usually limited to the small blurb next to the specifications list on the back of the mailer portfolio sheets/brochures. Occasionally they would run a Hi-Boy ad in funeral trade periodicals. Here's a 1960 ad -



Curtain rods only present on the side doors - removed from the rear windows and not sure if they were on the rear.

Your rear door has the pull-up style window shade only, it would not have have had drapes. Rear door drapes are actually a rarity in a Eureka coach and were a rarely ordered option usually reserved for their Funeral Coaches.

Wonder what was the three holes in the door?

The holes are for the chrome crown-style emblems used in Eureka's '59 - '61 interiors, as seen here in Tom Hoczyk's '60 Eureka Landau -



Winged etching in the rear windows is pretty neat. Any ideas on that? Maybe I've missed something - but haven't seen it before.

The winged design is one of several window etchings Eureka offered in their ambulances over the years. Same design is seen here in a '56 Eureka Landau Ambulance -

 
Mr. Davidson - thanks so much for that. Super helpful! Do you have the reverse side to that ad that lists accessories/options?

I just looked again at that photo of the rear door - indeed, looks like a pull-up shade on the back. Huh...

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?

Mr. Zaccaria: Yes, this was the car sold on Public Surplus from Taos, NM in 2012.

Anyone got a lead on those door emblems!?!? :)
 
This car is not only a piece of ambulance history, but a work of art. How great you must feel to be it's caretaker.
 
Thank you again for sharing the photos. I showed them to my son in law's 33 year old brother who is a Lt. at a F.D. and spent his first 6 years as a paramedic on the F.D. ambulance. He had never seen anything like this and was really impressed. Thanks to all PCS members for preserving the history. I think the young guys will really take an interest if we take time to share with them.
 
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