For our autoTRADER.ca Find of the Week, we've found some of the rarest and coolest cars, and even some of the biggest bargains in Canada. But this one is a little different.
Maybe you're a collector, looking to add something special to your fleet of classic police cars? Maybe you're in the entertainment industry and are looking for something vintage to add to your on-screen rental fleet. Maybe you want to start your own business in the medical field? (Ed. Wait, what?) Or maybe you need to get from New York City to Redondo Beach, CA as quickly as possible. Whatever your automotive needs, our Find of the Week this week is something extra special and extra unusual. It's a 1976 Dodge Tradesman ambulance, for sale in Vancouver, BC.
The Dodge B-Series van was produced from 1971 to 2003. That's a long life for any vehicle, but when it comes to cargo vehicles, change doesn't come often. Look at Chevrolet's Express vans for a current example.
The B-Series was initially badged Tradesman for work vehicles that lacked rear seats, or Sportsman, for the fully windowed models that had seats for up to 15 passengers. The Dodge vans were the first American vans to get the super-long 15 passenger version. This ambulance is one of those long vans. The B vans were never glamorous, so they didn't often get starring roles in film or on TV. They were normally in the background. Doing work. With two notable exceptions: Red Green's Possum Van, and the based-on-a-true-story ambulance from Cannonball Run.
The B vans had a longer nose than the flat-front 1960s A vans they replaced, but the engine is still right between the driver and passenger seat. Look under the hood, and about the only thing you'll see is the accessory drive. The very front bit of the engine. In this case, that engine is Chrysler's venerable 5.2L V8. Chrysler built the "318" from 1967 until 1991. Then it got a new name and some upgrades and lived on until 2003. It was put into just about everything with a Dodge, Chrysler, or Plymouth logo and rear-wheel drive. Behind that engine is a three-speed automatic.
The vans came in 100, 200, and 300 versions. Those are the codes for the half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one ton models. This van is a B200, which puts it in the middle of the range for load capacity. That shows you some of how medical equipment in ambulances has changed since the 1970s. The mid-range van was enough for the day. Compare that to modern ambulances which are based on the heaviest van chassis, or even 450 and 4500 heavy-duty pickup frames.
Sometimes it's not what you do, it's how you do it. And this ambulance did it from 1976 all the way to 2016. But it looks like it didn't do it very often, after all, it only has about 18,000 km on the odometer. Although it's possible that odometer has travelled around to zero already.
Uniquely for a used ambulance, it still has some of the key ambulance accessories still inside. Like the original gurney, perfect for Farrah Fawcett to use while you're making that cross-country run.
It has all of the electric hookups so that you can put medical monitoring gear back in. Or use it for something a little more conventional. Like a fridge, or a TV. This is still a van after all, and if you don't want an ambulance you could still end up with a cool van for camping, tailgating, or doing van things.
Maybe most importantly, it still has all the lights and sirens. It even has 1970s connectivity features. No, not CarPlay or Bluetooth, it has near-field communications: a PA system. It also has free unlimited calling: a CB hookup. Now we would never recommend that you use those lights and sirens, at least not on public roads, but it's always nice to know that they're there. Waiting for when you need them.
This ambulance is a cool piece of history. And it's a kind you don't normally see. Old police cars are common, old military vehicles are still around, but old ambulances aren't a common sight. If you'd like this one to be a common sight for you, then find Captain Chaos, hit up the ad, and make it yours.
