1946 Ford Fire Engine

rickblack

rickblack

Member
Our local Historical Society has just received the donation of a 1946 Ford Fire Engine. It's an open cab model with a Howard Cooper fire engine body on what looks to be a 1 1/2 ton Ford truck chassis (w/b is about 132"). It was sitting in a field for the last 10 years; we're trying to get it running and registered.

We have several questions....
1. This vehicle has never been registered (since it was owned by a Fire Department) - where would we look for a serial number? Somewhere on the frame?

2. How can we determine what model the chassis was before the fire engine body was installed? I'm guessing it's a 1 1/2 ton; it has huge wheels 7.50x20 and dual wheels in the back

3. Is there any service manual for the Ford truck chassis?

Does anyone know of another 1946 Ford open cab fire truck/engine that still running?

If you're interested in seeing what we're doing with this project, here's a quickie web page with some "before" photos.
rickblack.org/FireEngine
Any help will be appreciated.

Rick Black
Southern Oregon Historical Society
Medford Oregon
 
Rick, I'm really not up to speed on trucks, but '46 Ford cars have a serial number stamped in the chassis on the drivers side, on top of the frame near the front crossmember. The other questions can be answered by someone that knows Ford trucks. If you can get a copy of the May/June 2017 issue of the V-8 Times there is an article about the restoration of a 1946 fire engine. If you can't locate a copy let me know and I will send you mine.
 
Boy, that looks pretty good for sitting outside for 10 years! I had a couple of old fire trucks for about 20 years. They're lots of fun when you're young, bur every year after you turn 70, everything gets much heavier.

Good luck with your truck!
 
Look in the interior drivers side or on the pump panel and there should be a manufacturers serial number that also lists the chassis number.This in addition to the serial number on the frame.
 
how about some pictures of another one. these were sent to me a few years ago. is it like yours?
 

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seriel number will be stamped on top of transmission and as stated before on the top of the frame rail, drivers side near the steering box. should start/end with a star. numbers should start with either an 81- for 85 hp flathead or 99- for 100 hp flathead
 
alanwoodieman said:
how about some pictures of another one. these were sent to me a few years ago. is it like yours?
Click to expand...

Most of the photos you included were of earlier trucks (pre-WWII). Those have a two-piece windshield, while ours is a single piece of glass.

There are more detailed photos of our Fire Engine at our webpage:
http://rickblack.org/FireEngine

The second to the list image you listed, the white and red truck, looks like the fire truck part behind the cowl is very much like ours, with a body by Howard Cooper Corporation from Portland Oregon. But the truck appears to be on an earlier Ford chassis. Where is that truck now?
 
alanwoodieman said:
seriel number will be stamped on top of transmission and as stated before on the top of the frame rail, drivers side near the steering box. should start/end with a star. numbers should start with either an 81- for 85 hp flathead or 99- for 100 hp flathead
Click to expand...

Thanks; we'll check that out.
Rick
 
woodiewagon46 said:
Rick, I'm really not up to speed on trucks, but '46 Ford cars have a serial number stamped in the chassis on the drivers side, on top of the frame near the front crossmember. The other questions can be answered by someone that knows Ford trucks. If you can get a copy of the May/June 2017 issue of the V-8 Times there is an article about the restoration of a 1946 fire engine. If you can't locate a copy let me know and I will send you mine.
Click to expand...

If you can scan the article and email to me, I'd appreciate that.
Rick@RickBlack.org
 
your truck was delivered with chassy/cowl with out windshield, windshield was added later and is probably an angle frame with glass inbetween the frames. FYI--40 thru 47 Ford cabs were the same except for where the front fenders attached and a slight change on the dash board
 

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alanwoodieman said:
your truck was delivered with chassy/cowl with out windshield, windshield was added later and is probably an angle frame with glass inbetween the frames. FYI--40 thru 47 Ford cabs were the same except for where the front fenders attached and a slight change on the dash board
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Here's a photo of the windshield. It looks like a Model A Ford shaped windshield. And there's a very strange electric wiper mounted at the top - so far, we haven't figured out what it is. But it's NOT a Trico.

windshield.jpg


Would love to find a chassis manual; we're going to need to do a tune up, brake job, etc. Nothing to go on except a Motor's Repair Manual, and those don't address commercial vehicles.

Rick@RickBlack.org
 
military steering wheel, definitely a local mfg windshield frame, looks like two controls to operate the pump, pull up from floor and an extra lever near brake arm, lever could also be a splitter box (over/under drive) located in drive shaft for more pulling power or speed. pictures of that attached, by the way also sent a picture of a converted fire truck, must have been sort of ladder/ariel truck. will check on manuals for you.
 

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Rick,

I can scan the V8 times article for you some time this weekend.

What have you tried so far to get it running?
 
There's a guy in Bandon Oregon trying to sell a very nice jailbar fire truck. I bought a tonner pickup from him last month and his wife sent me a photo of the fire truck asking if I wanted to start a fleet. I can look for the email if you want. Maybe PM me.
 
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