Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite - View Single Post

tamangel · 08-29-2009, 20:26

I didn't see a place to advise others that there is a truck for sale..not on ebay..hope this is OK..if not, advise and I'll just put up the pic's here and no mention of it for sale..see post #189.. The guy says best offer as he needs to move it soon.. original ad from 2008 is here: scroll down..its in Mt Shasta off I5 in Northern California..

Vehicles of Victory, LLC » Vehicles for Sale

contact info in ad is still current...

have included a few more pic's also

no connection with seller/just like to have someone save this rig..

again, if I wasn't supposed to do this here..let me know...

Mike

edit, more info on this truck from my friend, Jim Davis ( http://www.firetrucks.mil-fire.net/ )

1. It originally did not have a cab, just a soft canvas top. The cab then is after market some years later.
2. The truck is equipped with what appears to be a factory installed, front bumper mounted winch. That it is factory installed is attested to by the sheet metal work in the cab floor. Note the winch engagement lever slot is professionally done, not jut a hole hack-sawed in the panel. This suggests the truck started life after May 1943 as a Long Wheel Base 2-1/2 ton 6x6 GMC cargo or dump truck, not a fire truck.
3. The wheels and tires on your truck appeared on only 3 GMC vehicles in WW II"
a. The "Duck or DUKW" the amphibious version of the 2-1/2 ton 6x6 GMC.
b. What was known as the "Bolster Truck" or what we westerners would call a logging truck.
c. The first models of the CLASS 530 Army Engineer Fire Truck - see attachment.
d. They did not appear on any other of the GMC or like vehicles.
4. That your truck has a fire truck body is not to be questioned, It does. But is it Army of WW II vintage? I do not think so.

Lets talk about your pictures: (edit: does not apply to pic's below-some info same)
1. Pix 0006. at he bottom right corner of the rear of the fire truck body is what appears to be a builder's tag. What does it say?
2. Pix 0011.In the cab on the dashboard are a number of plates containing a variety of data and information. If any tag identifies this vehicle as fire truck and/or its CLASS I would like to know. If possible can you give me a photo of that tag and all of them if it can be done?
3. Pix 0012.The left front fender shows no holes where the siren/red light combo would have been mounted. This was standard on all WW II Army Engineer fire trucks.
4. Pix 0018. Looking down on the cab floor from above and left to right are:
a. the transmission shift lever.
b. the parking brake.
c. the transfer case shift lever.
d. the front wheel drive shift lever.
e. between this row of levers and the front of the seat cushion are two levers. The left hand lever's function is unknown and does not appear in the literature. The right hand level is the winch engagement lever.
5.Pixs 0008 and 0015. The fire truck body shown here goes not resemble any body, produced or used by the US Army in WW II. It is possible it is a surplus WW II Navy/Marine Corps body.

With all of the above said, what are my thoughts on your truck?
1. It is a WW II Army truck, probably a "Bolster Truck", on which has been installed a fire truck body of unknown origin.
2. The non Army fire truck body and the lack of a front bumper mounted (FBR) mounted pump and the presence of a FBR mounted winch rules out the truck being either a CLASS 335 or CLASS 530.
3. The lever (function unknown) on the cab floor suggests a mid-ship mounted pump of unknown make, capacity and drive.

In late March 1945 the Army Corps of engineers (COE) ordered 50 Conversion kits to create 50 CLASS 335 fire trucks. At the same time they ordered 24 CLASS 530s. Your truck is neither of these and so cannot be one of the last 50.