Squad 38
The Story of Squad 38
1938 Buick Special Commercial Chassis was built as an ambulance by Eureka Coach Works of Rock Falls, Illinois
It was built for the Veteran’s Home in King, Wisconsin, where it was used for several years
Flash Forward 30 years, it was found rusting away in a barn in Texas
The owner of Bell Ambulance, Rick Zehetner acquired it for $5,000 in 1995
Initial restoration was done in 1996
Rick was not satisfied that it was completely authentic to the era so a second restoration was done in 2002 to make the ambulance 99% authentic
Driving the ambulance is hard work as it has no power steering, and has four-wheel drum brakes with no power assist
The ambulance has a 3-speed "stick" manual transmission, and is powered by a 107 horsepower inline 8 cylinder engine
The "AMBULANCE" sign in the windshield was common at that time; it was made to be easily switched out for a "FUNERAL" sign when needed, as many ambulances from the era were owned by funeral homes and sometimes served as hearses