The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Idea for Firetruck owners

I see that the latest 'craze' around here is searching out and buying Stovebolt Firetrucks. However, other than spray each other with water.. what are you supposed to do with them. The best thing would be to keep them working somehow, instead sitting around waiting for a parade.
Jay Leno has made his into a motorcycle recovery vehicle, complete with power lift gate. Leno Firetruck Video...
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=187714

Or you can do what this guy has done..
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/10/26/kain.pizza.firetruck.wfsb
(you might have to click on 'most popular' to find and get the video, sorry)
While I like Leno's idea. The pizza truck is much better idea.. especial the part about BEER!

With all due respect to those people that like to radicaly modify their trucks from their original form . My take on it is if you don't like the truck as it was designed don't f**k it up . Having said that - Your truck is your truck to do with as you please and in this country that's called freedom of choice and I did my time in the service to defend it . Now what's the differance driving around a original truck or one that has been modifyed to he!! ? Your still are only driving it around for your own pleasure . My fire truck was not bought because of a not so sudden "Craze" among us Bolters . May be we are just getting more vocal . Since I was a kid I've wanted a fire truck . Now that I'm a Big kid - I have finally gotten one . This truck Will be put back to work as as a volunteer Wildfire / RFD backup pumper / tanker truck - help with the fire safty programs at the local schools and Yes once in a blue moon it may even see a parade or save a burning chemical plants secret papers (lol John). Forgive my tyrade but the subject of radicaly modifying a perfectly good vehicle always get's my Irish up . Again no disrespect is intended to Freedo or those who may hold a differant opinon on the subject than I . Even I have to admit that there are some Really Nice modifyed trucks out there . Ed H

Thanks for the Links Freedo, I thoroughly enjoyed them. I've never seen Jay Leno's firetruck before. It's amazing what the creative mind and an exorbitant amount of money can achieve. I feel that using these trucks, in whatever capacity, is the important part.

As a firefighter myself, I 100% agree with DaOzTinman on this one, I couldnt have said it better myself. A local fire Company started out with a chevy stovebolt firetruck and they recently had the chance to buy it back, and did. There is very detailed and important history to them about that truck (I wont explain the story, but lets just say it was delivered Omaha orange)and when they got there truck back after 40+ years (they didnt even know that it still existed) those boys were so happy they were crying. I think firetrucks should be left as is, especially small town ones that mean so much to the older folks and that truly are a one of a kind piece of history. I just cant stand why people take a piece of history and screw (different choice of words) it up, no matter what kind of car/truck/fire truck it might be.

SO I guess I shouldn't make a car hauler out of the 1957 Dodge I just bought?

Mine was bought at a sealed bid small city auction that I bid what I thought the early hemi engine was worth. I ended up with the entire truck. My intent was to sell the engine but when I found out it had 16k miles on it, no real rust so to speak, it may be too nice to do that with. My next thought was car hauler. What do I do with a pump truck thats 26' long and weighs lots of tons? It has 19' behind the cab, perfect length for a flatbed. At this point, I plan on selling it because I can't bring myself to cut it up. If it doesn't sell, I take pictures but won't hesitate to make it go away.

Freedo -- I concur with Ed. I don't think it's necessarily a craze or a fad -- just those of us with fire trucks are "coming out of the closet" and in so doing are letting out the secret that it's okay to have a fire truck. Mine is, and will remain, a fully functional pumper tanker that could fight fire as well as it ever did but who's job now is irrigating around the farm and being ready to battle brush fires (for when our burn piles get out of hand -- which hasn't ever happened, but I'm not so worried about it now ). I'd be thrilled to death if the local VFD ever asked for it's help but they are very well equipped with very modern equipment so I'm not exactly sitting anxiously by the phone...

Teamja2 -- Your truck to do with as you see fit, but if you do decide to ditch the fire body, pump and fittings, be sure to make them available for those who might want them for their trucks rather than just cutting it all up for scrap.

I know that a lot (most) WWII-vintage Darley Champions have gone to scrap and I sure wish someone had offered one to me for parts for mine rather than just chuck it because they didn't want it.

Still, though, I'm not as experienced with antique fire apparatus as guys like Virginiafiretruck, but the few musters and parades I've been to haven't had very many Dodge-based apparatus of that vintage. Good on ya for being willing to preserve it, though. If you decide to try and find a home for it with someone who will want to keep it as a firetruck, try advertising it on the SPAAMFAA web site.

A friend of mine has a beautiful '52 Ford with a Chevron rollback on it that used to be a fire truck. Of course, he also has a '59 Ford pumper that's still original and gorgeous and all he does with it is go to musters and parades with it -- and has a boatload of fun squirting water in the air (don't knock it until you've tried it ).

Regards,
John

Well I appreciate the link John. My plans are not to cut it up, its just too cool to say, "I have a fire truck" when someone asks how your doing. Can say I have used the line no less than 10 times.

I think the truck is going up for sale once the title comes back. I just don't see me using it and want to focus on the 57 Chevy.

teamja2 -I understand your point of view . If you can't sell the truck for what ever reasons - at that point - if you decide to make a firetruck/flatbed hauler I would understand . Sometimes to save something from the scrapper one has to let some of it go and some stay - that way at least some part of it survives . Where as I would like to see it stay a FT - parting out the fire equipment to those that need it and keeping from the cab forward as a FT and the back as a hauler would be a fair ( and nice looking ) compromise . I may be a hard case on this subject but one also has to keep a eye to the realitys/needs of the real world . Have you picked up your truck yet ? If not - and you need some help loading - give me a holler . I'm ony a hour +/- from where it's at - I think . P.S. If you do keep the truck and part out the fire equipment could you post here first - I would not be surprised if you could get rid of your extra pieces parts . Ed H

Thanks, Ed. Truck is at the inlaws place waiting for me to fix a hydraulic leak in the brakes. Truck was pulled out of service for the brake issue as the city did not have any budget to work on the back up firetruck. I am headed out there Friday to give her a look and pull the rear wheels. I drove it to the house, strapped my father in laws truck to the back of it to use as brakes.

Yes, I will post here first. It has been mentioned to an outfit in California looking for one of those fire truck back halfs.

John, did you get the gumball pic?

Don't know -- peggy is on the computer with the email. I'll look, though.

John

I'm of two minds about altering fire trucks. In my heart, I agree with Ed, it's just a cryin' shame when one of these noble trucks is altered or cut-up. They're sooo fantastic when they're fixed up, nothing is like driving an antique fire truck down the road, gettin' waves and grins the whole way.

ON-THE-OTHER-HAND, There are still many more fire trucks out there than people who want them. I'd love to see every retired truck go to a collector, but the truth is, I'd much rather see a truck modified, and used for SOMETHING, than sit in a field and rust into nothing, until nobody wants it for ANYTHING.

Guy here in St. Louis bought a '40s F*RD and turned it into an ice-cream truck, comeplete with fold-down ladder/serving counter, a caliope, and a window-unit air conditioner running on an inverter/generator. Got a good laugh when I asked him how the flat-head 8 was running. . . .

They took it out and put in a SMALL-BLOCK CHEVY!!!

-Michael

I,d turn mine into a beer truck. Bring it down to Mardi Gras and pick up some hot chicks. Dispense suds at 150 p.s.i for the crowd and be crowned The new Budweiser King. ...lol.

What - Your not going to haul down the Beer that made Canada Famous ? The McKinzie Brothers are turning over in their cask . " Where is my Elsinore you hoser ! " What's this world coming to when The Great White North party's with a brew from south of the boarder ? ED H P.S. They did save the brewery without the help of a fire truck .

I haven't checked back here in a while and was surprised to see the response to my post. Sorry if I ruffled anyone's feathers.
As much as I think old (fire)trucks are really cool I just can't see having one around just for one or two or three drives a year, unless you have some sort of connection to firefighting, or are a fire department. Maybe it's because I don't agree with having a vehicle you're unwilling or afraid to drive because it's too nice or rare. How many people spend way too much money on a project then get paranoid about driving it.
I guess nothing stops you from taking your firetruck out for a spin, just to go for a ride. and John you actually got yours to do some work... and then really got the firetruck bug.
I guess in my mind it's better it gets used for something than not at all or worse gets scrapped. The pizza guy at least tried to keep it looking as close to a working truck as possible.
(BTW - John the Victoria department has something that is really up your alley.. they have restored one of their horsedrawn pumpers...check out the 2 pictures at the bottom of this page... http://www.victoriafirehistorical.ca/index.htm

I take my firetruck out about every three days just for a spin and to keep it running well. It is fun to see the reaction it gets as folks love to come up and take pictures around it. I love it but sharing it with others is my greatest joy!

i also take mine out as much as possible to parades, fire musters, pump competitions and truck /car shows starting in march until the end of oct then its laid up for the winter. its nothing to rack up 1500-2000 miles a year with it

Hey Mike -- I was just doing the calendar pages for your trucks.

You're right, though -- a guy could stay on the go all summer just going to parades and musters and ... Heck, on nice Fridays, I even just drive mine to work. Working on board a Navy base, it does get a few looks coming through the gate

Freedo -- well, it's cool to have a truck with a purpose and to use it for that.

cool

i have seen trucks that deemed coverting and chopping and others that are better left as they were designed.