67 Impala Fastback

I appreciate the sentiments guys, myself and the guys I work with don't think of ourselves as heroes we are fireman doing our jobs. When people call us we are the last chance, if we don't succeed people die. Most of the guys who work with me are for the most part tradesman like yourselves, you have to have some skill to get in my company and they are all handpicked, welders, plumbers, carpenters, ironworkers, myself I was a carpenter, when in the Navy an Electricians Mate. Besides having to be adept at Firefighting, my men have to be skilled in the use of extrication tools, Mapp, petrogen and exothermic torchs, carpentry, rigging, confined space, high angle, trench rescue, and collapse shoring, etc. We train constantly, these guys are highly motivated individuals. Last March when a tower crane collapsed in manhattan my guys worked tirelessly for over 6 hours to free a man who was buried in a collapsed tenement, this man is alive today today because of the grit and tenacity of these men. Yeah I'm proud of my men and what they do. Just like when I look at the work you guys do I am amazed at the craftsmanship and I am in awe when I look at the work that gets made from a flat piece of steel and it's transformed into a work of art.

Bob

-cheeseman252

It takes all kinds of people to make this world work. There is a job for everyone. Clearly being a firefighter is far from being easy, and not everyone can do that, nor would everyone put themselves at risk for other peoples well being. I know your just doing your job, but when your working your hardest your doing something that has a profound effect of peoples lives and well being. Call it Heroism, bravery, or "just doing my job" either way I'm glad your out there!
Thanks!
Gordo

Thanks for the nice words Gordo

Bob

p.s. love the wagon, had a 91 ltd wagon that my buddy gave me with a blown engine, rebuilt it and drove it for years. Guys at work would call it the battlestar galactica

X-Mas in September, Sheetmetal came today, you guys do this a lot more than I do where do I start. Front fender or go right for the quarters.

Bob

Don't you kinda work from the inside out? Like with a house you have to have a solid foundation before you throw up some walls. I'm not a body guy, either, but it seems to me from all the builds they show on TV that they work from the bottom up and the inside out.

p.s. love the wagon, had a 91 ltd wagon that my buddy gave me with a blown engine, rebuilt it and drove it for years. Guys at work would call it the battlestar galactica

-cheeseman252

As for where to start. I agree with e-merlin. Start with the floors.

Well, heres the plan, I have a section of the trunk floor to replace I am only going to replace what is rotted there. then move on to the quarters, once again I'll expose what is rotted and cut away, I want to keep as much original sheet metal as possible. Here is a question for Lou, Flange or Butt weld the replacements in?

Cheeseman just wondering if you have any progress photos yet?

Nah, Haven't had the time, just finished teaching a class on trench collapse rescue at the FDNY technical rescue school, plus working at the firehouse. Also have 11 windows that I have to get in before the winter crap gets here, all in due time I am not going to rush through this.