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I'm still moving forward with the 1951 fire truck restoration but I wanted to say thanks to the stovebolt members for all of your help with information and parts location.

Here is a link to the latest photos I took this morning. BTW: the speedometer adapter I got from Mike Gilman is in one of the photos!

wow, awesome work! I see the adapter sitting back there thru the other instrument hole. Beautiful truck. How far away from finish now in your estimation? Looks to be getting quite close.
Nice!

Thanks. It looks even better in person. I guess six months if all goes well. There always seems to be a hold up for one part or an other which holds us back for a time. That is why there are so many things are "almost finished" as we move forward. "Almost finished" is what we say everyday around the truck...

It still has a ways to go but I hope to have it ready by Spring of 07. I'd love to be able to put it in some of the parades and local vehicle shows. I'll post more pictures as we move it along.

Lookin' good Va.firetruck. Seems like yesterday you were telling about the trip home with it.

Wow you are doing a fantastic job on that truck. Looks great!

It is coming along nicely. Just tell me where you got the 4000 RPM tach that I see on the control panel. I've looked high and low for one but they all seem to be made for a Yamaha, i.e., 12K or so.


ps..FWIW, just read where some new Yamaha crotch rocket turns 18K and no, it's not a rotary engine.

Thanks. That 4000 RPM Sun tach is the original 1951 that was restored to new including new electronics in the sending unit that mounts on the firewall.

Well shucks. Here I was hoping that you were going to tell me where I could buy one.

Sorry. I had it restored at Bob's Speedometer in Michigan. Maybe he has access to others that he can sell you. Link: http://www.bobsspeedometer.com/bobs/

Great documentation with all of your photos. Nice looking truck!

Thanks. I can say without hesitation that without the support, knowleadge and experiance of the Stovebolt members, we could not finish the project. When we are done, I'll proudly tell folks the Stovebolt forum members were part of our team! Thank you all for sharing with me.

VaFT -- Great job!!! Does/will it pump when you're done? What kind of pump does it have and what body?

For some strange reason, I'm really interested in firetrucks all of a sudden... with a particular interest in Darley pumps...


John

Thanks! Yes it will pump. All valves work properly and I have the original plans and maintenance documents. It is a Hale 500 GPM two stage pump. OREN built the body in 1952.

BTW: I added two more pictures to the album today as we installed all the dash gauges and hooked up the wires and sending units-amp,oil & fuel tank etc. Photo link: http://rides.webshots.com/album/483681592tjBocg?start=168

We are still moving along with cooling, exhaust and fuel system installs.

A few of the updated pictures:

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2041369510080243953Btxkwv

Is that truck originally from the Pantego, TX fire dept?? Used to live about 4 blocks from there...Mike

It was Pantego, North Carolina.

Nice, very nice....that red color is working for you too.

Yes it does. Just like in your photos. The red color looks great inperson but in the photos always looks orange. It is a beautiful firetruck red color that sets off the chrome.

Updated pictures: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2165088650080243953UKsqVJ

Drive shaft with new u-joints installed. Also working on small stuff like the hydrovac filter line. Would not be posible without the help of the stove bolters! Thank you all.

Nice progress VFT. Looks like all is going smoothly. Can't wait to see the finished result...Will be following closely. Good job!!

Virginiafiretruck, Looks great.

I wish your Bolt name was Californiafiretruck and I'd come over and see!

Keep up the great work. I have to live vicariously thru talented Bolters until I have a life sometime.

Thanks. It is very relaxing and educational. I can't wait to get it finished. Sometimes my outside the garage life gets in my way and I can't get back to the garage fast enough. Got to go visit relatives for a week... Boy that should be fun...not!

Great documentation. Makes my little project seem less intensive but really like yours so far. Mine is still in the reinstalling stage, waiting to finish painting the remaining parts. Wish I could see yours in person.

Me too. As long as we are "wishing", I wish you could come over and give me a hand puting it back together!!! Happy Thanksgiving.

Nice group of photos. I'm curious to know what you used for a carrier bearing, or if you even had to replace it.

Thanks. If you view the photos, you'll see there is a Hale brand fire pump that connects in the middle of two individual drive shafts. I figure that they are both short distances so Oren(the folks that built the fire truck setup) determined no carrier bearing was needed.

There is a slip yoke on the front drive shaft that might acount for flex during operation but no carrier bearings are present on either the front or rear drive shafts.

I guess that on a 161" wheelbase 2 ton, there should be a carrier bearing but I'd have to look in the shop manual to be sure. My manual is down at the shop and it is closed until Monday morning and I'm out of town.

Today: Emergency brake handle installed, vacuum lines installed, hydrovac removed and lots of other little things accomplished. New updated photos: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2020484630080243953KwumiX

I added more pictures this morning. I can't thank you all enough for the information that has lead me to restoring this fire truck. Without your knowleadge and experiance, I wouldn't have this truck as nice as it is.

I can't wait to finish it and get to drive it again! Thank you all again. photo link: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2632537250080243953flgUtG

WOW!!! That is looking great! That's almost going to be too nice to drive!! Nice job!

Thanks. I loved driving it when I was scared the brakes would fail so I can promise you, I'll drive it on a regular basis once it is done. That sounds funny as are these things ever really done? I doubt it...

More photos: exhaust, air filter, pump panel and I replaced the fuel pump as I purchased the wrong one the first time. Link: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2738714040080243953ToiGmf

Thank you all very much as this would not be possible without you.

53MoneyPit,
Back to the topic of the 0-4000 rpm tachometer, I bought one for my '62 IH Scout. It works very well. I got it at JC Whitney:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Browse/s-10101/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2008903/p-2008903/N-111+10201+600002124/c-10101

Hope that helps!

More photos from today: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2788008500080243953RpNvuM

Spent the day cutting pipe, valves and steel from the pump system. It seems some of the valves need to be rebuilt also... BTW: The light fixtures and toggle switch on the pump panel are parts I located on the suggestion of a Stovebolt member. Thank you all very much!

very excellent

More pictures from today: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2643446290080243953noThrc

I have learned that running electrical wire thru the loom is a real pain. I would also like to respond to those who might ask why I have not replaced or repaired the cracks in the steering wheel. I didn't change it (or the gear shift knob) because every firefighter who ever drove the truck touched both those parts. I want to keep touch with that human part of the truck's history. I didn't change out the gear shift either...

Added a couple more pictures from today. Installed Sun Tach on firewall, worklights that seem to be an Oren fire truck item and got the valve cover back on after installing the fire pump gear shift lock. Lots of sand blasting going on which is always fun... You guys are all very inspiring... Thank you.

Finally I'm really starting to see progress. Today's photos: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2631721590080243953fnKRDt
Primer tank blasted, primed painted and reinstalled. More wiring installed and seat installed too.

New pictures from today: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2178158530080243953zXiWoU

Note: I got a new camera so they might be a little hard to see as I've not learned how to use it yet. Anyway radiator is full, inner fenders on, oil filter installed and more wiring taking place. Question: does anyone have their fender wells undercoated so stones do not kick up under the truck and dent the fenders? I'm still considering that option. Thoughts?

I switched back to the old camera this afternoon:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2391880510080243953mFNRcy

Newest update from 10 January 2007: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2073996360080243953pvqpLD

I want to thank Stovebolt members Grigg and Ray S (amoung others) for helping me locate parts for this truck. Without all the assistance, this truck wouldn't be as nice or even near as finished as it is. You all will always be part owners on this firetruck. Thank you all.