Why I started to collect Dodge WCs

[tractor]

As a kid I always loved when MASH re runs came on and I could see that ambulance rushing in carrying a patient to the glorious Hawkeye or Trapper to be saved. When I got old enough to buy my first vehicle at the age of 17 and had the money I was told about a place with Dodge WCs for sale. I went there and looked at a few Chevys and a Dodge pickup which turned out to be my WC 12. However I saw the owner had a WC 9 flat back and instantly wanted that and said screw truck I want an ambulance remembering the TV show MASH. Well to say the most my parents forbid me from owning an ambulance and said I could only go with a pickup and it had to be closed cab. That made me mad. Then I decided because I can only have a pickup I like the 1 1/2 ton Chevys and that is what I would get. My dad then preceded to say that it was to large for any of our trailers or his friends so I had to go with the Dodge. So i was bummed out that I couldn't get a choice with my own money. The start to the happier side of the story. Two years later without my parents knowledge I bought my first ambulance a WC 9 flat back with louvers. The cool thing was it was a movie star in a few movies but was also suppose to be in MASH but turned out that it wasn't with further investigation. I do know for a fact it was in some movies. Well a 6 months after my first one i had bought a frame from a WC 9 and then bought a WC 18. So now I have 3 ambulances and a pickup. With the 18 I bought there is another ambulance frame that I still have to get. So I guess it is 2 ambulances with bodies and 2 without. The story only gets better. I was visiting museums last month and came across a few of the MASH vehicles. I was examining the WC 27 from the show and told the curator that this is the reason I had gotten into collecting military vehicles. He was surprised I think I was the first person he ever heard say anything like it. I have ran into a bit of trouble and have been threatened that all my stuff will be thrown outside if I don't get rid of some of my Dodges so I am forced to sell my slant back and the WC 18s frame plus the mystery WC frame. So it seems like my Mom is forcing me again to do something I don't like. I would move out but rent is to high and I would have to find room for 5 WCs.
Mark
Here is a few pictures of my Dodges that are still in Restoration another reason I don't move out. The Dodges get all my money. They are worse then GIRLS. The 12 is sanded all teh way down to the original paint now and will be painted with OD 2 from TM9 which is a very close match. Also my truck turned out to be from a base my Grandfather served at during the war. The door said 214 CA HAAN as far as I can tell from whats left. The reason I got a WC 9 slant back frame is because I always wanted a 9 slant back so i plan on putting the 18 body on it.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/obball123/wc-12/IMG_3427.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/obball123/wc9/IMG_3447.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/obball123/wc%209%20frame%20with%20wc%2018%20body/IMG_6437-1.jpg

[JimmieD]

Hi, Tractor! Somehow I missed your post. Looks like you've got a good start on your collection. Maybe you could live in the ambulance and use another for your transportation haha? I know it hurts to get rid of this stuff but sometimes ya have to do what ya have to do! Any chance you could search around and make a deal on storage of your vehicles on somebody's ranch or whatever? If cash is short maybe you could even swap labor for storage fees? I'd get the terms in writing though so you don't lose anything later.

Regardless I hope it all works out for you.

JimmieD

[tractor]

I also need some money to finish restoration of my wc 9/18 and because of being in school i can't work

[tractor]

I listed it for sale last night in For Sale section.

[Ugg013]

Hey Tractor:

I can relate to bein forced to get sumpthin ya didn't want by your folks. Way back when, when I wanted to get my 1sr decent car (as in non-beater), my Dad made me get a Buick instead of the Chevelle I wanted. Much to his dismay (& I know I'll hear it here too), it turned out that fat block Buicks were the ONLY thing that could do in a hemi. 13 flat in the quarter @ 107.

I too wanted an ambulance body vehicle from the WW II era. I actually had one for 2 whole weeks while living up in Washington State. I however prefer the 3/4 tonners. While searchin for one, we came across the Beast & it was love at 1st sight, so we got it. 6 years later, it's nowhere near finished, but it does cruise, & is a TOTAL gas when drivin it.

Look forward to that 1st drive, no matter how short. Be very careful though, as most people will start rubbernecking to check you out, and that can get dangerous.

Enjoy
Ugg

[MoparNorm]

Hey Tractor:

I can relate to bein forced to get sumpthin ya didn't want by your folks. Way back when, when I wanted to get my 1sr decent car (as in non-beater), my Dad made me get a Buick instead of the Chevelle I wanted. Much to his dismay (& I know I'll hear it here too), it turned out that fat block Buicks were the ONLY thing that could do in a hemi. 13 flat in the quarter @ 107....

Enjoy
Ugg

Ugg, what year and motor would that be?
When all my friends were putting small block chevies into their Jeeps I wanted a 289 Cobra motor, saved for a year, then my Dad came home with a 340 Buick out of a California GS Special, was I ever bummed....guess what, that 340 Buick could run circles around the 327-350 chevies...it came stock with a trick intake, special heads and (what we called then) a 3/4 cam, it could rev all day long about 6,000 rpm...nice stealth missile in a Jeep!

Tractor, hang in there, we have all been through it!
JimmieD, don't get any ideas about that extra lot up there....ha!ha!

[Ugg013]

Nammy:

1967 Buick Skylark GS 400. So that'd be a engine built in 67, 400 cubes @365 horse from the factory. Then, there were these parts that came from your neck of the woods, Kenne/Bell. For some strange reason though, it kept eating trannys. BTW, it didn't have the CA specs. I believe they already were makin cars different back then (from the factory, as in emissions), or was that 72 when they started?

1st thing I did to that car was put in functional Ram-Air. Then I got rid of the Bograjet carb for a Holley double pumper which I ended up dejetting. Every time I punched that car, the gas gauge'd go up. We used to joke sayin it was sucking out the gas from the cars we passed, but what I really liked was that not only would the tires break loose at a 70 MPH punch, but your head would also go into the back seat. Ah, them were the days.

Later
Ugg

[MoparNorm]

CA cars started getting detuned in '72.

[Ugg013]

Norm:

Yeah, now I member. That's when they all started that stuff, but I guess CA went heavier. Been pre-occupied with mid-terms. For a while there I thought I was REALLY losin my mind, as I was havin major problems trying to figure out what was goin on. Seriously, I thought I might be getting the Big A.

Turns out it isn't only me. Everyone in ALL the instructors classes is having trouble. One class even had a mutiny & the dean had to go & restore order. Wild. I'm takin Intro To Digital Media Design & Internet Fundimentals. Both required classes so I can get the funding I need to take the classes I need. What a waste of time.

Hey, how's it goin with the fires? From what they're sayin on the tube, the whole lower part (1/3) of CA is burnin. Hope your nice & safe. Ain't Jimmie up where it's burnin?

Later
Ugg

[MoparNorm]

Jim a tad North and up wind, he is good at the moment.
Rocky, with the Town Wagon, lost 6 homes in his area.
Fires are West, East and South of us, but we are miles from any danger. Ed B is right under the smoke from the Arrowhead fire and there are a few guys in North San Diego County that are downwind, but safe, for now. The winds are dying down, but when the sun comes up is going to be ugly, maybe over 700 homes lost.
It's been too windy for most air support, but they did get in one DC-10 drop yesterday, 16,000 gallons of Phoschex in one drop!!!

[JimmieD]

Hi Ugg!

Fine here, no problems as Norm said.

B-12 sublingual tablets and Ginko Biloba can do wonders for memory and mental acuity. Before I started taking it I was a basketcase, now I'm only a screwy, depraved nutball. Nice change, believe me. Us.

[Ugg013]

Norm & Jim:

Glad youse guys are OK. Just heard the Magic Mountain area (????) is up in flames & didn't know if that was a for real place or in Disneyland. HA!

Jim:

I got that stuff, just keep forgettin to take it. HA! Can't even remember where I put it. Hey wait, who am I writting this to? Who am I? What am I? What's it all about Alfie?

Later
Ugg (Hmm, sounds like sumpthin warm & fuzzy)

[MoparNorm]

Norm & Jim:

Glad youse guys are OK. Just heard the Magic Mountain area (????) is up in flames & didn't know if that was a for real place or in Disneyland. HA! ...

Magic Mountain is a Six Flags amusement park...that one went from 2 acres at @ 2:30 PM yesterday to 18,000 acres by 10 PM.
Malibu got all the press because the fruits and nuts from Hollywood live there, but that fire is under 3,000 acres.
We have nearly 600 sq. miles burning right now. The winds are dying down, only about 30 mph now, they were clocked at 106 mph Saturday.
You haven't seen anything until you see a DC-10 drop retardant from 500 ft., 16,000 gallons in one drop, that's like 10 air tankers. Keep in mine that it is NOT flat here, the fires are burning from sea level to above 8,000'. Those pilots are very brave and a little nuts.....

[tractor]

my brother is on the lines on the Santiago fire in OC since Sunday.

[MoparNorm]

They are getting hit hard there today, Santiago, Mojeska and Silverado Canyon are completely engulfed and no fixed wing air support. All the fixed wings are at Arrowhead and Santa Clarita, too windy to fly down south under just a few hours ago. It's been amazing. We have over 500,000 people evacuated, that's MORE than Katrina.
Think about an area the size of New Hampshire, that's how big the combined fire area is....

[tractor]

Our family is hoping that my dads friends in Fallbrook isn't going to be burned. He has a steam railroad. Hopefully they can put these out in the next few days. I think everyone is praying for rain

[MoparNorm]

Is his Steam Railroad in his yard? If so I've seen it.

1,800 homes burned in San Diego County.
600 homes burned in San Bernardino County.
135 Burned in LA County.
Unknown number, but at least 100+ in Orange County.
1,000,000 persons evacuated, the largest evacuation in US history.
More food and clothing than they can dispense, so the Red Cross asked for people to stop donating in San Diego.
Does this sound like Katrina? No the feds aren't even here yet! As screwed up as CA is, I'm proud of my state! And doubly proud of the firefighters and pilots, wind gusts have been as high as 106 mph and 80 mph where the fixed wing craft are dropping retardant.
Anyone see that DC-10 flying between the trees!

[tractor]

Maybe you have seen it. It is full sized. It was on History channel a few years ago.

[tractor]

some new pictures of my 9 slant
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/obball123/wc%209%20frame%20with%20wc%2018%20body/

[tractor12]

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/obball123/wc%209%20frame%20with%20wc%2018%20body/?action=view&current=IMG_1587.jpg
sad sight