vanscottbuilders

There is a couple of things wrong here - 1st. It is a really weak idea to think about painting a cab with a spray can. Period. Parts are one thing. An entire cab is another. 2nd. It is very bad manners to post a picture of someone's truck, and then to seriously insult the appearance. You all know better than this - let's quit while we are ahead here. Paul Van Scott

Good to see our Transportation Board at work. And I also encourage you to give the hauler a good recommendation. Paul Van Scott

Christmas is always a nice time of the year - some, however, seem to stand out more than others. This Christmas has been one of those special occasions... Some of you know that I have been gathering old Macks for a few years - for no other real purpose than to keep them from the salvage torches. Mostly B models and a couple of H cabovers. But the AC Mack has always held my interest above all of the rest. The work and the progress that our country accomplished during its' production run caps one of the greatest times in our nation's history. And the AC was at the heart of that work. It's the truck that gave Mack the Bulldog moniker. Anyway - just before Christmas one of my restoration clients asked me to stop in and told me he had something to show me. Low and behold - outside his warehouse sat a very rusty, very complete 1932 AC Mack. I was hopeful that we might be getting the restoration project for our shop - but it was Christmas, don't forget. After learning that he had gotten the truck twenty years prior, and had not done anything with it - I was told that the truck now belonged to me, if I wanted it! Certainly one of the best Christmas presents I could have hoped for. Photos will follow soon. The truck is complete, but has been outside in Upstate New York since 1932 - so it needs pretty much everything. It looks like it may have had a lattice boom crane on it most recently, although the crane is long gone. (The passenger's side of the cab has been cut off for the boom to lay during transport) Rumor is that this truck worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway project, and then was used in the logging industry in Northern New York. It was apparently brought from Massena to Rochester quite a while ago, and has been out of service since. I will be looking for advice and information as the project takes shape - but for now, I am just very happy just to say "I own an AC Mack!" Best Wishes for a very Happy New Year to Everyone. Paul Van Scott

No problem Jim. I will send you a Personal Message here on BMT to get your e-mail to forward the photo. I think at least one of the seats has the original embossed Mack logo in the seat back.

I have a couple of original Viking T-bar seats with original mounts for the DM or R model cab that I would sell reasonably. Contact me here or by e-mail at vanscottbuilders@rochester.rr.com for details. Merry Christmas! Paul Van Scott

The B-61 sleeper cab in the photos from Jay is pretty typical of these cabs after a few years of neglect. But - the A pillars are in great shape, the floors and the bunk area are good, the roof is excellent, and the cab itself really is not too bad. It's pretty ugly - but that's what makes them cheap! That truck of Doug's is what motivated me to go look for one of these old girls. With a little wax and some elbow grease, mine will look just like his! Merry Christmas everyone! Paul Van Scott

If you could get me the part number of the unit you are looking for - chances are quite good that I will have the PTO. And, it very well could be a brand new unit directly from Mack. I do,however, need a part number or at least a good picture before I can look through the units I do have. Let me know, Paul Van Scott

Heighth, length, anything overwidth, and weight would all be useful information. Thanks, Paul Van Scott

What should our ethics, or standards, be? Aside from the comic answers - and there will undoubtedly be at least a couple of those, this is a pretty interesting question. Especially as the hobby of gathering and restoring old, heavy trucks gains traction. The automobile guys have several associations that set standards and judge vehicles to those standards - such as the AACA. I'm not sure about the tractor guys - whether or not they judge to originality? Motorcycle collectors do. But trucks are indeed very different. Normally built to do a unique job, trucks come in all sizes, and with all manner of equipment and modifications to perform that unique job. Many modifications are actually factory original to that particular truck. Add to that the fact that most heavy American trucks would outlast at least one owner, and the list of modifications keeps growing as the truck is asked to do a different job. Then factor in the truck operator - quite often a guy that has a need to personalize the vehicle with a wide assortment of accessories, and you have a vehicle that is a far cry from the way it left the factory. So you can see the conundrum. With no original standard to judge from - how can we be held accountable for originality? Enter guys like John McFarland. John loves the hunt and uncovering the history that a truck has. His vehicles are probably more representative of their original purpose than most. Or guys like Matt Pfahl who will go to untold lengths to find or remanufacture exact duplicates of factory parts to build the museum quality vehicles that they specialize in. Guys like David Strickland put together old trucks that are perhaps "over-restored" to some, but they are beautiful nonetheless. And those vehicles might be scrap if they hadn't been put back in service. Are those people wrong? Of course not. And neither is anyone else that is into truck collecting. Truck collecting is all what you make it for yourself. Having a rusty old barely running B model Mack in your backyard is way more fun than you will ever have at an AACA Senior event. And we rarely wear ties to work on our trucks anyway. This is a very relaxed hobby. Trucks represent the history and industrious spirit of our fathers and grandfathers. They are more a symbol of hard work and dedication rather than a symbol of perfection and show quality. A truck that shows its' age with a bit of wear and soil is just as impressive as a perfect restoration. It's just a different approach. So, you can see that standards would be tough, if not impossible to set. Now for ethics - Your mother taught you almost all you need to know. Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't over-describe the truck to your prospective buyer. And, most important of all - Don't tell people "it ran when parked". They all did. Just Have Fun, Paul Van Scott

You have some good, simple solutions in these replies. Just in case you aren't comfortable doing these things yourself (like me), consider Radio Shack or an electronics hobbyist vendor. I know Radio Shack used to handle polarity reversing boxes - not sure if they still do or not. Paul Van Scott

Has anybody here heard anything from Garth Huff (aka "Packer") in a while? Paul Van Scott

Do you still need the CRD-117 3rd member?

You might try the Mack Trucks Historical Museum, Inc. Contact by phone at (610)351-8999 Or by mail at 2402 Lehigh Parkway South, Allentown, Pa. 18103

I was here a few months ago - very nice displays and a very nice facility. Also neat to see where the research is completed for the old trucks, when we request it. And, typical of his work, Matt Pfahl has done an amazing job on the B-67 that is the lead-in vehicle. Paul Van Scott

If there is a series parallel switch, it should be easy to spot. Likely between the seats in a small steel box, or ahead of the firewall and down low, on either side of the truck. (The B-73 and 75 trucks had several original mounting locations) But - it might be a good time to convert the starter to 12 volt, and skip the 24v starting system all together, especially if you don't have batteries or cables anyway. You will never regret it. Series parallel switching is an added maintenance item, not necessary with the battery and starter technology available today. Two good 12v batteries will do the job nicely, rather than the original four six volt units. Good Luck! Nice choice of trucks! Paul Van Scott

Jay, Rob is probably right - as usual - Siloo is a good diesel fuel additive, if an additive is actually needed. The ultra-low sulpher fuels don't seem to burn as well, and some say they lack lubrication qualities. (And the ULSF exhaust doesn't smell nearly as good) Using our old trucks like we do, we don't really put many miles on them, and the fuel can sit for long periods of time. I think the bigger concern is the water loving quality and the rubber hating quality of the ULSF with Ethanol blends. Avoid Ethanol at all cost. It will eventually do damage to your old rubber seals and fuel lines. And, if left sitting for long periods, it will attract water. Neither rubber particles nor water droplets are recommended by your engine manufacturer. There is a genuine concern over "red fuel", but I think it's not a huge problem for antique vehicles, especially those with Historical license plates. Mind you, I'm not saying you should use red fuel, but I think a red additive won't cause you any real problem, especially if you have the can or the receipt with you. And besides, jail today isn't too bad a place, unless you are in Arizona, where you have to wear pink and sleep in tents. Paul Van Scott

Just my two cents here, but before you "determine how much an offshore buyer will pay", take a minute a minute and consider that the buyer, whether foreign or not, is just like any other customer. I have just sold and delivered my third heavy duty Mack dump truck, this year, to a Haitian truck broker. After the first sale, the next couple have been easier - I like this fellow, and I hope the feeling is mutual. These trucks were all advertised on Truckpaper and E-Bay for an extended period of time at very cheap prices. I received more than twenty telephone calls or e-mails, and only one call was an American (who turned out to be a real flake). Many calls were just dreamers or people trying to steal the trucks for ridiculously low offers. The trucks all went to Haiti for fair prices. Way more than scrap value, and well over what anyone here was willing to pay. But the sales are not easy. Trust needs to be established on both sides of the transaction. How honestly you can describe a vehicle plays a big part in the sale. Communication isn't easy - it's difficult to understand a different language, or a strong accent. And shipping is a huge factor, whether you are shipping, or whether your buyer is shipping - the freight is huge. Interesting little sidebar - The Caribbean countries, whether they have money or not, do indeed want older trucks. (We call them junk) Because of the salt air environment, the trucks rust very quickly, new or not. The trucks are run until they are too rusty to continue, then are often disassembled, and the parts are sold back to us! And Mack trucks are the favored brand, because they can be fixed time and time again. Ultimately, I do not believe that you can make a blanket statement that an offshore buyer will, or will not, pay more or less money than a domestic buyer. The needs of the used truck market are different all over the world. In the end, no matter who you are selling to, it boils down to how much you are willing to take from the sale of your vehicle. What is a much larger concern, to me at least, is that there is apparently absolutely no market for older, usable trucks in the USA. We no longer see the value in cheap, dependable, albeit older, work trucks. What happened to us? Instead, we sell the trucks offshore, they wear them out, and then we buy the worn out parts back. Seems nuts to me. But, at least when visiting the Caribbean, I can feel good about seeing Macks doing the work, rather than Isuzus, Volvos, DKW's or any other overseas label. Paul Van Scott

If one isn't enough - make it two million. At the rate that our government is spending money trying to hide or cover up these issues, eighty million isn't a drop in the bucket. I love this idea!! Paul Van Scott

Looks like we'll see you all in South Bend. Jimmy is leaving here with his W900 and trailer loaded with a nice little Emeryville early on Thursday morning, and I am following a little later. About a ten hour drive. Morgan - we should talk by phone once onsite to arrange dinner. Rob can buy. Paul VS

Congratulations Rob, In my mind, being a grandparent is the reward for all of the effort you and your wife put into raising your children. It's payback time! I wish you and your family all the best - It's a great time of life! Paul Van Scott

Larry, Pretty Impressive!! Do you think you will take the truck to the ATHS Convention in South Bend? Paul Van Scott

Good Luck Russell, These projects are a blast to do, and even more fun when they're done! Paul Van Scott

I think Mack has that kit available Paul Van Scott

Clutch and brake lining replacements are becoming more difficult to find as more and more regulations are poured on these manufacturers every day. There is a great shop in Rochester, NY that will make and reline almost any antique truck clutch or brake. These guys also do classic car work for some of the really well known collectors around the country. They did the relining of our B-67 brakes a couple of years ago - cost around $250.00 for all four corners. They also have done two clutch relinings along with pressure plate rebuilding and flywheel turning complete for around $420.00 for each truck. They are about a fourth generation company in a really dilapidated building downtown - but they have the stuff, and they know their business. Rochester Clutch and Brake Co., Inc. (585)232-2579 Paul Van Scott

Name: Mack R-600 (1969) Date Added: 08 November 2008 - 01:33 PM Owner: vanscottbuilders Short Description: This is a nice rust-free truck.<br />Runs very well and drives very well. View Vehicle