THE REO STORY
Forestry Water Pumper Fire Truck
1938 Cab Over Engine (COE)
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Found buried up to its axle in a wash in a storage yard near Fallbrook, CA. Man interested in buying the truck actually drove it for the Forestry Service. Believe it was for the California Department of Forestry (CDF).
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Forestry Service modified the truck which probably included making it into a crew cab somewhere in the Berkeley/Davis area after it was purchased.
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The interested man retired to Oregon. He contacted the owner of the storage yard saying he wanted to restore the truck. Several months went by; the owner did not hear from the man. The truck was sold to Ralph.
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Ralph put the truck body on a 1978 Chevy chassis and put in a 350 Chevy engine with a 400 turbo transmission.
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Ralph also restored and painted the truck to its present colors. He sold the truck to Brent in the mid-90's.
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We spotted the truck at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena, California. Vintage shirts were sold out of the back bed; it had a "For Sale" sign on it. Chuck loved it but walked on. Toni decided Chuck needed it and bought it for him for Christmas 1999.
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We brought it home.
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Chuck put in a 395 small block Chevy engine with fuel injection, changed the steering, front suspension (3 inch drop spindle), & added a Gear Vendor Overdrive.
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He restored the wood stake bed, revised the corners for the lights, added an under bed gas tank and gas transfer tank, & dual exhaust stacks.
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