I have to sale my fire truck. No one seems interested in buying it as a fire truck. I am wondering if I should rip the fire body off of it, and pull the pump, and sale it as a single axle tractor. The people into fire trucks are mostly interested in the ALF's, and stuff way older than my '53. Anyhow, I'm not sure what to do, and don't have room to hang on to it forever.

 

post some pics of the fire rig! i see it in the background of one of the semi phoos. also, year, power train, condition, pedigree, etc. would help. i'm a firefighter (inactive, but the condition is terminal!) and know lots of fire guys just waitin for the right parade project!

 

If tearing the fire body off is the easiest way to sale the truck I'd do it. Saving an old is important and if someone wants to use it as a base for a flatbed or tow truck as least they're going to save an old truck. You'll also might be able to get rid of it easier it the truck is lighter and easier to transport.

With the current price of scrape steel you should be able to get quite a few bucks for the fire body.

 

Good point, I should put spme up. I'll redo my gallery, and include it

 

I'd sure hate to be in your shoes.

 

Gee, thanks. Anyhow, pics are back up in my gallery

 

Lol, all in good fun.

 

my wife would kill me but i sure wish that you and that truck were closer to me !! thats if you caught me at a i have spare change moment . why wouldnt someone want a cool old firetruck ?

 

The few offers I've gotten were for less than the cab itself is worth. I've considered stripping it, and selling it for parts. There isn't a speck of rust on the Ford part of it. There is some minor surface rust on the fire body. It runs, drives (have put a few miles on it), and is fun to look at. I did have a guy in B.C. that offered $3500, but, after saying he was sending the payment, I have not heard from him since. Anyhow, can't get ahold of him, so I guess he's not as interested as he claimed. Truck back up for sale, and the first person that actually comes through will be the owner of this all original 53 Ford F-750 fire truck with super low original miles, and a history (both as a fire truck, and a FTE member). She's a beaut, and would be an easy restore. The truck needs only very little body work (one little ding in the right front fender). No rips in the original seat, and no cracks in the original steering wheel. Pedal pads are still thick and look like new. Rubber is a bit dried out, but wouldn't you be after 54 years? Oh well. It's still here, and still for sale, and storage is available to anyone interested. I can't go under $3500, and would like more, but I know that aint happening.

 

Too bad you have to part ways but you have to do what you have to do.
I should sell off a bunch of my old Ford/Mercurys but I have the space and I`m in no hurry.

 

You should buy another one. Your collection would be well rounded with an old fire truck in it.

 

According to my wife both the collection and myself are both already well rounded...

 

lol. Gotta love the wife. Mine thinks the collection is a couple trucks too many (I only have a couple trucks), but she is understanding of the fact that I was raised in a '55 F-350 express, and that I must have at least one 53-56 effie in my collection. In fact, the more I have, the more sane I become. I go crazy if I don't one sitting around to tinker on. The semi's a handful, but it's been a dream of mine to have a 53-56 Ford Big Job semi since I was little. The fire truck is also a dream, but I only have room for one. The fire truck deserves a concours restoration, and I don't have the money or fcility to give it that. The semi is a fabrication of my imagination, and there are enough old truckers around here that I have an almost endless supply of semi parts laying around the region. I guess it boils down to the fact that i am not very patient. I want the truck sold (the longer I have it, the harder it will be to sell it). I guess if the economy wasn't so crappy, and I had the time and money to sit on it, that would be ok, but I haven't got the money to afford waiting. It's gotta go, and the sooner the better. Ya know what I mean?

 

Too bad about the fire truck. As you get ready to sell yours, I am still working on mine (54 f-750 Seagrave pumper). It must be a very hard decision.

Best of luck

JimG

 

The market for fire trucks is about the only old car/truck segment where the supply exceeds the demand. It's a very small niche of people who want to own one, but every town of any size has had fire trucks for the last 75 years. They aren't any good for anything but parades and shows (no good for hauling or a quick run to the store), are big and expensive to restore and operate. Taking off the equipment moves you into a market that is only slightly bigger, the number of people who want an F-750 is probably 1/10th the number of people looking for an F-100, and I'd guess most of those people are already on here.

I wouldn't expect you can get what you've put into it, nothing is more common even with "ordinary" trucks, than cutting your losses and moving on.