Making a hotrod out of a late 30s Seagrave open cab pumper

junkyardjeff · November 23, 2008, 09:45:29 PM

A local antique mall has one that has been sitting outside of their building for many years and today I asked about it.its for sale and has a title but they want way too much money for it and its a little rough plus it does not have a motor or radiator. They are asking 3000 and I was thinking about 500 to 1000 at the max since nobody in their right mind would want it and if they did it would have been gone a long time ago,it has a huge engine compartment that no car motor would look good in except for a straight 8 or one of those huge 50s GMC sixes from the huge trucks which a local junkyard has two or three. I want this thing and since I cant afford a 32 roadster this would be cool and large and I know I could build it cheap with junkyard parts and drive my neighbors crazy. Jeff

unklian · November 23, 2008, 10:07:41 PM

Flipper has one, don't know what year; they all look the same to me.

unklian · November 24, 2008, 11:34:22 PM

Price might come down, if the economy doesn't pick up.

wayne petty · November 25, 2008, 03:42:05 PM

i am trying to remember the guys who put together jay lenos tank motor car... seems they had a seagrave ladder truck tractor they converted to a giant roadster...

i was even trying to find pictures of it...

it did take years .. of metal pounding to get it done...

it was in hot rod or car craft a few years ago....

it was almost a work of art when they were done....

chris spokes · November 25, 2008, 04:45:28 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"i am trying to remember the guys who put together jay lenos tank motor car... seems they had a seagrave ladder truck tractor they converted to a giant roadster...

i was even trying to find pictures of it...

it did take years .. of metal pounding to get it done...

it was in hot rod or car craft a few years ago....

it was almost a work of art when they were done....

i googled this

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/jay_leno_garage/1302941.html?page=1

enjenjo · November 25, 2008, 04:48:56 PM

It is called the Blastolene special. Real BIG!

When I go to Vegas, there is a old fire truck near where my son lives that I eye every time I pass it. I believe it is a Seagrave too, looks like a giant panel truck

unklian · November 25, 2008, 05:33:20 PM

//www.Blastolene.com

GPster · November 25, 2008, 06:21:33 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"i am trying to remember the guys who put together jay lenos tank motor car... seems they had a seagrave ladder truck tractor they converted to a giant roadster...i was even trying to find pictures of it... it did take years .. of metal pounding to get it done...it was in hot rod or car craft a few years ago....it was almost a work of art when they were done....

Jay Leno's car were featured on "My Claaic Car" last night. If I followed it right the engine in Jay's Rod was out of a Tank. It was an air cooled V motor and as just like the ome in the Model A (?) coupe that was on a stretched frame on the HAMB site last night (I lirked). The reason I think it's the same type of motor is that it had two carberaters one for each bank and hanging om the outsie of the banks. GPster

wayne petty · November 25, 2008, 07:37:11 PM

thank you .... it is big bertha. was the car truck i was thinking about...

http://www.blastolene.com/Bertha/index.htm

Carnut · November 25, 2008, 08:57:01 PM

A couple others

unklian · November 25, 2008, 09:54:35 PM

Didn't the Seagrave motors originally come from Deusenburg ?

enjenjo · November 25, 2008, 11:28:26 PM

Quote from: "unklian"Didn't the Seagrave motors originally come from Deusenburg ?

Pierce. It was a V12 designed for the Pierce Arrow

wayne petty · November 25, 2008, 11:29:25 PM

hmm... i wonder how one of those ford V10's that they put in trucks and vans would do to power it... there must be a few starting to show up in wrecked vans and trucks... if someone wants to keep the motor in proportion to the size of the truck... if not... some nice sized V8

Normspeed · November 25, 2008, 11:47:36 PM

I had the chance to pick up an old enclosed cab fire truck a few years ago, a retired Forest Service rig, still in pale green. It was either a LaFrance or a Seagrave. The cab had the look of a chop, really cool. Coulda had it for $3500 or less. Needed brakes but it ran. I only lacked two things, money and a place to park it. sigh.

Grandadeo · November 26, 2008, 11:32:38 AM

Quote from: "Normspeed"I had the chance to pick up an old enclosed cab fire truck a few years ago, a retired Forest Service rig, still in pale green. It was either a LaFrance or a Seagrave. The cab had the look of a chop, really cool. Coulda had it for $3500 or less. Needed brakes but it ran. I only lacked two things, money and a place to park it. sigh.

No problem with room to park things now. The money however... Hey wait you've got that big FPL pension check coming in, right?

Lee