joemac

Thanks for the replies. I've been daydreaming of buying and restoring an antique firetruck, either an old Mack A, L, B, or, preferably, a C. I'd love to find an old abandoned enclosed cab 700 or 800 Alf and save it. Then again, I've always had a fondness for the thirties D series International trucks. Having a very modest fixed income, no place to store or work on such a project has put a damper on the dream. I'm currently putting together a resume to submit to a company I just found out about near me that services and sells fire apparatus. The other week I had a sit-down with the owner and discussed a part-time job. If I get the job, things may just change enough that I could actually have the dream come true. Then, I'll need another job to pay for the fuel to get the restored rig to Macungie and back. I'm already ahead of the game. I've got a spiffy chromed bulldog hood ornament...

A bit of background, in order to make sense of my question: Back in the mid-seventies, while working as a VW technician at a dealer, I became interested in the history of VW and the 'vintage' models. By the late seventies, I was active in a vintage VW club and had become interested and was working on, Porsches. Let's just say the two makes are cousins. The shows and swap meets at that time had a lot of really old cars that were already classics: split-window Beetles, Kubelwagens, Hebmullers, oddball cars, pre-A 356s, 550s, Spyders, as well as very rare examples. Parts were somewhat plentiful and reasonably priced. There was little in the way of aftermarket sheet metal and accessories. Swap meets were THE place to find what you needed and you could save a few $$$ by some friendly haggling. Something gradually changed the spirit of those shows over the ensuing years. The really old cars seemed to disappear. Where you saw some really old, rare examples had been replaced by the newer models. Swap meets became commercial and the aftermarket parts flooded the scene. Haggling became a thing of the past. I stopped going as a vendor because it wasn't fun any more. I was constantly insulted by low offers for things I had reasonably priced, knowing the going rates. The Interwebz came along and everyone used eBay opening bids as a price guide. I've talked with friends who still go as vendors and some have stopped altogether, much for the same reasons I stopped. I've since gotten old and retired from the biz, but I still go, albeit only occasionally. It's a whole different world, now. Somewhere in the late eighties, I started going to Macungie and enjoying the truck shows. I've always carried a fascination obsession with old fire apparatus. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate seeing older trucks of any kind, especially those from the thirties and forties. Must be that they remind me of my youth. Now my question: do you see the same changes in truck shows and, if so, where have all the trucks gone that you used to see? In the case of the VWs and Porsches, a lot of Japanese investors came to the US and bought up many of the cars and shipped them back, never to be seen at US car shows again. This was especially true in the eighties and early nineties. It drove the prices up to astronomical levels and created a shortage of sought-after cars. 356 Speedsters values went through the roof. Do you see this happening with vintage trucks?

It's difficult to judge the condition of a rig that you can't see. It looks like moving it would risk bringing down (what's left of) that, "garage".

I grew up seeing a lot of 3000s on the road. They were ubiquitous. I really liked that style and it takes me back to my childhood whenever I see one at a show. Real shame about that one that was attacked by an excavator. Whoever did that should be tortured.

Yeah, this is the one thing I dread about winter the most. I absolutely loathe the cold. Like 84Superdog, I do well in 80 degrees. We were without juice for a day and a half; lucky by the looks of the general area. Trees and limbs and scattered debris everywhere. A neighbor's limb fell onto the rear of a Porsche I had parked in our driveway. I spent the better part of two days cleaning up the mess. I have multiple cuts from clearing out all the snow/ice/glass/twigs/needles/bark, and I was wearing gloves. Slipped on the ice and cut/bruised my right shin, cut my wrist in two places, hit my head on the side of the car as I went down, then hit the back of my head on the ice on the ground. I almost passed out, but realized I was in a bad place where I wouldn't be found for a while. Hypothermia is not my thing. I'm awaiting an insurance adjuster to come out and pay the claim so I can replace the shattered glass. Looking at the bright side (!), it only took out the glass. If it had been parked a foot further rearward, it would have surely done in the roof. There's probably three cords of firewood in my yard and the next-door neighbor's. Shame it's all pine and fir; terrible for anything other than kindling. I still hear chain saws every day since Wednesday. Did I say I hate this shit?

Good luck to the seller of this one. Not too many collectors are interested in ladders, especially tillers. Take up too much space and you always need a second person to move it, unless you're just going a short distance in a straight line. I know where there is an old 700 series ALF ladder truck, sitting in a field behind a church, waiting for someone to grab it, take it home and give it a proper restoration. Will probably never happen and it will rust into the ground.

Exactly what I was thinking.

I miss my salt/slush car: a 1967 VW Beetle with tall, skinny tires. As long as the snow wasn't so deep that the front couldn't push through, I had no problems. I once left work early (10:30AM) in the middle of a major snowstorm. Four wheel drive vehicles all over the roads, usually spinning one wheel at each end. After cresting a long. steep hill, I was met on the other side by a snowplow coming the other way. That plow was the only moving vehicle I encountered during the remaining 12 mile trip home. I don't drive in the snow now, if I don't absolutely need to, in spite of having four Blizzaks on my front-drive Jetta. FWD, traction control, ABS, don't do a think to help you stop when the road is slick.

Just wonder if anyone has painted, or otherwise colored the bulldog's eyes.

She's red, alright. Strobe kit for the stoplights?

Yeah, well played, Sir. I would lurve to have a D3 pickup. 37-40. Red.

Maybe set up two kettles?

Having struck out at both Macungie and eBay, I thought I'd might as well ask here. I'm looking for two early style hood side bulldog emblems, left and right. Condition is not important as long as the profile is complete. I don't need the mounting pins, as they will be affixed to the sides of a motorcycle tank with double-sided tape. Looking for reasonable priced (cheap), as I'm on a limited fixed income.

Since posting my question and receiving the above responses, I've check eBay a half dozen times. Presently, there are 108 items listed. Not one older style bulldog. As usual.

Thanks. That pretty much covers it.

Something I've wondered about since I was a boy- what does the number following the 'B' signify? For example, B61, B75, etc. If anyone can explain where the numbers come from, I would feel very enlightened. Thanks in advance.

What a shame. My 'other' favorite make of fire apparatus. I still regard the 700 series to be the quintessential mid-20th century fire engine. Simply classic, ahead of its time styling. They were bucking the status quo with the pump panel on the right side. It actually made more sense in this country, where it had the operator on the same side as the curb, away from traffic. I've always really liked their styling, even the current models; the only rig to stand out in a world of look-alike boxes. Their quality has also kept up to their high standards, not like several modern fall-apart rigs that are out there *cough* Pierce... ALF has gone under before. Maybe they'll make another comeback.

The various truck shows I've attended always seem to have at least a few CF items in the swap area. And Macungie always has a lot. You should join SPAAMFAA.

For that kind of loot, you'd think they could have at least cleaned it up a little. My uncle had one of these sitting in his basement, years ago. Well, make that decades...

OK, thanks. I bought a pair of the newer style two years ago at Macungie, from two different vendors. Both were NOS, but I really wanted the older style. Didn't see any, but there were plenty of the newer style, usually for $35+, depending on how badly pitted they were. They were attached to the sides of the tank on my bike, which is styled after a Mack fire truck, complete with authentic gold leaf striping. I also lucked out and bought a used ashtray with the smaller hood ornament style bulldog in nice shape. It now resides on top of the bike's headlight. I'm presently re-doing the tank and since the bulldogs are off, if I can, I'll replace them with older style, if I can find a decent pair at a good price.

Does anyone know when the half-dog emblem changed from the straight-ahead version to the type that is essentially a half of the hood ornament? I never see the earlier version for sale. It's one of those trivial things that I like knowing.

Thanks, I'm no longer a member. Didn't like it, but I was able to view a couple of more recent pics that show her all cleaned up and sporting a Honda generator. I would really like to find this rig and take some photos. And reminisce I almost got frostbite on my left hand riding the tailboard of that truck. Couldn't get the glove on. Had my helmet fly off once from the wind, guy on the back grabbed it out of the air. Had to climb up onto the hosebed more than a few times, nowhere else to go, she's already movin'. Oh, that truck.

I'll be there. I'm always there.

Oh yes, talked at length with Bill, yesterday. Apparently, it was at Scrappy's in Langhorne in July.

Well, thanks for all the welcoming. I like this place. Don, yes, I did leave the guy a comment who posted the photos on Flickr, last week. As soon as I saw them, I left a comment asking if there was any additional info. I wanted to actually send the guy a message, but I don't see any provision for it on Flickr.