The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts COE firetruck

I went and looked at this fire truck that a friend told me about. It has been sitting for about 5 years. . .something "froze up" so they took out the driveline and pulled it to where I saw it. Looks really clean, but I'm wondering about its worth.

Originally I was looking for a COE to put on a smaller frame, but this 4-wheel drive fire truck would be COOL! Freshen up the paint, get it running and put it in the parade!

Does anyone know what year? I'm thinking it is a 1947. Any other information would be great. Thanks!

photobucket

photobucket fire truck image



Craig

IMO: Old fire trucks are not worth much. They are bigger with higher costs to maintain and storage is harder to find. Looking at the picture, I'd say offer $1,500 and you'll take it away. After all, it isn't running and scrap is not worth that much. JMO

Looks very interesting!

Craig,

WHOA!!! THAT's a cool truck!

COE from '41 - '47. Possibly a War baby, though it's hard to know for sure. That's a Champion Pump on the front bumper, runs off the front of the crank shaft. Probably around 400 gallons-per-minute. Champion pumps, I think, were sold by a company called Darley, a catalog-supplier of fire equipment and trucks for many years (see eDarley.com). They were fairly wide-spread in the war, and popular with commercial-chassis fire engine manufacturers selling to smaller and rural departments.

The large black hose in the bed is a Hard Suction Hose, used for drafting from lakes and such. The truck would have carried two of those at least, prob. on the driver's side. The brackets on the pass. side held a ladder. The hose reel on top is called a Booster reel, used for smaller fires and wild fires.

As for worth, among fire-truck nuts (like myself! )the COEs are worth a little more, due to how rare they are. And being a '40s vintage also spells somewhat rare. On the down-side, fire truck snobs don't care about commercial chassis trucks, instead valuing the Seagrave/American LaFrance/Mack custom fire apparatus a little more.

You say 4-wheel drive - how do you know? That would REALLY be rare. I'd say Virginia isn't too far off the mark. Offer $1500 and see what they say. I paid $2300 for my '41 conventional with a front-mount pump, here in St. Louis. My friends said they'd never have paid that, BUT, I have NEVER regretted it. Pure smiles! (BTW, just returned from a 450-mile trip to Indianapolis in said truck - more on THAT later!)

By-the-way, there IS a fire-engine forum here on the stovebolt, it's called "stovebolt volunteer fire department, and it's a sub-heading of the BIG BOLTS forum. The guys are all terrific, and if you end up with the truck, I can assure you a prime spot in next-year's "Firebolt Calendar"!

-Michael

The way the fenders are clipped is not unlike this.

I think it is a "cool rig" and would love to have it myself. It will take some work to get it ready again so I don't want him to pay more than necessary to obtain it. Once you get it home, that is when the work starts! Good luck and have fun.

good lookin truck...!

Ok, my 2cents. The way the fenders are clipped almost certainly makes it military. Yes, commercial Art Deco trucks did have shaved fenders during the war-time era, but these "commercial-military" trucks had a bit more shaved off than the regular shaved commercial. It is definately 4WD. I can tell without looking under it based on the height and stance. I bet the wheels are the military type also as opposed to the commercial, and it probably has a military intrument cluster. The military versions had parts of the grill cut out with holes added that commercial vehicles didn't have. These are visible right above the license plate. The only odd thing about this truck is that it is red. Maybe it saw civilian service after the war and was re-painted? Just noticed another interesting feature...military windshield hinges (outies instead of innes) Very neat...1500 is about right i'd say...most dependant on how much YOU want it. Don't invest in old BIG trucks. Get em because you will have fun with em! Good luck.

I would suspect it was repainted. On the roof it appears that the red has worn off and the OD is showing through.

Cool truck! I hope you get it. Keep us posted!

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments.

The truck was originally military. . .The green paint is showing thru in a number of places. One interesting note is that there is a "fireman's axe" still hanging on the driver's side! The truck must have been specifically built as a fire truck because there is a guage on the dash for the water.

I tried to get a price out of the owner and all I could get was, "I dunno. . .best offer I guess." Didn't really tell me much! Maybe I'll drive up there this weekend.

Craig

Sweet, that is the best answer you could hope for....take about 800 cash with you and I bet you come home with it!

I agree!!!!

Craig,

Wow, that presents an interesting conundrum: restore to red, or restore to OD?!



It's a winner either way!!!


-Michael

Hey that truck looks like a keeper. It will take lots to get it in shape , however when you are finished with it and parade ready it would be an eye catcher. I am restoring a 1946 Chev fire engine pumper. These old fire trucks pre 1960 are in demand and worth more than the later trucks. I have been working on mine now for the past five yrs. and expect to have it completed in another yr.