|
|
Post by 911pix on Oct 6, 2010 12:16:12 GMT -5
OK, it's off-season again, and again I'm back to doing some research and writing for COF II. Today's question:
Other than Lou Reboli and the gang at Chivvis, who were some of the more commonly used and influential truck fabricators the teams used throughout earlier years? I've heard tell of a Carl Weldon(?) from St. James, but there must be others...please include what years they were in business in your reply, if you know.
Northern & Western: please weigh-in on this! Who built your trucks? Was it professional fabricators, like Reboli & Chivvis, or were all of the trucks in your areas "home built", so to speak?
|
|
|
|
Post by fdbuster on Oct 6, 2010 12:33:12 GMT -5
Here are a couple off the top of my head.
John Mosier of Nassau Custom Fabrications
Billy Bryson, Massapequa Fire Dept.
Lee Christensen, Bay Shore
Tom Jensen, Bayport Welding
Bootsy, Flanders Fire Dept.
Ed Aikam & Claude Pardee, A & P Automotive, Port Washington
Dennis Quitoni, High Tune Automotive, West Hempstead
|
|
|
|
Post by blade17 on Oct 6, 2010 18:14:49 GMT -5
RONNIE PONS OF THE GREAT NECK ALERTS BUILT BOTH THE WILLYS AND VEGA.
|
|
|
|
Post by west on Oct 6, 2010 20:41:49 GMT -5
obviously Roper
who built the Lindy rigs, always a little ahead of the times
who came up with duals on the front axle on B rigs (Hemp & Lindy)
|
|
|
|
Post by HydroJr on Oct 6, 2010 21:05:10 GMT -5
Off the top of my head, my father, Rich Roper has built several trucks over the years...
Roslyn Rescue B
Glenwood
North Bellmore
Oyster Bay, Elmont, Merrick, West Hempstead, Carle Place, Hempstead Flukes, Oceanside Misfits.
We have also worked on and/or modified several others throughout Nassau and Suffolk.
He's been racing (ret), building, fabricating, tuning trucks since the mid 60's.
|
|
|
|
Post by IRR on Oct 6, 2010 21:11:07 GMT -5
Our C Truck chassis was donated to us by a local race car driver's family after he passed away. Our chassis is a sprint car chassis with obvious modifications to it of course. Our C Truck also has a different look going down the track, if you couldn't tell it has a lot of travel (up and down movement) to it
|
|
|
|
Post by chompers on Oct 7, 2010 8:45:57 GMT -5
I know chivvis built this one I'm pretty sure they built most of them along with team members
|
|
|
|
Post by Historian on Oct 7, 2010 21:35:22 GMT -5
Going Old School:
Great Neck Alerts 40' Ford & East Islip's early 80's C-Truck - Pacers Automotive, Oceanside
|
|
|
|
Post by fdbuster on Oct 8, 2010 7:26:01 GMT -5
The 1950 Ford C-truck formerly of West Hempstead known as the "fordillac" was built by Frick-Tappet motors in Freeport ... I have been told it was the first aluminum bodied truck built on a stock chassis.. Kenny WHFD |
|
|
|
Post by fdbuster on Oct 8, 2010 7:31:50 GMT -5
A recent find on the internet, in this Website www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=7506# Read some comments here about it. www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=439833In the 1950’s, the volunteer fire departments of the upper East coast participated in tournaments meant to judge the skill and creativity of the fire departments of the area. From what I can tell, the competition was pretty simple – haul ass from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ and then once ya get there, perform some typical fireman activity as quickly as humanly possible. The fastest team wins. Most of these teams used trucks in competition, but the fellas of the Bohemia, Long Island Volunteer Fire Department took performance a little more seriously. They took a stock ‘56 Chevrolet sedan to Forean Kustom and had them convert it into a hot rod fire truck the likes no one had ever seen before… or maybe since. Corvette motor, HD brakes, special wheels, etc… Of course, the most obvious modification was to the back half. The crew needed a bed to satisfy any duties that had to be performed after they hauled ass from point ‘A’ to ‘B.’ The custom fabricated truck bed gave them room to haul fire hoses, ladders, or any other fire quenching gear. The awkward and sports car inspired door reliefs aided a quick entry and exit. Weird, right? The November, 1956 issue of Rodding & Restyling has the coverage:    |
|
|
|
Post by HydroJr on Oct 8, 2010 8:05:29 GMT -5
Lou Henessey (sp?) Flukes last C, now South Hempstead
Tom Baldwin Sr Syosset
|
|
|
|
Post by limphose on Oct 10, 2010 13:48:17 GMT -5
Baldwin built the terrace c rig, which started out as the old Road Runners and looked like a duplicate of St. James, chopped at a Commissioners metal shop the second year and made into a center seat pretty much all of it was scrapped however in the rebuild besides two cross members because it was to be an "upgrade and refurbishment". Believe it was the last he made. Syosset too I think way earlier. Bootsy redid the sheetmetal on the Terrace two years later.
|
|
|
|
Post by ldrclmbr8x on Oct 10, 2010 16:57:51 GMT -5
Wasn't Terrace's rebuilt from Manhasset's old truck.
|
|
|
|
Post by limphose on Oct 10, 2010 17:50:25 GMT -5
Yeah my bad, you would think I'd remember a detail like that. Hey, both North Shore...
|
|
|
|
Post by F-Man on Oct 11, 2010 8:11:18 GMT -5
For Spencerport and Dansville, Andy Davidson was the architect for their "C" trucks. He had another guy (name escapes me) that did the welding of the frames. His guy also fabricated the frame for Pt Pleasants, but all other work was done in house by Bob Catone and Steve Mascari. In later years, Bob also lengthened the frame of the C truck. Pt Pleasants "B" truck was completely done in house, using an old electrical contractors work truck from the Adirondacks for the chassis
|
|
