Got Pulled over, well almost!

Danny Ryder - Deceased - 1962 - 2021

Danny Ryder - Deceased - 1962 - 2021

PCS Life Member
Had trouble this morning with the company car so got old blue out of the basement and off I went. For those who don't know this is my 70 caddy mm combo. Got about half mile from work and noticed a red tahoe tail gateing me and I recognized it as a county fire chief car and as I turned in the car lot he whipped in behind me so I jumped out and ask was he trying to pull me over. He laughed as he begun to drool over my car and then three more fire vehicles wheeled in and before long I had almost a dozen guys talking about the good ole days and crawling all over my car. After a bit I ask if they wanted to see my 64 ford F750 fire truck and they lite up again. This went on for about an hour, guess slow for fires today. THey wanted to know if the truck would pump which I was told it would but I don't know how to use it so they said give them a call when alittle warmer and bring over to the station and we would fill with water and give a try. Fun visit.
 
Sounds like you got a good group of old timers. Some of these kids they got working today look at you like you have two heads.
 
Danny Ryder said:
Had trouble this morning with the company car so got old blue out of the basement and off I went. For those who don't know this is my 70 caddy mm combo. Got about half mile from work and noticed a red tahoe tail gateing me and I recognized it as a county fire chief car and as I turned in the car lot he whipped in behind me so I jumped out and ask was he trying to pull me over. He laughed as he begun to drool over my car and then three more fire vehicles wheeled in and before long I had almost a dozen guys talking about the good ole days and crawling all over my car. After a bit I ask if they wanted to see my 64 ford F750 fire truck and they lite up again. This went on for about an hour, guess slow for fires today. THey wanted to know if the truck would pump which I was told it would but I don't know how to use it so they said give them a call when alittle warmer and bring over to the station and we would fill with water and give a try. Fun visit.
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Trouble with the company car - are you talking about Old Faithful, the Corolla? Hey, why don't you (if you can stand it that long) save filling up the fire engine for the October meet! Or see if they will let you do it again then. That would be interesting!
 
LeeAnn Boston said:
Trouble with the company car - are you talking about Old Faithful, the Corolla? Hey, why don't you (if you can stand it that long) save filling up the fire engine for the October meet! Or see if they will let you do it again then. That would be interesting!
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Not the corolla, it was at the garage property and not at my house. Actually it was a 99 surburban and the security system screwed up and it won't start. Thinks I am stealing it I guess. I think these guys like playing with the fire trucks enough to do it again in oct.
 
Make sure they have those pumps primed before you let them pump water. And whatever you do don't let them try it at full blast. The rubber bushings are probably a little worn from lack of use.

We had a 1954? Mack here that we let sit a few years and some guys thought they knew what they were doing and the results weren't good.
 
Great story, Danny. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for old fire equipment too. When I was growing up in New Britain, Connecticut, standard apparatus was split between American LaFrance (3 early '50's pumpers and a 100' straight ladder truck) , and Maxim (2 pumpers and and 80' straight ladder truck). An example of the Maxim is in the photo below.

As part of Motor Muster at Greenfield Village, Dearborn Michigan, several old pumpers show up, and the Village allowed them to get supply water out of their pond on the grounds, and shoot the water back over the pond. I always thought that was pretty neat. I had a terrific opportunity a few years ago to drive a '54 ALF pumper through a parade in Berne, Indiana. It was owned by PCS Member Greg Yoder, and he brought another huge snorkel truck to drive. Since there were so many of these ALF pumpers in New Britain, it was a special treat for me. Tom
 

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Danny Ryder said:
Not the corolla, it was at the garage property and not at my house. Actually it was a 99 surburban and the security system screwed up and it won't start. Thinks I am stealing it I guess. I think these guys like playing with the fire trucks enough to do it again in oct.
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Sounds like a worn key.
 
Vin O'Hare said:
Make sure they have those pumps primed before you let them pump water. And whatever you do don't let them try it at full blast. The rubber bushings are probably a little worn from lack of use.

We had a 1954? Mack here that we let sit a few years and some guys thought they knew what they were doing and the results weren't good.
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Good advise, this unit was used up until about a year ago and the guys who looked at it are old school and seemed to understand how it works. One said he used to run a 50's rig.
 
Tom Hoczyk said:
Great story, Danny. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for old fire equipment too. When I was growing up in New Britain, Connecticut, standard apparatus was split between American LaFrance (3 early '50's pumpers and a 100' straight ladder truck) , and Maxim (2 pumpers and and 80' straight ladder truck). An example of the Maxim is in the photo below.

As part of Motor Muster at Greenfield Village, Dearborn Michigan, several old pumpers show up, and the Village allowed them to get supply water out of their pond on the grounds, and shoot the water back over the pond. I always thought that was pretty neat. I had a terrific opportunity a few years ago to drive a '54 ALF pumper through a parade in Berne, Indiana. It was owned by PCS Member Greg Yoder, and he brought another huge snorkel truck to drive. Since there were so many of these ALF pumpers in New Britain, it was a special treat for me. Tom
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We still run a 1989 Maxim as our Engine 2. Made in Middleboro Massachusetts. A great piece of fire apparatus, ours is one of the last Maxim's made. Sadly she is going into reserve status this spring. Maxim was a classic New England fire truck.
 
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