CT town auctions old truck with unique engine features. Yes, billed as ‘perfect holiday gift.’
It’s going right down to the wire in an online auction for a police department pick-up truck whose body would have lots of stories to tell if it could talk.
Once used as a U.S. military ambulance, the 1985 Chevy M1010 pickup truck was obtained in the late 1990s by the Suffield Police Department, and was used for dirt roads and heavy snow before police vehicles commonly had four-wheel drive.
The truck and two other vehicles are being auctioned through Municibid, a business that organizes and runs auctions for municipalities and state governments.
As of Monday evening the price was up to $4,400.
In this case the truck is being marketed by Municibid as a “perfect holiday gift” for a car hobbyist or retired police officer.
The 24/7 online auction is open to the public at municibid.com and ends Friday.
“The truck needs some work, but anyone with a knack for revamping automobiles will have a blast restoring it to its former glory!” Municibid’s promotion states, noting it would also be ideal for construction and landscaping.
Suffield Police Lt. Ryan Burrell, who coincidentally was the last one to drive it on a shift 10 years ago, said the money raised will go toward new vehicles and vehicle equipment.
They previously would park a vehicle in front of the police station and people would bring in bids in a sealed envelope. Whomever bid the highest won.
They are using Municibid for the first time and it’s really helped to open the process to a wider audience, Burrell said.
“It’s certainly reaching a large spread,” he said.
The company puts all kinds of items up for bid that government entities have come to own in different ways, said Greg Barry, founder of Municibid.
Some of the items they’ve auctioned included: diamond rings, boats, old tires, vehicles, guitars, airplanes, acres of land, a morgue table, a carton of cigarettes from the 1970s, and a collection of 90s arcade games.
“It really runs the gamut,” Barry said. “The market determines the value and the buyers compete against each other.”
Municibid’s fact sheet says the truck has 27,462 miles on it and is the same as a civilian K30 1.25-ton pickup. It was transferred to the police department in May 1997 with the M1010 Ambulance body located on the back. The ambulance body was removed and discarded and the pickup body installed.
Municibid’s information states: “Because of the original designation as an ambulance, the truck is equipped with a GM (Detroit Diesel) 379 cu in. (6.2L) J-series non-emissions diesel V-8 engine, 155hp@3600rpm, GM TH400 (Turbo Hydramatic 400) automatic transmission, Manual NP208 transfer case, 200-amp alternator, Dana 60 front and 10.5 in Corporate 14 Bolt rear diff, and 200 amp/24 Volt power system.”
Burrell said the department got the truck through a military lending program and later purchased it.
They know nothing about its military history, he said.
Burrell said about 10 years ago he was on a midnight shift with the truck in a snowstorm and the exhaust system fell off. That made the vehicle extremely loud and officials didn’t want to spend money to fix it so it was moved to an impound lot.
Nowadays they have new vehicles with four-wheel drive, so they don’t have a use for the truck, he said.
Municibid charges the winning bidder a percent of the auction price.
Barry said the Municibid system is convenient, organized and easy to find.
