Ambulance Restoration
6/10/06 Photo Album

1. Pipe secured inside tail attaches to engine stand or custom mount inside body. Sketch
   
2. Clean up and reinforce the bulkheads and bolt the tail to the body directly. Sketch A monopod crutch or bi-pod cradle could support the tail and relieve the forces on the bulkheads.
   
   1. The body mounting point appears to be the stronger of the two, judging by the bolts & pieces of the tail left in place when the scrappers ripped off the tail.
   2. That made the flange on the tail weak. Can we glass/glue in the wood to reinforce it?
   3. We would have to take out a chunk of the horizontal brace to allow the wood to be fit in, and the wood would need a big hole for access to the inside flange bolts.
   4. The flange bolt heads, even if we used something like carriage bolts & offset them, would probably cause a gap, as there's little or no inset of the body mounting flange.
   5. The flange bolt heads would crush the flange 'glass when the tail was snugged down.
   6. This design means that the weight of the tail will have to be held in position while the bolts are tightened, although certainly better than tightening 17 of 'em.

1. Do we try to make the amb better, stronger, prettier than before, or try to replicate the original as close as possible, with all it's weaknesses?
   
2. I think almost all of the amb parts could be cleaned up and reinforced & such, and not rebuilt/replaced.
   
3. It wouldn't look as shiny, but it would be easier, cheaper and more authentic, with all the little warts that don't get noticed on screen.
   
4. Like the collector car guys say: You can rebuild a car a dozen times; it's only original once.
   

• Mark is working on a custom trailer.
• We need volunteer drivers! Required: 1/2-ton truck/SUV with Class III hitch.