Hello,

I am not new to vehicles - or big trucks - but I thought I would share my most recent purchase. I picked up a 1958 F600 with 3089 original miles. It was always stored indoors. It was always maintained.

It does, however, have many original, hardly used parts that people who are looking to restore might wish to look at. I am not selling the parts - but rather, am documenting them.

I am also a photographer (I work professional in a business where I photograph Caterpillar equipment) and work as a writer of service and training manuals.

What I wanted to know is does anyone want photos of anything specific and original? I mean, this truck has the original sparkplugs and wires! The dash and interior is new. The paint on the floor is clean and original. I felt guilty driving it home the 120 miles.

Oh, and I was well aware of the 'wheel issues' I fought that on a recent C60 project (yes, I found 6 22.5 vintage Ford wheels; and cut the centers out of them and inserted the original Chevrolet 10 bolts).

I bought the truck and drove her home on New Years Day. Two days later I went out and found 9 more of those 22.5 Ford wheels! I already had 10 235/80 22.5 Michelin Radials...

This truck is a keeper. And the goal is to put many miles on her in the near future.

I also have some questions.

1. Why does the aircleaner have a 187 hp label? It looks just like every other 292 aircleaner label, but I have never seen that Hp before.

2. The rear ratio seems pretty high - it has a 5 speed and seems to go along pretty well at 55-60. I have not crawled all over the truck (it is raining and dark when I get home), but is there and easy place for looking at the ratio?

3. The original owners manual (it was in the glove box, along with purchase papers) does not list a 292 in the specs - so how do I know what engine it has?

PS, it was a fire truck.

 

 

Welcome to FTE. We had a '58 F600 on the farm. 292 4v, 4 speed with a 2 speed axle.

1.) I'm pretty sure the truck 292 was rated 187 horse. Look on the warranty/info plate on the door for the VIN and other codes. Post them if you like for a decode. But on that plate will be a "net HP" number. It may be the same or less than 187.

2.) The axle code on the warranty plate will tell the ratio, if the axle is the same one installed in '58. People usually complain that these are geared too low. Even with the 2 speed, our '58 hit the wall at about 60 mph. Horsepower limited I would say, not rpm.

3.) Not sure why a '58 F600 manual would not list the 292, as they were installed in billions of '58s...

 

VIN - F60D8R25313
F600 ? 1958 ? 25313 of built

WB - 154
154" wheelbase

Color - E
?

Date - 01
?

Trans - 4
?

Axle - 44
?

GVW - 17,000

Net Hp - 149 @3600

D.S.O. - 2549
?

Oil sticker to right of the VIN plate on the glove box door.

OK - question on the engine color
The block and intake are some kind of 'mustard' color.
The air cleaner and the valve covers are off white. Original decals on aircleaner (although time faded and dirty).
These colors are certainly original - were they typical?

The Holley, although functional is ancient. I have never seen one with tie wired screws on the choke mechanism housing. I have some photos - it is all around pretty neat.

Thank you for any help!

David

 

That is a governed carb. Your distributor probably has a governor on it as well.

 

Interesting - I actually thought the engine acted like it was governed when I drove home on the highway. I just figured it was topping out - but seemed to be 'holding back' at the same time.

Um - so what do I do to become 'ungoverened'?

And what benefit might I get from governing?

I like the choke and throttle on the carb. I went out and started it up again last night - it runs just like I would think it should for an engine with 3200 miles; Nice, really nice.

 

The benefit of a governor is that your engine will still run when it is 57 years old.

You won't over rev the engine, and you won't get the truck going too fast for the steering and brakes.

To un-govern, replace the distributor and carb.

 

57 years from now might be too long... I don't think I will make it to that (109). Governed it will stay.

I figure if I put 60,000 on it in the next 15 years I will still be doing okay. It will likely be in spurts of 5000 miles plus at a time.

I have never had an old vehicle where everything was still 'new'. I mean the transmission feels so unbelievably crisp. The engine just runs so nice.

It will never carry a heavy load again. except for the Alaskan (not the one on it - I have another).

I have had quite a few slower vehicles - and driven them long distances...

Other vehicles I have owned

Thank you for your help!

David

 

I opened the link to the vehicles you have owned.... I remember seeing the bean toad in the community church parking lot many years back. It is indeed a small world. I didn't show you my '68 BSA 441 victor in the back room or tell you I recently sold my yamaha t-dub. Cool stuff. Now we gotta get your ladder racks and bubble gum machine back from the neighbor. Welcome to FTE. I am normally on the '57-60 group and the most recently the '47 and earlier group. But as you know, I am a staunch big truck lover.

 

Welcome to FTE

F60 = F600.

D = 292 4V

8 = 1958.

R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant.

25313 = 1958 Numerical Sequence of Assembly (only pertains to the San Jose plant), the trucks specific serial number.

154" Wheelbase.

E = Colonial White.

01D = Assembled April (D) 1, 1958.

H = Clark model 250V 5 Speed Direct or New Process model 540 5 Speed Direct.

44 = Timken model F106 Single Speed Rear Axle / 6.80-1 / 15,000 lbs. Rear Axle Capacity.

17,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

149 net HP @ 3,600 RPM

2549 = Domestic Special Order number. Truck special ordered by the original purchaser, not "bought off the lot."

Please post a pic of the Rating Plate.

 

Thanks for posting and sharing photos. A white fire engine has got to be even more special. These trucks are always great references, especially for photos of engines with original paint schemes and interior seat colors. The 187 hp was known as the Heavy Duty 292 or 292 HD. This the premium 292 with the sodium cooled exhaust valves, stress relieved cylinder heads and 4BBL carb. Later versions of this engine came with a forged steel crank ( '62-'63 ). Great to see history preserved!

 

Here is the plate. It seems there was some mistranslated between the family members who do not need glasses and those who do (me).

There is no 'Model' on the plate. The trans code is H. The Date does have a "D". The Hp is 149.

 

I will take photos of the engine, seat and engine compartment this weekend. The truck has never been repainted, inside or out.

 

See post 10, I edited in the missing info.

 

Well, at least it was a Tuesday... on April Fools Day. And bought and drove home on New Years Day.

The truck served for the last 10 years on Blakely Island and was found useful in containing a couple large log home fires on that volunteer serviced (4 mile long) Island. The truck is visible on both Google and Bing Maps stationed on the Island.

The truck was originally built for Klickitata County No. 5 (Centerville, WA.). They ordered all white equipment in those years - and some interesting Jeep FC's as well. They still run some white trucks (with some red emergency vehicles mixed in).

I will filter through the original glove box papers and take photos of interesting ones.

Thank you NumberDummy.

David