vanscottbuilders

I don't really mind getting older. But I really don't like reading the notices more frequently all the time of friends and acquaintances passing. Especially when I didn't consider them old. I guess it's a part of life although it is still sad. We just can't slow down, or it could be us! You never did say if you were going to Barry's show in September.

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!

Body hammers are a little different than what I ever pictured. They are quite small and light. The theory is pretty simple. Metal streches when it is dented or bent. Just beating the dent out with a heavy hammer can't work because you are trying to stuff more material back into the original shape. The idea is to shrink the metal back to its' original volume. If it's done properly, there will little or no filler necessary. (In theory that is - I have a long way to go to get to that point) The therapy part comes with the tapping and studying of the repair, and watching it change as you work. Sounds mystical - and it might be. You know - "Zen and the Art of Mack Beating" or something like that. Seriously, it is pretty interesting, at least to me. And, yes Joe, lead work might indeed be next. All of the old seams and smoothed areas on a car body were finished with lead before painting. I think there is a real art to lead work, and I don't know anything about it. I just think metal bumping is a better way to repair panels rather than plastering on fiberglass filler.

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.

Steve, Anybody with a 48' or longer drop deck flat trailer can move this truck, provided it rolls. A typical 48' drop deck has about 38' on the low section of the trailer. Any Landoll or similar hydraulic trailer will do the job too, albeit probably at a higher rate. Look for small or independent operators who might want to make some weekend cash. Trucks today are worth about $100./hr. for custom work, at the low end of the scale. Check in with local flat load brokers or your local ATHS chapter for references. Good luck. Paul Van Scott

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.

Pretty talented guy - I'd say. Do you think it was his first time? Paul Van Scott

Ducky - Where are you finding these repair panels? Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Nice to know I've got friends and connections, in case I ever am in trouble. Maybe that's why I live like a saint. Always wondered that. Hey - while I think of it - are either one of you going to be able to go to Barry's show in September? I think I'm going - but without a big truck. PVS

Excellent !! I'll get right to it. I don't have any real tried and true sauce recipes - but I can usually whip up something acceptable with a little beer, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar and of course peppers, onions and a little sugar or, better yet, maple syrup. Then I cut that mix with some commercial sauce, so I don't get all of the blame if it isn't too good. Nothing like adventure. Or an upset stomach. I like the suggestion to finish the cooking in foil with some sauce. Think I'll try to carmelize some sauce on the outside by laying the finished ribs on the hot grille for a couple of minutes per side. Thanks, Paul VS

The mediocrity in our society is rampant. The labor unions had a great big part in promoting this carelessness, but they aren't alone. Our own families promote laziness and irresponsibility. Parents want their children to have an easier time in their life than the parents had. So their values erode and the kid's motivation is never developed, as the kid learns to depend on his parents for everything. The child also learns that if he cries loud enough, the government will give him whatever he wants. Great. All of our advertising says "you deserve an easier life", even though, in reality, most people haven't done anything to deserve an easier or more luxurious lifestyle. It's very disheartening to witness this degradation of America everywhere we turn. The scarier part of this is - where do we go from here? Think Barack Obama is the answer - think again. Think John McCain is the answer - think again. These guys both talk about change, but they wouldn't know change if it hit them in the head!! Real change would not get them elected anyway. McCain is just the least obnoxious of two really dull politicians who are more concerned about their own careers than about the country. But, on the bright side, I did see a lot of small town America last week, and it still looks pretty darn good. In the small towns of Michigan and Indiana, and finally, Wisconsin, the people were all very nice and willing to help us. These are mostly farming communities with some auto and RV related industries. The industries are getting hammered by a weak economy and overseas competition. I'm sure it's the farmer's work ethic that keeps these places as nice as they are. Found a really nice A model Mack with a wrecker body in Upstate New York. Appears very solid and all there. Fortunately I was driving on the big road and couldn't stop, or I'd be even poorer today.

It's a good thing you drive a truck. Because you would probably starve as a farmer. But - there would be plenty of happy neighborhood wildlife. On a serious note - If I were to cook baby back ribs - what would be the best way? I'm thinking charcoal with the fire indirect to the meat and slow cooking for a couple of hours. But I've heard a lot of different opinions. And I could do them on a gas grille. Or should I cook the meat in the oven first, then transfer it to a grille for finishing? Should the sauce be put on early in the process or at the end of the cooking? And should the sauce be allowed to carmelize on the meat? Thanks, PVS

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.

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!

I think that the Mack Museum might be able to help you also. Paul Van Scott

Thanks John, I'll take a look at the pictures. I won't be in Batavia. I'm going to Oshkosh next week for the air show. I've been looking for another airplane to replace one that I sold a short while ago. Anyway - my uncle and shop partner Jim Schreiner will be in Batavia, and Randy Hogan (Saxby's Equipment) will have at least one of his Internationals there. Say hello if you get the chance. Were you able to sort out the title difficulties with the green truck? Paul Van Scott

John, The fuel problem could be a number of things, but the hunch that an exhaust valve may be stuck, or worse, broken, is probably not a bad idea. Likely a valve spring, if anything is truly amiss. I agree with Rob in that the truck could use some fairly close monitored running to get "some heat in the exhaust". This might mean a loaded condition for an hour or more at working RPM's. Have you checked for any unusual noise from a stethoscope through the valve train? I drove over Grand Island last week, and somehow missed the big green Mack. Thought for sure it would be out on the streets. Let us know how you make out with the Cummins. Paul Van Scott

Joe, it looks to me like almost anything goes in Canada. I'm guessing that the roads have a big frost heave problem, and so the loads are bridged over a lot of axles to minimize the impact of the truck on the highway. Just a guess, but it sure does sound intelligent doesn't it? Anyway, I saw a lot of different combinations of axles and multiple trailers. Some pretty nice trucks too. Got a break coming home. Pulled up to Customs at the border, and was behind three loaded busses. The Border Patrol checks your passport now. And it was going to be a looooong wait behind those tourist busses. I got waved into an adjacent lane, that was closed, but apparently the guard saw me and felt sorry for me. (Or they didn't want me in Canada any longer than absolutely necessary) Really nice of him - because I think I'd still be there if I had to wait for the tourists.

Another good week of photos. Might want to get a couple of those dogs to do a little rabbit hunting at your house! Paul VS

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.

A while back, I think here on this forum, someone mentioned that a Canadian company made R model cab parts. The report, as I remember, was not too favorable with regard to the quality of the parts. Take a look at the old posts (Spring 2008), and I think you'll find the info. Paul Van Scott

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!!

At least now we can better understand why the rabbits are eating the garden!! PVS

(At night only - during the day we don't let her into bed with us) I was just checking how close you read these! Not bad for an old guy. PVS

If you check out oldmacksrus.com, Tom Gannaway has done a great job of detailing all of the older transmission gear ratios. This might give you a better understanding of why an overdrive triplex gearbox is used as a 13 spd. vs. a 15 spd. I don't think that the triplex TRT-720 was ever available with a Maxidyne engine, so the R-600 must be a fairly early production truck. I could be wrong about that little factoid - but I'm certain that someone will correct me if I am. I do know that a lot of guys use them behind their Maxidynes, even though the gearbox isn't torque rated as high as the engine. One good line I heard was "You just have to shift it like you own it!" In terms of use-ability, the TRT-720 is one of the best older transmissions for use as a "play truck". Good road speed and good pulling power with the older, low torque/low horsepower engines and generally low final drives. Yet it doesn't have the weight of the bigger quadraplex boxes. Paul Van Scott