Not to sound greedy or anything - but I picked up all of my seals and bushings, and my brake shoes with new linings on Friday.

Before I did any Christmas shopping for anyone else. My own Christmas gift to myself. Pretty nice.

If Kathy knew.... Oh boy I don't even want to think about that.

Hopefully the rear axle will be ready to install by the end of the week.

I do have to take two brake shoes back in for relining - they had several small cracks in the new linings.

It shouldn't be any real issue. I just hope the mice haven't corroded the two shoes so badly that they can't be relined.

Now I'm glad I didn't do them myself.

Dennis, my friend and partner in the H-63 has been cleaning and rubbing the old cabover - it looks 100% better.

He painted the front bumper, too. The thinking was too see what the old girl looked like under all of the mold and

dirt. We're real happy.

It will be a while before we bring that truck into the restoration shop - so we have it in Dennis' barn. While we are waiting for

my B-67 to roll out, we can get a good idea of what parts we might need for the H-63, and work on finding them.

The cab parts are what concern me. Not too many old H cabs to get parts from. Fortunately, this one is very complete.

My New Year's goal is to get my B-67 done, and the H-63 rolling so it can go on a trailer and get them both to Watts Mack's event

in September. Might even bring the old R-600, too.

Actually I have been thinking seriously about putting the R model to work with a short drop deck flat trailer, and perhaps a 28' pup trailer.

It runs like a sewing machine with only 196,000 original miles. With paint and some body work, it would look real nice.

There appears to be a ready market for a cheap, small, local carrier in our area. Everyone seems to have forgotten single axle

equipment. One less set of four tires, one less set of brakes, plus the efficiency of the old Mack diesel. Not to mention the maneuverability.

And I have two more unfair advantages:

#1) Retired truck drivers. We have numerous friends who drove for a living, and now want to work for fun. These guys are careful,

professional and personable. And Cheap! And their wives want them out from under their feet. It should work well.

#2) No truck payments. It's hard to beat no payment book!

The business is probably in moving ATM machines for the banks, moving equipment for machine shops (lathes and milling machines etc.),

perhaps moving tractors and small equipment for the dealers and rental companies, and moving cabinets and lumber for our own building business.

There are numerous manufacturers and machine shops in our area, as well as shops that recondition milling equipment.

I think it's worth a try.

Even if the old girl could make enough to cover her costs, so that I had a free haul truck for my own stuff, it would be worth it to me.

Anyway, enough rambling for one night.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Paul VS