1935 B Model Pumper Auction

[fxfymn]

I went to an auction in Brewster NY this past Thursday with the intention of bidding on this pumper. It was advertised as restored, but there was no documentation available to show what had been done. There were a lot of pictures of the body work being done, but there were no pictures of any mechanical work being completed.

The rig had a body off paint job including the undercarriage. All of the chrome except the hard sleeves had been done, the running boards had been replaced with the correct material, there was no gold leaf, the only small tools were one pike and one axe, the extinguisher was a building type soda-acid, it was re-wired using modern plastic coated wire, and the pump had been re-plumbed.

Overall it was a beautiful rig. Allegedly the owner had it done and never drove it. The tags were from 2009.

Any idea what it went for? Answer below the pictures.

I was quite shocked when it went for $57,500.00 Made the DW happy since I don't own another fire truck and made the ride home much easier on me.

[hatcity]

How were things in Brewster? Grew up just over the line in CT.

Thats quite a price for the truck. Looks good and all that, but, like you said, What was done mechanically? Did they drive/operate it?

[jaysm35a2]

Thats a chunk of change. I cant own it but your very good pictures will be my wall paper on my computer now, Jay

[Art Lawrence]

That is quite a price. I woud have estimated it at about $25-28K. It is probably really worth that on the open market, which is to say I don't think that the purchaser got a bargain - plus the bidder's premium makes this an awfully expensive buy. However, it is all relative, because it in fact did sell to someone who had a bunch more cash or a big affection, or knew something no one else did. What is impoprtant is that it, like all older apparatus, finds a good home where it will be preserved.

Art

[609albert]

That is quite a price. I woud have estimated it at about $25-28K. It is probably really worth that on the open market, which is to say I don't think that the purchaser got a bargain - plus the bidder's premium makes this an awfully expensive buy. However, it is all relative, because it in fact did sell to someone who had a bunch more cash or a big affection, or knew something no one else did. What is impoprtant is that it, like all older apparatus, finds a good home where it will be preserved.

Art

[609albert]

nice truck, but it didn't have any gold on it ,I guess it was done with the intent of selling it and letting the buyer do the gold to their liking.

[fxfymn]

nice truck, but it didn't have any gold on it ,I guess it was done with the intent of selling it and letting the buyer do the gold to their liking

I don't believe so. The auction was held because the owner was convicted of securities fraud and was ordered to sell off his assets to re-pay the investors he defrauded. It looked to me that he had the rig done to treat his kids or grand kids to a fire truck ride. It is telling that he never used the rig after it was re-done.

As several folks commented at the sale; It's easy to live like this when it's someone elses money. Sending the truck and a check for 100k to a rehab shop was "chump change" when I heard numbers like 80 Million tossed around for the amount he stole.

That is quite a price. I woud have estimated it at about $25-28K. It is probably really worth that on the open market, which is to say I don't think that the purchaser got a bargain - plus the bidder's premium makes this an awfully expensive buy. However, it is all relative, because it in fact did sell to someone who had a bunch more cash or a big affection, or knew something no one else did. What is impoprtant is that it, like all older apparatus, finds a good home where it will be preserved/quote]

Several collectors were at the sale and we all agreed the rig should fetch 15-25k, no more than 30k. And the top end was a bit high in my mind since it needed at least another 6k to finish it with the gold leaf and equipment. I'm kicking myself that I didn't ask the buyer what the plans are for the rig.

[yarnall]

If the truck was as nice as it looks it is well worth paying $57,000 for a truck instead of putting $100,000 into restoring a truck. He got half off. When Nelson Barber sold his AC pumper for $80,000 privately he thought he sold it too cheap and the guy who bought it wouldn't sell it for $120,000 now. These trucks are rare and that makes them even more valuable. We are not talking about a 1960's Ford chassied Pierce.

Mike

[fxfymn]

If the truck was as nice as it looks it is well worth paying $57,000 for a truck instead of putting $100,000 into restoring a truck. He got half off. When Nelson Barber sold his AC pumper for $80,000 privately he thought he sold it too cheap and the guy who bought it wouldn't sell it for $120,000 now. These trucks are rare and that makes them even more valuable. We are not talking about a 1960's Ford chassied Pierce

I don't disagree, but no matter how much money goes into the restore any rig is still only going to be worth what the market dictates. That is why most restored rigs are not "worth" anywhere close to the cost of the restoration. My hats off to the purchaser if he got what he wanted, but I still don't see 57K for that truck.