(first posted 12/21/2013) Even though Dave Skinner was in my town last week, he apparently did not take note of one of the more interesting vehicles I’ve seen recently. This is parked in a field behind a repairshop on my way to my kid’s preschool and has been begging me to stop and take a closer look for a few weeks now…
I had no idea what it was when I saw it from the street and getting closer did not help either. Obviously something has been grafted onto the top but I was stumped by even the main body.
To my eye it looks like a relic of the early 60’s or late 50’s but I know many of you will know exactly what it started life as.
The steering wheel gives away that it is a Chevy. Was it a sort of fire truck or similar specialized utility vehicle?
And what exactly has been grafted on (with rivets and done quite well, I might add)?
This shot coming around the back makes the twin rear axles very obvious, I was wondering if both axles were powered and tried to look under but that damp looking ground was quite a bit softer than it appeared at first glance, so I decided not to sacrifice my shoes this time…
This shot shows space for a rear platform and holders for some sort of cylinder or drum. What looks to be the fuel filler can be seen at the bottom left of the rear window. Looking at the pictures makes me think that the whole rear wall was added on later.
The truck appears to have used a vast quantity of diamond-plate, structurally the whole thing looked quote solid. The tires were definitely low on air but it looks almost ready to go.
Here’s a shot that reveals part of the engine. If this was a fire truck does it make sense that the wheel and other parts were such light colors? I’m sure someone out there can enlighten (no pun intended) us.
Here we can see (along with some rather bad reflections) some sort of workbench or table area. That half-car on top really let a ton of light in, it was very bright and airy.
And on this side (shot through the back window) we can see cabinets, a counter and yes that is a cooktop on top. Overall this thing seems like at one time it was a formidable beast, ready to tackle whatever nature (or man) threw at it. So tell us, commentariat, what exactly is this unholy union of truck and car?
Wow; what a mongrel, on so many levels. The cab clearly started out as a Ford C-series (picture below). Which of course makes the Chevrolet instruments and steering wheel an interesting juxtaposition.
I’m guessing this started out life as some kind of off-road fire truck, or perhaps a utility or other specialized vehicle. And then it was converted to a camper, one that wouldn’t easily be stopped by the most difficult terrain. The 1951-1953 GM C-Body greenhouse is a splendid addition.
This is quite the rig indeed. The oddest thing is a manufacturer combining a Ford cab with the Chevrolet innards. Odd…but such is the reality of making a very specialized rig like this; not exactly the product of a factory assembly-line.
Dual headlights, probably Mack N-series. (same cab as the Ford C-series, from The Budd Company)
Agree to disagree. Chevy’s tilt cab from the same era has extremely similar glass. Given the dash and wheel come from the Chevy part bin, Occam’s Razor suggests it’s a Chevy truck.
I do agree with Paul regarding the initial intent. It probably started out life working for the State of Colorado or National Forest Service as a fire truck, and included the dual axles to accommodate the weight of a large water tank (now removed).
It also appears to have lost the ability to tilt the cab- That must make servicing the chassis a bitch.
Could it be an FWD fire truck ? I believe they also used the cab, or parts of it, from The Budd Company.
Not a Chevy…after embiggening poth pics side by side I’m even more sure that it’s the Ford tilt-cab sheet metal.
After looking on Google I did find one pic of a FWD fire truck with that cab.
How very cromulant
I used to drive these Chevy and Ford trucks, and know the differences in their cabs well. Look closer at that Chevy cab, and you’ll see some obvious difference. The Chevy windshield ends with a very sharp corner, and most of all, it has a very decided accent line/crease that runs across the front and wraps around the and on the door side uppers. It’s not the Chevy, but it is the Ford.
I apparently jumped the gun on it having a Chevy instrument cluster.
Having pulled a few dashboards out over years, it’s not something easily swapped from cab to cab. Hence my argument it was a Chevy cab.
Conversly, if it’s a Ford IP, it’s a Ford cab.
The early Ford C Series had quad lights too.
Additionally on the subject vehicle you can see the character line around where the original air intake/grille opening for the Ford cab would have been. On the other hand there are some discrepancies with the front panel compared to the Ford cab.
It’s also missing the air intake behind the door.
The instrument cluster is Ford C series it is only the steering wheel that is Chevy and that isn’t a big deal to interchange. Ford like in many other big trucks and cars used Saginaw steering columns in certain models/eras so the steering wheel will bolt right on.
Some background on the Ford C-Series cab from wikipedia:
Some historians have erroneously referred to the Ford tilt-cab as the “Budd” cab, implying it was an off-the-shelf item available to anyone. However, the C-Series cab was designed by Ford, tooled at its own expense and built by the Budd Company to Ford Motor Company specifications. Other truck manufacturers had to obtain Ford approval before purchasing it. The exception was Mack, which bought most of the major cab stampings from Budd and assembled them itself on a floor pan of its own design. In Canada, the Ford “C” had an identical twin – the Mercury “M” Series offered from 1957 to 1972.
At least four truck makers used the Ford C-Series tilt cab. Best known was the look-alike Mack model “N”, which was produced between 1958 and 1962. The Four-Wheel-Drive Auto Company used some Ford “C” cabs which bore the FWD emblems, and Yankee-Walter used C-series cab components on some of its large airport crash trucks. In Canada, the Thibault fire truck manufacturer of Pierreville, Quebec, also used C-series parts for their Custom (i.e. non-commercial chassis) trucks.
That suggests very strongly that this is a FWD truck.
It amazing though how almost alike the GM and Ford trucks look though, the Ford C-series has to one of the longest running least changed vehicles ever, it was made from 1957 to 1990 with hardly a change in styling.
When it comes to fleet buyers its a good thing. The Econoline van has had a long run with minimal styling changes.
Had they given the Panther platform a mild refresh Ford could have owned the Police Cruiser segment for another 10-15yrs.
It looks like it’s based on a WWII Dodge WC.
I saw quite a few photos on Google of Mack fire trucks that have a very similar cab, but the big windshield is usually one-piece, and the bottom edge of the door window is flat without the dip at the front.
Mack built that same cab with stampings bought from Budd and used it for their medium-sized tilt cabs.
Looks like someone had a bright idea and access to a wrecking yard for parts, They just built what they wanted using whatever was handy. It could have been a fire truck for off highway use forestry or rural fire service the shape is right.
At first glance it reminded me of the old home oil delivery trucks
Ah ! I see that the Ford version of the Budd cab also came with dual headlights.
The rear overhang on the back of the camper on this thing echos the lines of a Petroluem jobber truck of this era.
The front of the Cab is a Ford C series/Mack/Mercury/FWD/Walter truck. Now if this started its life as a specialized vocational truck it is possible that it left the factory with a GM drivetrain.
Hey Jim, this is a really cool find! Do you know if it’s for sale?
No idea, if you are interested I can find and post the name and number of the shop it is parked by if you want. Respond to this and I can do it in the next couple of days….
Thanks Jim, I would appreciate it, I’m interested.
Ok, watch this space over the next few days….
Sorry for the delay Brian – I finally got the chance to go by today and while the rig is not in the position it was (uh-oh!), it could be inside, the building is huge and there is also a separate lot in back without access..
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There are two businesses that I could see in the building. The rig was originally parked closer to Dave’s Automotive at 970-221-5430, but it could also be Community Automotive in the front of the building 970-484-7556.
Let us know what comes of your inquiry!
Here’s a taller/larger version of the same basic truck as built by FWD (Four Wheel Drive Auto Co.) There’s no question in my mind that the found truck is an FWD.
FWD used the Budd cab on a number of its all-wheel drive products:
Wow thats an ancient company I didnt realise they were still around that late
FWD acquired Seagrave, and some Seagrave fire trucks were branded FWD as late as the 1990s.
Looks like a former airport fire truck.
Seems like it.
The car on top is cool but not that practical, too much height on trails – and why else would you boher with 6×6?
Well that is the coolest meth lab I’ve ever seen.
The Heisenberg Special, it just needs the “THE CAPN” plates from Jesse’s Monte Carlo bounce car.
It looks more like they’ve used a really old deuce-and-a-half running gear and attached oddball bodywork to it.
Isn’t anyone going to guess what the Vista Cruiserish addition up top is? I’m thinking ’52 Buick
After 35 years of working around airports, that thing screams airport firefighting vehicle. (with home made camper conversion) Looks like everything aft of the crew door (behind the drivers door) is converted. Looks like plenty of headroom in the back. Just from looks, it’s gonna be hard to get a solid ID on who made it without searching for data plates of some sort.
Imagine cruising up to the local beach in that thing and unloading the surfboards.
After owning a 59 chev school bus with the same problem, I reckon it’s mobility is limited more by it’s fuel capacity than the terrain. My bus was incapable of 10mpg.
I can’t compete with the knowledge you guys have regarding this type vehicle but it sure looks like some of the fire vehicles I saw in the military. Also, I think ottomobile is in the right era. I was thinking chev but who knows.
For the apocalypse I would want less glass and what glass there was better be blast proof.
I am going say the chassis is a REO M-34 military 6X6.
I don’t know what it is, but I think I remember that “face” from british Bedford trucks. Most Bedfords were actually built on Ford chassis. (But that’s only a hunch).
Ooops. No. I was wrong. Wikipedia says Bedfords were based on Chevrolet. haha- this gets ever more complicated…
I agree, we’ve seen that face somewhere…
Bookmobile, Spartan RV?
Think man, think. LoL
The louvered vent at RF looks like a GMC H piece.
This was a major rework. Notice the door is on a piano hinge and possibly side was “thinned” to eliminate the step at C Ford’s gills?
Ya gotta be kiddin’ me! What a conglomeration!