Edward Nolan : The Ambulance
(click pics to zoom)
It all started when ... May, 2022
So I bought an old ambulance from a guy. Paid $1500 for it. Got it because I wanted a big toolbox. It worked for that purpose. PLUS it ran, so I could actually DRIVE my toolbox around. It had an old-school Ford 460 engine in it -- so it had gobs of torque and could actually pull my bus around the lot.
Then came the comments from all sorts of people I knew. It usually went like this: "You should turn it into a tiny-home!"
No, I'd assure them that I ALREADY had a 40-foot bus -- no need for another mobile-living-home project.
The best laid plans Fall 2024
In June of 2024 I lost the use of my left eye. Over the following 12 months, after prayerfully considering
my new situation, I discovered that I could still do almost all
of the things I could do before ... for the most part.
It's not that I *cant* drive it. I've driven it a few times. I just don't like driving it anymore. To make things worse, there is a blind spot for me where one didn't exist before. While I could compensate with a blind spot camera (totally do-able) -- I don't see the point to it. Why put so much work into something that you can no longer enjoy?
Plan B Spring 2025
OK. Focus on what you actually have, not what you wish you had...
I can drive the ambulance just fine. I don't actually need 40 feet of living space (although it would sure be nice). The ambulance isn't just easier to drive, it also can actually fit into smaller parking lots where the bus simply cannot go.
Furthermore, God has brought even more changes to my life. Seems likely that I'm going to move back to Southwestern Pennsylvania this summer. In the midwest, the bus can go just about anywhere and (with work) you can find somewhere to park it, too. In the more moutainous country of SW PA, the bus simply cannot travel to may of the places I need to go -- and we won't even bother talking about finding parking for it. The bus is just too big and unwieldy.
OK then, I'll turn the ambulance into a home, instead of my bus.
New Plan of attack Summer 2025
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So I found a guy, 50 miles away, who had a 1991 box-truck and a 1987 RV for sale. Neither ran, but between the 2 of them, they had parts galore. The seller tossed in 4 brand-new, never-mounted, tires at no extra cost. Hauling both trucks back home was challenging, to say the least. The night before I came to pick them up, somebody snuck onto the sellers property and stole the generator out of the RV -- Annoying, but still a good deal.
The Ambulance
The 1980 ambulance is the oldest thing I own. It's in pretty good shape. It needs quite a bit of work, but it will be solid, reliable and
easy to maintain. Being older, it's cheaper to register and is exempt from some of the restrictions newer vehicles face.
Going to replace the C6 3-speed auto transmission with a relatively newer
4-speed automatic (overdrive with lockup!). Going to fit an aftermarket
fuel injection kit to it, as well. Front steering and suspension needs an
overhaul. Windshield is cracked, too.
It's "cargo box" is made out of aluminum. It's super durable and strong. It's already installed on
the ambulance. It makes getting to your tools and stuff from the outside super easy.
But it's "cargo" box also has lots of nooks, crannies, cabinets and toolboxes. Not so great if you're trying
to build a living space. All of those storage areas intrude on the inside of your living area. And usually,
they seem to be right where you want to put something else (like a shower or a bed).
I'm constantly smacking my head on the ceiling -- its too short for me.
All that aluminum is extra
weight, too, before you even add a single piece of furniture to your build.
The cargo van
The cargo-van box is bigger. You can easily stand up in it. It has an "attic" over the drivers cab.
It's completely empty inside - a blank slate - there isn't much in your way, mostly. It's floor is built completely
above the rear wheels, so there are no wheel-wells inside the living space.
It's also much lighter than the ambulance box.
The salvage RV
The RV living areas are totally ruined, water-logged and unusable. Mechanically,
it's in a reasonable shape, but ultimately, it's just a parts vehicle.
Parts and pieces galore
So the cargo-van and the salvage-RV are parts-only vehicles. Neither can be titled for road-use (long story,
don't ask). BUT, they provide a wealth of parts to rejuvenate this old ambulance. Some parts that the ambulance
will inherit are