1981 Box Ambulance Project

[Locknkey]

Well finally got some progress made on the 1981 Box Ambulance, its a C30 heavy duty Chevrolet with a 1989 454 Holly 600 carb. 400 transmission, duel axle. It has new heads and they even put headers on it.

It came with a gurney, medical badages, oxygen fitting and all the running lights, body bag included.

It has two Alt, and the brake system is hyd.

I'll get some pics of it posted soon.

Its been sitting and waiting for me to get started on for 3 years, since I brought it at a city goverment auction, its been a interesting project to say the least.

The engine has been replaced, since it has a metal plate attached claiming its been rebuilded in 1989.

Since the build up, I'd replaced the starter, carb, belts.

I've been looking for a electrical diagram for it and haven't located one anywhere...does anyone know if one exsist?

Bruce

[Locknkey]

Here's a little background on the ambulance...
Its been used at first as a Ambulance, built as a ambulance, then later on it was sold to another city for the use of being a Fire Ambulance. Then it was retired because of a leaking Holly carb.

When I recieved it, it wasn't running. I replaced the starter, the holly carb, 4 batteries, all the belts...distributor cap,rotor and plugs/wires. Removed all the fuel from in the tanks, with new gas, fuel filter, plan on replacing the fuel pump when I get the nerve to get under the frame to be able to get it jack up high enough...and a jack that's able to lift it.

Rebuilt all the locks and ign cylinder on the doors, and box cab door locks.

Need to find the cab lenses for the cab running lights. and a wiring diagram to figure out why some of these under hood wires were cut off and left unprotected...

No EGR on this 454 engine, only distributor vaccum and Transmission Vaccum.
Thought all engines had a EGR....

[Boog]

An ambulance project. Now that's different. I am absolutely no help with it but have a couple of suggestions.
There should be a conversion company plate attached to it somewhere giving the name and maybe address. You could contact them and maybe gain some info and leads to where to purchase some of the missing items such as lenses, decals, etc. You could probably give them the vin # and they could maybe tell you all about your truck.
I could see this truck sitting at a show lowered just a bit with some big wheels and detailed throughout and lights strobing. Maybe instead of patient care it's turned into an entertainment room with audio/visual equipment, couch or bed, fridge, grill... Tailgaters would love it.

[Locknkey]

Thanks 4 reply Boog, Yea its already low enough for me, as 5'8 155lbs and I can't scoot under it without my chest getting to the framework, this thing has duels in the back, and I haven't been able to locate any tag id stating where it was made at...thought it came from the gm factory this way as the cabinets are made from formed plastic with sliders on the inside, love the inside lights and the inside air conditioner which for a 81 still works well. Although I have another place inside under the cabinet that has a bunch of wires that I would assumed is the 120v converter as it also has a place for a battery hookup.

So far I counted 5 places for 12v batteries, with two alt's and no wiring diagram.

The engine runs perfect now thats its running, but I don't know if some of this wiring is needed/batteries.

Well gonna used this as a locksmith van, already running out of room in the conventional ford van and needed something bigger to carry these locks an keys around.

[dan76]

In my experience (especially in the early years of ambulance conversions) these trucks were converted by a smaller mom/pop business with little attention to details such as wiring diagrams. Folks would run wiring to fit requirements levied by the customers and when problems ensued the truck would go back to the business for servicing.

Therefore as you're going through the wiring, start a diagram and label each wire. Most times only one or two wire colors were used so you might find three blue and five red wires in a bundle. As you trace out the wires, be sure to clearly label each one for future reference.

[Locknkey]

The wiring needs some serious help, still haven;t located the a wiring diagram, need to know what the wires when to and possinbly where as the reson they were cut off.

Will post some brfore pic's for all to see what I 'll taking about, mebie you might have a suggrestion as to how to do about doing this the right way.


Just got the new radiator in tonite, seems is much better that What I had in it before,,hope its not a leaker too. will post soom pics thids pm after I can get them together for you.... all to let me kmow what you thik I should do with it....
Bruce

[ChevLoRay]

Is the box removable from the chassis/cab? If so, that may be the reason for cutting the wiring....like a premature idea to separate the parts.

Wiring issues are intimidating, to say the least.

[JohnO356]

You can get the factory wiring diagrams from the Mitchell manuals:

http://www.eautorepair.net/Marketing/Default.asp


This site lets you download and print what you want also. I've used it for several different vehicles, and it's great.

[Locknkey]

Thanks for the link John, but...they are for 1983 to 2008, mine is the 81 Custom Cab (C30 or from parts houses says its a P30). My smartmedia card reader won't read the camera disks so guess I'll have to buy one of those to be able to post the pics on the mess...there are even some things I've never seen on a truck before thats disconnected....but used to have wires connected to it. I will try to find a card reader today at staples since they are the closest to me...

[Locknkey]

Chev, the box could mabie be removed, but from a weight and height point of view, I doubt I would want to try it, rather drop the tanks if thats what it would take to find out why the gas gage goes past full.....may have something to do with the tank selector switch under the flap of the gas tank. Already replaced the dash switch....going to staples to get a card reader (smartMedia)

[JohnO356]

Check this out. It looks pretty complete:

http://www.lloydsautolit.com/Items/1...nual/3478.html


Google is your friend, lol.

[Locknkey]

Thanks John, but that one is for Light Duty type trucks, mine is'nt a light duty, it 1 one ton, with duellys and heavy duty springs and coils, alumium box. Lots of electrical gizmos and a few weird switches with no tags on them that I have no idea what they do.

Just got it licensed and insured, and made a road test of about a mile and it ran out of fuel, I know I had fifteen gallons in each tank, but it went someplace....don't know if someone sucked it dry or not...or whatever, it left my rig beside the road in somebodys driveway, had a passerby drove me back to the house to get a gallon of gas and restarted it to get it back home....am not in a fiffy good mood at this point. Gotta get this beast rollin correctly.

[JohnO356]

Maybe you'd have better luck if you move this thread to the 73-87 forum.