Old reliable
She’s over 85 years old but life is not slowing down for ‘Old Reliable’. Maybe change is the reason for her longevity.
The old Dodge has had various incarnations since starting life in New Zealand in 1919, hopefully her last will be with Paremata resident and Wellington Police forensic photographer Bruce Hutton. “It cruises very comfortably at about 45 mph and goes really fast downhill,” he says.
Mr Hutton bought Old Reliable 18 months ago from Porirua McDonalds’ owner Trevor Campbell, when she was known as ‘McFlick’ and used for promotion work. But he says she started her working life much earlier, after first setting tyre on New Zealand soil in Wanganui, then going to Manakau as a regular family car.
However, her first reincarnation came in 1930 when, after much fundraising, a determined group of women in Hunterville bought and converted her into a “motorized reel fire appliance”, the town’s first fire engine.
In 1940 a trailer pump was added and during her 27 years there she attended 32 call-outs. A “drought” of fires in the early 1940s saw the engine almost decommissioned by the townsfolk but when the local pub burned down she was given a reprieve. “After having their pub burned they decided they need it after all.”
To ensure the engine and her passengers got to jobs okay, a few other adjustments need to be made, Mr Hutton says. The main driver was “reputedly a very big fat man” so Old Reliable had a sliding steering wheel put in so he could move it up and get behind the wheel.
Also, the slippery lino seats proved hazardous when, on at least one occasions, rushing to a fire the engine took a corner rather too sharply and promptly lost its crew who slid off the smooth seating and onto the street. “So the lino was replaced with a more gripping substance in the early 50s”. Old Reliable was inevitably replaced by a more modern Bedford truck in 1957.
After working for the emergency services, her fate took a definite downswing when she was sold to someone in Wanganui and used for, among other things, transporting pig swill. “It fell into major dereliction and ruin.”
However, life took on a brighter future in the early 1980s when she arrived in the hands of Ohau car wrecker Ted Jarvis. With the help of fellow Horowhenua Vintage Car Club member Ernie Thomas, she was rebuilt.
Mr Hutton says two other old fire engines from Woodville and Otaki- both Ford Model Ts - were restored around the same time and he had earlier connections to both. “It’s really interesting. I was a joint fundraiser for the Woodville fire engine and when I was a policeman in Otaki I had a lot to do with the Fox family (who had owned it before its use as a fire appliance).”
About six years ago the Dodge was offered for sale to Mr Hutton who was not in a position to buy it then, so Mr Campbell took the opportunity. But he was happy to be able to purchase it when Mr Campbell was looking to upgrade to a newer machine.
Now Old Reliable can look forward to being kept in top notch condition with her new owner doing her up with authentic brass fittings and using her in more celebration-type roles.
She recently drew a lot of attention at the Art Deco rally in Hawke’s Bay, and at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Tawa Volunteer Fire Station in 2004. She will also be utilized in wedding photographs - a side-line business of Mr Hutton.
‘Old Reliable’ and admirers in Napier