A number of year's ago, when I was driving truck for Ballard Hardware, on a trip to Tacoma, I happened to run across this very cool, little boxy truck, that was sitting out front, of "County Line Equipment Co". I had to double back, to get a good look at it and get some pictures of it as well. I have always had an eye, and appreciation, for the strange and warped and weird, that comes from the fact, that my Dad had a wrecking yard and car and truck repair business, so I was raised around the world of mechanical machines. When I got a good look at it, there was the "$" sign with the number 600 on the front of it. I snapped a picture of that, and went into the office and asked the man, is this the selling price of this cool little truck out front? He turned around and hollered at the other guy in the back, and said, I told you to quit writing dollar signs and numbers on the front of stuff out front! He turned back to me and with a half grin, said, yeah, its yours for $600.00. I left him a $100.00 bill to show that I was serious, I said I will be back an the end of the week with my trailer and the rest of the money in cash. I came back with the cash, and with my highly modified 66 International factory built ambulance and my trailer, to retrieve the cool little truck, which I gave it the name of "PEZ" because of the obvious resemblance, of a "PEZ" dispenser. Since at my old house in the Fremont district of Seattle, the drive way was full of other machines I had ac***ulated over the years, "PEZ" had to sit in my front yard for a while, till the 65 Caddy Ambulance was sold and on it's way to a new owner down in Oregon. This house got sold, and I bought another one down the road about a little less than a 1/4 mile away. It was very cool to be able to drive the Kalamazoo, "PEZ" down the street at a blistering 20 miles an hour, because it only has a one speed Borg Warner automatic transmission. At that time I had also bought a very cool "Auto Crane" for "PEZ", which was chained down to the deck. "PEZ" made it just fine to my new house, and it found a new home in my back yard. The original goal was to have the crane mounted to the bed, so that it could be trailered to various swap-meets, and if perchance me or my friends found an engine of something heavy, we could drive "PEZ" over to it, use the crane to load what ever it was, and then put "PEZ" back on my trailer. "PEZ" has a load rating of 4000 pounds on the bed, and the truck is powered by propane, going to a Ford industrial 172 four banger. With some very stout leaf springs front and rear. Well its no secret about how best plans for something, often don't get accomplished. So "PEZ" sat in my back yard for a period of time, till the damned black berry bushes got involved with it. Well when I retired from FOSS Maritime Company back in 2019, I thought I would get started on all of the projects I had in mind, but long story short, that didn't happen, and we had a chance to sell our current house, and potentially relocate to either Port Townsend or to Anacortes, further North of Seattle. But those plans changed as well, and we have opted to stay here in the Ballard district of Seattle. So the 47 Dodge business coupe was sold to fellow HAMBER Matt Field, AKA @Hitchhiker , he also got the 66 International Ambulance, my 46 International firetruck went back out to my friends property in Marysville, to the guy that first built it for me. Hooray, the drive way was empty now and I had room to park my daily driver! When Matt Field first was here to look at the 47 Dodge, he caught a glimpse of "PEZ" trapped in the berry bushes, and he inquired, what is that, and I told him what it was. Well the magic of "PEZ" obviously got a hold of Matt's imagination. I told him I would sell it to him for what I paid for it, and I would give him half off on the price of the crane purchase as well. I stole that crane for $500.00 and it works. That has been a couple of years ago, and you know how it goes. Hey Matt, when are you going to come get "PEZ"? My wife wants that space to plant a garden ! Well that went on and on and you know how it goes. I had bought two new tires for the rear of "PEZ" because the old ones would not hold air. I bought a new battery for it as well. It needs some work on the propane regulator unit, but that is an easy repair. So when I ran into Matt at the recent Monroe swap-meet, I asked him, hey dude, my wife really wants her back yard free of "PEZ" this summer so she can plant her garden, so when are you going to come get "PEZ"? Well a true miracle happened today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6/9/2024 Matt and his friend "Texas Matt", came by to help me get "PEZ" moved around the corner, to get it lined up in the driveway, so that when Matt's trailer, with the electric winch is free, of what ever is sitting on it right now, it will be easy to load "PEZ", when the trailer is available. Pictures or it didn't happen! Proof that it's cool, when friends come to help out. "PEZ" is indeed on the move! I would have flown "PEZ" out of the driveway, and up to Matt's place in Edison, but there isn't an up to date, Garmin GPS navigation unit, that will fit the dash board! Anyway fellow HAMBER'S, stay tuned for the further adventures of The Mighty "PEZ" and its amazing odyssey, of how it will become part of the amazing world of Matt Field, and the very cool, Seattle Speed Shop Universe! Thanks for coming along on this wacko adventure! Thanks from Dennis.
Hey @SS327 Actually you can find these, if you know what you are looking for. They are still widely used in large factory's such as foundry's, for transporting and carrying large castings and large gear blanks, from one machine to another. Mine was used by Boeing and was surplussed, and sold to County Line Equipment Co. When they were in business down in Fife Washington. Just do a web search and look for Kalamazoo K-45 Burden Carrier. I just did and several pages came up with the same type of unit, that I posted here. The newer ones have rectangular headlights, but the body's are the same, you can get them with a cab or with out. They come in two different load ratings, 4000 pound, and 6000 pound load capacity. My friend has one that is a 6000 pound load rating, that is powered by a MOPAR slant 6. Not exactly sure what the newer 4000 and 6000 pound K-45's are powered by, but the lay out is extremely simple and very easy to get to everything on these. They are very well thought out, when it comes to ease of maintenance and servicing. I am giving to Matt, the Ford "FMX" transmission that I have, that will fit the industrial Ford 172 four banger, so that he can get a higher speed out it. It's going to be a treat to watch the evolution of this cool little truck, as Matt works his magic on it. Thanks from Dennis.
Hey Matt. @Hitchhiker The cool thing about these Kalamazoo, K-45 burden carriers is, they are a great platform, to modify in a number of ways! I think "PEZ", would be a great candidate, to be a kick *** 4X4! Go for it dude! This will give you a bit of inspiration, as to how cool "PEZ" would be as a FWD. One of the elements of truck driving was for me, was the fact that I could go into places to deliver stuff to business's, and see things that were not in plain site! And the amazing things I would see and try to buy! Behold "PEZ'S" Grandmother, the fabulous FWD, crew cab, with a HANSON Crane. When I first saw this rig out at Alaska General Seafood's warehouse in Kenmore, I was just blown away by how cool this rig really is. The engine power is by International Harvester Co. "CORNBINDER" to us gear heads, that savvy "IHC" products. I am sure @anthony myrick will understand. And yes, "He would drive it" Yes, I did try to buy it, and I still have the guys name and phone number as to how to get in touch with him. You know you want one of these! Enjoy from Dennis.
If you zoom in on the interior, that shows the dash panel, you can see that this model, even has a cool ash tray ! That ought to get your "Gotta have it" juices flowing! Every ones results may vary!
I actually bought that shirt from a vendor that specialized in logos from road side attractions. I just thought it was a hilarious notion, that such a place existed.
That thing would be the ultimate engine hoist, mobile to boot. I can see it now DENNIS’s MOBILE engine hoist service, you call we’ll be there - Anywhere in N America Call 1-804-1GM-CK18 Dan
Hey Dan. If that FWD "TRUCK BOMB SERVICE" crane rig was mine, I would take it to various events, and sell T-shirts of it, to the fellow gear heads, that just crave this type of marriage wrecking machine ! The fact that its a crew cab, with just a single seat in each cab, really appeals to me and it cracks me up at the same time.
The Jalopy Journal
