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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 | Hi. I'm New to this board. Very informative that's for sure. Thanks to 3B for answering some of my mundane questions. What I'm wondering is if anyone has an idea what to do with a fire truck box? I'm talking about a pumper type with a 750 gallon tank. I seen where a guy removed all the fire apparatus and cut the side down a bit and made a wood bed. Kind of like a 12 foot pickup bed. Can't find the pic anymore though. If anyone has any pics or ideas I would appreciate it. Plan is to make a car hauler out of it eventually, but right now I would just like to get it useful to me.Maybe just putting a flat bed on for the time being is best. But I though it would be kind of neat to use the original box for something. Truck is a 54 GMC 600 series Thanks, Ron
Last edited by cff; 11/13/2015 2:45 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2015 Posts: 113 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2015 Posts: 113 | I pulled a american lafrance body and pump off of my 59 big bolt back in April. Thinking it would be of use to someone. Several posts on Craig's list and 6 months later there has been no interest. I am getting ready to scrap it at this point.
1959 Chevy 8500 - Spartan 80
366 BBC
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 | Yeah, that's what I figured. Thanks. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,792 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,792 | Truck is a 54 GMC 600 series Sort of like this one? Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,598 Moderator | | Moderator Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,598 | Jerry Seems like I have seen that truck before! I'm in the same position and have a 1970 American La France that needs a new home. Picked it up about a year ago for less than scrap value. There is just not much market out there for used firetrucks and they sell cheap, if they sell at all. If I do part it out and scrap the rest, does anybody know a good place to try and sell the parts and pieces? Here are some pics of it. http://s893.photobucket.com/user/2-Ton/library/1970%20American%20LaFrance%20FiretruckDon
1967 GMC 9500 Fire Ladder Truck"The Flag Pole"In the Stovebolt Gallery1946 2-Ton grain truck 1946 3/4-ton pickup, 1953 1-ton pickup 1957 1-ton flatbed dually, 1954 Pontiac Straight Eight Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most! | | | | | Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 44 | Jerry mine looks just like that. And Don, you're right, they are cheap. But that's what I like. You can get a cheap truck that has a really good body on it. Both of mine are totally rust free. The 54 has 14000 miles on it with the 503. The 63 had 6300 miles on it with the 409. Has 8200 now cause I drove it all the way back from Great Bend, Kansas to Langley, BC. Purred right along the whole way. Hey Don, what's with the chevy cabover fire truck that I seen in the background of one of your pics?. For sale maybe?
Thanks for your input guys. I will probably do a flat deck like the pic from Jerry. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,214 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,214 | Not sure what scrap is bringing out your way, but here in Maryland I got a wapping 1 cent per pound two weeks ago. Not worth the fuel to haul it there. A 3000 pound service body would earn you 30 bucks...not worth the effort! Drive a 10,000 pound truck in and you get $100 less $15 for each tire on a rim and you walk away with 10 dollars! AND the scrap yard is rounding Up and Down to the closest dollar, so you might be giving them 49 pounds for free! Very depressing... Mike B  | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,792 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,792 | That one actually belongs to Ed Pruss from Colorado. I drove it from Tennessee to the Stovebolt Reunion in Kansas City in September, and Ed drove it the rest of the way home a week later. It had been at my farm in Tennessee all summer after Ed had some problems on his way home from Alabama. Quite a truck! I hauled my Honda Gold Wing out to KC on the flatbed and rode it home from the reunion. I've got an American LaFrance pumper on a 61 GMC chassis, the pugnosed model with the 401 V6 in it. I've got plans to make it a trailer towing rig with a commercial 5th. wheel, a gooseneck hitch, and a 3-speed Brownie transmission behind the Clark 5-speed in place of the fire pump in the driveline. That will give me 15 speeds forward and 3 in reverse. http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/61_GMC_001.jpgJerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 Crusing in the Passing Lane | | Crusing in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 | I've had several fire trucks from '37 to '54, usually low on rust, low on mileage-no clue on pumping hours-easy to replace pump with Brownie, nice, unusual body styles. Make sure body style fits your needs. Appears many fire truck maintain't people use non-standard methods(crude) to do maintenance, or none at all.
Last edited by EdPruss; 11/16/2015 8:27 PM.
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires.
'47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle.
'54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed.
'55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2013 Posts: 20 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Nov 2013 Posts: 20 | You guys should look up Andy Swift, known as Firefly. He's the country's foremost authority on American LaFrance fire trucks...among others. Specializes in the older ones, but you never know. He's got a couple of these 60's 70's engines kicking about as well. http://www.firegold.com/1andySwift.htmlHis site looks to be down now...but the above link should get you there. | | |
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