It occurred to me that it might be really interesting to have one thread where everyone who knows the history of their truck could document it in one thread. I guess we'll see by the level of participation if all y'all (plural) agree. At least, that sounds like a good idea to me.

I'll start this off with what I know about my '51 F4 Betsy.

I know from the ID it was built in Richmond, CA on August 21, so I guess it was one of the last '51s to roll off the line. Or maybe I read that wrong, and it was one of the first 51s built in August 1950? Richmond is about 450 miles from here.

The first record I have shows the truck belonged to a Mr. Ohls in Lodi, CA. This may have been the original owner, as Lodi is in a rural area and Betsy is a farm truck. But that is speculation on my part. Lodi is 400 miles from here.

The Lodi gent sold it to a Mr. George in Folsom, CA on 8/29/81. Folsom is 45 miles north of Lodi. Betsy was 30 years old by then. At some point, Mr. George moved to Apple Valley, CA and took Betsy with him. Apple Valley is only 60 miles from here.

While in Apple Valley, CA, Mr. George sold the truck to a Mr. DeAngeles in Hesperia, CA. This fellow signed a Certificate of Non-operation from 9/1/77 to 4/25/83. That leads me to believe he had it ready to drive in April of 1983, but the last valid registration was in 1979, so who knows? Hesperia is only 50 miles from here.

Mr DeAngeles sold it to the fellow I bought it from in San Bernardino, CA, who didn't own the truck very long. I bought the truck on July 23, 2011. San Bernardino is only 26 miles from here.

So Betsy has been working her way closer to me since she was built. I'm going to try to track down more info on her history.

I called the guy with the correct name of the first owner I know about today. He said he never owned a 51 F4, so I guess that's a dead end and Betsy's story is over.

Well, start on the next name on the list, Mr George. Who knows, you might get lucky and find him and he may be able to give some insight onto the first guy, the Mr. Ohls.

I looked for Mr. George. If he's still living (which I doubt) he's 110 years old. The other name I have, Mr DeAngelis, appears to have passed in 2009.

I'll keep trying to find relatives of these gentlemen to see if anyone has recollections of the truck.

And I had another thought about Mr. Ohls. When I got Betsy, she had no bed, no taillights, and the taillight wiring was cut off. Maybe someone removed the original flatbed, put on a long bed (Betsy's frame is 8 feet long behind the cab) and fabricated some wide fenders to cover the dual wheels. Mr. Ohls said the truck he had was light blue, and Betsy was Silvertone Gray. It's a long shot, but may be possible.

That's as far as I got....

 

I have owned Willard, my 49 F-1, since 1977. I purchased him when I lived in Northern Ca from a friends dad who had purchased it in downtown San Jose in 1962. I do not know history prior to 1962 other than it was build in Richmond Ca (IIRC). It had given up the original flathead V8 by 1962 being an original hot rod truck with a 56 Nailhead Buick running thru the stock light duty transmission which it turns out was the weak link in the drivetrain. Other than the Buick and 12v Willard was mostly stock. I drove Willard cross country relocating back to New England in June of 1978.
There is a picture in my gallery loading up to drive cross country flat towing a 1931 Model A Victoria that I was in the process of restoring. It was a memorable trip say the least. I drove him as a daily for about 10 years when the Buick got a bit tired and stored him for a number of years prior to commencing the build that is currently in process.

Edit: added the picture

 

I only know that my '52 was built in Memphis Tn and was in Arkansas for at least more than 5 years. Someone took the original 6 out of it and did a terrible job of installing a SBC and TH350 in it. It had suffered a broken front spring that cut the frame when it happened and was never fixed, and when I got the truck it had been sitting for well over 5 years. The guy I bought it from had gotten it as a Fathers day present from his wife and daughter, but he just let it sit in his barn for years, he never even touched it. When I picked it up I hooked it up to a battery and poured a little gas in the carb, and it fired right up. Somebody used a lot of bondo on the front fenders, but the cab corners are good and very little rust everywhere but the front fender joints. The dash wasn't cut up and the frame is straight. The cut in the front from the broken spring was easy to fix once the body was off. I did find some Arkansas papers in the truck that had the previous owners name and address but I have never contacted them (also in Arkansas).

 

What I know about mine....


It was built in late 1951 in the Long Beach California plant.
Somehow and sometime it was driven across the entire country (with 4:86 rear gears!!!) and ended up in Maine.
The last owner had it for many years and it had lost it's 8-foot express bed and rear fenders somewhere along the way. Likely due to rust.

The last owner built an oak platform and a big 6' tall oak & ash box on the back.
The truck was used to haul all the materials for a traveling puppet show and was featured as the lead vehicle in local parades all adorned with oversize Mardi-Gras style masks and puppets. Here's a picture taken in summer 2001. It had fresh paint covering up rust even back then.
It kept it's original drive train until the end. It's demise was a radiator leak that was 'fixed' by a massive dose of 'Stop Leak' goop. That crud managed to block 3/4's of the cooling ports on the head and the engine overheated and flung a exhaust valve seat throughout the cylinder and cracked the block, bent the valves and generally caused a particle-strewn mess of the head.
The truck was kicked to the curb in downtown Portland, Maine where it sat in the back of a parking lot for five years being used by homeless people and generally ravaged by kids with rocks and sticks.
The roof was caved in, all glass broken, the cab smelled like **** and there was dirty underwear, McDonald's coffee cups, trash, bottles and crack baggies inside.

Bodywork had been done in the late 80's or so and entire buckets of Bondo were lavished on it.

I saw the potential of the truck and bought it for a dollar. It wasn't even worth hauling for scrap metal because of the liability of all the rotten wood attached to it.
But the frame was good and I thought I could salvage some of the sheet metal. I was mostly wrong about that...I managed to save the hood (sort of) and grille only.

Six years later and I'm still putting it back together with help and parts/sheet metal including a donor cab from 27 different trucks and you guys for moral support and technical help.

It should be back on the road for the first time in over ten years...this summer I hope.

Tom

 

I am the second owner of my 54. The first owner was my grandfather who bought it new in 1954 from a local dealer in PA. It was built in Buffalo, NY. Between my grandfather and father they put just over 36K miles on it before it was parked in 1975.

I've told my dad for years that I wanted the truck and finally I was able to get it to where I currently live with the help of a good friend. We drove back to PA on our days off and loaded it up on his trailer and he hauled it to Indiana, where I have been working on it for the last 4 years.



Loaded up and ready to go.



4 years and many hours later.

 

Homade was a project my friend owned and was working on when he suffered a mild stroke, loosing the use of one arm he made me a good deal even though at that time I didn't even like the body style but couldn't really pass on the deal. Before Bubba, traded a 31 chevy to it's second owner a guy in Richmond In,this was in 2000, the first owner was the dept of forestry in Clearmont county Ohio from 1951-2000, I bought it in 2003, thats all I know, Garry Oh the rest if history.

 

My 56 f600 aka "the rustyrelic" was 1 of 3 f600 trucks purchased by the San Jose Fire Department. The city sold it in 1977 to the Mayfair fruit packing plant.
I first saw it in 1990 driving to my then "new" job, I continued to drive by it for 5yrs. It kept drawing my attention, then one day opportunity knocked. I had driven to work and when I got there I was told I could have the day off, so I stopped in at the Mayfair plant and asked about the the old fire truck in there yard.
I was told my timing was perfect because the plant had just been sold and was having the scrap guy pick it up. I paid $400 for it and had it towed to my house. That was in 1995 It was missing the master cyl., Ign. switch, and coil. the odometer showed 42k all fire equipment had been stripped except the red lights.
I got the y-block running and drove it until 2008 then I started a diesel conversion. I've been driving the f600 with the 5.9 Cummins for 5 yrs. now. It's the best thing I could have done I am very happy with the engine swap.

Fire dept pictures are from 1968 , 272 y-block, 5.9 Cummins, Baja Cantina Carmel Valley, Ca.

 

Great thread Joe!!

Love the fire truck rustyrelic!!

 

Thanks Keith!

I know you can't post your whole book in this thread, but you could really add to it with a brief history of your truck. Actually, thinking about your truck is what inspired the thread...

 

Joe, I'll add my history to your thread. Most already know it!


Late 1950 Built by the Schukraft Truck Body Company of Chicago Illinois.

1951 - 1959 Purchased and used by the Chicago Fire Patrol.

1960 - 79 Lombard IL Fire Dept converted to 65ft ladder truck with added front bumper mounted Darley fire pump. Ladder removed and a large diesel generator installed.

1979 – 85 Sold to the Lombard Jaycee’s (Civic Organization) for $500

1985 -95 Donated to Jaycee member – He used it in parades, rentedit out for block parties and for two years used it at Soldier Field for tailgate parties. He also used it to take his son and friends to their highschool football games. At one point, it was parked outside his business withhis company name “AAA Rental Center” painted on one side of it.

1995 - 96 Bought by RCM Enterprises (snow plow business & auto restorations) at the Lake County IL Auction for $3000. He said he kept for ayear. No much was done to the truck except putting $500 in the motor to try andget it working.

1996 -98 Braun Entertainment (out of business) bought it for $2500 - Used forkids parties

1998 - 2007 Fire Museum of Greater Chicago - found in the Trader Times Magazinefor sale. It was bought for $400

2007 - present (ME) bought for $800 – 5 year restoration completed in 2012