About Jerry Voisinet
Jerry is one of those fellows who is always happy. Sort of
the type that supposes that life is too short to be a grump. Jerry hails from
Piqua and has collected just about everything worth collecting. Most recently
he collected Corvettes, but once he acquired the rare split window ’63, then it
was time to move on to something new. Once thing that had captured his
attention was the beauty of fire engines—nothing else like it! And this was
back about ’69 or ’70 when prices were still rock bottom for even Ahrens-Fox
piston pumpers. And that’s just what caught his eye, a rather forlorn, stripped
down Fox, with the big pressure ball up front. He thought, “Now there’s a man’s
fire engine!” and as much as he hated to part with it, he traded his Model A
Ford for it, and it was to prove the beginning of a beautiful—and expensive
friendship.
A great one for detail Jerry learned a lot about Ahrens-Fox over the next years, almost an obsession you might say. He rightfully insisted that his restoration was an accurate one, and well, you know what that means: a whole lot of fun hunting for parts, having parts forged, doing most of the work yourself (if you want it done right) and what one must farm out just might cost you and arm and a leg. But if you’ve seen Jerry’s I-K-4 (he keeps it in his office—so he can sit and admire it) you know it one heck-of-a beautiful machine. I kid you not!
Jerry is not one to enjoy retirement with an assumed leisurely pace, he’s somehow acquired a little Ahrens-Fox K-11 Booster car with a tiny (for a Fox) 250 gmp Northern pump sitting out front. It’s in the process of being restored. And just in case, just in the event, he as a Model J Fox pumper waiting in the wings, in the queue…patiently waiting it’s turn to be restored.
Fortunately Jerry has a secret weapon: a good right arm in the form of his son, John, as strapping young man that probably does all the grunt work. Given the quality of his work, we can all agree that John should ask for a raise!