1958 F.W.D.

I have done extensive research on this matter in the past. When I first purchased my 1958 FWD Pumper, because it had a GVWR of 28,500 I was told I would need a CDL, however the actual weight of the vehicle is only 16,700 on a heavy day. Even filled with 500 gallons of water and a full load of hose it still does not even come close to breaking the 26,001 threshold for a CDL. The Pa Vehicle Code is of course as clear as mud, so I contacted The Pa. State Police (Motor Carrier Enforcement Trooper in Charge) at the Dublin (Bucks County) Barracks for clarification. I started asking GVWR versus actual weight questions and was met with silence from the other end of the phone. When I started asking the need for a CDL when driving a truck registered and insured as an antique that weighed <26,001 pounds I could hear the Trooper scratching his head in the awkward silence. He finally said "Yeah you would need a CDL regardless." So then I said "So all these people driving these super tour-bus sized motor homes need CDL's?" And he didn't know WHAT to say......So he gave me the number of someone at State Police HQ in Harrisburg. I called out there and basically got the same run-around- no one knew what the hell to tell me. So they finally passed the buck and told me to call someone at PENNDOT and gave me a name and a number. So I called there 3-4 times and IF THEY ANSWERED I got "I'll have to look that up and get back to you." Well of course no one called me back, so finally I contacted my elected official (Rep Charlie Dent) and spoke with one of his staffers. About a week later I got a phone call from someone at the PENNDOT's Commissioner's Office who spoke with me for about 45 minutes. In a nutshell: -The operator of any vehicle weighing in excess of 26,001 pounds that is titled, tagged, registered and insured as an antique vehicle not within commerce shall possess a minimum of a non CDL operators license with the weight class endorsement appropriate for the vehicle being operated. -I have JC Taylor Insurance. I have been with them for 3 years now and am happy. I used to be with Condon and Skelly but got upset when they switched underwriters without notice and my rates shot up big time, so I dropped them. I have a little above and beyond the State require minimum coverage and have my baby covered for $8000 loss and I pay $165 a year and am limited to 2500 miles per year (if I do 500 that was a busy year.) I cannot speak about combination vehicles however I do know a bunch of folks who were bitching about many companies refusing to insure any more combination vehicles. You also mentioned a tiller- I have a buddy who had four of them, and bought another one. He had Condon and Skelly and they refused to accept it even though he had 20+ vehicles insured with them for 15 or more years. You want to talk about pissed off!!!!????? I have 2 or 3 friends in Pa. who have tillers and if I understand correctly, as long as it is a traditional fire department attachment (permanent in nature, not normally detachable like a tractor trailer) it is considered an articulated vehicle, not a combination vehicle.

I live within sight of what is left of Bethlehem Steel's Bethlehem, Pa. plant. What was once the flagship of the Steel Empire in the United States is now enough to make a grown man cry. Sands Casino is enough to piss a person off without even having to enter the place.......Which I have vowed never to have to do.....Walk into a Casino made of Jap Steel constructed on the site of once a loud and proud American Steel juggernaut. Vlad- didn't I drive you around there for a few minutes this past summer? And I know I drove Slpwlkr around there for a few minutes a few months ago.

Get it all done in one shot. New water pump, new or rebuilt compressor, new belts, and new dessicant in the air dryer. If you have "spitter" valves on your air tanks, I hate those fucking things- they always freeze up on me. I replace every one of the useless POS's with manual drains that I link together with a pull cord that I secure right at the edge of the cab- that way whenever I see it, I reach down and give it a blast and drain out any ambient moisture.

Oh I thought you picked up there or something. You are excused.

Is this an open-cab rig? If so, item number 5 looks like it is an air-powered outside/inside WW motor.

Kwanzaa Clause didn't bring me shit. Eff him and this stoopid holiday.

Yes I saw that picture but if slpwlkr was there he owes pictures. He knows the rules- no pictures then he has to go out and select his own switch........

Where in the sam hell are the pictures?

An old truck doesn't get jealous when you look at other old trucks.......

I think we're just going out tonight to a local wop shop I mean Italian place. I think on New Year's Eve I'm gonna roast a rack roast or maybe a couple of filet mignon's and some crab cakes.

I met my first wife when I was 20. Got married to her way too young. We were together 5 years before we got married and then split a little after 2 years of marriage. I was very wary of relationships after that one. Got serious with one girl for about 2 years before I couldn't handle the drama anymore and fired her, I was 31 when I finally found SWMBO but didn't marry her until I was absolutely sure. (by that time Large and Medium were with us.....In fact Medium was 5 months old when we got hitched.) Take your time son. There are plenty out there. Shop carefully. Study all of the available options, colors, drivelines, tires, etc. You'll be with her for a long, long time (hopefully) so buy the right one.

C'mon thomastractorsvc, where's your Kwanzaa Spirit????

It's the first day of Kwanzaa and I just wanted to say Happy Kwanzaa to everyone!

What are those green things?

I thought everyone had that app......

Had a nip of this earlier tonight over at a friend's Christmas Eve Gathering. Since my surgery I am not a big drinker (not that I ever was to begin with) and it damn near knocked me on my ass!!! You can't see the marischino (sp?) cherries in the bottom.......Smelled and tasted like cherry-flavored gasoline. Maybe it was.

Ken that open-cab CF is a good find. There were only 13 open-cab CF's produced, one ladder truck and 12 pumpers- four of which are known to exist.

What octane is that stuff?

"Fairly" good ain't good enuff.

Me picking you up will require you to be within a 10-mile radius of the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton Pa. area. Dinner will be approx. 6-7pm or so. We do a big brunch around 10-11am and then the later dinner. This year the menu will consist of an apricot-brown sugar glazed ham, chicken-eggplant parmesan over linguine, and all the trimmings.

In the past, I have had success using a combination of Easy-Off Oven Cleaner and a green scrubby used with your fingertips, as well as 1000-grit wet sand paper. Use extreme caution however. Use this method as a last resort because you will remove any clear coat, guaranteed and possibly even paint- this is why I say use this as a last resort; if you are foreseeing repainting, you have not lost anything, If you are successful, use rattle can clear coat polished with the 1000 grit wet sand finished up with a good buffing/waxing.

Fascinating!!!!

I thought it was a Kangaroo at first but then I googled it and then compared pictures. I ruled out Kangaroo but was torn between the North American Gray Tree Rat, or a Wookie, but I realized it didn't have a braided beard like slpwlkr's so I settled on Tree Rat.

Tastes like chicken

The unidentified creature would be the ubiquitous North American Grey Tree Rat