vanscottbuilders

Now, if we could get this letter on the front page of the newspapers, and read completely on the news channels, we probably could make some significant progress. I am also in awe of the genuine ignorance and pompous attitude of our elected officials. The same ones who are giving out the hundreds of billions of dollars to poorly run businesses. Why? In a matter of months, there will be other car makers, and other banks and probably better ones at that. The stop-gap "bailouts" probably will not last a year before the same companies are in the same trouble again. Think about welfare and other government hand-outs. We now have four or five generations of people who have never worked, and don't ever intend to because the system is geared to work for them. Handing out money simply does not work on several levels. No good will come from this. So, for 2009, I propose that each of us reading this resolve to be a little more vigilant, and a little more aware of what's happening around us. And resolve to find out who your elected officials are - and send them at least one letter or e-mail voicing your concern. I think it's the least we can do to safeguard our lifestyle and protect our country. Paul Van Scott

So I'm sitting here thinking about what I can do to make 2009 a better that 2008 was. And I'm thinking of what the government and the new administration could do, realistically, to make the new year better than the old one. Can President Barack manage the "national attitude" and create some optimistic thinking in Americans? If so, then I think we can start to solve our own problems. We really don't want the government involved in fixing the problems anyway. When was the last time you saw the government, in any situation, do something that was efficient, effective and/or economical? Doesn't happen. Indeed, I just read that the government bean-counters have already lost control and lost accountability of the $700 billion dollars that the banking industry got! That didn't take long. I believe that we, as Americans, are the only ones who can solve our problems. Hopefully we can do that before the problems take over, and we are forced into very compromised lifestyles. We seem to be deaf, dumb and mute when it comes to controlling our own government. And just that issue has led to a series of unprecedented blunders by that government. We are not providing any oversight to our elected representatives. They just have free reign, as long as we let them. We sit back. Fat, Dumb and Happy. Our international position has plummeted, both socially and economically; we are fighting wars that we shouldn't be in; and the cost of government has skyrocketed as more and more "handouts" are made available to those in need (or not). More and more of our core industries, utilities and real estate are being bought by foreign interests, as we send more and more jobs away to cheaper producers. We are borrowing money from those countries that are now doing our jobs for us. And still our demands for energy and consumer goods keep spiraling upward. Seems like a one-way street to me. I think it's time for some really old-fashioned reasonable thinking. Simple things like "You can't spend more than you have, or more than you make" at any level, and you have to pay the debts, as quickly as possible. Stop trying to force our form of democracy on the world. It obviously doesn't work when we do. I think the quiet, tough kid on the block always gets the most respect. Be the quiet, tough kid, and mind your own business. When we can't hire a person because they make more on welfare than when they work, even though they are healthy and strong, something is wrong with that. Why can't there be a sliding scale for the amount of assistance you receive, based on the wage you make? If you could get more total income while working and collecting a fraction of the government's assistance, then why wouldn't you work? The government cost of welfare goes down, the people work, and can develop self-respect, and that puts the lower paying jobs back here in this country, where they belong. All good thoughts, and best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Paul Van Scott

James, I second what Rob said - Happy Birthday. Enjoy! Paul Van Scott

Steve, There is no reason that the engine shouldn't go straight up in the B-61. I have both styles of bellhousings on 673 engines in the shop. I'll take a look to see if just rotating the existing housing that you have would do it. I don't believe that it will, but I'll check. Paul Van Scott

I had some time this week to completely disassemble the front axle of my B-67. It's actually fun to take this truck apart. Everything just cracks loose with a wrench, then unscrews by hand! It looks terrible. All rusted up and nasty looking. But you just snap it loose and twist off the nut. That simple. I am really interested in the simplicity of the design and the quality of the machining and the castings. But what really has me impressed is the assembly. Everything is fine machine threads, and tapered where necessary to draw tight, and hold tight forever. Even the frame bolts with exactly the right length of threads, and just the right amount of thread on each bolt to get exactly a full nut of coverage. Really nice stuff. And probably not duplicated anywhere today, even in the high tech stuff. And these were "just trucks". No wonder they work forever with proper care. On another note - I took my older (1966) R-600 out for a ride down the road today. No plates - so I took it nice and easy. This truck really runs like a sewing machine. Pretty neat old unit. Every light works, the heater and defroster work, door latches work great, windows work great. No smoke, no bad smells or noises. Stops good and drives straight. The tires are square!! Really square!! But even they smoothed up after a bit. Pretty lumpy there for a while though. (Old bias ply, heavy duty rubber) I'm ready to sell this one, and just wanted to be sure everything was OK. Great Fun!

Hey Andy, Nice to have you here. I'm from a little North of you in the Victor/Canandaigua area. I've seen your truck down around Hammondsport from time to time. Paul Van Scott

Here's something that only the government could think up ---- I have to have both FAA and DOT physicals. They are both due at the same time. The two exams are almost identical, and are done by the same doctor. So - I thought I would get them at the same time. I always offer to pay full price for each. But - The government is involved here don't forget. The two exams cannot be done together, and you actually need a separate appointment for each. All the data must be retested. In fact, the FAA recommends that you use a different doctor! The two agencies do not even recognize the data from the other's report. You could technically fail the DOT exam, and pass the FAA exam and continue flying, even though you couldn't drive. Or vice-versa. The doctor is a nice guy, and scratches his head every time we go through this. I've tried for probably twenty years to get the two exams done at the same time. But it must be just too simple. And - We pay for this kind of service. A lot, and getting more expensive by the day!

WOW!! Had no idea you guys had this kind of relationship. Merry Christmas! Paul Van Scott

This has been a good forum - I'm concerned about the lack of lubricity in the ULSD, and the effect it could have on the antique diesels that many of us have. My understanding is that the bio-fuel does have a better lubricating action. Anyone here know that for sure? There are shortcomings, obviously, to the bio-fuel. Primarily in the areas of fuel consistency and the problem of cold-weather thickening. As for being a "green" fuel, I'm not totally sure that's really true. Rumor has it that it takes almost as much energy to produce the fuel as there is energy potential in the fuel. Not much return on that, if it's true. I do like reducing our dependency on foreign oil, but I'm not sure bio-fuel answers this issue. The fact that the bio-fuel has become so readily available, and in so many mixes, says that the industry must be reasonably happy with the results that they are seeing. Interesting times ------- Paul Van Scott

Joe, That's a good truck to have. Pretty rare, and rarely available for sale. Good Luck!

Learning all about kingpins and front axles this week. Took my B-67 front axle apart to see what I need. Going to put in new kingpins, bushings, tie rod ends, bearings and seals. But - the good news is that I don't need to put on new brake linings. The old ones look new. They should be - it's obvious that the front brakes haven't worked in a long time. The shoes are rusted on the pins solid, and neither brake can was working. Our W-900A is sold. It's going back to the person we got it from, albeit in good running condition. We got what we needed out of it, and everybody is happy. That's how it should be the week before Christmas. And Jimmy bought himself a new toy for Christmas --- He's a big fat guy and looks like Santa Claus anyway. He found a really nicely restored W-900A (See a pattern here?) with a Cat 3408 and an 18 speed overdrive transmission. So he's like a little kid who just can't wait any longer for the gift. As for the building business - We have landed two contracts that will keep cash flowing for now. So the huge scare is reduced to a more manageable level. Something will need to happen, and soon. But I think we can be rational about looking at all of our options. Best wishes to everyone here for a safe and happy Holiday season!!

I've got the exact same hat for running the snow blower. Perfect for that job! Gotta love that rabbit fur. Paul VS

It seems that no matter how bad things in our lives look - we don't have to look far to see someone with worse things to deal with. At least your friend passed quickly, and doing what he loved. Sorry for the loss. Paul VS

I appreciate everybody's support. It probably will be a little challenging for a while. But, I really believe that things happen for a reason. Maybe you have to look for it, but something in the mess is actually a good thing. You just have to find it. That's where I am now. James is right - there is construction work out there, if we want to uproot our families and go chase it. And there some related industry possibilities that have been offered to me in the past two weeks. Even with the current business, a couple of the right phone calls could end all of the concern. It's a little bit far fetched, but I could get my latest R model Mack in roadworthy, good looking and dependable condition with very little effort, and put it to work developing a "light freight" business around this area. Lots of industry and machine shops that must need materials, products and equipment moved locally. The single axle Mack, with a single axle flat trailer, or a short step deck would be pretty versatile at making deliveries of all types up to maybe 25,000 lbs. I've got the lowboy, and two 40' high flats, and access to Jimmy's 53' step deck already. Plenty of capability to get started with. Operating at a fraction of the cost of a full size 5 or 6 axle unit gives me a competitive advantage. And - no truck payments! It sure would be fun, if it could actually work. Maybe I could add a 32' van sometime down the road, if there is a market. Selling and promoting the smaller truck service is probably the biggest challenge. So - who knows. There are a lot of possibilities!

Maybe you could get that "master" to continue his upcoming road trip down to Gladys from southern Ohio. Or think about delivering the hood to Larry (Freightrain), before Rob shows up to get his new tools. Then have it shipped back by Yellow or someone like that.

Tom, It's hard to say what caused the clear to lift, could have been almost anything. But - I wouldn't wax the hood at all. Try rubbing compound and follow it with a buffer and buffing compound. But no wax. Wax has silicones in it, and is very hard to remove from porous paint surfaces. That makes successful re-painting almost impossible. Rubbing compounds and most polishing compounds don't have any siliconizing agents - so no re-paint troubles. The best restoration and body shops don't even keep wax on the premises. I tried the rub on some scallops yesterday - perfect! I was putting it on turkey sandwiches too. Real good stuff. Paul Van Scott

Thanks guys. I'm not giving up James. Just making the changes I have to. We are known for uncompromising quality and building integrity, whether it's a large home or small. The way it is built is always the same. (Mostly my father's reputation by the way, before any of you get to wisecracking) And today very few people are willing to pay any extra for those things that last. I haven't been able to bring myself to slam together houses like the tract builders, so we have become a dinosaur in the building business. The jury is still out on what is really going to happen. But what we do know for sure is that something is going to have to change and soon.

I realized today that I haven't posted in a while. Not much to report. Good progress on my B-67 frame. The rebuilt rear axle is mounted and lined up, with the new springs and maxi cans. The front axle is mounted and lined up, but still needs rebuilding, to include king pins, bearings, tie rod ends and seals. The clutch linkage is this week's job. New bushings thru the frame are probably going to have to be made. Mack doesn't have any, and the original shaft is pretty worn. So I thought I could true up the shaft, then have bushings machined to fit exactly. Not much money to spend on the cab right now, so work on the frame will continue, and the cab will have to wait for the building business to get back in gear, or some other source of funds becomes viable. Interesting times. I run a small 60 year old family owned building business with an outstanding reputation. We have never been out of work - until now. My pride has kept us afloat at times like these in the past, when a smart person would have filed for bankruptcy and just closed up. This time, however, pride isn't going to cut it, and we are in deep trouble. By mortgaging our homes, I think my brother and I can satisfy all of the debt, but we will probably have to close the doors. And that just plain sucks. And it means I'm in the job market for the first time in thirty years. Scary stuff. I have never collected unemployment or assistance of any kind, and do not intend to start. I am working on a bunch of ideas, and have a number of offers. Some better than others. Funny how fast things change. One of the ideas that has really just become an option is the buying and selling of used equipment and old trucks from our shop. I would really hate to lose the shop, and am ready to do anything necessary to make it pay for itself. I am ready to sell all of my Mack stuff, trucks and parts, except my B-67. I've got some pretty rare parts including diesel engines, transmissions, B model power steering unit, new engine brake kit for the 6 cylinder diesels, and a bunch of miscellaneous pieces. And we have a Caterpillar 3412 with a big generator that can go, along with a KW W900-A with a big Cummins KTA-525 in excellent running condition. Also have a Walters Sno-Fighter with about 32,000 original miles and a very rare supercharged Cummins Iron Lung diesel in it, and a big Michigan loader with a 318 Detroit, and some old tractors including an Oliver HG-42 in beautiful original condition. Lots of good stuff. I'll put the inventory together and post it ASAP. Kind of a sad time in a way - but looking ahead to something new and different.

Well said James. The quality of, particularly, the older Macks speaks to a lost ethic in our society. It's not "just good enough", it's really "Mack Tough". And I think the Macks, unlike most brands, evoke a "can do" attitude that is largely missing in our bail-out ridden, no responsibility, no fault society. So - the Mack truck makes a statement, not only about the truck and it's legendary durability, but also about the people and the country that built them. Not to mention that they kind of fit like old shoes. Man - we ought to be in marketing! Paul Van Scott

Sounds like a worthwhile project - Nice to have you here. What were you thinking of repowering the B-85 with? Paul Van Scott

Sorry I didn't think of this last night - You could easily put four tires and wheels on one pallet, for a total of two pallets, which may be less expensive on an LTL carrier's trailer.

I would try Yellow Freight or one of the other common carriers. Put two tires on a single pallet, for four pallets total. It's still going to be expensive, but the common carriers are a pretty good value. Finding someone coming over the big mountains this time of year, just for hobby purposes, is a pretty tall order. Another option might be to contact an LTL flatbed carrier, and ask if they have room on a trailer coming East. There are a number of message boards online that post loads and truck availability. Good Luck, Paul Van Scott

Glenn - The B-67 doesn't have the clearance under the firewall. I could raise the cab an inch or so with spacers - but I don't really gain that much with an engine brake on this truck anyway. I do have a new (to me) ETZ-676 (283 hp) that the Jake brake would be real good on, but I need a truck for the engine to go into. Thermodyne B63 - I'll send you a Personal Message right now. Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Where are you located? I have two running and driving single axle R Macks that you could drive home, and one B-61 single axle that runs, but needs some work to be roadable. I would be willing to sell any one. Contact me by Personal Message here on this site, or by cell phone at (585) 509-4783. Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Have you talked to Barry at Watt's Mack? They had access to two valve Mack engine brake kits. If they can't help, I have a brand new (still in the boxes) TEC kit for the two valve Mack engine that I might consider selling. It does not fit in my B-67, and I don't have any immediate use for it. The actual Jacobs engine brake for these engines has been out of production for some time. The TEC brake is a direct replacement. Paul Van Scott