I’d been meaning to check out the Sixes Grange Marketplace near Port Orford, and when I saw this firetruck for sale sitting out front, it was just the incentive I needed. It’s a 1976 American LaFrance; did the new 5 mile bumper regulations apply to fire engines too?
The forward slanted windshield is a sculptural touch, placing this in the brutalist school of design and architecture that was was so popular in the seventies. The reduction of reflections was of course the practical reason, but it makes these look extra tough.
Looks pretty brutalist in here too, but then what does one expect? A tufted velour and fake-wood brougham interior? That shifter is almost certainly connected to an Allison 6 speed automatic, which was also having its heyday at the time. I drove several trucks with them, and can still feel the little push in my back at every full throttle shift.
The mid-mounted engine is probably underneath this removable cover, but I exercised more prudence than usual and didn’t open it. The sale sign says it’s a Detroit Diesel, most likely an 8V-71. This is a pumper, so the more power the better.
If this had been a decade or more older, it would almost certainly have had American LaFrance’s gasoline V12 under the hood or engine cover. This 527 cubic inch beast made 216 hp, and had dual plugs per cylinder. It was a direct development of the Lycoming BB V12 originally designed and used in the Auburn, although with less displacement.
If its cylinder heads look a bit odd, they were. Neither a flathead (side valve) nor an ohv, this unusual engine had a narrow 45 degree bank angle and heads that sported valves operating from a high-mounted camshaft and that opened into a narrow “fire slot” combustion chamber above the cylinders. Very unusual. Update: Actually, it turns out this was not so uncommon in the ’30s: Packard used it for their V12, and Oakland for their V8.
Those white sewer pipes are a modern addition; not sure what the current owner had in mind for this truck when he bought it. But what does anyone have in mind with an old firetruck?
The control panel for the pump(s). As a kid, I was always very impressed by these.
Here’s all the salient details. $4,500 or best offer. And if you call Jerry, don’t forget to ask about the second fire engine. Sounds like he’s liquidating a private fire squad.
Interesting forward-leaning windshield. Must have been an aerodynamic burden on
calls that involved high-speed interstates.
Perfect. It would come equipped for Marianne to literally douse the idea with its own cold water!
I never knew about those cylinder heads, that kind of stuff is fascinating.
Here in Texas I came across a business at my kid’s daycare that bought out old fire trucks, filled the tanks with water, and set up mobile splash pads for the kids, with hoses hooked up to sprinklers, bounce houses, etc. It’s a pretty good business plan when the heat index is 110F.
Nice old truck, most get broken for parts .
I too never heard of this unique valve set up .
-Nate
New one on me, too!
I can see why it went away, but it made me wonder about the inspiration for CVCC!
Thanks for posting the American LaFrance V-12 diagram Paul, I always wondered about the head layout on those. Strange indeed, but not totally unique. The 1930 Oakland-Pontiac V-8 was similar:
https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/gms-strangest-v8-the-1930-32-oakland-pontiac-eight/
And the Packard V12 too. Turns out that this was a thing in the 1930s.
I certainly had no idea, I thought the Oakland V-8 was unique.
Also, the truck in the picture is an American LaFrance Pioneer model. The Pioneer was something of a hybrid, a lower cost ‘custom’ type pumper designed to compete with pumpers built on regular commercial truck cab and chassis but still offering a purpose-built 5 man cab. I think the Pioneer may have been built on a Chevy tilt-cab chassis. A lot of Pioneers were sold to the military.
It’s hideous. I prefer the classic ALF design
I agree! I always have thought the Pioneer lacked any of the charisma of regular ALFs. They had their place for lower budget departments, but now that they are well beyond the point of usefulness for even the poorest of volunteer fire companies, it’s hard to imagine much interest for buff apparatus collectors. Hopefully it finds a home!
That mid mounted engine was the cause of a lot of hearing loss back in the day. It was a revelation when Emergency One started offering rear engined chassis that put the engine noise at the opposite end of rig.
I think that forward slanted cab is actually more 60s International Style than 70 Brutalist.
Although the cab sheet metal looks to be unique, I can’t help but see an original Ford C-series cab when I look at this. Probably the headlights.
Detroit Diesels, 6v71 to 12v92, best fire truck engines ever made bar none.
My first thought when seeing an old fire truck for sale is “Who the heck would need that?”. But this one is a pumper, so maybe someone has a need for a mobile high capacity pump with a 750 gallon water tank. Then my second thought is that anyone who would likely need that would probably already have some purpose-built device (something agricultural?).
Which leaves me with my third and final thought of “I wonder just what sort of “trade” the seller is looking for and might accept.” (per his For Sale info) Maybe a ladder truck?
If I lived somewhere deep in the woods in areas that have been affected with forest fires I could see getting one and making sure it is kept full and ready for action during fire season.
I could also see putting a spray bar on it for watering down a dusty road out to your house in the middle of no where.
Otherwise use it for parades. Now if it was a conventional truck with a separate fire body I could see getting one with low miles purely for the cab and chassis and scrapping the rest.
Speaking of ladder trucks one just came up at a local auction and my friend wanted to know if I wanted to go Halfsies on it. We agreed a ladder truck would be something we could maybe put to an actual use.
Good thoughts. I think water supply would be the big limiter to having your own fire engine, assuming you dont have a hydrant. They only hold up to 500 gallons usually, which goes fast when spraying even 50 gpm. Normal fire spray is 100+ gpm. If you had a pond or even swimming pool, you could potentially suck water from that.