Sayers and Scovil’s Cadillac ambulance became the industry standard for many years. For thirty years, the Fanwood Rescue Squad operated these vehicles. The arrival of the modular, box-style ambulance in the early 1970s allowed for greater space for patients, caregivers, and equipment in the rear. The only response vehicle owned by FRS until 1977 was a typical 1971 S&S Cadillac ambulance known as “Car W.”
We’re thrilled about the discovery of an extremely dusty 1971 Cadillac High Top M-M Volunteer Ambulance that some barn find hunters recently made. It’s always a huge thing when a rare and authentic barn discovery is discovered, but recently, these kinds of discoveries have becoming less frequent.
It’s been about a year since the world turned upside down and everyone thought staying in, watching Netflix, and getting near nobody was healthy, so it’s good to see people are out and about while tracking down some sweet barn finds like this Caddie.
I’m sorry, but it looks like your intentions to construct a ride with a Ghostbusters theme won’t work out this time. The Virginia Fire Museum will refurbish and permanently display this specific Caddie ambulance. Even though it will require some restoration, photos of it after a thorough cleaning reveal that the paint is in remarkably good shape. Even on the rocker panels, this ancient Cadillac doesn’t resemble Swiss cheese, so whatever was in that barn dust must have prevented corrosion.
As for the barn from which it was pulled, well that’s pretty much a goner. As you can somewhat see in the photos, the thing was literally coming down around the classic car, so it’s good they got it out of there before any damage was done. However, the crew which yanked the ambulance out had to work for a few hours to free it, so don’t let anyone telling you barn find hunting is easy work.
The car had been sitting for twenty years, and the tires were half-buried in the earth. The car had also gathered a good amount of dust. However, the trim and even the gumball lights appear to be quite intact. The interior isn’t shown in any pictures, but we wonder whether it’s not in as excellent of shape. If so, you can anticipate a prompt restoration of this ride. If you’re interested, the museum says it will share updates about the development on its Facebook page.