1957 International Harvester V-196

Thank you for those who sent previous messages expressing interest and appreciating what it took to repurpose this nice fire truck to a platform tilt/dump.   Your input has convinced me to sell the 1962 International fire truck pumper separately rather than include it as a backup parts source.   Apparently. my previous description of cruising at 65+ mph road speeds gave some the erroneous impression that this truck is only capable of doing 66 or 67 mph.   Not so! 

International specs for the V-549 big block V-8 engine says it weighs 1108 pounds. is capable of producing a maximum of 257 HP @ 3400 RPM and produces maximum torque of 505 foot pounds @ 2000 RPM.   The speedometer will indicate 75 to 80 mph in the 3000 to 3200 rpm range with the new Eaton 4:88 differential. combined with new rims. and 11:00X22. 5 tires.  

After the pumper body was removed. the truck was down to just a cab and chassis. with the new drive shaft. 4:88 differential. and 11:00 X 22. 5 tires.   We used my brother's Chevy pickup (350 w/4-barrel) as a "Pace vehicle" out in front of the cab and chassis to see what the top end speed might be.   The signal for the Chevy pickup to go faster was flashing my headlights dim/bright.   Several bits of valuable information were learned very soon.   (1)  The cab and chassis could stay with and/or run over the Chevy pickup.   (2)  We achieved 80+ mph on the speedometer within the rpm range described above.   (3)  One has to plan and manage deceleration energy early after reaching such speeds as fire balls about the size of basket balls will belch out of the exhaust! 

I am very satisfied with the way this rather expensive conversion turned out.   The next owner can always find something to improve or change.   This truck is currently insured for 15K to recover actual costs in the event of a total loss scenario.    Having compared the overall appearance and condition. low mileage. usefulness. etc. with this one-of-a-kind-head-turning classic 1957 International truck conversion to platform tilt/dump bed is well worth the revised Buy It Now price.

According to its Line Set Ticket. this International truck cab and chassis was driven off the assembly line at Ft. Wayne. Indiana. nbsp;on Valentine's Day. February 14. nbsp;1957. the year Elvis was well on the way to become King of Rock 'n Roll and the same year the Russians launched Sputnik. the first man-made satellite to emit signals while orbiting the earth.   1957 is also historically significant as the Golden 50th Anniversary year of International Harvester's trucks and product improvements from 1907 to 1957! 

Several equipment options include an IH V-549 gas engine rated at 257 hp. 65 amp generator. power steering. straight 5-speed manual transmission. and a single speed limited slip differential with a 7:16 ratio ring and pinion.   Top speed was approximately 50 MPH when outfitted as a fire truck with a Luverne pumper body capable of pumping 1. 00 gallons of water per minute (GPM).  

This fire truck faithfully served St. Joseph. WI. and the surrounding community for nearly 50 years before being retired from service in 1994.   A local farmer bought the retired fire truck for the purpose of removing the pumper body to install a lime spreader bed conversion.   However. after realizing this truck was in such good condition he decided to re-sell it rather than expose the truck to the corrosive effects of lime.    

This vintage fire truck was purchased with the idea of making it the classic one-of-kind center piece of my 1950s Farmall/ McCormick/International tractor collection.   By removing the pumper body and replacing it with a heavy duty custom made platform tilt/dump bed conversion. the truck would be capable of transporting my International TD-6 crawler/dozer or any tractor in my collection to various events. parades. nbsp;tractor pulls. and/or other shows appreciated by truck and tractor enthusiasts.   Beyond tilting. the hydraulic actuated dump bed can reach an angle of approximately 70 degrees.   

This classic 1957 International truck has very low actual mileage of 16. 36. It is a medium duty truck that is under CDL license requirements at 25. 00 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).   The empty weight is under 12. 00 pounds which allows over 6. 5 tons to be loaded without exceeding the 25. 00 pound GVWR listed on the data plate. To cruise at 65+ mph highway speeds. nbsp;a New Old Stock (NOS) Eaton 4:88 ratio ring and pinion has been installed to replace the slower 7:16 ratio.   The addition of a vertical exhaust goes well with the six spoke Dayton wheels and 11R22. 5 tires having less than 400 miles since installed.   Six (6) new rims were purchased and installed to replace the original 8:50 X 20 tires on split-rims.  

It is important to note that the indicated odometer miles increased whenever the fire truck's 1. 00 GPM water pump was operated. because the water pump was driven by the truck's transmission.   Engaging the water pump contol disengaged the differential.   Therefore. actual road mileage is less than indicated on the odometer.     

Please scroll and see all 24-photos for this listing. Note: The engine. firewall. and cab interior still have original factory paint. The outside of this truck cab and chassis has been cleaned and repainted with the best matching red Pittsburg Plate Glass (PPG) paint. The tilt/dump bed was cleaned. primed gray. and painted black. The durable results are seen in the attached photos. One minor area of rust was found on the bottom rear 2-inches of both fenders. The rusty metal was cut off and replaced with new metal before primer and paint was applied. The cab overall. including floor pans. bottom of the doors. lower cab corners. windshield cab corners. are all rust free.

The conversion to a platform tilt/dump bed required removal of the original 1. 00 GPM water pump and pumper body before replacement with a single cylinder hoist under a custom built platform tilt/dump bed equipment hauler. A custom made short drive shaft. supported by an additional cross-member and hanger bearing. has replaced the gap created when the pumper body and water pump were removed.  

The tilt/dump bed was designed and constructed from scratch to be heavy duty. The designed backbone of strength consists of two steel 9-inch X 15 foot -beams. with steel 4-inch X 2-inch X 7 ½ foot rectangular tube cross members with 12-inches on center spacing. The floor of the truck bed is covered with 4-foot X 8 foot sheets of 3/16-inch steel plate to prevent the usual sagging between cross-members as normally seen on used diamond plate decks. A new 12. 00 winch has been installed at the front of the truck bed.   The hydraulic actuated tilt/dump bed can reach a dump angle of approximately 70 degrees.

The original hydro-vac/brake booster has been removed and reinstalled after a professional rebuild.   A new vacuum tank and new wheel cylinders have been installed.   No wear is evident on brake shoes and/or drums.   The 1957 vintage V-8 engine runs best. smooth. and strong without smoking when using major brands of gasoline that do not contain gasohol. The cab has a new floor mat. The 12-volt battery was originally located in the cab. however. it has been relocated to the left side of the truck frame behind the cab. The amber beacon. spotlights. headlights. tail lights. brake lights. turn signals. and interior lights all work.   When the butterfly hood panels are fully opened. a handy right and/or left work light located on the engine side of the firewall can be used.   

After completing the conversion from a fire truck to a platform tilt/dump everything had to be inspected by a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) inspector authorized by the State of Minnesota before issuing a new transferrable title certificate ("Reconstructed") so it could be licensed. insured. and operated on the highway. The DMV inspector documented that this truck passed the inspection and that all title requirements were met after determining that the serial number on the truck frame matches the serial number on the cab data plate as well as on the copy of the Line Set Ticket for this International Truck.   This is the original vintage 1957 International truck. restored and repurposed/reconstructed by installing a custom tilt/dump bed.  

Please ask any questions before bidding and well before this listing ends. Both trucks are stored inside an enclosed shed. Shelter will continue without cost for 30-days unless other arrangements have been agreed upon.   We have reasonably priced this listing to sell and reserve the right to end this listing early if sold locally.

Also published at eBay.com

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