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Pocono Oddball: 1957 Nash Fire Truck

1957-nash-fire-truck

I just look oddballs like this Nash Metropolitan! These little classics are odd enough in their normal form, but in mini fire truck configuration, they are down right awesome. If you don’t know the history of these cars, a small number of Metropolitans were turned into kiddie rides for amusement parks. The cabs were shortened and a trailer, complete with seating, was built to be towed behind it. As a kid, I would have loved to ride on one of these things! This one has slowly been restored by the seller over the past 20 years. You can find this fun little Nash here on eBay in Wayne, New Jersey with an starting bid of $6k. Special thanks to Peter R for the tip!

1957-nash-pocono-fire-truck

According to the seller, there were about 20 of these built. I can’t say if that’s accurate, but I know there weren’t many built. It was delivered new to the Pocono Wildlife Animal Farm, so if your parents took you there between 1957 and the mid ’60s, chances are you saw this little guy in action. If so, we would love to hear about!

1957-nash-fire-truck-trailer

It looks like the cab is in decent shape, but still needs work. The trailer is still with it, but I wouldn’t call it complete. It’s missing everything, so rebuilding that could be fun.

1957-nash-fire-truck-cab

Whether there were 20 or 200 of these built, it doesn’t really matter. This is a cool piece of automotive history and you just don’t see them often. That being said, there is the matter of what to do with it once it’s put back together. I guess you could drive it without the trailer, but that just wouldn’t be as much fun. So what do you do with something like this?

Comments

  1. Avatar Ed P

    Cool !!

    Like 0
  2. Avatar JW

    Cool but no common sense use except for it’s intended purpose, a kiddie ride. Hate to be a fuddy duddy but that’s my take on this thing.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Bingo

    It is crazy awesome but the question remains….is it $6000 crazy awesome?

    Nope!

    Like 0
  4. Avatar MH

    It would be a great project. Drive it in parades I guess. Anyone know how long this is?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Roxanne

      It is about 24 feet overall.
      18 ft wheelbase from front axle to trailer axle.

      Like 2
  5. Avatar Leroy

    I would put the trailer on hold and build a cool looking pick-up bed to put on it.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar erikj

    Pretty cool,but 6k for it is to much for me. Its a kids ride!may good for advertising.When I was growing up in seattle summertime they fad sea-fair(still do). it lasted about 1 month. among all the big stuff like the hydro races there was the big downtown seafair parade-hugh. Most all the small neibourhood also put on there own parades Ours was the greenwood seafair parade and some of the stuff in the big parade would showup in the parade. One of those was the keystone cops. There where about 6 cops and they drove this funky little truckthat had a jail cage hacked in the back and 2rode upfront and 4 in the cage,one guy was dressed as a prisoner. The top was cut off and funny striped paint.It was funny to see them come our way since they must have redrilled the wheels offset to make them roll way off normal. that little truckhopped allovertheplace and was so funny to watch it move. They did a skit where the bad guy got out and ran all over the place,so the cpos would chase him shooting very loud guns with blanks(us kid would hide behind mom cause we thought they where real. So good memorys from they 60-70s they where a big hit and where in all the parades even the big seafair.
    So after that story-sorry its just me ,but here is the coralation to this nash.
    I have not seen or heard anything about the keystone cops for many years. About 5 years ago I was at a pik-a-part wrecking yard what to my surprise do I walk up to. The kestone cops paddywagon still all there-rough from sitting a long time. I went running to the find the manager-I was hellbent to buy that thing. Well I found him and was told $300 I said yes so I got him to but it back behind the fence. He told me I could get it in a few day and pay for it then.I had dreams to get it going then show it off to all that I knew that would have remember it and do the parade thing like back in the day. Well I waited a few days-didn’t here back so I called and after tracking down the manger he told me that it was crushed the day be fore. to this day that still bugs with this nash,if some one could manage to get the trailer back to how it looked parade it and see if anybody remembered it and better rode it I bet they would love to ride and reminisce. sure wish I could have got that paddy wagon. Sorry to be so long with this.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Jeffro

      Neat story. Thanks for sharing

      Like 0
  7. Avatar Skip

    Neat. Did it actually see service for that small dept? I’ve seen two little Crosley trucks made into fire trucks that were built as rides for kids. One of them was at Marsalis Park Zoo in Dallas. I’m not sure where the other one was, but it was identical to the one in Dallas.

    Don’t know where they ended up.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ikey Heyman Member

      I have a postcard showing a Crosley fire truck at Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd, MN. I remember reading that there were about 100 of these made.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar brakeservo

    Unless that Metro has an actual frame, I’m surprised it hasn’t buckled and collapsed after the removal of the rear bodywork. I suppose these were never driven at ‘normal speed’ again so I suppose they were ok.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Roxanne

      The deck is re-inforced and you can drive at normal speeds. They can go up to about 50 mph comfortably.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Rallyace

    Price seems a bit high. I saw one of these with a restored trailer at a car show in Sidney, NY a couple of weeks ago. The one at the show was originally at the Catskill Game Farm. The owner said it was a fun rig but don’t plan on taking on the highway. It was designed and built to be a kiddie ride.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Rich Nepon

    There has been one for sale on the main road to Macungie, PA Wheels of Time and Das Awksfest for years, near the actual firehouse.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Dennis M

    I owned a Metro for a short time in the early 70’s – given to me in lieu of storage costs. It was a nice runner, but these things are seriously under powered! Slower than an old VW beetle. So don’t plan on driving it much in modern traffic!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Buster

    I live in Beaver County PA. There was a drive-in movie theater called Spotlight 88 in North Sewickley PA. that had one of these for us kids to ride in. It was a lot of fun to ride on the trailer being driven all around making stops at cars to pick up or drop of kids at there parents cars. It would take us to the playground down front and of course stop at the refreshment stand. Great memories. I and a friend of mine tracked this vehicle until the mid 80’s. I don’t know where it went. The drive-in was destroyed by a tornado in the early 90’s. Probably not the most collectible vehicle but the memories will last forever.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Roxanne

    I see a picture of a trailer for the fire truck you have, but I believe that the particular trailer shown in the picture doesn’t go with that fire truck that you have as my brother owns the trailer shown in that picture. That trailer shown in the picture and the cab that goes with it (not shown) is currently owned by my brother and was originally purchased by the Spaulding Bakery Company (Direnzo Brothers) in Binghamton, NY. Later the fire truck was used by the Police Athletic League (PAL) in Binghamton, NY. These vehicles are so unique and interesting, I just wanted to clarify the description on your website.

    Like 0

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