THIS is a tow vehicle!

Finish off the back to a stab cabin with a kitchenette, add fifth wheel; or extend the cabin further back and add a tool box.

V-12 fergodsake.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Antique-1941-Seagrave-Fire-Engine-/120658429995?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1c17cd882b

Not enough change in the sofa, sadly. Lovely old truck. Sadly, there is a place near by that does restorations here in Mississippi on Fire Trucks. I'd love to see what they'd do with it.

You are correct, sir. That IS a tow vehicle.

I wonder if the tank could be converted to hold race fuel without exploding....

Or .....

you'll need more change.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955-American-France-Custom-Hot-Rod-Truck-5th-wheel-/120659921667?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1c17e44b03

I think 5k is high for that first one. I've seen good low mileage fire trucks for sale for stupid cheap.

Thanks for the reminder of yet another engine I wouldnt mind using for my hot rod project. Seagrave V12...mmmm.

Buy it Dan! Then convert it to a modern engine and drop that lovely V12 off at my place :)

You bet! It's Christmas right?

That LaFrance looks sad IMHO.

Looks great in pictures... in practice... notsomuch... Have you ever been in an old truck cab? They make a Miata feel roomy... plus, the gearing on these things makes the top speed around 45 mph.

I have been considering picking up a firetruck to use as a car transporter. If I got a pumper, I could likely carry the miata in the hose bed with some really long ramps. The option I was considering is an arieal and keeping the car in inside ladder compartment. It would be awesome to have a 100' ladder to get a good view of the track. I just have to somehow sneak one home from work...

Yeah, I dont understand wanting one of those, unless you a "little person" they wouldn't be comfortable at all.

"Very thick metal," the seller says. I see no reason to disbelieve him.

That LaFrance is terrible from the testicles on the poorly fitting and not at all matching rounded truck bed, the mural of the back of the cab and the ghastly interior. It just doesn't have much going for it.

BIN at almost 10K

Just a word about fire trucks and their engines. Fire truck engines are usually given more HP than their common truck counterparts. For example a ISM cummins will have 400 or 425 HP in a truck but 450-500 in a fire truck rating. The only physical changes to the engines will be injectors(sometimes), an ECU cal, and a different turbo. The main difference in the turbo will be, in the case of cummins, the use of a Ti compressor wheel to deal with the higher stresses put on it by the Fire truck duty cycle and higher boost requirements. No internal modificaitons to the engine will be made, so these engines if used in a standard truck/hauling mode will not last the miles that a "normal" truck engine in a normal truck duty cycle will last, if not derated.

Sooo.. The duty cycle of a Firetruck engine is key. They are run generally three ways. At a set RPM for pumping, at an idle(many many hours of this, or Full out. Basically, the engines are not babied and need to be gone through extensively before put into service towing.

Hint: Big RV's also get the same ratings as Fire trucks. However Old folks drive them and they don't get as beat as others.

Seen this?

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/1941-amercan-lafrance-firetruck/187714/

Ian F wrote: Looks great in pictures... in practice... notsomuch... Have you ever been in an old truck cab? They make a Miata feel roomy... plus, the gearing on these things makes the top speed around 45 mph.

Think outside the box. What's narrow for two is roomy for one. A good driver's seat set inboard enough to be comfortable, steering column moved as necessary, passenger seat pushed back a foot or two ... A modern transmission/rearend combination would take care of cruising speed.