It started with a story from my Dad...
My Grandpa was a volunteer firefighter in the '40s. He opened a GM Buick dealership around 1949. Knowing the need for a new Pumper / Engine, he got a new 1951 GMC 9700 Bickle Seagrave for the town. Well, Dad tracked down the fate of that truck to being stripped of its fire body and becoming a mobile hoist, and then its final scrapping years ago.
So having the bug in my mind, and thoughts of working with my aspiring mechanic son, I started looking for something like it. It took a couple of years but on kijiji I finally found it, just before Christmas 2015: a 1952 Chevy 1700 Bickle Seagrave. That was so close I figured it'd fit the bill. A friend flat-towed it home for us with a 1-ton Chevy. It was running decent (so I thought) but no brakes, so the game was set.
The truck was mainly original, with most of its equipment as well. It was built in Oshawa, ON, the sent to Woodstock's Bickle Seagrave Fire Truck plant. It served near Sudbury from 1953 to about 1965. Then it went up to Temagami to work at a mine. Some modifications were done there, such as moving the suction hoses to over the hose bed and adding an equipment rack on its side. Some mechanical work was done as well like changing over to 12v negative ground and including the motor swap from the 248 or 270 to a 292 I believe.
So back to our challenges. Over the winter we removed the hydroboost and master cylinder, both of which weren't too bad, but did need rebuilding. Got the parking brake shoes relined and had to replace locks due to no keys. Replaced a brake line and repaired a bunch of wiring and seized up switches and parts. Had to repair most light sockets, and replace the alternator. A few other bits and she was ready for her safety to get her in the road.
In Ontario, with a ownership showing unfit (PO didn't transfer her as road worthy), you can't get a temporary permit, so she was flat towed again, this time behind my 1/2 ton Chevy. After a week waiting for the mechanic to get to her, I had my certificate and promptly got a fit registration and plates.
We're driving now. So, as she gets moving more, it became apparent the motor wasn't quite right. She was leaving a nice blue cloud behind her and was gutless up hills. Well the summer held lots more work, from a complete re-wire to lots of polishing. A few car shows and kids events were where she shined though. Through these she earned the name "Old Smokey" due to the bug repellent cloud behind her. But the motor was not fairing well. During a drive for gas, Old Smokey's motor gave up. A chain tow back home and opening up the pan found 1 and 2 main bearings in ribbons, a broken push rod and lots of filings in the oil.
So the season was over early. But now we had the challenge of removing the motor. After some research and finding the cost savings of doing it myself fairly low compared to the headaches I expected, my son and I decided to remove it and deliver it to a shop with lots of inline experience.
Over the winter, we got the motor back in, rebuilt the carb and had her ready for spring or so I thought. Come warmer weather, a few more things were found. A tiny leak in the fuel line. An improperly jetted carb. Forgot to gap points right. Bad battery.
But Old Smokey's running great now. Not that things are over. Lots more to do for my son and I, but that's half the fun!
Last edited by Peggy M; 03/14/2024 4:11 PM.
