FC 2104 Ambulance

[EffCee]

Like the Bailey conversion, the Ambo is a panel-van with a third door. It doesn't have a 4th door on the LHS. Have a close look at the shelving on either side in the last photo.

RET

I hadn't noticed that the there were only three doors. I wrongly assumed as the the door was on the opposite side to the other three door conversions that I have seen that this was a four door station wagon. 

Do you have any idea of the cost of  a conversion. I am wondering if the wagon was dearer that the panel van was there much of a price difference between the panel van and conversion, to the basic cost of the station sedan.

If standard (219) station sedans are relatively rare now, how many were produced in the standard form?

Keith
F4

[RET]

The price of the conversion I don't know, but in a newspaper article about them it says:

"At present Mr Bailey is converting the Holden panel van into an estate car - and the finished, three-door job costs less than the station wagon."

Have a look at AOTW #164, and also this page.

FE-219 is the rarest of all factory Holdens (and one of the lowest volume full production - i.e. not limited edition - vehicles in the world). Only about 1800 ever made. I'm not sure how exactly how many FC-219s were produced, but it's somewhere in the vicinity of 7,000 IIRC.

cheers
RET

[mcl1959]

Keith - one word "COST" it was cheaper to build a van into a ambulance than a wagon into an ambulance. However it became very popular so a lot were converted from wagons to save time - I have lots of articles on ambulances and I have added a few here. These articles are from "Pointers" magazine - a monthly magazine for Holden dealers - rarely seen mags.
The 1st ad is for the barn doors - these could be ordered from your dealer but were outsourced to body builders for fitting. The fact is though that they were available at the time of purchase fitted to your brand new vehicle.



This article is about an ambulance conversion in Gympie QLD. Similar to Zulu's



This one is a very unusual conversion from a wagon with a lengthened body - the text is confusing but obviously there is a join in the glass.



Ken

[customFC]

Hey Ken
Thank you for the extra info on the Ambos......extremely interesting stuff.
Regards
Alex

[EffCee]

Ken,

You never cease to amaze me with your endless wealth of information. I read in one of your much earlier posts that you are writing a book on the FE/FC's. I hope that you are still continuing with the book and when you have finished please put me down for a copy.

RET

Thankyou for providing the numbers on the FE/FC 219. I had no idea that the FE 219 were so rare.
Have either you or Ken got numbers of how many survive, whether awaiting restoration or actually on the road?

Keith
F4

[RET]

RET

Thankyou for providing the numbers on the FE/FC 219. I had no idea that the FE 219 were so rare.
Have either you or Ken got numbers of how many survive, whether awaiting restoration or actually on the road?

Keith
F4

From what I read it seems there's quite a few things about FEs you don't appreciate

The rareness of FE-219s has been discussed here quite a few times before. If memory serves Ken has records of around 15, with about 10 of those either going concerns or restorable.

cheers
RET

[pedro]

Thanks Ret, Ken we really enjoy reading the facts you put up, it all widens our knowledge re FE/FC's, and you know we're only stirring about the FE versus FC stuff, basically they are identical apart from some chrome and a few mechanical "IMPROVEMENTS" on the FC, (see just can't help myself)
                                                Pedro F4

[EffCee]

From what I read it seems there's quite a few things about FEs you don't appreciate

Yes RET you are right, there are a quite a few things about the FE that i don't appreciate (Out comes wooden spoon) (As a faithful Rabbitohs supporter I have many). I appreciate the fact the The FE is the First Edition. In all cases the First Edition is the rough draft and is excelled upon with the second edition. (Lucky for me my wife doesn't have a sister, so only one edition there ) There is much "Bling" on the FC. Now I know that there are those of you who will cry foul and complain that I am not taking in the true picture because so much more was available in the FE re colours and trim etc. Obviously GM saw what was selling and cut out what wasn't selling. I mean why offer a product if no is buying. Cant blame the GM executives for that....

The rareness of FE-219s has been discussed here quite a few times before. If memory serves Ken has records of around 15, with about 10 of those either going concerns or restorable.

cheers
RET

I am amazed at how few of these cars were produced and how few still survive. It seems such a shame that time has nearly passed these cars into the history pages.

In all honesty I love both models of these cars, I prefer the FC over the FE but did not realise how rare the FE standard wagons were. Credit given where it is due, some of the cars that I have seen and some of the photo's shown and work done by people on this site is exemplarary. Bit I just cannot resist when it comes time to use the wooden spoon...

And if I could get a bite from a fish next time I went fishing such as the bites that I have had on the forum, I would be weighing in record fish


Keith
F4

[zulu]

Ken, A big thanks for the additional info re the Ambo & Barn Doors. While we were in Beaudesert picking up the Ambo, we decided to go home via Boonah where the Ambulance was stationed.

While there were no employees still there that remembered our unit, they bent over backwards to help, later sending us invaluable text of minutes of the various meetings from their archives, around the time of the quoting for the Ambo, including panelvan versus wagon prices, & later the actual purchace & quote for conversion to Ambulance.

These extracts also covered it's 1st call out & it's decomishioning & sale

Regards, Gary

[GEB1211]

Hi Gary,

Just wanted to heap accolades on you for the "GREAT" job you have done with your wagon.

I read the story, from the start,,,,,,,,and Jeez Louise,,,,,,,what a great ending,,,,,

Thanks for sharing it,,,,,,,

And great vehicle,,,,,,,,,would love to have one like that one day  ?

Thanks Geoff

[zulu]

Thanks to everyone for all the support and comments about the 219 build and the proposed next project, which is still to be decided.

Ken, This Body Builder must have decided to go it alone with the barn doors as they are sheet metal over wood frames from what I can see

Regards, Gary

[zulu]

Well, after much thought we decided to restore the Ambulance, as it turned out the body wasn't as bad as I remembered, but the paint was too far gone to resurect so opted for a total rebuild.

Coming out of the shed



Grey matter out






Before taking it to the panelbeater I traced what remained of the Ambulance signwriting on to clear vinyl

[zulu]

Great new picture uploading tool RET..........very easy to use, pity my pics are so ordinary

Off with old paint




Guards required Some Rares rust repair panels



And some NOS repair bits, including some of the floors



Sills only needed work in spots, luckily the spare tyre & tank area were rust free, doors were pretty good too but the barn doors needed some work.

[zulu]

I had earlier stated that the original paint was India Ivory but it was actually Adobe Beige with Queensland Ambulance Cream over the top

I have jumped a few steps here, I decided to paint the sub frame & firewall the body colour instead of black



some panels



Almost time to fit some Genuine NOS Rubbers to the front & Barn door openings, with a NOS Old Auto Rubber for the rear side door

[FATBOY]

looking good gary
regards fatboy

[BAZZA]

I come from the Boonah area and remember this van when Dover's had it.
The Dover's yard is next to the High School so I saw it a lot while I went
there 1976-1979. It's good to see it's getting restored I'll tell my brother in law
 who works for Dover's and maybe some of the old employees might remember
when they stop using it.
Bazza

[JB]

The Ambulance is looking fantastic...

You are going to be swamped with people wanting to look at thing one when its done, as well as all of us that want to see the progress shots as you put it all back together.

Well done.

Jason.

[Just40]

wow     looking foward to seeing this.
well done.

[ridgey_didge]

Great to see the progress on this.  It will be an interesting vehicle to see when done.  Will it be ready for and going to the Nats in Orange?

Cheers
David

[zulu]

Thanks for all the interest and words of encouragement, yes, we do hope to have it ready in time for the Nationals in Orange.

Bazza, somewhere along the line it lost the bottom part of the rear attendants seat, but apart from that it was still amazingly intact with it's black glass and cabinets in the back as well.

It wasn't decommissioned till 1969

Apparently, after leaving Dover's it did a stint at a timber yard before being rescued from the bloke I purchased it off from the local tip!

Picture of Dover's, we stopped at Dover's on the way home, but the only bloke who would have used it was away that day



We also stopped at the new Boonah Centre Ambulance Station, we later received valuable info from here regarding it's purchase & subsequent bodywork, everyone up there was very helpful



Here is a shot of us picking it up way back then