the quest continues

[John ED Renstrom]

I have received a set of detail shots of a 53 Barnett ambulance. we had only found artist renditions before so I'm sorry to say we now can rule out the 53 I have here as being a Barnett. the lights are not right and all the Barnett's I see have the right hand hinge rear door. I can't find any holes were the Bernette name plate would be either. so we have ruled out Economy because they did the side doors in a different fashion along with National. Acme as there widowers were different, but I have not seen a Acme ambulance. with the picture posted of the 54 Superior it looking more like it may be built by them. anyone have any pictures of a Superior Pontiac ambulance in the early fifties that we might be able to compare the light treatments on? anyone have a picture of a 53 sedan deliver ambulance built by Superior?? here is the detail shot and you can see were the doors are rounded off the same the lights are definitely different.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Ed, I thought we'd determined that it's an Economy. See the attached ad. It has the same shape and window design. If it isn't, it's sure trying to look like one!

 

[Steve Loftin]

Your car is definitely not a Superior.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

the artist rendition is a little different then the car. the window treatment is close but not the same. difference in one stripe on the glass. but the key to rule it out was the photo Tom sent me of one that showed the center door. now here is a set of pictures the top left is a national check out that glass etching on it. the top right a economy the bottom left a Bernette and the right mine. you can see the difference in construction. etching is one thing but body construction is something that one doesn't just change on every other car. then as we look close we discover that economy keep there glass etching the same in all there ambulances. there is not one difference in any of the years they built cars. this one I have here top is just different then the economy. not a lot but just different. so now we still need to find a superior pictures to say yes or no. and a good shot of a memphis. aney one els got any idas.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

Your car is definitely not a Superior.

I would be releved to find that out but how did you rule it out?

 

[Cary Livingston]

I would be releved to find that out but how did you rule it out?

The Superior Pontiac styling isn't even close to your car....the pontoon on the rear fender is shaped TOTALLY different. I'm with Lichtman.......Economy

 

[Keith Snyder]

Superior, unlike the converters, did not user a sedan delivery as the base unit for their Pontiac professional cars. Their Pontiacs were coachbuilt in the same manner as their Cadillacs - using a rolling, factory-supplied chassis. In this case, that of a Pontiac convertible. Superior also used altered Pontiac sedan or coupe rear quarter panels. The converters simply stretched sedan deliveries and used the standard sedan delivery exterior sheet metal - including rear fenders.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

I would be releved to find that out but how did you rule it out?

As Keith said, the difference is the Superior coachbuilt body.

But, for photographic proof, I present this photo of a '53 Superior Pontiac ambulance from the McPherson book. Fender, side window height, rear corner window, glass etching, taillights, trim, etc. all different.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

...and a good shot of a memphis...

Annnd, just to refresh everyone's memory, Economy Coach became Memphis Coach in 1955. So there weren't any Memphis cars in '53.

Now the one thing I am uncertain about is the window etching. Economy (and Memphis) used a design with the cross in a circle with 4 stripes behind it. Your's has a cross in a circle with 5 stripes behind it. Curious.

 

[Keith Snyder]

Is it possible that this is a Meteor-Pontiac? Meteor build Pontiac and Chevrolet professional cars based on sedan deliveries from 1949 through 1953 witht the 1954 versions being built for them by Economy. According to McPherson, before actually giving the contract to build their Pontiacs to the guys from Memphis, Meteor had a relationship with Economy. In fact, he says that he has photos of 1953 Economy cars - both long and short wheelbase - with Tennessee license plates that were shot in front of the Meteor plant in Piqua in 1953! They were probably sample cars Economy sent up to Piqua for the Meteor execs to see while they were negotiating the deal. Again, could Ed's car be a 1953 Meteor-Pontiac?

 

[John ED Renstrom]

go back up and look at the 4 pictures I posed. that is a 1953 economy built meteor sedan delivery I have the detail of the center door of. they are built way different. now I don't have a pictures of a economy built economy ambulance but I can't see them tooling for a different body just for meteor. now then I have never seen a superior built sedan delivery either just not sure they never did one. they did a lot of contract type work also. do you have a front shot of the that 53 superior pon ambulance. I sure would like to see if the tunnel lights look the same or not. I'm seeing a lot of teasers type shots of them. some look like the bolt on lights some look molded in. mine are molded in with a flair. I did start the car today and drove it around today. had to mow under it again. that straight 8 really runs smooth.

 

[Todd Merrifield]

Do you know the overall length? I don't know if you could measure that accurately, or if it would help, but:

Barnette = 239"
Economy = 233" - 235"
Meteor = 233"
Superior = 231"

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Ed, I'm not really sure where you're going with this, but here's the photo of the front of the Superior. It's still quite different from yours.

The reason you don't see any pictures of Superior-built sedan deliveries is that Superior didn't build them that way. Economy certainly must have had a different body for a Meteor (a Ford product) and a Pontiac (GM product).

The evidence is certainly strongest for your car being an Economy, though not 100%, but we can be 100% sure it's not a Superior. :bonk:

 

[John ED Renstrom]

just want to see how they did the tunnel lights on the superior. I realise that car is built off the station wagon body. but if one can find a pictures of a car that you can id with this set of tunnel lights on it they one can check and see if the other facts fit. notice how superors come stright out of the roof. you could set a levele on them.
Economy is out. they have square corners on there doors, the filler space between the side doors is different. there name plate went over the beltline molding just in front of the front door. none of these facts of Economy construction are consistent with this car. that along with the glass treatment being different. says it not a Economy no matter how hard I would like it to be. I really though it was one to till Tom sent me the picture of the 53 meteor built by Economy. so unless one has a picture of a economy showing they built them different then they built a meteor I'm guessing the body construction was the same.
it measures 156 inches from the center of the hub caps and is in the 233 over all range. give or take a inch or two of guessing with the bumper guards on one end and missing off the other. the tunnel light are not a fluke, Todd has the same set on his GMC. it's a guess who built it also but I would say they were built in the same place. it's the only other set I have seen constricted in this fashion. the key to peging this car is to find a picture of one with the same door construction and the same lights. then it's check any inside pictures. but with so few sedan delivers and so few made into stright ambulances it not a easy pictures to find of one. just hoping some one has one in there file somewere. they could not have just sold the only one built to a small town in Wy

 

[Todd Merrifield]

156" Wheelbase is consistent with Barnette, who claimed they had the longest Pontiac procars, but the wheelbase could still be the same on another builder's car.

Like I said, Kevin O'Connell claims my GMC was made by Yankee in CA., but aside from that statement I can't find any other info on the company from the 50's. Wyoming isn't exactly on the West Coast, but it is closer to it than it is to Ohio, where most of these coaches came from, so it's possible they sourced a West Coast builder. It may be a one-off deal.

 

[Cary Livingston]

After looking at the 53 Economy brochure ( again) your door configuration is identical the door configuration shown in the brochure (some had square door edges..some didnt)...the blue combination picture CLEARLY shows it............

my old POS Murray riding mower had a Ford emblem on it............

 

[Darren Bedford]

I have a Ford, GM and International Harvester fridge ! ...and a Ford 12" TV.

I even have a Yamaha bicycle only sold at Yamaha motorcycles dealers from 1974-76.

You guys are incredible when it comes to old procars !!!
Like a google search for information these days.
You all amaze me with your detective work !!!

Like John and his lights and sirens... you are all people the PCS should be very proud to have as long standing members. Guys who know and share info with us all. Way to go guys !



Darren

 

[John ED Renstrom]

After looking at the 53 Economy brochure ( again) your door configuration is identical the door configuration shown in the brochure (some had square door edges..some didnt)...the blue combination picture CLEARLY shows it..

a picture or artist rendition. if I'm remembering that flier right there all drawings. no manufactures would mix styles of door openings in a run. they would be tooled for one and keep that. now all we have is the Economy built Meteor pictures of a combo.but if you compare doors, drip rail and quarter glass you can tell they are two different cars. the corners on the doors are the same as Barnette. I don't have a detailed enough pictures to see if the rear edge of the Barnette has the dog leg at belt line. but still can't get around the tunnel lights being different. same as Todd's GMC and the other LA G units