View Single Post
Old 08-16-2015, 10:26 PM   #4
VictoriaHardware
Senior Member
 
VictoriaHardware's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 778
Re: September 2015 ToTM

Well here is a big one- the top of the hood is even with my head and it weighs about 7 tons empty. It's a '65 C80 American LaFrance Pumper- a 2 1/2 ton Chevrolet cab/chassis converted by ALF to a fire engine. It carries 500 gallons of water and has
a 750 gpm pump. Lots of hoses, valves, ladders, axes, nozzles, sirens, radios, flashing lights, chrome, and red paint. It sits today just as it left the fire company in 1998 when it was retired. I am the third owner and it has 27,000 miles on it.

The cab & chassis was built at the Pontiac MI Truck Plant, a place where I later worked. It was rail shipped to Elmira NY for it's upfitting, then by rail again to Victoria VA for delivery to the Volunteer Fire Department. My grandfather was a fireman there and I used to look at (but NOT touch) all of the big trucks while they had their Fire Dept. Meetings. This truck was the newest one in the house back then. I even rode on the back of it during a 1970 parade.

With a 5-speed trans and 2-speed axle you can do a lot of shifting. It goes smoother if you double clutch so your left leg can get a lot of use. Despite the rough ride, rattling ladder, clutch usage, and size, it's a lot of fun to drive and people tend to get out of your way. Top speed is governed to 55 mph but you really don't want to go any faster.

On top of all that, it has a 409.

Attached Images
     
VictoriaHardware is offline