Was heading off island today and a guy I know who hauls cars for scrap asked if I wanted a '58 F6 fire truck for scrap price. He is planning to drive it onto the ferry on Monday and then 25 miles up the interstate and turn the title over to the scrapyard. A friend was describing it to me last week, like it has all the lights and ladders etc. Of course low miles are often included in the package. I'm supposed to go see it tomorrow. It is about 1 1/2 miles from my house. I don't know it's history or where it came from. I don't think it was an Orcas Island truck, but not sure. I will bring my camera. Anyone have a vague idea what scrap price would be for this beast? I bet it's sporting a set of widowmakers, and I'm up to my eyeballs in old ford truck projects right now. Details tomorrow......

 

If you are up to your eyeballs I think you still have a lot of room left. Go for it!!!

 

I know I'm on the other coast, but my local scrapper pays $9.25/100 lbs for salvage vehicles. Maybe you can make a deal to use the scrapers price and subtract mileage and ferry costs...

 

I think I got a pretty good deal, seein's it was about 10 minutes from home. He delivered it and almost made it all the way until the ancient gas seemed to clog the ancient fuel filter. Then I pulled him up my winding mountainside with my '92. Truckdog will be impressed, as he has driven this 'road'.

 

Quite a score Gary. Yup, I've driven that road and can attest it's a challenge. You sure come up with some treasures. What are your plans? Rollback bed maybe? Stu

 

Wow! Wow! Wow!

 

So glad he called you, what a shame it would have been to scrap something like that! Are those tires as good as they look or are they dry rotted?

 

Great save Gary. Now What

 

Not the slightest crack or check in a tire. Funny, we live so close on the island, but he came up to me when I was at a stop sign on the mainland yesterday and asked if I wanted to buy his f600. I said probably not and he started telling me it was a 58 with a tad over 3000 miles on it runs sweet, good brakes. Then All morning I didn't even think about it and he called when I was under my '47 at noon and said he was leaving with it in the morning. I guess I didn't think it was gonna be so good. And I thought I did NOT need another big old truck. But then I saw that seat and that instrument panel and the floors and the tires and it ran real smooth and so quiet and then I saw those mirrors (factory?) and that doggone odometer and I just sort of caved. It needs a water pump and a clutch slave cyl, which Im sure I can rebuild, a fuel filter as he was running without one because it was clogged .... I think first I'll pull all the heavy junk off the front and underneath and scrap the box when I'm off to the mainland picking up beams with my empty equipment trailer. Then it should be a running driving cab/chassis with 3000 miles on it. THEN I'll decide what to do with it. Are six lug 22.5s as rare as the 5 hole ones?, and how about lock ring type with 6 lugs?

 

The 6 x 8.75" wheels aren't nearly as hard to find as the 5 x 8". Accuride made them in 22.5 x 6.75" until a few yours ago iirc. Goodyear locking ring wheels are also pretty common. Military surplus yards are good sources for them. And you'd get a set of NDT 20" tires. Stu

 

That's awesome! Looks great, I bet there's all sorts of cool parts on that thing! What transmission does it have?

 

A five speed, but pretty normal looking pattern with low in upper left far left corner. Not all over the map like a Clark. I'll get a pic after work. I also found a very nice 8.25 20 traction on a 6 hole lock rim. I remember I bought it for 17 bucks at a junkyard and never used it. That will make my first outer dual, now to find another. Glad to hear they aren't too rare. Back to the real work at hand. Gotta feed my addiction with some money earned the old fashioned way!

 

Nice get Gary. Check that pump and fittings, as they may be all brass.

The mirrors and arms look factory, with all the right mounting brackets and proper acorn bolts and nuts.

You scored man.

Aloha, Tony

 

Wooo Hooo
Great find !!!
Somebody find this man a 61/66 now
.....Roger

 

Now that's a GREAT score! That thing is hardly broken in.

I'll tell you what I did the last guy with a fire truck: Please check with some area volunteer fire departments. I'm not familiar with front-mount pumps, but a new one would probably run fifteen grand plus. If that's a good pump, you could probably get a lot more than salvage for it, and still cut a VFD a good break. Most VFDs (like the one I'm a member of) are always looking for a good deal on good used serviceable equipment.

How many 2 1/2 inch discharges does it have? Two would be a 500 gpm pump, three 750, etc.

Oh, by the way, when you talk to a VFD, ask them if they have any wheels for a 2 1/2 ton military 6x6. I think those will be the wheels you're looking for. Maybe you could make a trade.