Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
Capt. Gage Oates recently brought the Prattville Fire Department’s historic 1946 Chevrolet fire truck back to life after spending the past several weeks restoring it during his downtime at the station.
Built by Crystal Lake Manufacturing, the truck’s history is documented by plaques mounted along its sides. According to the plaques, it originated with the City of Autaugaville, which purchased the truck from Harry Harless Company, Inc. in 1966 before donating it to the Prattville Fire Department in 1998. Oakes explained, however, that some of the truck’s history may have been misinterpreted.
“We believe, based on our records, that we actually had the truck in the 60s and donated it to Autaugaville, and then, they donated it back,” said Oates. “The truck has primarily been a parade piece for us.”
Oates explained that the last parade he remembered the truck being in was a year or two ago, and it had been parked ever since. Not wanting to see the historic engine sit unused in the bay, he began setting aside time between calls to get it up and running again.
“I pretty much just went through the fuel and ignition systems, checked the battery and the voltage on everything, and checked the distributor,” said Oates. “We replaced the fuel lines and the fuel pump on it, but fortunately, it wasn’t anything too extensive. It was just finding the parts that was difficult.”
Inspired by his grandfather, who owned a paint and body shop, Oates said he grew up around vehicles, learning to work on engines and mechanics as he got older. That background ultimately led him to take on the project himself.
“People have tinkered with the truck in the past, but as far as this most recent attempt for us to get it back going, it was me working on it,” said Oates. “It’s just something I’ve always liked doing, trying to get stuff back running.”
Oates said the truck is not yet parade-ready, as he wants to put more mileage on it to ensure reliability. He noted that frequent braking during parades can be especially hard on older vehicles, and he wants to be confident there will be no issues before it returns to regular appearances.
“They’re wanting to get it downtown for a car show in about two weeks,” said Oates. “With how it’s been running, I don’t see that being an issue, so I’m hoping to get it down there and get it showcased, just get it back out in the sunlight.”
