The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts The Stovebolt Volunteer Fire Department 1947 Chevy Pumper Truck

Hi There! I've had a few Stovebolts in the past, and came across this Pumper for sale locally. Of course I am not a firefighter, a parade enthusiast, nor have any use for a fire truck, so obviously I bought it.
It was restored at some point, and runs very well, but as mentioned earlier, is a fire truck. I can get her up to about 50, but that's just not good enough to overtake the Prius doing 52 in a 55 on the highway.

The question is, to make the thing more user friendly to other motorists, should I 350 swap the drivetrain and store/sell the 216/crashbox or leave it alone and put it back on the market? The first two pictures are as she sits, the last is an idea of something I would like to build.

Welcome to the Stovebolt Garage!!
Very nice old Firetruck and should be kept as is. But, that is just my opinion.
It is your ride, so make it your ride.

Once the word gets around that you own one, you will be invited to all kinds of events.
So what it will only run about 50 mph, the cool factor and waves make up for the speed.

Don

That firetruck is absolutely beautiful. My vote is to leave that piece of history alone, but it’s your truck and I could also see transporting another Stovebolt on the back of that flatbed!

They are only original once, it is your truck though. I'd try to preserve that one!

The 'cool factor' is leaving it a fire engine, you'll get way more attention driving it than having a car hauler.

If you really need to go faster, buy a more modern rollback that's big enough to haul the fire engine! Best of both worlds...

I owned this truck for almost 20 years and had the same thoughts about making it a car hauler...the wife and father in law talked me out of it and I never regretted it...I put over 30K miles driving it to shows and in parades!

Mike B

That's a gorgeous truck!

Thanks!

Hallmark modeled their 2011 Fire truck Christmas Ornament using this truck...they even put the name on the door!

Mike B

I have seen Mike’s truck in person and it is a very good part of history saved!
As Mike has said, the cool factor out weighs a roll back many times over!
It is also a babe magnet that I did not know about.

Don

556Motorsports , Mine 1948 6400 ex fire truck . I put a Ford motor home Daina 60 HD rear axle with 4.11 ratio in my 48 , but mine has a stock 5 speed crash box and 5th gear is 1 to 1 . It does 50-55 mph @ 3500 rpm's 216 cid ,HEI ignition , 70's Mono Jet carb from 250 cid 6 .
I put a flat bed on it .
Just a thought for you if you put a car hauler bed on it find a nice small old Airstream trailer . pull the axle put it on skids , now you can pull up it up onto the car hauler .
I did a 4930 mile round trip with mine in 2014 from Atlanta GA to Dolan Spring AZ and back . Before rear axle change @ 45 mph 6 days out 6 days back . I had a great time .
A vintage Fire truck is neat but as a classic bike magazine says " Don't Hide Them Ride Them '