We might disagree on which supercar is the prettiest, what hatch is the hottest or what racing livery is the most iconic, but I’m sure there’s one automotive opinion that we can all agree on: fire trucks are cool. Whether they’re electric ones, enormous American engines or ones that fly, fire trucks are pretty amazing and one Maine shop is dedicated to preserving all this awesomeness.
Maine workshop the Firefly Restoration Co has spent four decades collecting and restoring vintage fire engines. Andy Swift, founded the shop, which is set in an old chicken coop, and he’s now given Hagarty a tour of his facility in a new video posted over on YouTube.
The full film, which is available to watch below, delves into the history of American firefighting machinery, including old trucks, pumps, ladders and even some horse-drawn fire engines.
Swift, who used to work as a professional firefighter, starts off showcasing a steam-powered fire truck from the 1800s that he’s currently working on. The gargantuan engine, which looks more like a steam locomotive than a fire truck, was capable of covering about two miles and features an enormous boiler and pumps to direct water where it’s needed most.
On a walk around the site, Swift then highlights a Safety Sedan, which was a simple fire truck from the early 1900s, and a vintage ladder truck that can still raise and lower its steps with just one hand, despite the encroaching rust. Other trucks are slowly succumbing to Swift’s growing “lichen collection,” as he puts it, but it’s clear that every one of them means something to him, “they’re royalty,” he says. “They’ve worked hard for their communities and they’ve saved their communities.”
Back inside the chicken coop, there’s a meticulously finished engine that’s nearly 100 years old. The 1927 American LaFrance truck served until the 1960s and Swift is now trying to keep it in the same condition it was when it left active duty as “that’s the way I like it,” he adds. As a result, the truck still runs and Swift says his boys even drove it to their high school proms.
Swift has a few other trucks in the repair stands when Hagarty comes through, including one that’s in need of some new cylinders for the engine. Once the repairs are complete, this one will also be preserved as it was when it last fought fires, which means it’ll get a clean down and clearcoat to preserve the patina in its paintwork.
While Swift explains that his shop can restore the trucks and make them look as though they’ve just left the factory, he adds that “when you leave them like this, you keep the soul intact.”
It’s a fascinating walk through the early days of America’s fire service. “The fire engine really has saved us all,” Swift finishes, and after the start to the year that America is having with wildfires raging, I’m inclined to agree with him on this one.