I figured that. My point is that the $300k could be better used to benefit the firemen and the community rather than fix up another useless truck.

AFAIK restoration funds of any vintage apparatus owned by a community, active fire department, or other fd organization does not pull from the same budget as equipment & supplies for firefighting.  Often a group will hold a fundraiser to gather funds, ask for volunteers, etc. and projects will not be completed if the money isn't available.  

There's a cool Detroit-cab Seagrave funeral-rig that was restored a few years back.  Beautiful and available for firefighter funerals.  Plus shows up at Woodward, Hines Cruise, other events.  It started as a simple restoration but evolved into a new chassis-suspension-drive train donated by (can't remember name) company.  This was customized to fit the truck; many people and companies donated restoration work and funds. And originally the discussion was 'it doesn't need to pump', guess what, it does pump. Since the restoration went so far they took it all the way. Seeing it is slightly connected to Detroit FD it was sorta shocking the project was completed.  

Ribeye steak?  There are way too many fat firefighters currently. Back in the day, they would perform maintenance on their vehicles, cut grass, clean the fire house, shovel snow, etc. Granted current apparatus are too complicated for them to work on but now it seems unless they have training, inspections or the such, firefighters sit around, play on their computers, etc until they get a call.  

That's ridiculous. I;m sure the department doesn't need any new breathing equipment, safety gear, station house updates, etc. The firemen could eat ribeye steaks every night for that kind of money.

Daaaayamn! Might as well be a 1959 Biarritz

Read on one of the vintage fire truck, Facebook groups that the department selling this has another one that's in better condition. They are keeping. Selling this one to pay for restoration.

Cool? Yes. Useful for anything but display? No. It would cost a fortune to restore that back to original glory. It's another small fortune just to buy it and get to where you want it.

I've been scouring some ancient (relatively, 1800s) history because I want to get information for a presentation to discourage the plans   a group of nut jobs (who are gaining traction) to screw up the city's river. That's another story, what I want to mention is how much interesting early fire department information is buried in some of the papers. That's still another story.   I'll try to save an interesting FD snippet or two next time I stumble into something.

Check out the Christie... Pinion and bull-gear drive, with a wheel that must turn on a slew-ring sort of large bearing? Neat piece.

No

Even if you had the space you wouldn't want that thing, would you?

My birthday is in a few months. 

Nyah, just kidding.  No where to store this thing. 

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=1322&acctid=10000&fbclid=IwAR2L5fxvWOt_7OPkBxUGy7z7W6PXZqKsRPro5Y4Do_jDzd-LNBOktAAj1ck

That's pretty cool.