vanscottbuilders

Nice find Rob. I've got a shift sequence plate for that transmission if you want, when you get to that point. Paul Van Scott

Mike is right. And - if you want - you can get a new one from Barry. Paul Van Scott

John, The story in WOT reads very well indeed! Congratulations to both you and to Matt and his crew. Everyone outdid themselves with an outstanding project. Will we get to see the truck at Batavia later this summer? That would be a fairly short drive for you. All the best. Paul Van Scott

I think it's very good of you to feed and provide for the wildlife. A lot of environmentalists would be very proud of you. Used to spend quite a bit of time on Rte. 219 from Salamanca, NY down to Mahaffey, Pa. Had a good friend in Mahaffey that I used to race with. It wasn't much of a road, and tough to pass on with all of the coal trucks. Has it changed any?

The visual's a little too strong!!

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.

The R model rocker panels are still available from Mack, I believe, as well as the door sill plates. At least for the early style R cab. But I haven't found any cab corners either. Maybe we could get Rob to make up a dozen or so for sale? Paul Van Scott

Those look good - a lot better than any old rabbit anyway. I still think we ought to convert the mixer into a rolling cooker. Johnsonville Sausage has a beauty of a converted tank trailer that is all one huge grille. I see it out at Oshkosh each summer. I'll look closer this year. With that mixer, your talent and my big mouth - we could make some real money. Or go to jail. PVS

You sure are a lot faster than I am! Course I've been to nursing homes where I had a hard time leaving, because they thought I was trying to escape.

Now we're down to the heart of the matter - You really don't want to harm the rabbits at all. My father and my mad scientist uncle spent hours and hours trying to foil the squirrels that would get into every bird feeder they ever tried. When one of my other uncles wired the pole with 110v, they shunned him, disconnected the wires and went back to their games. The truth came out - the fun is in the challenge. We don't really want to hurt the animals. Anyway - have a good week. Paul VS

The good news is - My threatening worked! My B-67 cab is back in one piece, and it looks great. Everything fits like it should, and the remaining repairs are pretty minor. Paul VS

Frustration takes its' toll - I called my absentee welding man yesterday. Got his voice mail. And got madder by the second listening to it. Now I don't lose it very often. But when I do, I get real testy. Anyway - after listening to my extremely polite and genteel message - the young fellow decided that today might be a very good time to get back to work on my cab. Or leave the country immediately. So, we'll see what happens. I've heard this before. I didn't go to the truck shop tonite, and probably won't tomorrow. I did tell him that, if this project wasn't back in motion today, not to bother showing up here again. So Tom, the welder's position may be available on Saturday. And, I won't make you do the yard work. Kathy needs me to do it, so she has something to complain about too! Seriously, I'm just not too sure of myself doing the sheet metal welding on the rear door posts and on the windshield posts. These pieces are multiple layers of curved metal formed for strength. Just sticking them back together probably isn't good enough. So I'll try to put doublers inside each post to back up the repair welds. Next truck comes from Arizona - NO RUST ANYMORE.

Send em up I'm gettin hungry myself!

Solutions: A) Shotgun Rabbit Fence C) Dog D) Stew Pot Any of the above should solve the problem. Good Luck, Paul VS

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.

Have a good week. And thanks for feeding the rabbits! Paul VS

Double Diamond, I've been following this post for a few days, and I agree with everyone's advice. The POR products are great, if used properly. And Rob is a professional with a lot of experience. The one bit of advice I think is missing, however, is - Don't forget your Zip Wheel grinder and welded metal patches. Over the years of doing vehicle restorations, and going to shows and seeing vehicles with older restorations, I have seen a lot of projects that probably looked really nice when they were done; but a few years later after all the synthetic products have had a chance to loosen and shrink, they don't look too good at all. A metal patch properly done requires very little filler, if any. And it will always look good. It can't shake loose, won't shrink, won't crack and is done pretty easily. Small MIG welders have become very affordable, and acetylene gas welding is accomplished pretty easily with practice. Don't forget to treat the inner side of the repair against further rust. This can be as simple as spraying some LPS-4 clinging oil on the inner surface to seal out the oxygen. (Obviously after you're done welding) Good Luck with your project. Paul Van Scott

I like that oversized trailer. Wonder what that baby would bring in scrap???? Our biggest combination can put twelve axles on the ground, that picture looks like at least nineteen. "EXPENSIVE". And, I don't think your employer would want to see the picture of the Mack drilling rig passing you in the right lane. Have a good week. Paul VS

Hi Chris, Can you figure out how to post some of the pictures here? There are a number of regulars here that may be interested. And, you might want to contact Matt Pfahl here on this site, or by phone. Sorry, you'll have to Google up his name for a phone #. (Try Pfahl's Mack Truck Restorations - that will at least get you close.) Matt has some experience with the early trucks, and may be a likely candidate for purchasing them. Unfortunately, the cost of transport to the East coast may be a big factor. Good Luck. Paul Van Scott

An LJ can sure look pretty nice. There are a couple around that you see regularly at the bigger shows. One from North Carolina, I think the owner's name is Anders. That one is a real beauty, with a capital B! There's something about that LT and LTL cab and hood combination that really gets my attention, though. You know what they say - If you've got an itch - you ought to scratch it!

On the question of brake shoe grades - Do the softer (less expensive) brake shoe grades provide any better stopping power, besides being rated for lighter gross weights? And, do they wear faster because of that? I know that for every day use, most guys use the top grades for long life. But we, as hobbyists, really don't need that in most cases. We don't usually pull any real weight, or put on any great mileage. New brakes will probably outlast me in any of my old trucks. Would softer brake shoes actually be better for us? Paul Van Scott

Charlie Hatfield is most always right when he posts here. And - he is again! One truck at a time and you will get finished. Otherwise you won't. Period. Sometimes we get carried away with ourselves and our hair-brained ideas. Excellent advice Charlie. Paul Van Scott

Speed, The conversion would be a major project, and may not be do-able at all without major modifications. Then there is the design limitations. That quadraplex weighs almost as much as your whole truck! And, of course, the diesel is no lightweight either. So there might be some engineering considerations. What you might do, however, is to consider putting your E cab and fenders on the B frame and drivetrain. That could be cool, if it fits. If you are just looking for more gears to shift - think about a lightweight auxiliary transmission to fit in your driveline. Nothing like creative thinking! Paul Van Scott

Rob, That makes for a pretty good looking truck and trailer. Paul Van Scott

Joe, I wouldn't be so anxious to get into Lowes. Lowes and Home Depot have a bad reputation for hiring all the good local building people while the store gets up and running, then just about when you are ready for a raise, they lay you off and put some no brain kid in your place who will work for half the money. If you are treated well at the local lumber yard and if you like it, stay there and help the company do well. The effort will pay you back sometime down the road. Paul VS