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.

If we could harness the energy in those lightening bolts, we sure wouldn't have any energy concerns. Tough stuff - and it looks from the pictures that it was too close to home. I've got a huge Tulip Poplar tree on the hill just behind my house that had the same looking strike several years ago. Although it's a few hundred feet away, it was still too close. Thought it was a goner for a couple of years, but it's back and going strong despite its' scars. My two big dogs both freak at the sound of thunder. One heads to the basement and hides under the steps, and the other shakes like a leaf and crawls into bed with us. (At night only - during the day we don't let her into bed with us) Actually they're not allowed on the furniture - but I doubt if you'd keep her down in a storm. Have a good week. Paul VS

You can try a carrier like a flat trailer company. The downside is that you will have to wait for a truck that has room, and is headed in your direction. That combination might not happen for a long time. And my own experience with independent carriers is that they are less than reliable with the smallest, lowest paying part of the load. I'm actually surprised at quotes for $1,000.00, I think that's pretty reasonable for a 2,000# pallet to be moved about 1,500 miles at a time when diesel is up around $5.00/gallon. I doubt if you can drive a pick-up from Minnesota to western Wyoming and back for $1,000.00 today. A common carrier makes a business out of picking up and delivering individual packages to and from any address. Your engine can be tracked so it doesn't get lost, and somebody will take responsibility for damages, if required. There is always a possibility that, if you don't have a commercial shipper's account with a carrier like Yellow Freight, Con-Way or UPS, you might use a friend's account number to get the commercial discount, which is substantial. That could sweeten the pot. Unless you know someone who might be coming across Rte.80 going east, and can pick up your engine - I don't think you can beat the common carrier. Good Luck. Paul Van Scott

If somebody is showing for originality, these probably won't work. But for all of the rest of us - they look great. Got any pricing Barry, and are you thinking of the model number badges also? (B61, B67 etc.) Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Maybe a 2nd owl might work. Or a fake snake? Could be worth a try. Have a good week. Paul VS

If I won the lottery - I'd come and see you in your BBQ joint!!

Thanks for putting up the link Barry, I enjoyed these pictures a lot. Paul Van Scott

I paid about 1,100.00 for all four corners on the B-67 about six months ago. That was with new bushings, center bolts, u-bolts and of course, new leaves and tax. You'll like that air ride a lot. Probably give up driving your car! Paul Van Scott

My B-67 had what I thought looked like real good springs on all four corners. Took the springs to be serviced and they found three cracked leaves and the center bolt holes were all oblong and rusted badly. From the outside everything looked fine. My point is - Don't monkey around with the springs, especially if you plan to drive the truck at all. They are fairly cheap and pretty critical. Also I would recommend the ACE "Super Ride" air ride crossmember for all those single axle rough riders out there. Simple install, reasonable price and uses your original springs. I know it's not as cheap as cutting down the stack to three leaves, but it actually rides better and won't break on a rough road. FreightTrain - pretty good thinking using the 5th wheel mount to get yourself home. You're a perfect candidate for that ACE system - you haul your trailer a lot. Just the wear and tear you would save would be worth the price. Paul Van Scott

I thought electric ranges were converted into smoker ovens at your house. What's up with that - did you quit cooking? I did move the H-63 into the shop this morning. It's a neat old truck. I'm surprised how easy it steers, considering it's on some pretty bad "stand-up" rubber, and hasn't seen a grease gun in a really long time. All the instruments are there and all the switches and such seem original. (It's not as pretty an instrument panel as the B model is though) We put the old girl on one of Jimmy's lowboys and pulled it with his big Freightliner. Overkill kind of, but fun none the less. We were talking along the way about fuel. Jim's Freightliner is a specially ordered truck specifically for heavy, oversized hauling. It's spec'd. to gross 300k pounds. Power is a Caterpillar 3406E with an 18 spd. overdrive and two speed rears. (4.11 & 4.76 I think) The truck has 375,000 miles on it from new. The lifetime average according to the read-out on the ECM is 6.0 miles per gallon. I was pretty impressed with that, considering the type of work the truck does. But it gets better. Pulling an empty tri-axle lowboy home last week from South Carolina the truck delivered 8.0 mpg! There are chains to allow both the rear and the front trailer axle to be lifted, so you have only one on the ground, and Jimmy is really good with the trucks. But I still thought that kind of fuel mileage was great. Anyway, Kathy & I went over to Canadaigua Lake last on some friend's boat and watched the fireworks out in the middle of the lake. That always reminds me why I like this country so much. And I didn't even fall-in. Have a good week-end.

Funny you should ask Joe - I do indeed have the H-63, and coincidentally we are moving it tomorrow from the storage barn to a preparation spot in the truck shop. Probably won't start it, though, until after the B-67 is all done, and I would like to do the rockers and paint work on the R-600. I would consider selling the H-63 and the R-600 as they are, if someone were interested in restoring either one. The R will be a pretty easy resto - it's all there and runs and drives perfectly. Even all of the lights, heater and fan work as they should. No leaks or smoke and good brakes and rubber. It just needs the rocker panels and lower rear cab corners. Have a good holiday! Paul VS

I have a 1966 R-600 with the original END711-NA and it runs great. It does have the later fire ring type head gaskets. Horsepower and torque are greater than the END673-NA. Check in with OldMacksRus.com for more info on the exact numbers. I think you will like the swap, especially with more gear possibilities. Paul Van Scott

Nothing like simple arithmetic to confuse a lot of us. That poor guy is probably still out there going from store to store trying to find what his mama sent him for. And you ruined it for him Joe. Say - how is the family? We haven't heard in a while.

Kathy says to me - "You gotta wonder what they see in an old fat bald man" To which I reply - Gee - thanks Honey. How the He-- did we get this old?

It's not uncommon for me to admit that I don't know where I am. Ignorance is truly bliss in my world!!

Nobody likes to tell someone else how to run their business, but I'll give you a reply. I see three things that you could improve on - One: I'm not sure how you can possibly go into the equipment hauling business without a trailer. Plan on a minimum of $50k., probably more for a new, inexpensive detachable 30 ton unit. And, very soon, you'll need a drop-deck flat trailer and a 50 ton lowboy. Two: Talk to your insurance man about insurance. That's what they're for. Three: The tractor sounds adequate for most work up to 80,000 lbs., but the trailer type and design plays a big part in the equation. Think about it. I'm sticking my neck out a little bit here - but it sounds to me like you might want to do some more homework before jumping in. Trucking today is not the hook-em-up, move-em-out business that some people think it is. New tractors are routinely over $100k, and new trailers can easily reach that mark too. I don't need to tell you that fuel at $5.00/gallon and tires at $300 to $400/each are probably not going to get any cheaper. (And by the way - in the lowboy business - you eat a lot of tires). And then there is the government. Around every turn, some member of the DOT, State Police, DEC, IRS, Fuel Apportionment and thousands of others are going to try to ruin your day. Every business, no matter what kind, needs a business plan. A well thought out and written document of how you plan to handle all of the known obstacles. Because there a thousand unknown obstacles that will find you when you least expect it. The business plan is the Bible of any good business. The capital sin of most new businessmen is too little planning. Be Careful and Be Smart. Paul Van Scott

Rusty, If you are seriously looking for a project - do the homework first. Determine which model you would like and go find it. Then buy the best one you can find. Especially if you are not a professional at antique restorations. I have found that big trucks are substantially easier to do than automobiles, and harder than old farm tractors. Still they eat money at an alarming rate, especially if the project requires a lot of repair in areas where one is not necessarily an expert. The very best money spent is spent on the day you buy the truck. In the case of Mack trucks - there is quite a bit of unrestored inventory around the country. So finding something that really fits your needs is quite likely. And belonging to this forum is really good. Case in point - I have a B-67 diesel tractor in my shop now that I probably should not have purchased. But, it was my 1st Mack, and I was in a weak state of mind. It was long before I joined this BMT site. I will have in excess of ten thousand dollars in the cab alone on this truck, before paint! Mostly because I need to hire most of my body welding work done. The cab is now made up of three different cabs to get good sheet metal. Mechanically the truck was OK. It still required the disassembly and rebuilding of all systems and components. Another ten to fifteen thousand. And that assumes that the engine is good. Plus rubber and wheels, brakes, glass, wiring and plumbing etc., etc. More money!! And to rub in a little salt - it's still a B-67. It could be the least desireable of all the B models. My intention is to use the truck as a shop truck with a 25t lowboy, so I don't really care about the value - yet. By contrast I have an H-63 that, other than needing an engine, is almost perfect for restoration. No major cab surgery necessary. Much, much less frustrating. I have spare engines that are correct. And I have an early R-600 that needs rocker panels and some light sheet metal work. It runs and drives perfectly. Very inexpensive and a quick path to a fully restored truck. In both of these cases, careful shopping netted pretty good trucks. And I am actually looking forward to working on both trucks. Compared to my B-67, they look like a cake walk. So, my advice is - Don't jump on the 1st thing you find. Do your homework, and be honest with yourself as to your limitations. Then, buy accordingly. Good Luck, Paul Van Scott

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.

Rusty, You should talk to Kevin All at All Macks. Kevin has a good selection of B models in all shapes and sizes. His business is fairly close to New York, too, so transport shouldn't be too bad for you. Check out his web page and contact info at AllMacks.com I think you'll be happy. And welcome to the site. Paul Van Scott

I'm a roadside repair moron - I've always carried basic tools for the vehicle I'm driving. Even my cars, motorcycles and light trucks and such. Preventative maintenance has proven extremely valuable. too. However, I really do like being prepared for trouble. The single most important tool I carry has always been the credit card! You can buy your way out of a lot of mechanical jams. The key is deciding what it's really worth to you. And can you make up the cost before the next predictable repair emergency? People would actually pay good money to watch me try to use tools under a vehicle. It's not a pretty sight. Besides - I can usually make a little problem into a bigger one very quickly. So my time is better spent resting up for the next leg of the trip. Sounds lazy, and it might be. But I have broken a lot of stuff in my time by trying to fix something. Seriously - I have a lot of respect for all those drivers & owners who can truly repair their trucks on the side of the road. They are few and far between. There are some fantastic true stories about ingenious repairs and the use of different materials to solve emergency situations. I think that creative talent is what really makes a driver a DRIVER. My own OTR experience was as a company driver and mostly in new equipment. Not too exciting from a breakdown perspective. Now with the old trucks as a hobby, I don't take chances. I know those trucks inside and out. And I (yes, even I) would be pretty comfortable fixing it. (I can see the mechanics laughing now) Still I carry the credit card and a telephone. Just in case. Paul Van Scott

I'll have to check that out myself. And - I found a really nice B-61 single axle dump in a side yard close by my family's property. Have to check that out too. That little R-600 I posted about is about the hardest working truck in that whole area.

Don't rule out a common carrier. Quite often they are as cheap as anyone for a single pallet. The engine will need to be able to be loaded by the shipper. Good luck, Paul Van Scott

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.

The travelling photos have become a pretty good hobby for you. I always enjoy the pictures and the narrative. Thanks, Paul VS

Grant, Don't keep us in suspense - Where did you find them? Thanks, Paul Van Scott