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#1
23-07-11, 06:08
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1958 Ford C500 Army Fire Service Truck
I took a drive about 3 miles from me today and had a look at an old army fire truck for sale at a vintage auto yard. It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen (even uglier than a cab 11 IMHO) and I just fell in love with it. It is a 1956-58 Ford C500 Marmon Harrington 4wd conversion with a King fire body on the back. It was one of 11 produced for the Cdn Army as a field fire truck. The front axle was removed, the engine is stuck, likely the tranny too, and there are a few dents on the front body, but otherwise rust free. I had to have it. I went home and got the better half, who I had expected to talk me out of it, but all she did was get me to barter a lower price than I would have gone. It worked, and the truck will be delivered tomorrow.
The unit signs are still visible. It is marked 12 coy, and I don't know if that was here in Shilo or from Saskatchewan. It has the remnants of a prairie command decal as well, along with the CFR on the hood. If anyone knows who 12 coy was, or has any further info on these trucks, please chime in. I got the following off a Cdn firetrucks website: Canadian Army Ford C500 Range tender 1958 One of 11 delivered to Halifax (NS), 2 to Gagetown (NB), Valcartier (QC), Kingston (ON), Picton (ON), Petawawa (ON), Shilo (MB), Regina (SK), Calgary (AB) and Wainwright (AB) A quick internet check shows that Prince Edward county in Ontario has one of these as a parade truck. Hopefully I can get some shots of theirs to determine what is correct. Here are a couple shots of it from the dealer's website. I'll try and get more shots of it tomorrow or Sunday, especially of the markings. I have already been on ebay to check about a siren (after all isn't that more important than a running engine, brakes or even a seat??). 
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#2
23-07-11, 07:11
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what a beautiful old girl! Hope the front axle will not be a problem to get a replacement for.
__________________
Cheers Cliff Hutchings aka MrRoo S.I.R. "and on the 8th day he made trucks so that man, made on the 7th day, had shelter when woman threw him out for the night" MrRoo says "TRUCKS ROOLE"
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#3
23-07-11, 10:17
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Ugly as sin, gotta love it!
Looks like a great project, certainly stand out in a crowd. Best of luck with it. Rich.
__________________
C60S Austin Champ x 2 Humber 1 Ton & Trailer
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#4
23-07-11, 12:09
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Nice truck
Rich called it right when he said "ugly as sin", but what a nice truck. Go for it Rob.
 I would think several of those survive today. I do remember seeing a complete one advertised in the last few years but don't recall its location. Brian
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#5
23-07-11, 13:20
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some pics
attached are two in service pics, which may have come from the canadian military fire fighter's website? the line drawing is from the 1957 cdn army census manual.
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#6
23-07-11, 14:00
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wow that is soooo cool Rob.. the uglier they are, the more beautiful they are!
she finally will have a good home in your hands! Who are where in PE county is the parade truck..I may be able to get photos for you in aug or sept. What particular area (s) on the truck would you like photos of?
__________________
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
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#8
19-10-11, 01:51
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About 3 weeks ago the wife gets a call from someone telling her that there is a military jeep advertised on the local internet classifieds. While she was searching for the ad she found an ad next to it from a small town who were inviting sealed tenders for their old 1956 town firetruck. They did not list the model but as soon as I saw the serial number in the ad I was certain that it was a C500 as well. To save myself a trip, I google earthed the town of hartney and after a virtual tour of the town I found the firehall. Sure enough, in the background was a short wheelbase C500 with many features just like mine.
So an hour or so drive and I checked it out in person. It had not been run in two years (amazing that a town would still be using a 53 year old fire truck) but the engine turned over OK. After appraising the vehicle, I left a bid and waited. Like a kid at Christmas, I called the town office the day after the long weekend to see how much it went for. The lady informed me that no decision had been made yet as it had to go before the town council, which sat that night. I heard nothing the next day so I called around 3 PM and again asked what it sold for. When she told me, I mentioned it was a coincidence that my bid was exactly that. She informed me at that point that I had won the bidding, and there had been some other bids that were close so that made me feel good. Today I fired up the old 5/4 ton and hooked up the trailer for the drive. I stopped in at the town office, paid for my purchase, and headed over behind the firehall to pick it up. The guys at the town workshop had the key for it, along with the original owner's manual. The fellow mentioned that the truck was mostly being used to water trees at the golf course, or for cleaning out the culverts in the spring. An hour or so later I was back on the grid roads home. Anyway, here is my parts truck in all her splendor. The plan is to take the body and tank off this chassis, and transfer the DND one over. I'll salvage the fenders and grill from the new truck. along with the control panel and gas tank. The military truck used a wajax mk1 portable firepump to draw and pump water. This truck has a frame mounted pump. I may stick with this pump until I can find a working wajax pump. Anyway, enough of my long winded story....here are the photos.
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#9
19-10-11, 02:23
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Oooops, forgot to mention, I found the first fireman's hat for the truck too. It's a black one...need to find a white one for the chief (the wife).
Also found the proper pick axe heads that go on the back of the truck....two were required. Then I figured out that the other brackets are for shovels, and sure enough the shovel off a WW2 vehicle fit right in. Also figured out that each bracket holds 3 shovels, so that means 6 in total. I only have two presently, and one of those is destined for the Bren carrier. Photos to follow of these items.
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#10
19-10-11, 12:59
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serendipity...the gods of old trucks smiled on this old worker and decided its time had not come for a trip to the japanese smelter (to be turned into toyotas) and directed it into your hands knowing that it would recieve tender and loving care and restored to health in the expert hands of Dr Rob
__________________
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
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#11
24-03-14, 02:07
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This is a bit of an old thread, and I really don't have much to update on it, but a fellow with a strong interest in this pattern of truck from the US wanted me to ask if anyone else knows of any that are still in existence. There were 11 of them built, and we know for sure of two of them (mine and the one in PE county in Ontario). Brian thought he may have seen one sold in the past. So does anyone else have any leads on another of these trucks? Mark has an interest in mine, but I'm not quite ready to let it go.
Mark has offered a finders fee for any solid leads. By the way, I finally got to the Shilo Firehall this summer, and had a look through their photo albums. Sure enough there was a nice photo of one of these trucks in service here in the 70s, but the CFR was one digit out from this one. My theory is the one from Regina came to here, and was operated by the militia during the summers as evidenced by the prairie command decals on the truck.
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#12
16-03-16, 20:28
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Thought you would like to follow along with this link.
http://imageevent.com/ron55/1956ford...&m=24&w=0&p=77 Last edited by Hanno Spoelstra; 16-03-16 at 20:57. Reason: triple postings merged
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#13
16-03-16, 21:34
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Nice photos Mark. Looks like a very worthy project.
I did manage to find a wajax mark 1 pump last winter thanks to fellow MLU member Grant Hopins. It was posted on kijiji in Quebec, and with the help of my wife who speaks french, a deal was struck with the seller.
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#14
22-11-16, 03:30
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King-Seagrave Serial Number
Hi Rob.
Is there a King-Seagrave serial number anywhere on your truck? I run the Canadian Fire Truck Archive (www.firetruckarchive.ca) that you referenced in the first post. I know the serial numbers and I know the bases, but I don't know which truck went to which base, other than Camp Picton's. The number should be anything from 5715 to 5725 (5717 was the Camp Picton truck). If you're able to find it, really appreciate it if you could pass it along.
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#16
22-11-16, 19:20
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Quote:
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#17
24-11-16, 18:04
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Quote:
I see that you purchased it in Michigan. I have no idea which truck it could be or which base , but I have heard of a surplus truck that saw service with the Anderdon Township Fire Department near Amherstburg, Ontario. Amherstburg is just across the river from Michigan. I believe the Township FD had this truck in the 70s and/or 80s. I know of a guy in the area who might have more info about its time there.
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