This 1954 Chevrolet firetruck was used by the Lima Refinery. Dan Groman, of rural Columbus Grove, purchased it when the refinery updated its emergency equipment in 1986.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
COLUMBUS GROVE – Not many people can say they own a firetruck.
Dan Groman can.
The 64-year-old resident of rural Columbus Grove has owned one since 1986. That year he purchased a 1954 Chevrolet firetruck that was used at the Lima Refinery, where he worked as an engineer.
It will be one of the many vehicles on display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Western Buckeye Region Vintage Chevrolet Club of America Show. The event is held across the street from the Lima Auto Mall on Edgewood Drive. It is one of the bigger car shows early in the year, and is open to all makes of cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Groman’s firetruck is a cab-over-engine design, meaning the driver’s seat is on top of the engine.
“It allowed for a shorter truck and more room for cargo,” Groman said. “There were only about 1,000 cab-over-engines built by Chevrolet in 1954.”
Standard Oil, which owned the firetruck at that time, called it “a dry chemical foam truck.”
Groman explained the large piping on the side of the firetruck could be assembled and raised over the top of a 48-foot high storage tank, allowing it to cover the top of the tank with foam in the event of a fire.
“I don’t know that it was ever used in an actual fire, but it was used for emergency response training in case it was needed,” Groman said.
The firetruck was more than 30 years old and the equipment had grown obsolete when SOHIO decided to sell it. Groman was quick to latch on to it.
“I have always been interested in old cars and trucks, having grown up in Bluffton, where we’ve had an old car show each summer for as long as I’ve been around,” Groman said.
The firetruck has a top speed of 45 miles per hour. Groman recently had it on display at the University of Northwestern Ohio student car show. On his way home, the odometer recorded its 6,600th mile.
Groman recently retired after 40 years and seven owners at the refinery. He was first hired by Standard Oil of Ohio, or SOHIO. The refinery was then purchased by British Petroleum (BP), Clark USA, Premcor, Valero, Husky and currently Cenovus.
Groman helped organize the Western Buckeye Region Vintage Chevrolet Club three years ago. The club currently has 40 members. They attend car shows, do driving tours, and visit museums and factories. People wishing to join the club can do so at Saturday’s event.
“I love seeing the old cars and talking with the people who own them. You always come away with some interesting stories,” Groman said. “It’s a fun time.”
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News; 205 W. Market St., Suite #100A; Lima, OH 45801.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
ONLY ON LIMAOHIO.COM
Check out cars we’ve featured and discuss your memories on the Real Wheels page at LimaOhio.com/tag/realwheels.
