1938 Ford Pumper Restoration

In early February 1938, by a slim vote of 11-8, the Department decided to explore options to purchase a new firefighting apparatus. By 

The pumper was moved from storage on November 11, 2023.

1938 Ford Pumper appearance on November 11, 2023

March 3rd, 2025 - Body work was completed and the chassis returned to the Department. Extensive body work was completed by 555 Custom Metal Works

March 14th, 2025 - The rebuilt rearend was completed and picked up. Work was done by Hal Fillinger of Vintage Vehicle Restorations, Inc. in Harleysville. With the rear end returned to the Department, all the needed parts for a rolling chassis are back in Department posession. Sanding of the bare metal to be completed to prepare for primer and paint.

March 15th, 2025 - Primer being applied. The bare metal parts were previously sanded in preparation for primer. Painting done by Bob Wiszneski (Telford Fire Chief) at the shop of Seifert Excavating in Souderton. Scott, owner of Seifert Excavating and avid collector of antique fire apparatus, has had several trucks painted by Bob.

March 16th, 2025 - Finished parts that were primed, are picked up. With the chassis and body parts all primed, they can be put back together to ensure proper fit and drill new holes if needed. Next, the body panels will have a finish glaze applied and sanded to correct any imperfections in the metal and create a smooth finish for the final paint application. 

March 24th, 2025 - Reassembly begins and the first nut and bolt were put back together. The 2 leaf springs were reattached to the rear end along with the wheels. In the coming weeks the rolling chassis will be completed.

December 19th, 2025 - The chassis, pump, motor, and transmission were painted 

February 2026 - The motor, transmission, and driveshaft have all been reinstalled after paint. This is a major milestone since the restoration project started, as we now have a complete rolling chassis again.
 

April 2026 - Body panel painting begins