Loadstar Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Hi, New to this site........I'm a firefighter in southern Mass. I came across a 50s Mack LS-85 For sale. The truck is registered and running and supposedly in good condition. Wondering what you guys think a good price would be ? I know it's hard without seeing it but just looking for a ballpark figure? I figured it would be something cool to enjoy with my sons. Any suggestion would be appreciated......Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) Here's a picture of it.....I think? Edited September 9, 2012 by Loadstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkobes43 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 have a bigger pic?Welcome to BMTTom Quote "Nothing Breaks Wind Like A Bulldog" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 28, 2012 Author Share Posted July 28, 2012 Sorry I'll have to work on that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 28, 2012 Author Share Posted July 28, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkobes43 Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 thats a lot better!! Im not a firetruck expert but there are a few of those guys floating around here. Im sure your question will be answered soon!Tom Quote "Nothing Breaks Wind Like A Bulldog" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 The price of any rig really depends on rarity and condition. Semi-open cab LS-85's are not all that rare, so the price is driven primarily by condition for this truck. The only way to determine condition is to look at it in person, drive it, pump it, and check out what tools and accesories are on it.If it is rust free, runs and pumps well with good oil pressure and doesn't overheat, good overall paint, has good real gold leaf, bell, red lights, siren, small tools all in place and working would place it at an 7 to a 8 out of 10. New paint with real gold leaf and all other conditions as the first example would make it a 8 to 9 out of 10. The 10 is total restoration, which means every nut and bolt is turned and every component is brought back to factory fresh.A 7 to 8 should bring 6 to 10K. An 8 to 9 should bring 8 to 12k tops. A total restoration will cost the owner upwards of 100k and would sell in the 20k to who knows range.A friend recently bought an LS85 that had fifty year old paint, was missing the bell, ran great, and has a solid body. He paid 4k for it.In the end any truck sells for what the buyer is willing to pay. Buying is almost always an emotional decision based on how much you love the truck. As long as you realize that you will not make money on the purchase and you view it as you would a boat purchase for example you should buy it if the price seems reasonable to you despite what any of us tells you.Send me a pm if you want my e-mail and cell phone number to ask any questions you have while you are looking at the truck. Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 man that sucker is clean,,,i would say atleast $6000-$7000 doesnt look like it needs anything,,good luck,and welcome to the site enjoy bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1958 F.W.D. Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 man that sucker is clean,,,i would say atleast $6000-$7000 doesnt look like it needs anything,,good luck,and welcome to the site enjoy bobExactly....it LOOKS clean, I would like to see better pictures of the whole thing including the running boards, the wheel wells, etc. And fxfymn hit everything I was going to say.... Quote TWO STROKES ARE FOR GARDEN TOOLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 ya,,,it almost looks like a rare find....he was lucky enough to come across,,,,good luck to him....most of us get stuck with overpriced beaters lol bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gmerrill0516 Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I agree with Fxfymn above. Pay particular attention to the engine. Parts are hard to find and the engines even with low mileage are generally used up. If a rebuild were needed you could be looking at $3500 in parts and $3000 in machine work. If you can't do the balance of the work you will need to pay for several weeks of labor to get it all apart and then back together. You can outspend the value of the truck quickly. A compression test is strongly recommended.Greg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 And never buy based in a picture unless it is an absolute steal (say 2k for this truck). They always look better in a picture than they do in person. Paint runs and sags, pitted chrome, missing tools, incorrect extinguishers and tools, etc. never show up in a picture.For example it will cost north of 1k just to re-plate the radiator shell if it is already rusty or pitted. Trust me, you can put 8 to 10k in a truck that was pretty nice to begin with just in chrome, brakes, and a few small repairs. You have to go look at it to determine the true condition.And by the way; where is the IH in your picture from? We had a similar rig in Ashland, MA when I was a kid there. Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 28, 2012 Author Share Posted July 28, 2012 Thanks to everyone for the advice....it will go a long way in making a decision. The guy emailed me the build sheets ..........just waiting to hear back about the current condition. Hopefully next week i can go check it out. If it still has the original engine its a 707b..Is that a faily solid engine? The International in the picture is from Amherst New Hampshire....Engine 4. Thanks again for the Help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1958 F.W.D. Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 The 707 was one of Mack's best gas engines, ever. As long as it was taken care of, it should be fairly bombproof. Quote TWO STROKES ARE FOR GARDEN TOOLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogboy Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Former Amherst, NH Engine 4 - 1977 IHC/Gilbert Welding (Manchester, NH) 500/2000. Lyndeborough, NH had one similar to Amherst's. Is that LS-85 from Kittery, ME? bulldogboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
609albert Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I have a 54 LS 85 ,had it for 3 yrs, took 2 yrs to total restore , price you pay depends on the general condition of the truck , but if it is not on e-bay ,start low and you can always come up in price, it looks like it is a 1000gpm (4 -21/2 discharges) some had a Hall-Scott engine because of the larger pump also more rare and uses more fuel!!! we did put a power steering unit on the engine for easy of driving and a 400 gal poly tank to replace the steel one that had 40 holes in it. my e-mail address is hinoki22@comcast.net and I'll send a large photo of it. It's a trophy winner!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 The LS 85 might be from kittery....the build sheet says it was shipped to Portland maine. If it is from there, does anyone know anything about it? Seems to me a town like that would have held on to it. Bulldogboy The Amherst truck is Awd....750 gal. Pump 300 gallon tank....just over 10k miles....how do you know so much about it? Thanks again for the input. My email is miraarchery@comcast.net Picture of the trophy winner would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogboy Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I didn't think that the specs I saw on Amherst Engine 4 sounded right; the truck is too small for 2000 gallons. There is a picture of it on www.firenews.org Department List, NH, Amherst. Amherst and Lyndeborough designed them to be source pumpers. Lyndeborough is very rural with no public water supply and Amherst still has areas of no public water supply. I'm from New England so I know a little (very little) about some departments. bulldogboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemack Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Loadstar,The 707B was a strong engine, as long as it was maintained. Check the compression and oil pressure against the specs, and also make sure the radiator and cooling system are in good shape. the radiator can be about $1400 to replace, so want to check it out before you make the offer, FXFYMN hit most of the points to check. Keep us posted after you see it in person.Firemack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 I will certainly keep you guys up to date. Thanks again for the advice........Im starting to believe its the mack from kittery ME. Has anyone ever seen this truck before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1958 F.W.D. Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I will certainly keep you guys up to date. Thanks again for the advice........Im starting to believe its the mack from kittery ME. Has anyone ever seen this truck before?If you have the serial number you can call the Mack museum archives and confirm who it was originally delivered to. Quote TWO STROKES ARE FOR GARDEN TOOLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Lawrence Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Well, I have a 1948 LS-85 (see photo) and can tell you that there are no parts that are either easy to find, nor inexpensive. If the truck you are looking at has hydraulic brakes, then just replacing the wheel cylinders with remanufactured stainless steel ones will cost you at least $1500 plus labor. If it has air brakes, and teh diaphragms need replacement, good luck finding ones. Some parts are interchangable with road trucks, some not. The build sheets are a real asset because they frequently have sufficient part numbers to trace the interchangable ones. Now, as to price, a comment was made about semiopen cabs being fairly common, which is true. But, the key issue is the condition of the electrial and the mechanicals -- that's where the bucks are. While the 707 was unquestionnably a tough motor, finding a head and a CORRECT manifold can be daunting and VERY expensive. A rebuild will average $5000 for the motor, provided you do not need major parts. I can guarantee you thet the fuel pump will likely need replacing -- if you replace it with an electric, be sure to wire it to shut off when the ignition shuts off -- a B that I was about to purchase became a total loss because the owner replaced the fuel pump with an electric and mis-wired it, and POOF! Total loss. By the way, if it does have air brakes and has been sitting as long as it seems, check for cracking of the drain nipples at the drain valves on the tanks. A former Mack mechanic pointed out that the weld to the tank is a weak spot in some. Good luck with this. Quote Art Lawrence arthur.lawrence@firetruck.com Gaithersburg, MD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Thanks art......good solid advice....I'll have to make sure it's mechanically sound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firemack296 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I saw the photos on Craigslist for this truck and am pretty sure it is from Kittery Maine. The last I knew of it, it was pretty pristene. Kittery took their apparatus upkeep seriously.Good luck with acquisition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 I'll let you guys know tomorrow........maybe ? I certainly appreciate all the great advice.....it nice to "meet" honest, good people!!! THANKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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