This unique project took nearly three years to complete.  This handsomely restored 1928 Southern was a first for Texas Fire Museum.  Upon arriving at the museum, the radiator, hood, lights and various parts had been previously removed and then loaded in the back of the hose bed for transportation.  The gasoline motor was mechanically locked up and full of water.  There were some concerns early on whether we could even resurrect the nearly “one-of-a-kind” piece of Dallas history.

Due to the rusty condition and damage, everything had to be removed from the frame, sandblasted and thoroughly cleaned.  The original Continental 20R overhead valve motor, transmission, clutch, rotary gear fire pump and driveline were completely rebuilt.  The original paint found beneath a rear fender step plate was matched exactly as well as the original scrolls and gold leaf decoration.  This restoration took nearly three years to complete.

Some exceptions taken during the course of restoration were the wood hose bed was varnished with a clear coat instead of painted black.  The original hard suction hoses and missing strainer were replaced with new style parts.  The original aluminum trim on the running and tail boards was missing and replaced with custom fabricated stainless steel trim pieces.

This is a beautiful restoration of an extremely rare Southern fire engine manufactured in Dallas, Texas, and represents just a few that are still known to exist according to our records.  This is the only Southern manufactured on a Graham chassis that has been authentically restored.

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