Wanted: Bedford Fire Engine

Hi guys,
New to the forum specifically to try and track down one of these:

If anyone knows of anyone who is selling please if you could contact me that would be great!
Thanks in advance
Wacker

There's been one for sale in Perth for a couple of years. The price might be reasonable now, if it's still available. It wasn't when he first put it on the market.

I know he paid $5000 for it, when he bought it, in the early 1990's, because I was at the auction.
However, after doing birthday tours for kids for several years with it, he seemed to think it had quadrupled in value. He never had any takers, and the price kept coming down.
I seem to recall it was down to about $10,000 or offers, the last time I saw it for sale, but I haven't seen it advertised for a while, so maybe it's been sold.

Whereabouts are you located, and how far do you to want to freight one? Probably more importantly, how much do you want to pay for one??

O.K., this is not the one I was thinking of, this is a second one I recall seeing for sale recently. This one is in Busselton.
It seems the first one sold, and is still being used for kids rides from an Inglewood (W.A.) base.

FOR SALE - BEDFORD FIRE ENGINE. (Trading Post ad expired 27th June)

BEDFORD 3/1970: Licenced 1BDM 766. Licence due for renewal, 11 June 2010. (should be 2011?) Chassis No CDJ3BCO7657101P. Engine CDJ300. No:6109758. Engine; Petrol, 6 Cylinder, 300 CI. 4 Speed Gear Box, Single Speed diff. Odometer reads 10750 Miles, most probably genuine reading.
We have owned this vehicle since decommissioning by the WAFB, approx 1990. MAKE AN OFFER!
Colour Red; Dual rear wheels: Original, Siren; 2 Flashing Red Lights; 1 Spot Light; 1 Large Ladder, 1 Small Ladder, "Thompson 350" Water Pump; First aid Hose & Reel; 3 Suction Hoses with screen; 2 Suction Hose spanners; 2 Knapsack Hand Sprayers; Spare Wheel/Tyre, Wheel Spanner, Hyd Jack.

The asking price in June in the Trading Post ad above, was $15,600 ONO. However, it's listed in the Trading Hub for $12,600. Contact numbers are in the Trading Hub ad.

www.tradinghub.com.au/listing/2770/FIRE_...5b0fb5628935ef2ef877

Cheers onetrack.. you seem very good at finding things on the net. I did actually travel to Bussellton to have a look at that one, offered less than he was chasing (but still what I thought was reasonable for it's condition), and then the next time I got in contact with him it had sold. Seemed strange as it had been on the market for so long.. I'm not even sure how many of these were around, but I think they were primarily used in the rural fire service in WA. The ex-firies who run the historical / museum stuff have got one that they have restored, but I'm sure there must be more out there somewhere!
Would love any further info from anyone to try and track one down.
Thanks again

oh to answer your questions onetrack, sorry..
I'm happy to consider freighting one of these from the East if necessary.. depends on condition and price. Considering these were auctioned for the 5000 mark I wouldn't be wanting to spend over 10, but there could be a pearler out there that has been restored well.

There's one sitting in West Wyalong under a tree but no idea if it's for sale. Looks solid and all there.

There's got to be one for sale somewhere, although the Bedfords are low in number in the fire trucks range of makes. A lot of people buy them and just store them away.
Some people buy them because they think they've got a brilliant, money-making idea for giving kids rides .. then they find out about the huge amount of BS and DOT regulation, required to do this.
I don't recall seeing any other J series Bedford fire trucks for sale in the last 2 or 3 years, apart from these two. The biggest numbers of fire trucks are Inters, followed by Dennis', and now, probably Scanias.
However, there's likely to be a J3 Bedford stored away that would be for sale if you asked .. it's just that it wouldn't be advertised.

I wouldn't really like my house fire quelling to rely on a Bedford fire truck, by the way! They remind me of when I lived near Wickepin in the 1960's, the local fire brigade had a Chev Blitz set up as the town fire unit.
The Blitz had the low ratio 7.17 diffs, and with 16" wheels and a full tank of water, she was flat out at a bit over 50kmh!
A farmers house about 40kms NE of Wickepin caught fire at lunchtime one day. The fire truck was duly despatched in the direction of the easily-seen huge black cloud .. but was stopped about 10kms short of the disaster scene, and told to turn around and go home!
The fire had already been put out by the locals .. the house had been destroyed anyway .. and there was nothing for the firies in the Blitz to do!

Having the pump driven off the front of the motor would be pretty unusual. The NSW J3 Bedfords were fitted with 250 gallon/minute pumps removed from 1920's Dennis. These small appliances are popular with the poms as they are easily stored so the price tends to be international - at least it was when they were cashed up.

Speaking of the devil .. this bloke roared past me today, on Broun Ave, near the Bayswater (W.A.) shire council offices. The old Beddy still looks pretty sharp, and I guess he's still turning a dollar with his business.

It used to belong to a bloke who lived on Central Ave, Maylands, because I would see it regularly there, on the verge. Now, its moved, but not far, back to Inglewood.
I live in the same suburb, but I've never actually seen where the Bedford now resides.

www.fireenginefun.com.au/Childrens%20parties.htm

Yeah, typical to see it the day after chatting about it.. I'm surprised I've actually never seen him around Perth.. I am S.O.R. however