Peering out of this garage is a classic piece of vintage firefighting equipment. This 1935 Ford Type 51 Pumper Truck is essentially complete and is in sound mechanical health. It looks like it would come up a treat if restored, but could also be a great vehicle to use in parades and at shows as it currently stands. The mighty Ford is located in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $9,100, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

The overall condition of this old beauty is actually pretty impressive. The panels look to be nice and straight. Generally speaking, the paint doesn’t look to be too bad. It has a bit of a matte look to it, but I suspect that it would respond well to some TLC with some polish. There are a few spots where the paint has come away, particularly in areas such as the seat cowl and the pump tank, but if a repaint is not on the agenda, then simply applying a satin clear-coat to those areas would protect them from further deterioration. Having said that, it would be very hard to resist restoring the vehicle to its former glory, because it would certainly attract plenty of attention at shows and in parades. What is nice is to see that all of the original sirens and lights are still present, and the owner says that these work as they should.

The “interior” of a vehicle such as this is focused a lot more on function than form, with everything designed to be robust, and as close to waterproof as is humanly possible. The most obvious sign of age in the vehicle is the state of the steering wheel, which sports some pretty impressive cracks. I suspect that the seat may have received a new cover at some point because I find the condition of the existing cover to be far better than I would expect from a firefighting appliance of this age. The rest of the interior is essentially painted surfaces, and once again, some time spent with polish and a cloth should produce some pretty rewarding results.

The owner doesn’t provide any engine photos, but we do know that the Type 51 is fitted with the 85hp version of the 221ci flathead V8 and that this is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. The old Ford has been the recipient of a lot of recent mechanical work, including a full rewire, the fuel tank has been cleaned and sealed, the carburetor and brakes have both received a rebuild, and a new water pump has been fitted. The owner says that the vehicle runs and drives well, and while the tires are now pretty old, they show no signs of rot. From a firefighting perspective, the owner says that the actual pump for this pumper is present, although it doesn’t currently function. That will need some investigation. The other item that the next owner will need to source is the hose itself. The drafting hose is present, but the regular firefighting hose, which would almost certainly have been canvas, is missing.

Vintage firefighting appliances are always interesting vehicles, and there is no doubt that nicely preserved or restored examples will attract significant attention wherever they go. Of course, the one factor that governs their value is whether the right person or people can be found to bid on a vehicle such as this because they are quite a specialized piece of equipment. There are currently 60 people who are watching the listing, and for a vehicle such as this, that’s a pretty solid sort of response. Maybe this one is set to find itself a new home.