Mitsu 4x4 at Mesa AZ auction.

[paleohntr]

I hope I don't get lambasted for posting this here, but I stumbled upon it and it could be of interest to someone.

http://www.starmanauctions.com/upcomingauctions.htm

Click on final sale bill or photos.

 

[Tree]

thx man always enjoy looking at different fg's for sale

 

[kerry]

Thgat looks like it has great potential. What is the box on the back? Why the dual ladders to the roof?

 

[haven]

This Fuso is intriguing. Look at the window coverings, the cool ladders, the
four vent-like protrusions. I can imagine this as a photographers' platform.

The auctioneer's web pages says, "1990 Mitsubishi FG-4 Box Truck; 4x4 Diesel;
5 Speed Transmission; 14' Van Box by Supreme Corp. w/Lift Gate; Box is Wired for Electrical
Outlets."

It doesn't say anything about miles driven, or if there's an auxiliary generator for
all those electric outlets.

 

[paleohntr]

I didn't see anything in the description, but I wonder of that's an AC unit on the roof.

 

[kerry]

Someone who works at an airport might know what that kind of truck is used for. It has something in a box behind the fuel tank on the right side. Might be a generator. If it's spent its life on an airport, it could be a low mileage example.

 

[kerry]

A very similar, if not the exact same, truck was listed in last year's auction here:

http://www.starmanauctions.com/Past...gnment/photo manager template.2008 WINTER.htm

Odd. Perhaps there were no bids on it since it states in the auction info that items positively sell to the highest bidder.

 

[haven]

That's the truck. Nice find!

Now why would an airfield want a box truck with all wheel drive?
Maybe the truck was used somewhere other than Mesa, where snow
and ice are a regular occurance (like Flagstaff?) Could it be some
sort of service vehicle, where you would climb up onto the roof of
the truck to get at the wings of a larger aircraft?

There are four auxiliary lights in the front bumper, and a lift gate
on the rear. There's a door into the box on the driver's side,
which says to me that the vehicle was used in a location where
you didn't have to worry about stepping out into traffic.

I wrote to Starman asking for any additional information they may have.

 

[kerry]

That's the truck. Nice find!

Now why would an airfield want a box truck with all wheel drive?
Maybe the truck was used somewhere other than Mesa, where snow
and ice are a regular occurence (like Flagstaff?)

My thought precisely. Except back in the 70's I used to work at the Rochester NY airport which gets a lot of snow. I don't remember the service vehicles being 4wd. Airports are so flat that even with snow and ice it doesn't seem that 4wd is necessary.
Maybe it's a service vehicle for airport lighting systems? That would require driving off the tarmac.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Viewing is Feb 19 8-5

 

[haven]

I got a contact name from the auction house. I couldn't resist, so I called.

The truck has 33,500 miles on the odometer. It was originally used to
operate radar equipment. The interior of the box has a fuse panel with
electrical outlets on the wall that's behind the cab. The two windows
have no glass. Above the windows is a set of storage cabinets. Otherwise
the box is empty. The truck has no generator, but it appears to be wired
to be connected to one sitting outside. An air conditioning unit sits on the
roof of the box.

The truck will be available for inspection on Thursday, Feb 19th. To gain
access to the auction yard, prospective bidders must bring a letter of credit
from a bank saying you've got some money to spend, and an ID like a
driver license.

The vehicle was owned by Boeing, which has a large operation in Mesa AZ.
They build rotorcraft at this location, notably the AH-64 Apache, the CH-47 Chinook,
and the V-22 Osprey. The facility was acquired when Boeing bought McDonald Douglas,
which earlier had purchased the Hughes helicopter operation in Mesa.

Boeing regularly sends vehicles over to be auctioned. The truck Kerry found
in the Winter 2008 auction is a twin of the vehicle to be auctioned in 2 weeks.
This is a different vehicle. Boeing must have purchased several set up the
same way.



Chip Haven

 

[happytraveler]

The truck Kerry found
in the Winter 2008 auction is a twin of the vehicle to be auctioned in 2 weeks.
This is a different vehicle. Boeing must have purchased several set up the
same way.

Looks like the same truck to me. Same scuffing on front of box.

 

[kerry]

Looks like the same truck to me. Same scuffing on front of box.

My thought too.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Looking at the pictures make me wonder if it has moved since last year?

 

[West Coast Mags]

Negative on the movement, if you look behind the truck you can see the tail of an airplane behind it, and the front of the airplane in the other picture. Its one and the same.