realwolfdaddy

About 11 years ago. I bought a Caterpillar 325L excavator, after purchasing it, I started digging a pond on our farm. I was digging with the 325 and pushing the dirt with a D7e. My dad told me my uncle had a Rd Mack that had been turned over and the engine and drive train was good but the cab was totally ruined and mashed flat, and that I would have to replace the cab. And moving the dirt by truck would make more sense. After receiving the truck from my uncle. I started to think maybe, I could drive the truck on the farm before changing the cab? But the cab was flat with no way to get in and steer the truck, my bright idea was to get behind the truck with the excavator use the bucket to pull the cab top high enough for me to drive it, so thats what I did and it worked well. I finished the pond an used the truck without doors windows. A few weeks later a rumor circulated around our small town, and it went like this. " Did you see what Kevin did trying to learn how to use that new excavator he just bought? I drove by and saw him tear a cab off a new mack truck with his bucket, someone had to have got hurt" We all had a good laugh. You have to love a small town.

None taken. This was the late 70s and early 80s and yes he would be a shame. A that time he was Proud to be apart of mack . How things have change. Not for the better.

My dad as a salesman for Mack used to hear "I can buy a White truck for 10,000.00 less than a Mack cost" to which he would reply " well White knows what there truck is worth" It was hard to sell Quality.....

Is Chemical Leaman still around?

When I was young. I remember in the early 80s a man name Mike Schnieder from lumberton NC running Seafood from Fla to NY having a Kenworth Aerodyne with a kt600 cummins man that thing was strong.

Great link thanks.....Kevin

I just wish Mack could turn around and redeem its name like Harley Davidson did.

My Uncle had a Superliner with a 350 maxidyne. One time he was loading roll steel out of the port of Wilmington NC, there was other drivers there driving Peterbuilts and Kenworths. He stalled strapping his load down, because he didn't want those guys with those big powered cats and cummins running all over him on the road. Finally they left, after that my uncle left only to find them outside of town waiting for him, and as he thought they flew right past him so far ahead he couldn't ever hear them on the CB. Then when they got in the hilly region of the state he started passing them one by one until after a few minutes he couldn't hear them anymore on the CB, this time he was in front. Those guys couldn't believe what that Mack had done to them.

That's funny I noticed the headliner too. Almost looked factory.

I read an article that blamed Internationals fall on the unions

Worshiping voodoo and Idols has really paid off for those Haitians huh? .........NOT!!!!!

Any other stories about well fueled Macks?

Thats cool.Hope your able to get some pictures.

Don't know how common this is but. i flew to Texas and purchased a 1988 R model Single axle, no trailer "Beat my brains out on Texas roads" Saw many seat covers on the way back and it seemed like they were doing this on purpose, Then after leaving Atlanta a girl passed me with her top around her neck I couldn't Believe my eyes this went on for 75 miles. Seat covers views or being flashed while driving a truck has happened to me a few other times. I'm not a trucker. But is this that common? These girls didn't look crazy or sleezy. Has the world gone completely crazy?

How in the world do they get drivers? i had a friend have to sell a awesome Superliner because he couldn't get a driver to drive it, too old.

Some cool B81s on Die hard with vengeance on now on Amax. Are b81 still being used in ny or nj today? This movie was filmed in 1994.

Shop looks cozy with all that insulation. How much was the roof panel?

Do you still have you AC forsale? If so pictures and price would be appreciated.

I thought they drove Road boss's ?

No one ever say's "built like a volvo Truck" or "Tough as a international truck" or "I feel like I've been hit by a Isuzu truck". A Volvo truck has one of the worst resale values of any truck on the market, yet they bought Mack! Until the last models, International's they were not thought of as attractive. I know some will argue about the transtar eagle, Yes attractive, but never could out sale any Mack. There was a time that a DM Mack was worth its weight in gold, we could sale a good wheel base R Model before we got it in. While W900L's 379's sold good, but every time we sold one, it would take forever to get finance arranged for the buyer. But Mack trucks sold instantly to buyers with plenty of cash on hand, any other truck manufacture that we got in our place usually went straight to be parted out. I say this all to say. I can't imagine what could have happened to Mack? Mack seriously built a great truck! The maxidyne engines were so tough, a five speed transmission was almost unbreakable. We sold 10 rockwell's or eaton's rear ends to one Mack rear end's. Remember White or Paccar cabs having to place cardboard in the doors to control door rattles? But the other manufacture's are alive and well while Mack gets treated like the ugly girl at the dance, no one wants to keep it for long. Was it mismanagement? bad designs? unions? That kept Mack trucks from being the most successful truck manufacturer. What ever happened to cream rising to top? What could have had happened?

I hope your not using 1985 gm truck to measure gm quality? That was GM's darkest days, that would be like using a Midliner to judge Macks quality. I know every company has its tough times but 6.0 diesels were fords. Back in the day my dad sold Macks trucks and some loggers were using Whites with 318 Detroits fullers transmissions and eaton rears they were spending a fortune on rear ends and transmissions repairs, my dad told them how tough a Mack transmission and mack rears were so they finally bought a used R model Mack that once belonged to Kenan Transport it had well over a million miles. When they later had problems with the million mile hard used Mack, they told everyone that Mack trucks were junks and my dad was selling over priced junk just with a fancy name.

I have to agree with your tv choices, but I'm addicted to American hotrod. I know it has its somewhat a drama, but where I'm from there's not allot of talent around here, you can go to a car or truck show and see vehicles with trophy's that have been paint with spray cans, tubing and wiring, that are neon, and everyone around but a few, doesn't understand what talent looks like. Not many around here has ever heard of soda blasting or acid dipping. Custom interior is camo seat covers. To watch a show with these talents, is so refreshing. The first time i saw Matt Pfahl's restored procter b81 at Mcgungie , I just stood there in awe. I just looked at it for 30 mins taking all the detail in. Till that time. I had never seen a "new" b model.

looks allot like the new caterpillar truck.

I've got a 2006 e350 6.0 van the worst vehicle i've ever ever owned. injector seals, erg cloged, front brakes every 40k and its over the road not city and has never towed anything. vacuum pumps every 30k, now with 180k front and rear engine seals are pouring oil and diesel fuel from some where i can't even find. if that seems like allot of miles. I have 6 gm products with well over 300k maybe a alternator of fuel pump here or there but none drop a once of oil. I did have 2002 gmc duramax that did lose a head gasket, but i had a 105hp tuner program on it without a pyrometer so there's no telling what the exhaust temp got too, and GM took very good care of me on a new truck. Now I'm not drinking the GM koolaid, but ford had the better van interior and looks i thought id give ford another try, and i have had several ford Gas vans and one e350 with a 7.3, the engine was great over 300k miles but went through four vacuum pumps and the transmission was rebuilt twice and the over drive always blinked. If anyone has had better luck with vacuum pumps or knows a secret to keep them alive tell me please let me know.