What's the UGLIEST apparatus?

[OCNYFireBuff]

Another board I post on has had a discussion or two about the new Imperial chassis from Sutphen, which was introduced at FDIC recently. Mostly less than favorable comments about it's appearance. Which leads me to wonder, where does it rank among the all-time "Ugly Ducklings" out there?

[Caddy Miller]

They are all butt ugly!

[OCNYFireBuff]

For those who might not have seen the newest "freak" yet, it's on their website: http://www.sutphen.com

[EJS1810]

Can someone explain why they are making such butt-ugly cabs these days? Bring back the Cincinnati Cab!!!!!!!!!! :confused:

[21Truck]

i don't mind the spartan cab and I think the quantum is an awesome cab but the new suthohen cab is the ugliest thing i've ever seen as far as a firetruck chassis. Whoever designed that must of been drunk off their ass

[OCNYFireBuff]

I think they're doing it to appease all the "old-timers" who claim they can't tell one "modern bread box" apart from the others anymore, so the manufacturers are making them more distinctive. They think you'll remember more easily what something that ugly is! LOL.

When the Quantum first came out, I thought that was the butt-ugliest thing I ever saw. However, it has grown on me, and there are several that I actually like. As much as I hate to admit it, the Evolution is starting to (grow on me) as well, although I still prefer the Classic Gladiator, and always will.

As for the "bread box" dilemma (which pops up quite a bit on the Code 3 Collectibles boards).....I don't have much trouble telling a Pierce from a Seagrave from an ALF, but it's not like the "old days" when you could automatically tell one from the other at a distance. They all had their own distinctive look to them. Wonder how long before the manufacturers start looking for the "retro" look, like Ford has with the Mustang?

[2EngTrk3]

Looks like they flattened the front end of an Escalade.

Must be for them Ghetto firehouses.

Tint the windows, put some shiny ass spinners on it, put a loud ass system in it, and finally put a reclining driver's seat so he can barely see over the steering wheel that angles to 90 degrees. :cool: :D

[Engine4Member]

Has to be the KME using the flat front Hendrickson (sp) body. It was as UGLY as the American LaFrance Pioneer ride!!



:p

[fireelfemtp]

Real simple. Does not matter what brand. If it aint RED, it is an ugly apparatus. There, I stirred the pot. :cool:

[Motorcycle 73]

THE fugliest has got to be the Quantum, closely followed by the Crimson. Give me the old Maxims, Pirsches, and bull nose Seagraves. They at least had distinctive designs!

[TRUCKIE7391]

Well, they have finally made something uglier that the Pioneer, that Sutphen is even uglier that 2 pioneers together. Some body must have been really pissed off the day they designed that abortion.

[GhostRider]

If you want a distinctive design look at an old Ward Lafrance (with the slanted windshield) or Maxim (with the pointed nose in the front).

[hog]

If you want a distinctive design look at an old Ward Lafrance (with the slanted windshield) or Maxim (with the pointed nose in the front).
i agree ......but back in the day they were top of the line

[J Smith]

A few more ugly cabs from the 70's, the Young "Crusader" and the Ward La France "Vantage" (not many of them built).

[CFD543]

Ugliest has to be anything with the old Mack MR chassis attached to it :+)

Is it a garbage truck or a fire truck? :P

[MF23RD]

I'm a Pierce man but I hate the Pierce Quantum. I look's like a Green House inside and out and I hate the kiddy killer's when you open the door's!

[SmokeEater77]

For those who might not have seen the newest "freak" yet, it's on their website: http://www.sutphen.com


I don't know I would quite call the Sutphens a freak.. the are more along the lines of what I remember as a firetruck growing up.. but maybe that was because I was in DeKalb Co GA.

[ArmyFire]

I work with a 1989 Ameretek MACI 2500L(crash truck) thats yellow. Id rather have one of the ugly rigs up for discussion.

[fireresq243]

That Imperial is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It is even uglier than the Chevy pickup. I do like the Evolution. My department just bought one with a top mount pump panel and a raised roof and it looks sharp

[6Sha1dow1]

love the American LaFrance Century series.
can't stand the new looks tho regardless they all suck.

[krz919]

Anyone from Westmoreland County would know this one...

Grapeville's "PURPLE PEOPLE EATER" from the late '70s and early '80s! :D

Has anyone got a picture and/or specs to bring back a misty memory?

[6Sha1dow1]

Another less famous purple rig. It is in Daisytown, Cambria county. I believe it is still in service today but not sure.

Anyone got pics of it?

[stormgod]

Changing gears here alittle, to unusual looking but beautiful chassis, I spotted one called "The Daytona" for sale on line, didnt catch who makes it but its real pretty and its an unusual layout although for some reason it has suicide doors on the front. Anybody have one of these?

[FPO703]

How about the old Pemfab 'Wedge' chassis?

[larrythefireguy]

Anyone from Westmoreland County would know this one...

Grapeville's "PURPLE PEOPLE EATER" from the late '70s and early '80s! :D

Has anyone got a picture and/or specs to bring back a misty memory?


What ever happen to that thing? It should be in the Ripely's Believe it or Not museum.

[STA114LT]

how about the 70's ward lafrance with that goofy windshield setup? those thinks looked like a butt crack on wheels lol

[stormgod]

Those 70s wards had great visiblity! I drove one for years and it rode better than a cadillac!

[stormgod]

I found a pic of that Daytona Pumper, pretty slick looking.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m151/pafirepics/323_E0619-THUMB.jpg

[Monkey's Pop]

I think E-one built the Daytona.

[Deuce Engine]

Yes, the Daytona was an E-One product built in the mid-1990's. The vehicle was very much ahead of it's time with a lot of the features, and was not popular at all. It was quickly and quitely discontinued.

To date, there are about 6 in service in the US.

[stormgod]

I have always been attracted to apparatus with clean lines so I guess that is why I like the Daytona so much. My department is looking at a used pumper, if we can swing a loan, we may just buy this beast. Growing up as a teenager, my department ran late 60s Seagraves that had few bells and whistles and clean lines so I guess its a matter of what you have become accustomed too. This is a pic of Truck 11 that I spent much of youth riding.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m151/pafirepics/l4.jpg

[stormgod]

How about the old Pemfab 'Wedge' chassis?

There is a department here locally in PA that has one of these, with the nick name stenciled across the front. "Ole Ugly".!! :eek:

[OCNYFireBuff]

Looks like the "Other" category will have some new entrants soon enough. Anybody get a good look at those "things" that Pierce unveiled last month? YIKES!!! :eek:

Actually, the Velocity might not be all that bad. But, they need to lose those funky looking mirrors....or at the very least, paint them the same color as the cab, so they don't stick out like sore thumbs the way they do on the demo.

[Deuce Engine]

Having spent several hours on the Velocity on Friday, I can tell you that the new mirrors are a driver's dream. There are actually three mirrors built into the housing on each side. The normal rear view and convex mirrors, plus a downward facing mirror that lets you see in front of the bumper. Not only that, they also have cameras built in that are wired to the Command Zone screen on the driver's side. Nice touch.

[stormgod]

A few years ago, I had a part time gig driving a very large tour bus that had mirrors exactly like the Velocity has. Yes they were cool, and they also gave a nasty blind spot that you have to compensate for when driving. In-experienced drivers will have to be very careful with this beast.

[engco51]

How about posting some pics of the "Most Ugliest Piece." It might help decide a true winner.

[stormgod]

Ok, heres a shot of the front of Ole Ugly.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/mainstreetmarshall/newpics002.jpg

[fireslayer]

Pierce Quantum... my station has one i call it our space ship but i will say the interior has plenty of room

[Tom]

If you guys think the Quantum is ugly, you have to look at the Pierce Velocity, its the stupidist looking thing ever... piercemfg.com

[bigmike33]

the impel is worse than the velocity, i dont really think its that bad.

[F.U.B.A.R]

If you guys think the Quantum is ugly, you have to look at the Pierce Velocity, its the stupidist looking thing ever... piercemfg.com

I think it looks evil. Like it just came back from Hell. Especially in black. Now if you get one in yellow it would look like a damn bee.

[227Assistant2]

This has to be the worst, does anyone know if Sutphen's has sold any of these?

[Quacker]

LOL


Don't forget the Ward LaFrance Ambassador or the American LaFrance Pioneer cabs. :rolleyes: :eek:

These had to be the ugliest piece ever built until Sutphen came along. :p :p

[OCNYFireBuff]

This has to be the worst, does anyone know if Sutphen's has sold any of these?

Yeah, a department in Indiana bought a new tower ladder on an Imperial chassis. The name of the town escapes me at the moment, but if I find it, I'll post it.

[227Assistant2]

Yeah, a department in Indiana bought a new tower ladder on an Imperial chassis. The name of the town escapes me at the moment, but if I find it, I'll post it.

Thats sad if they've only sold one imperial. My department just bought a new Quantum. It begins construction last week on Jan. 2007. When they first came out, I didnt like them. But now that Pierce has updated them, they look great. After being inside one, there is nothing else like it. I think the Quantum is the Bentley of fire trucks.

[firemanjoe]

My department has the sparten it is a nice truck. The suphen takes it all.

[227Assistant2]

The suphen takes it all.

Right On!!!!

[OCNYFireBuff]

I found the Imperial. It's Ladder 8 in Anderson, IN. Says they bought it as a demo at FDIC 2005. Click the link, and scroll down some:

http://www.indianafiretrucks.com/pages/madison/anderson_4-8.html

Don't know for a fact if that's the ONLY one they sold, but it's the only one I've ever seen pics of thus far. No others are on Sutphen's new delivery pages, either......but then again, what manufacturer posts EVERY piece they make on those pages anyway? Some don't even update them regularly.

[dragonfyre]

Was that really a folding house ladder mounted on one of their pumpers?

[227Assistant2]

I found the Imperial. It's Ladder 8 in Anderson, IN. Says they bought it as a demo at FDIC 2005. Click the link, and scroll down some:

http://www.indianafiretrucks.com/pages/madison/anderson_4-8.html

Don't know for a fact if that's the ONLY one they sold, but it's the only one I've ever seen pics of thus far. No others are on Sutphen's new delivery pages, either......but then again, what manufacturer posts EVERY piece they make on those pages anyway? Some don't even update them regularly.
Good Find!! I've been tring to find one

[EngineAttack234]

Deff the Pierce is the ugliest, needs to go! ;)

[firemanjoe]

I love peirce trucks. A truck might be ugly but if it gets the job dont then i am happy. But that Sutphen is ugly.

[227Assistant2]

As long as its red.....its a fire truck

[firemanjoe]

Red Or Black over red its ok with me. But it needs to have the Fedral Q Siren

[227Assistant2]

http://www.sutphen.com/imageuploads/recentdelivery-photo-61.JPG

[OCNYFireBuff]

Wow, they actually sold another one.

I need a bigger monitor. That pic is HUGE! Guess Sutphen's webmaster is stealing E-One's gimmick, or something.

[firemanjoe]

That truck is ugly. Maybe a few more to come or something. I dont like them but it is what they do not how they look.

[engco562jr]

Better not roll through a housing projects with that imperial chassis, the projector headlights might get stolen since they are the exact same as an escalade.

The quantums and the gladiator evos remind me of an RV with cheap front end.

[firemanjoe]

Better not roll through a housing projects with that imperial chassis, the projector headlights might get stolen since they are the exact same as an escalade.

The quantums and the gladiator evos remind me of an RV with cheap front end.

Imperial head lights are the escalade, they bought like 2,000 sets of GM and contracted the compony that made them for them to use. I dont think the full 2,000 will be used on new. they will replace the stolen ones. LOL. What is next costom DUB rims on fire trucks. My department has the Gladiator we like the truck i think it looks cool. The Pierce ant that cool.

[engco562jr]

Hey dont laugh, Pierce had spinner wheelskins on a contender at the PA fire expo in Harrisburg

I dont have too much room to criticize newer apparatus. Were running a refurbed 70 mack (original 5 speed) it shows its age sometimes, but I love it. Its an all mechanical unit; no electronic valving, computers, or sensors to malfunction. It'll pump without an electrical system, its done it before.

[firemanjoe]

Dude if our 2 engines went for a race then to out pump. Well The old one will win. We have a 1992 Pierce Arrow an a 1999 Pierce saber. The arrow is faster then the saber and we but a diffrent rear to slow it down. And they both have a 1,500 2 stage watous pump.

[LadderTruckGoes]

Ugly Trucks... Y'all forgot the short lived LTI Olympian... that was actually built buy Simon-Duplex. The damn thing wasn't much of a looker, but those who bought them had themselves one of the most maintance free chassis built. A town near me has a quint on that chassis built in 1989 and they beat the balls off of it and it never gives up. Very Solid Rig.

[OCNYFireBuff]

Now that you mention it, there was also an Olympian built by Oshkosh. Real low-profile, funny looking thing. A couple of them floating around in my neck of the woods. One's privately owned, not sure what the disposition of the other (recently retired) has become.

[firemanjoe]

Now that you mention it, there was also an Olympian built by Oshkosh. Real low-profile, funny looking thing. A couple of them floating around in my neck of the woods. One's privately owned, not sure what the disposition of the other (recently retired) has become.

I remeber what one your talking about being the retired one. Winona lakes old truck. That think was really low pro. That truck was loaned to Matamoris FD till they got a new truck. Dont no were it is after that. I have sceen a privatly owned one. You have to step down into the truck to sit in it. Weird set up.

[OCNYFireBuff]

Last I knew, Winona Lake's was still sitting in the field behind Matamoras' firehouse. Don't know if it's still there or not, but it was last summer. The privately owned one is from Abingdon, VA, if memory serves correctly. That one's just a straight stick, though.

I sat in that one. Can barely fit in the thing. Might as well be a Toyota pickup for the leg room (or lack thereof).

[Karl Spackler]

As a long time fan of Sutphen, I hate to say that is by far the ugliest firetruck I have ever seen. It's a good thing they build good trucks.

[firemanjoe]

I like the sparten it is a nice truck. Dont ride as well as I thought but that might be because ours is a tanker.

[Flashpoint]

I really think the Spartan is the best looking truck out there. It could come off and add the new E-ONE.

[firemanjoe]

I am a pierce and KME guy. Sparten is cool too.

[fireresq243]

The department I am on bought a Sparten Gladiator Evolution Pumper last year and it has been a great truck

[firemanjoe]

My department has one but it is a tanker and the chassie is great. Now there are some crimson proplems.

[JRCDBIC]

That Sutphen's Has Got To Be The Worst Thing Anyone Has Ever Made

[ffmedicnfc]

I found the Imperial. It's Ladder 8 in Anderson, IN. Says they bought it as a demo at FDIC 2005. Click the link, and scroll down some:

http://www.indianafiretrucks.com/pages/madison/anderson_4-8.html

Don't know for a fact if that's the ONLY one they sold, but it's the only one I've ever seen pics of thus far. No others are on Sutphen's new delivery pages, either......but then again, what manufacturer posts EVERY piece they make on those pages anyway? Some don't even update them regularly.

Oh my god! That Imperial has to be the UGLIEST firetruck known to mankind! Please tell me the designer lost their job at Sutphen! I first took a look at it online late last night and it haunted my dreams, causing me to wake up in a cold sweat screaming "make it go away!!!!"

While I have never worked directly with a sutphen rig I have been a long time admirer of their design - they make some tough looking rigs. I have always hated the Quantum's design - too much like a space ship. I also hate the fold down stairs, watch those shins!! Also, I find it hard to feel like a testosterone driven firefighter when my truck provides me with fold down stairs to access the jump seat.... That being said, they are definitely a reliable, user friendly rig with a solid maintenance record.

In my humble opinion I think that Seagrave and Pierce (not counting the Quantum) are one of the few who still design apparatus which incorporate modern operational features without pussifying appearances. Seagrave makes some mean looking Tower rigs, and the Berwyn Heights Sqaud 14 is pretty awesome as well. Of course if I had my way we'd still be driving 1960/70's era Hahn and Seagrave rigs, deafening jake brake and all!!

Take care fellas
NFC

[ashfire]

If anyone gets Fire Apparatus Journal magazine (July/August 2007) on page 21 is the ugliest designed pumper I have ever seen.
Perth, New York has a Rosenbauer Commander with a eight man cab with a pump cab behind that with a crosslay section behind that and a rescue pumper body. Very unusual design.

[Station4_Sinn]

The Pierce, oh god, we hate pierces at station 4

[emtrichie]

That imperial chassis is about ugly

[dotsresq]

Bring back the cf mack. they last forever and a day. stoping production of the cf was the downfall of mack.

[Deuce Engine]

Remember that if the CF had been bringing Mack a return on thier investment, they never would have stopped making 'em. Don't get me wrong, I am a Mack fan as much as the next guy, but when less then 2% of Mack's sales were in fire apparatus, it didn't make a lot of financial sense for them to keep producing full fire apparatus.

[dotsresq]

they could have kept making the chassis. just stopped building apparatus. if they would come out with an updated version of the cf it would go over very well i think.

[FIREBACON10-41]

Sutphin and American Le France by far ugliest trucks on the road. Pierce all the way baby.

[ashfire]

they could have kept making the chassis. just stopped building apparatus. if they would come out with an updated version of the cf it would go over very well i think.
Awhile back I remember a chassis that carried the Mack emblem that looked like a modern version of the CF. It was built by a company called Pastisol in the Netherlands and Rosenbauer America used it as their Commander 3000 chassis sometime back.
I think only 25 of the chassis were sold to American fire companies.
The only thing that would make it a Mack is if the cab was mounted on a Mack chassis and had a Mack diesel engine and drive train.
One fire company that has this chassis is the Malta Ridge FD. www.maltaridgefire.com its their R382 under apparatus.
A better view is under www.superior.net/~wildfire/cgd_new_deliveries/newdeliveries.htm

[FireRescue247]

Hands down... SUTPHEN with that Spartan Gladiator Evolution Chassis in a close second and the Pierce Impel and Velocity in a third!!! I'm still to see more than one impel or velocity being ordered with those "ridiculous" new mirrors.

Seagrave baby, toughest trucks on earth... bar none!!! lol :p

[LaD1EnG1]

The Quantum indeed is not the most eye appealing rig on the street but if you have ever rode in or drivin a quatum... they are an extremely comfortable ride, and easy to handel. I think the new Sutphen is by far the ugliest on the market, there isnt anything appealing about the cab.

[NYr43]

I'll have to agree here. At first when I saw the Quantum, it didn't appeal to me at all. I was able to drive one at the Pierce factory last year and the ride was very comfortable both in the drivers seat and in the crew cab. The visibility was superior. I'll have to admit, it grew on me after awhile.

The Quantum indeed is not the most eye appealing rig on the street but if you have ever rode in or drivin a quatum... they are an extremely comfortable ride, and easy to handel. I think the new Sutphen is by far the ugliest on the market, there isnt anything appealing about the cab.