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+---- Thread: The last Mack CF firetruck comes home (/showthread.php?tid=1937)
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
In 1983 the Mack company was facing enormous pressure on different fronts. They had new corporate ownership and in a drive to determine which of their divisions were profitable, it was determined that the Fire Apparatus Division based out of the Macungie PA plant was not going to continue building complete fire apparatus. There was also need for the huge Macungie plant to assemble other vehicles, and the decision was made to cease sales and manufacturing of complete fire apparatus. The company decided to continue chassis productions of the CF and MC and R chassis for fire apparatus application until 1989, but the era of wholly Mack produced apparatus was over.
Much of this is a result of a run of rusting out apparatus produced in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Bad steel and poor body quality led many US fire departments to upstart E\-One with their aluminum bodies and a re-energized Pierce Mfg Co out of Wisconsin. Many of the traditional Mack customers went elsewhere and the traditional commercial truck-orientated Mack sales organization was never able to compete effectively with the dedicated fire apparatus sales forces of E\-One and Pierce.
In mid 1983 the Westbury Fire District on Long Island placed an order for what would become the last complete Mack fire apparatus. The unit was produced in the spring of 1984 and was a 4 door cab CF-600 chassis with a 1500 GPM Waterous 2 stage fire pump and a 600 gallon booster tank and carries serial number CF688-F15-1067. The unit served the very busy Westbury Fire Department from 1984 until earlier this year when it was replaced with a KME custom fire pumper. The unit has no crosslays, 2 booster reels over the pump panel, a front intake, and all the hose comes off the rear. There is a 3 inlet deck gun mounted on the cab roof and an additional booster reel in the rear compartment. The body is made of galveneal treated steel and is in excellent condition. All of the Westbury units from that era had a set of strobes mounted at the rear corners of the 4 door cab. The rig also had polished aluminum wheels, fairly uncommon for the 1980's. On the sides of the extended front bumper they mounted Bulldogs on short poles to guide the drivers.
I bought the unit this week from Westbury and brought it home to Lancaster PA yesterday, less than 60 miles from its place of manufacture. Its in remarkably good condition, mostly original, just a few additional decals added from when it was new, and no rust on the body and a very small spot of corrosion on the cab floor.
A great piece of history for all Mack lovers. If you ask me they never made a better piece of apparatus than the CF Mack!
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - 1961MackC95 - 07-21-2007
Chief 66:
Congratulations on your acquisition of a piece of history.
There are many Mack apparatus lovers who will agree that Mack produced great apparatus in their heyday.
The number of CF Models still in service today is certainly a tribute to a fine piece of equipment.
Lindsay D
Richardson, TX
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - mack505 - 07-21-2007
Wow! Nice truck and great story!
From the owner of the first 505A, congratulations on saving the last CF!
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Thanks! I know you appreciate owning a Mack.
One more for ya!
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
VERY cool! Congrats and good luck with it! I hope to see it in the Wildwood Parade In South Jersey <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hysterical.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
[quote name='Rescue29Engine23' post='131664' date='Jul 21 2007, 13:16 ']VERY cool! Congrats and good luck with it! I hope to see it in the Wildwood Parade In South Jersey <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hysterical.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />[/quote]Congrats, if I ever get another fire truck it's going to be a Mack CF, preferred closed cab version just like that. Good luck with it and what a great story to go with it !!
Frank
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Great truck I have seen the truck go to many fires in Westbury. I think Co.2 still runs the Mack tower. That's a real nice truck too.
Good luck with her.
Kevin
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
If you are ever up this way. See if you can stop by and see Jericho FD unit 945 (or943) That's there last Mack.
The city of Glen Cove also has a Mack too. That's in Pacfic Company. These are two trucks in service and looking real good.
Kevin
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Congratulations Chief 66!
Gonna get a little sign made giving its history and especially that it's the last fully Mack-made fire engine?
Phil, Bklyn.
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
[quote name='knarfage' post='131669' date='Jul 21 2007, 13:45 ']Congrats, if I ever get another fire truck it's going to be a Mack CF, preferred closed cab version just like that. Good luck with it and what a great story to go with it !!
Frank[/quote]
You can still get one Frank <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hysterical.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> It's still here, LOL.
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - engine216 - 07-21-2007
Congrats on purchasing a fine piece of apparatus and a piece of history. From a very early age going to the fire house with my father, I always wanted to ride in the CF-Model Mack we had in our station. And from that time I was hooked on the whole Mack Fire Apparatus line, especially the CF-Model's. My goal is to some day co-own a CF-Model Mack with my father and take it to muster's.
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Jesse, I sold your department that 1971 CF you used to have, back in 1989.
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - res6cue - 07-21-2007
Gorgeous rig, congratulations on the acquisition!
Our dept's 1972 CF-795 was one of the best rigs we've ever owned, and she could flat out run and pump with that monster V8 she had! Last I heard she was still running strong for the Highland Twp Vol FD out in Elks County, PA.
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Actually,a MACK with Budd wheels is a rarity in itself........
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - 1961MackC95 - 07-21-2007
For you Mack CF lovers, there is a thread titled Mack Semi Open Cab.
Check out post #15 which is a 1974 Mack ex Connelsville, PA & ex-Dunbar, PA.
I believe that this was the last semi open cab CF built.
Lindsay D
Richardson, TX
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - ifightfire - 07-21-2007
Chief66
What are your plans for the truck, you gonna keep it for yourself or are you going to resell it?
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - engine216 - 07-21-2007
Chief 66. Wow, I can't believe I am talking to the person that sold us that Mack. I used to love riding in that Mack all the time. I was sad to see it go, but am happy to know that the last I heard it was in a private collection in New Jersey. Oh how I would love to buy the truck back and have it for myself. Do you have any pictures of it before you sold it to us?
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-21-2007
Jesse, I don't have any pics but it came from Empire Hose Company number 1 of Merrick FD on Long Island, and if I remember, it actually ended up with a collector in Massachusetts.
Ifightfire, that baby ain't for sale!
The last Mack CF firetruck comes home - Guest - 07-22-2007
[quote name='res6cue' post='131767' date='Jul 21 2007, 17:51 ']Gorgeous rig, congratulations on the acquisition!
Our dept's 1972 CF-795 was one of the best rigs we've ever owned, and she could flat out run and pump with that monster V8 she had! Last I heard she was still running strong for the Highland Twp Vol FD out in Elks County, PA.[/quote]
From the papers I have that 68Mack gave me, thats the last dept listed with it so, I'd imagine it is!