Jump to content

vanscottbuilders

Pedigreed Bulldog
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    921

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by vanscottbuilders

  1. vanscottbuilders

    Texas Damage

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Well, I'm back home for a few days.
    Going back to Beaumont, Tx. on October 19 for another stint.
    This trip I stayed in Houston and looked at damaged property in
    Conroe, Cleveland, Silsbee, Port Arthur and Beaumont, Tx.
    Not too much damage around Houston and north around Cleveland/Conroe.
    East and Southeast, however, it's a different story.
    All around Galveston Bay is pretty much demolished. I don't think any one
    building escaped damage. And a fair number of buildings need to come down,
    if they haven't already.
    Going to take awhile, maybe a year or more, before full services are restored
    to the area.
    For those of us who live in the North and Northeast - this is one of the big reasons
    that we stay there.
    If you haven't seen the actual storm aftermath, you really can't comprehend it.
    The damage is everywhere.
    Makes our cold winters look pretty good.
    And - don't even get me started on the snakes and alligators!!
    Man, I hate being lunch for some critter.
  2. vanscottbuilders

    Out Of Touch

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Looks like I'll have to leave for a while in the interest
    of making money.
    I'm going to Texas on Sunday and expect to be working there
    for a month or more.
    Part of our business is writing estimates for the repair of
    damaged buildings. Especially larger damages and historical structures.
    And, after a careful polling of our qualified people, (all three of them)
    all of whom must be better at winning arguements than I am -
    guess who gets to go to Texas to look at hurricane damages?
    It may take me a little while to get the lay of the land -
    but rest assured - if I can, I will be out scouting for trucks and
    trucks parts, too.
    I'll be starting in Houston on Monday. Probably coming home two
    weeks later. Then going back to Houston, Galveston or Beaumont,
    depending on where the losses that are contested are located.
    Won't be doing too much posting for a while. Mostly, I'll be brushing
    up on my "standing in line at the airport" skills.
    And brushing up on my Tex-Mex eating skills.
  3. vanscottbuilders
    Several years ago, when I bought my R Mack and lowboy from a retired excavating contractor,
    I found a really nice B-61 single axle tractor behind his barn.
    I asked about it, and was told he wasn't quite ready to part with the old girl. Although
    he said he had never used the truck, he always wanted to restore it. Just never got to it.
    After a little homework, I found that the tractor has had only one owner in
    its' working life, and then into this fellow's hands for an easy retirement.
    It belonged to Louis Johnson Trucking of Port Gibson, NY, and probably spent
    its' life running from Upstate NY (the good part of the State) to the city, or down
    to the Johnson terminal in Pennsylvania.
    Anyway, the cab looked near perfect (at least by my memory), and I'm told it would run
    without much trouble. (This fellow does take good care of his stuff)
    So I kept my ears and eyes open over in that part of the world.
    And, it paid off.
    I got a phone call today. Seems that he is now ready to sell it. If I don't take it,
    he thinks he will scrap it.
    Didn't take me long to make that decision.
    Even though I don't need it, I can't let a real nice old B model Mack go to the wrecker.
    I'll probably post the truck for sale, after the dust settles, and I figure out what I have.
    It would be best, I think, if I got it running and driving, shook out the bees and put some heat in
    the exhaust. Then I can give somebody a pretty accurate report.
    Stay Tuned!
  4. vanscottbuilders
    Got a phone call today from the fellow that bought the big
    power Peterbilt from us last spring. You all might remember
    that it took him forever to close the deal. After he finally took
    the truck, he called us for about six weeks asking us if we wanted
    to buy it back. Meanwhile the bottom was falling out of used truck
    prices. Especially big, thirsty ones.
    Anyway - he called me from Buffalo on a trip from his home in
    Oklahoma to tell me that everything is going great!
    Apparently he just started to run the truck about five weeks ago.
    (Hard to imagine that he let a $50,000.00 plus purchase sit in his driveway -
    but to each his own)
    He's got the truck pulling a flatbed for a specialized equipment vendor in
    Pennsylvania, I think.
    I was very surprised to hear he is averaging around 6.0 mpg, with 6.6
    being his highest trip average. Pretty good for that C-16 Cat. He must be a
    very conservative operator.
    Really nice to hear that he is doing well. I wish him the all the best.
    Meanwhile - back at the ranch -
    I've been thinking about what to do with my little R-600.
    The building business could actually use a good single axle dump truck,
    and that might be a great candidate. Except no power steering. Might have to fix that.
    A low mileage truck like that could last us the rest of our lives with a little care.
    And it would be great promotion for our business.
    The shop move is going very well. The crane is reassembled and operational.
    Most of the new electrical work is done. The new roof is going on next week.
    Then I can untarp and unload the two flatbeds that have all of my parts on.
    It sure will be nice to get that stuff organized on shelves. (The worst roof leak
    is right above where I want the parts racking to go)
    It sure is nice being to able to put all of the trucks inside.
    Might have a local customer for the H-63. And he would like us to do the restoration.
    That would be fun.
  5. vanscottbuilders

    Fall Turkey Season

    By vanscottbuilders,

    We are headed for Fall in Upstate New York.
    The leaves are beginning to change. Nights are
    getting a little cooler.
    The politicians are all dressed up and hurling barbs
    at each other.
    So Turkey hunting season can't be far away.
    I'm no sure why - but one always reminds me of the other.
  6. vanscottbuilders

    Still Moving

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Still packing and hauling stuff to the new shop.
    Spent today sorting and packing up hand tools.
    Most of the big pieces are all gone, except the steel
    benches and the steel sheets and pieces for fabricating.
    The crane's all down and loaded. The trucks are all moved.
    Time to re-organize and decide what goes where in the new space.
    I'm really looking forward to it. This should be a more permanent
    arrangement than we had, so we are planning to really set up a
    nice, workable shop, rather than treating it as a temporary area,
    like we have been doing.
    I've been thinking about my project list and the order for completion.
    The B-67 is first, then I'm thinking about my little Ford Golden Jubilee tractor,
    which shouldn't need too much except cosmetics. Then probably the R-600, just
    because it only needs some body work. Along with those things, I need to get my
    little lowboy trailer cleaned up and painted, and new tires installed.
    That pretty much accounts for the next year. Then we'll see what comes next.
    Probably the H-63. I just today was given a running END-673 which gives me
    more replacement options for the bad engine in that truck.
    I can only concentrate on one project at a time, but it's good to look ahead
    to gather the pieces required for the next project.
    Speaking of tires - Tom (Other Dog), have you used any of the take-off tires
    from your company before?
    I'm thinking that's a great idea for the R-600. It needs to switch to tubeless radials
    and won't get any real miles. It's not a show truck so new rubber isn't really
    necessary. Thought I'd ask around up here and see what I can scrounge up.
  7. vanscottbuilders
    Some of the people on this forum say "Volvo Sucks".
    No they don't. Indeed they build really good vehicles.
    Volvo, like so many other foreign manufacturers, are
    simply responding to market conditions that allow them to
    buy our businesses, build and sell their products in our country,
    and to profit from doing so. And then take our money away.
    If we simply continue to do the "same old, same old", we will
    continue to get the exact same results.
    What's the definition of insanity?
    Something about doing the same thing over and over - and expecting
    different results.
    If we don't stop the madness, then the madness will continue.
    It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure it out.
    Everybody can do their part - no matter how small.
    For instance - stop supporting Mobil, Sunoco, BP and other oil companies
    who buy overseas oil.
    Instead - Use Quik-Fill or companies that use US petroleum only.
    Not sure? Ask them. The good guys are quick to tell you they only buy American oil.
    Stop buying cheap Chinese junk from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, and hundreds
    of others. Check it out before you buy, and buy only US products, whenever possible. It's simple.
    Just think before you get out your wallet. You might not even buy anything, if you stop and think.
    If enough people do it, the problem will solve itself.
    There's nothing wrong with Volvo, Toyota, Honda, or any others. Indeed most of the
    products are darn good. And, they are playing by the rules that we put in place.
    You want change - so Change. Stop complaining and just Change.
    I personally am buying only local groceries. And buying only US made clothes and shoes, if possible.
    And only US made vehicles by American manufacturers. And US gasoline whenever possible.
    My observations are that the groceries are better - a lot better, and a little more money.
    The clothes are definitely more expensive, but generally better made, and better warranted.
    They last longer, so I don't buy as much.
    As for the vehicles - well two out of three isn't bad. Our big three manufacturers are being way overcharged
    for labor, and are far too interested in their shareholders, rather than quality, to really produce a good
    vehicle. But I still support them. I think we have to in order to survive as a country as we know it.
    How many people know that the US government borrowed the money for your latest Economic Stimulus check
    from the Chinese government?
    Shocked? It's 100% true. Hundreds of millions of dollars up in smoke.
    We just sit back and let it happen.
    Then we complain.
    I sound like a broken record - but,
    Wake up America. Wake up while there's still time.
  8. vanscottbuilders
    Pictures to follow - I promise. I'm just not too sure how to get from the camera to the web page.
    Finally got all my parts for the B-67 loaded on a trailer yesterday.
    Other than two spare engines and transmissions, the entire 53' high flat is
    completely covered with one B-67. And that's with no wheels or tires!
    (As soon as I got it loaded - it started to pour! It didn't look good for all of
    my bare metal pieces. But it only rained for a short time, then hot & dry again,
    so no real damage done)
    Anyway we backed the trailer into the new shop for temporary storage.
    We can pull it out while the crane is being assembled in that space.
    Also got the W-900 out of the shop and I got some pictures of it too. It shouldn't
    be too long before Jimmy has it back in running order. I love that truck. Of course I've only
    driven it when it wasn't running - but one can always imagine.
    Moved the H-63 into its' new home inside the new space. It looks good there.
    That's a funny old truck. I never get tired of looking at it. And everyone who sees it likes it.
    All in all - a pretty productive weekend.
    Took about half of the crane down and moved it. I have a nephew who works for the crane
    manufacturer setting up automated warehouses and large industrial cranes around the country.
    He made it possible for us to get this equipment in the first place, and was nice enough to
    offer to reassemble it for us in the new shop. Working with him has been very interesting.
    Rigging and lowering the 40' steel beams from 20' in the air is really an art, and it has been
    a lot of fun learning some new tricks.
    We have one 40' rail beam, two header beams and the four posts to come down yet. We were
    able to move the bridge beam with the crane hoists in place. Saved a lot of time. The rails are
    coming down with the trolley assemblies and motors in place too. Should go back together pretty well.
    Next I hope to fire up the R-600 and actually drive it around town a bit before putting it inside.
    I want to put some heat thru the exhaust of the old girl to see what I will actually have to do
    to use the truck in regular light duty service.
    Anyway - the building business really stinks for us this year, so I need to have the relief I get from
    my old trucks. If we can hold on until better times, I think we may sell the construction business, or
    possibly just close it. But that's a story for another day.
    Everybody have a good week.
  9. vanscottbuilders
    It seems hard to believe that one little single axle B-67 is going to fill
    a 50' drop deck trailer.
    This will require pictures for anybody to believe.
    I tell people all the time that I have the biggest truck in the place because
    it goes from one end of the building to the other. Now I can prove it!
    I've got all my parts for just this one truck all strapped on pallets
    for the big move. (from the front of the building to the back of the building -
    maybe a 400' drive)
    And I've got eight pallets of stuff plus the cab, and the axles, and the frame all
    as separate pieces.
    It's going to take the whole trailer.
    Had a great day today just organizing and sorting my parts.
    All by myself in the shop just monkeying around all day.
    Loved it. Reminded myself why I do this stuff.
    The move is going well.
    And, yes, for those who have asked, we are definitely going to
    advertise and sell the Kenworth W-900A. After talking to a number of guys
    who own these big KT series Cummins engines, we are pretty sure that we have
    it priced right at $25,000.00 And it is a pretty nice truck "as is". It would be really,
    really nice with some restoration work.
  10. vanscottbuilders

    The New Shop

    By vanscottbuilders,

    The decision was made, and Jimmy and I are in the process of moving into our new space.
    In the end we took the adjacent rental space to our current shop for a couple of reasons.
    Not the least of which is that our crane will fit. And we are out of sight of anybody passing by.
    And we continue to have use of the onsite sandblasting and painting facilities.
    We measured the space yesterday; we have 58' x 70' x 24' high. Two overhead doors at one end.
    (one each 12' high and 14' high x 12' wide). Great lights. Eight large HID units at the ceiling,
    then a continuous row of flourescents about 12' up the wall all the way around the area.
    Bright white walls and foil reflective ceiling panels.
    It's really nice and bright. (Good for a half blind guy like me)
    Lots of wall outlets, three phase power, water and good floor drains.
    And we are surrounded on three sides by heated space, which should help our heat bills in the winter.
    We are in the process of making deals with a couple of our truck friends to store their hobby
    trucks inside to help with the rent.
    So the old truck past time looks pretty good for the next few years.
    If anybody is in the area - give me a call and stop by.
    I'm looking forward to getting more organized and getting some benches and racking set up
    to handle my parts. And I'm really excited about all three of my Macks inside next to each other.
    Actually, all five of the project trucks are going to be inside for the 1st time.
    Although Jimmy says he is going to finish the new radiator install in his W-900 and get the truck
    sold before it moves in. (late 70's KW W-900A long hood w/ fresh Cummins KTA-525, 15 spd. OD, 36" bunk and air ride).
    Nice truck, and I hate to see it go. I had hopes of acquiring it sometime. Ah well - So many toys - so little time.
    I know he really wants to get moving on Morgan's old Peterbilt 351, and we can't concentrate on more than one thing
    at a time. (Something about chewing gum and walking)
    All things considered - a pretty good week!
  11. vanscottbuilders
    Some time ago I think I posted that I was getting some body hammers and dollies to work out some of the dents in my B-67 cab.
    Well after reading everything I could find on the subject, I started in on beating the s---- out of the poor old cab. Wrong.
    I have found this metal bumping, as the industry calls it, to be a tremendous therapeutic treatment for stress and anxiety.
    Started out wailing away on a dent with the new hammers and dollies - but that approach is useless. It's a little like a Japanese bonsai garden -
    careful, consistent hammering and really careful placement of the backing surface (dolly) actually makes the metal behave like butter.
    The Zen of Mack beating.
    It's not perfect yet, but the cab sure looks a lot better than when I started. And I shouldn't need any more than a very tiny amount of filler, if any.
    Way back, when I started in on these old trucks, Tom Gannaway told me that I shouldn't bother with body filler if I didn't change the springs to air ride because it would never stick. I took that to heart. So all of my repairs are welded metal, and now, reshaped original metal. Slow for sure, but I think it's a better way to do things.
    And Tom (Other Dog) - the key is the dollies. If you can get them to do the work for you, life is much better.
  12. vanscottbuilders
    After a few months af indecision, we got word today that we will indeed
    have to relocate our truck shop. And real soon. The expanding neighbor wants our
    space by September 01.
    We have decided to take one of two spaces offered to us by our current landlord.
    One is almost ideal, except pretty expensive. It's got a 24' ceiling, two large
    overhead doors, fully insulated and really well lit with four floor drains, water
    and 3 phase power. The space is about 48' x 72'. Its all painted up nice and is
    surrounded on three sides by heated space. Our bridge crane will fit easily,
    and there is plenty of room for benches and the fabricating equipment. There
    is no room for outside parking of trailers, which are currently offsite anyway.
    The second option is a stand alone building which needs a lot of cosmetic and
    electric and heating work. But - it has a nine acre fenced outside area for trailers.
    It's a total area of about 38' x 70', with one big overhead door and no floor drains.
    The big deal is the ceiling height. Only about 14' at the outside walls and slopes
    up to 20' in the center. The crane needs at least 19'6 height in a 28 x 38 area.
    So it doesn't fit in this particular space, and shortening it isn't a great option.
    This is just a hobby for both Jim and I, so the thought of a $1,500. rent bill
    each month plus the heat bills is a little cause for reflection.
    Our thought is that with either space, there is room for a couple of paying
    storage customers. We have a commitment from one local company to store
    their AC Mack with us. Perhaps two more will make it all work out OK.
    I guess we got pretty spoiled by our current deal. $500. a month including
    all of the utilities. But - we were told right up front that it was temporary,
    so this isn't any real surprise.
    Should give me a chance to sort out, re-evaluate and organize all of my stuff.
  13. vanscottbuilders
    I've been out to the Oshkosh, Wisconsin EAA air show this week.
    Although I try to go each year - it never ceases to amaze me. What
    a fantastic event. Anything and everything that has to do with aviation
    at all is represented there. There are fighters, antiques, big jets, small jets,
    homebuilt airplanes, custom airplanes, fast ones, slow ones and helicopters.
    Plus all of the parts, supplies and electronics manufacturers.
    Kept looking for Herb's (HK Trucking) Macks in Appleton, but didn't see him.
    It was kind of a strange trip this year -
    Last Wednesday we left in a downpour. About 2 miles down the road I looked
    back at the camping trailer and noticed the window blinds were blowing around.
    Kind of odd since they are inside the trailer. So we stopped. The front window of
    the trailer wasn't there anymore! And to make it more interesting - it looked like it
    was shot out!! No way a stone or road debris could get to it, and no way we could
    have hit anything. So we delayed leaving for a day to fix the window.
    Thursday we left - still in the rain - and noticed that the trailer seemed to be pulling
    hard. The truck was downshifting from 4th directly to 2nd at any little hill or grade.
    (2007 Chevrolet Avalanche) But we went on, thinking it was our error and our
    imagination.
    Got about seven hours into a twelve ride and launched the transmission in a
    spectacular fashion!!
    Got it off the Indiana Toll Road at LaGrange, Ind. Found a hotel, and found a fantastic
    Chevrolet dealer in Sturgis, Michigan. (Kool Chevrolet)
    Got in on Friday morning early, and were told that no parts would be received until Monday.
    We explained our situation - and the service people drove to two different area Chevy dealers
    to gather the parts. The mechanic offered to stay Friday night as long as it took to get us on the road.
    Very nice - and very unusual.
    Unfortunately, at 8:00 PM, the truck was started and backed off the lift, only to find that the shifting
    could not be controlled. Now definitely no more parts until at least the following Monday.
    So we were stuck in Sturgis for the weekend it seemed.
    Meanwhile, the service guys put our trailer inside and empty building to protect it, and licked our
    truck inside for security - and gave us a car for the duration.
    We went to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum - really nice.
    On Saturday we got the bright idea to rent a car and continue on to Oshkosh.
    So we got to see at least three days of the show.
    Decided to pick up our truck on Thursday so we would be travelling on a weekday,
    just in case we needed another repair along the way.
    We didn't, fortunately.
    Now for the rest of the story -
    Apparently GM has no readily available engine, rear axle or transmission exchange program.
    And they have definitely lost sight of the customer.
    There is no program in place to get a vehicle back on the road, and nobody cares.
    The dealer in this case was fabulous, but his hands were tied by GM warranty policy.
    There was one full day lost to diagnosis and parts locating. A second day spent rebuilding the
    unit. Then the 2nd problem of shift control reared up. A total of a week was lost.
    Meanwhile, we learned from another Chevy dealer that it is common for these repairs to be unsuccessful!!
    And our Ford dealer friend tells us that Ford policy is exactly the same!!
    All in all, if a transmission could have been shipped from a rebuild center to the dealer,
    and the core sent back, we could have been back on the road in 24 hrs. or less. And the dealer
    has said that the combined cost of the repairs was on the order of $5,000.00. Way more than a
    rebuilt transmission replacement might have cost.
    Instead, our vehicle, with just 25,000 miles on the odometer, was down for a week. And no one at GM ever
    acknowledged that two good, loyal customers were very inconvenienced - out of a vehicle, out of state.
    No wonder they are on the verge of bankruptcy. They deserve it.
    They forgot how important the customer is.
    To make it worse - we reserved a full size SUV at Enterprise in Goshen, Ind. through the national
    reservation system. Upon arriving, we found that the Goshen Enterprise rental location doesn't even have
    full size SUV's. We took a Kia Rondo as a last resort. It's a little Korean 4wd SUV.
    By the time we got to Chicago, Dennis said to me "I'm trying really hard not to like this car - but
    I can't". I felt the same way. It was comfortable, powerful, economical, quiet and roomy.
    If that's our competition - GM, Ford and Chrysler have a hell of a long way to go!!
    And - I'll bet Kia hasn't forgotten about the customer, either.
    We, as a country, complain bitterly that Toyota, Honda, Nissan and the other Japanese imports are
    eating our lunch. As I see it - we are giving them our lunch on a silver platter every time we put up with
    an inferior product or poor service.
    Wake up America!! Wake up while there's still time!
  14. vanscottbuilders
    This is for Other Dog - who is known to
    carefully follow instructions -
    As I re-read my latest blog entry, I found a
    couple of typos - the result of typing without
    reading glasses!
    Anyway - I will not assume any liability for anyone
    who licks his truck for security. You do what you want to do.
    Just don't do what I say and you should be OK.
    Have a good week-end.
  15. vanscottbuilders
    I've been working on a project in Honey Harbour,
    Ontario, Cananda (A couple hours north of Toronto),
    and I have driven back and forth a couple of times.
    Just some observations:
    Boy, do they ever use a lot of axles.
    And axle spreads of all different sizes.
    I'm guessing that is for the health of the highways.
    I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of Mack
    cement mixers and dump trucks.
    A lot of the mixers have tandem steering axles,
    again, I'm assuming for the per axle weight.
    The multiple trailer combinations intrigue me also.
    Nice to see new stuff.
  16. vanscottbuilders
    Check out Photo #34.
    (In the state of New York - we give everything numbers -
    since our governor took the title of Client #9)
    Anyway - check out #34 in the ATCA - Macungie photos that
    Barry posted the link to last week.
    It's exactly what my R-600 looked like as a new truck.
    And - it's where I'd like to go with it. After the B-67.
    I probably would not use the fender mount spot mirrors.
    Sorry I missed Macungie this year. Looks like a great turn-out.
    Got my sights set on Barry's show in the Fall.
    Nice thick T-bone steaks last nite slow cooked with a bourbon BBQ sauce.
    Outstanding!!
  17. vanscottbuilders
    I think everyone, everywhere is starting to be
    affected by the rising cost of fuel and petro-products.
    For quite a while I really didn't notice any great difference -
    now, however, it's a different tune.
    We are getting letters from our vendors daily, notifying us
    of building materials price increases. And I believe that the
    price of a new home in our market now costs the builder
    about 5% to 7% more money than six months ago.
    That's huge, when you consider that the average new home
    in our area is well over $250,000.00 with many topping $500,000.00,
    and quite a few over a million dollars.
    The house that cost 250,000.00 on Jan. 1st now costs 262,500.00
    Consider that roof shingles have risen more than 35% since the 1st of
    the year. Copper has gone out of sight. Aluminum has skyrocketed.
    Lumber has remained fairly steady, but the quality is at an all time low.
    Concrete is at an all time high.
    Factor in the slow sales of new homes and we have the recipe for a
    really tough time in the building business.
    But - we aren't alone. Not by a long shot.
    Every business, and every person is being affected by the cost of fuel.
    A major adjustment is in the wind - More people are starting to do something about it.
    I don't believe that the government should step in. I think the easy government
    bail-outs and easy hand-out money and liberal government borrowing from other countries will
    actually going to be far more damaging to us than the cost of fuel will ever be.
    No - I don't believe that Americans will give up their life styles. We will work harder.
    We'll work longer. But we won't give up our life styles.
    We might take a while. And we might complain loudly. But we are a very resiliant
    society. We will adjust.
    We did it in the thirties. We did it during the World War periods. To some extent, we did
    it in the seventies. We will adjust. We can do what it takes.
    Just my two cents for today.
  18. vanscottbuilders
    OK we're about in the middle of summer, that is
    if we get the usual three or four weeks of good weather.
    Finished in Pennsylvania last week. Now back to the Mack shop.
    And - Tom, I did check out Beach Lake on Google Earth.
    You can see the farm perfectly. It's impressive -
    but, kind of scary actually.
    Checked in on the B-67 today. Looks like I will spend the next couple
    of weekends removing dents and grinding welds smooth in preparation
    for painting. After the trouble with getting any work out of the welder,
    the project finally looks really good.
    Everybody have a good week.
  19. vanscottbuilders
    OK - 1st day of summer - Everybody look quick!!
    Actually it's been really nice here since April, if a bit
    unusual.
    I should be finishing up in Pennsylvania this week, and
    back home to continue the B-67 progress next week.
    There is a man with an early R model Mack single axle dump
    truck that I have posted about before near Beach Lake, Pa.
    Goes by every day empty one way and loaded with dirt the other.
    Great fun listening for the old girl, as the property we are working on is
    in the middle of nowhere.
    That truck sounds like it runs like a clock. And it sure does get a lot
    of exercise.
    I'd like to catch up with the owner just to say Hi.
    Anyway - hope everyone is doing well.
    Have a good week.
  20. vanscottbuilders
    Checked on the truck shop this morning.
    The cab reconstruction on the B-67 is actually
    progressing nicely, finally.
    The welder is a really talented guy - just hasn't been too
    focused.
    I'm happy with the work, though. And I doubt anyone will be
    able to tell what was repaired.
    So, all in all, it might have been worth the wait.
    Back to Pa. on Monday, and probably done with that project
    in about two weeks, if all goes well.
    Had to cancel out of going to Macungie for fear of divorce court,
    after being gone for two weeks and leaving again in two days.
    Some people just have no understanding.
    Anyway - best to all and have a good week.
  21. vanscottbuilders
    Must be the season - the weather is nice and the yard
    work and house chores need to be done.
    So nobody has any real new truck news.
    And besides, Other Dog is busy baiting the rabbits into the oven!
    I think my cab welding assistant has found new and more exciting projects.
    Rumor has it that he bought a parts truck so he could begin the rebuilding
    of his departed father's pick-up.
    I don't really mind - but why couldn't he say something to me?
    Now I'm weeks behind where I thought I would be with the B-67.
    So the answer, same as always, is: If I'm not happy, I need to try it myself.
    That's this week's project.
    The cab is still in two pieces. It looks like fitting it together shouldn't be too bad.
    The doors are hung and adjusted, and I have the old windshields and rubber.
    Hopefully I can make it into one piece again, and everything will fit.
    Most of the month of June I'll be out of town on a project in Beach Lake, Pa.
    So not too much will happen except on the weekends for the next few weeks.
    Driving this truck to Barry's show in September is in jeopardy.
    Maybe I should think about doing the quick rocker panel repairs on the R-600,
    and drive it with my lowboy instead.
    All things considered, it might be a better idea.
    The old R runs well, steers well and even stops well. And I like an R type cab.
    h'mm - I might be onto something.
  22. vanscottbuilders

    New Find

    By vanscottbuilders,

    A freshly overhauled Mack 285 hp Maxidyne engine was
    offered to me this week, and I bought it.
    The company that owns the motor no longer uses the DM's
    and R models that the engine was spec'd for.
    The overhaul was done by Mack, and the engine
    is on a test stand complete with a radiator and starter.
    I bought the test stand and everything.
    Hopefully I'll be able to test my old 673's and 711's, too.
    Heck it's the closest thing to a running truck I've got!
    Maybe I'll just bolt on a transmission and rear axle and
    go for a drive.
    Going to need to find a new project though, because this
    engine won't fit in the B-67, and I would like to use my Jake
    brake on it.
    Guess I'll have to apply a little pressure on Kevin All.
  23. vanscottbuilders
    We had a rude awakening this week about the high cost of
    acquiring old truck projects.
    Jimmy had an early 70's Brockway. High mount cab, long frame
    tandem axle. An old concrete block truck with no body.
    We had taken out the auxiliary transmission to keep for another
    project. Anyway, there wasn't much left of the old girl. It had been
    parked right next to the railroad tracks, and all the glass was gone,
    the hood was off for years before it came to us and it didn't run.
    The opportunity came along to sell it a while ago for $500.00 to a local
    guy with a few other old Brockways.
    The fellow never took the truck out of our yard. So Jimmy offered to
    haul the truck for scrap and split the money with the new owner.
    Now for the rest of the story -
    If that truck was really worth $500.00 is really questionable.
    But, it brought $2,700.00 as scrap!
    No wonder we are losing a lot of good restorable iron every day.
    So - How do we fix this problem?
    Makes me feel really good about asking $3,500.00 for my R-600.
    It runs and drives perfect. You could drive it home easily.
    But, using the same junk price, it would bring over $2,000.00
    as scrap. And no hassles.
    No, I'm not scrapping it, or anything else I own.
    But it does make you think. And, being the extremely
    kind and patient person that I am, I'm sure I'll exercise
    real diplomacy the next time someone tells me my
    price is too high.
    Cars have been being crushed for years. There are a lot more cars
    than heavy trucks, however. And the collectible cars are worth a lot
    more money as projects than as scrap. So the threat is minimized.
    With trucks it is really sad. The inventory is small, and the scrap value
    is at an all time high; and a lot of history is being lost as we speak.
    My own suggestion is to gather up any projects you might want,
    and hold onto them, at all cost. The good stuff is going to skyrocket
    in price very quickly as the inventory dries up.
    Just think - your wives and girlfriends might even thank you for making
    such a wise investment! And you'll have a toy that very few others can have.
    Case in point-
    A few weeks ago, we had a coal train derailment in Palmyra.
    About 22 loaded coal cars, almost all in "light rollover".
    (1,000,000 pounds of coal)
    The salvage company immediately banked up the coal for
    reloading. Then they cut all the trucks off of the rail cars,
    and proceeded to cut up the hoppers right onsite!
    According to their foreman, at today's prices, it is much more
    economical to scrap the cars rather than send them in for rebuilding!
    That's unbelievable to me.
    Anyway - that's this week's rant.
  24. vanscottbuilders
    I'm leaving in the morning for the Spring Carlisle car show.
    The opportunity came up to go with a couple of friends,
    and I haven't been in ten years or so.
    Mostly looking for colors for the B-67, and just
    checking on current pricing of different older cars and pick-ups.
  25. vanscottbuilders
    Well, the B-67 cab is back in one piece. Or at least as close as
    it was from the factory.
    It was called the Million Mile Cab -
    If you really take apart a B cab - you realize that it is made of
    a lot of little pieces. A lot of little pieces!!
    Should have been called the Million Piece Cab.
    No wonder they are noisy and drafty and rust easily.
    There are lots of joints, holes, seams, welds and places for
    moisture and dirt to hide. Most of these tight spots were unprotected
    from the factory. You have to prime each sub-assembly prior to completing
    the refitting. After you get it together, there is no way to seal up some of the bare metal.
    Still I guess they were really considered state-of-the-art for their time.
    And I think we have done a pretty good job of reassembling, sealing and
    priming the old girl. Should add a few years to her life.
    Now I'm thinking about applying "LizardSkin" ceramic sound and heat
    insulation to the underside, the firewall, and the entire interior before painting.

BigMackTrucks.com

BigMackTrucks.com is a support forum for antique, classic and modern Mack Trucks! The forum is owned and maintained by Watt's Truck Center, Inc. an independent, full service Mack dealer. The forums are not affiliated with Mack Trucks, Inc.

Our Vendors and Advertisers

Thank you for your support!

Mack Related Links

Popular links

BMT Forum Logo

HTML tutorial
×
×
  • Create New...