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Great place to visit. Plan on at least a couple of hours or more if you have a deep interest in antique tractors. Don't forget your camera.

I know its a PIA, but I would not keep the batteries on the truck until I planned on driving it. Take them home and keep them on a good charger/maintainer like "Battery Tender". Before you chuck the old batteries try using the Battery Tender to de-sulfate them first.

Merry Christmas and here's hoping you have a happy and prosperous New Year.

If you want to keep it wet I think you are doing the right thing. Unless you pump the rig during show season I would keep the RV anti-freeze in it year round. Just make sure you drain or fill the lines that go from the radiator to the pump that carry water from the pump through a heat exchanger in the radiator. Another common problem is plugged drain cocks. If you open a drain and nothing comes out do not assume it is dry.(I have repaired several engines that froze because of this) Poke a wire through the drain to make sure rust and crud have not blocked the drain. That is why it is a good idea to open the drains, except the main drain, while the pump is pressurized. The main drain usually has an O-ring that will be blown out if you open it under pressure. Of course you could just give the rig to me and I'll keep it in my heated garage.

I would try buffing out the glass on a buffing wheel. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Plexi will eventually yellow. A glass shop could probably cut new ones at a minimal cost. Nice job!

Almost any decent metal fab shop could burn those out on a laser or plasma table at a very minimal cost.

Almost sure I have one. I'll check when I get back home. I guess you know they should have the Mack logo on the top where the Unity is stamped on most lights. If you can find the correct light you can swap out the ring.

You can try Egge for the pistons. I had valves and keepers made for my AB by a machine shop in ND and I found the valve springs by going through catalogs I found through Thomas's business listings. I'm on the road right now, but I can post the sources if you want them later.

The bell is relatively easy to find; it's the mount that might cause you problems. There are reproduction bells on the market, but I don't know of any reproduction mounts being made. Mack bells were made by Rostand and will have "Rostand" cast into the bell at the top on the inside. Try to check out pictures of the bells and the mounts on the web to see what the correct bell looks like. Make a pattern of the mounting holes to keep with you when you go to a flea market to compare with the items for sale. Do not take the vendor's word for it when they tell you it is for an "L" model; I have seen plenty of bell mounts that were mislabeled. Keep you eye on eBay and get to the Spring Melt if you can. You can expect to pay anywhere from $600.00 to over $1k depending on condition. Keep in mind it will cost over $500.00 to get a bell and mount plated, so if you can find one in top condition it is usually worth the extra cost. I would also try to check out any in-service pictures you have of your rig to see what bell was actually used on the truck. For example my 52 Type 75A has an ALF bell on it because that is what was on it when it was in-service. Many departments moved the bell from rig to rig as a means of keeping continuity from one rig to another, so you may discover it had something other than a Mack bell on it. Good luck.

To me the warp speed change in trucks occurred in the first two decades of their design. Many of the design features of my 1925 AB are very similar to what is used today; evolution instead of revolution is what has occurred. In contrast the 25 was designed and engineered within the first 10 years of automotive history with a design that was built for almost 20 years. Pretty remarkable to go from steam engines and horses to that in 10 years.

Flush the tank with water and cut an access hole in the top would be my advice. You can then clean it properly, seal it internally if you decide to go that route, and keep an access port available in case of future issues. Obviously, do not cut an empty tank with flammable vapors inside. Keep it full of water while you cut the hole with a saw or cut off wheel. The other, more costly, alternative would be to replace it with an aluminum tank. Any decent fabrication shop could make one.

I have purchased the epoxy liner kits from Caswell Plating, but I have not gotten around to using them yet. If you are interested I bought some extras since their bulk price was basically the same as the price for what I needed. One other option would be to cut a rectangular hole in the top of the tank that can be patched by a sheet metal piece screwed back onto the tank. Since the tank is up under the frame it will never show and it is easy to seal up with gasket material or silicone. I have done this on a tractor tank and it works very well to clean the tank and inspect it for damage. I made up a "ring" out of metal which I epoxied inside the tank giving me a strong surface to screw into.

I went to the auction site last night. Either my memory is faulty, imagine that, or they cleaned out part of the yard over the last couple of years. Not nearly as many Scouts as I remembered. One of the Orens up for auction is one of the "grey ghosts" pumpers from Roanoke, VA. They acquired the nick name from being painted grey instead of red. Tom Herman's book on Orens provides the history of Oren and Corbitts collaboration. Here is a picture of Roanoke's squad truck which was delivered in the same order and subsequently re-painted red. Currently owned by Karl Ehlshlager and kept in Roanoke's old Station Number One.

There is a shop in Rockville, MD that specializes in doing gas tank restorations. I can locate a contact if you are interested.

Find new gauges if at all possible. The cost of plating anything almost always exceeds the cost of a new item. A friend took some items to his plater in Philly with the question "How many 7-11's do I need to rob to pay for this?" The owner left the room and returned with a map of Philly and said "All of them." There are folks who specialize in gauge restoration if you absolutely have to keep the originals. Look in Hemmings or on-line. Be prepared to trade your first born in payment.

I'm surprised the good old plumbers helper couldn't move it. Usually the more blocked the drain the quicker the plunger moves it. (Like the small farm animal that seems to come out of the shower drain every time it slows aka the DW's hair)

I had the opportunity to tour Mr. Smith's place a couple of years ago. Beyond the tall boy and other unusual Corbett's he had several acres of "need to be rescued" trucks which I assume will go up for auction as well. There were several B models, an "F" model Brockway, lots of IH Scouts, and an assortment of other brands. Mostly parts trucks which I fear will end up being scrapped, but if you are a Scout guy I would certainly find out what is going to happen to them. Most folks don't know that Corbett built the custom chassis' for Oren as well. When Corbett folded Oren bought up the remaining parts to continue their chassis line.

I don't know any specifics about the B81, but as long as the wire that feeds the light switch is heavy enough to handle the amperage draw of the accessories than that would work. If I were wiring it I would place a fuse block on the firewall under the dash that is fed by a 10 gauge wire protected by a 30 amp circuit breaker which is in turn fed from a battery disconnect switch. The accessories can then be fed from the fuse block. It may not be factory stock, but it is safe and gives you a very clean installation that can be added to as you put new accessories in the truck. Never run a wire through the firewall without using a grommet and I always solder all connections and wrap them with shrink tubing.

Are you asking if all of the power to the dash runs through the headlight switch?

Welcome aboard. Plenty of E model parts are out there. Very common truck. Good luck with it. A friend has a running EH for sale that would make a great donor for the project if you are interested.

Feels funny to "Nice truck" instead of "nice t.." when talking about Hooters. I do like their logo though "Come for the wings; stay for the breasts."

If all else fails you can contact the Mack Museum to get the original service manual and specs for how it was wired. But, my first thought is there must be a retired FDNY mechanic who could help you out in that part of the world. Have you tried contacting the FDNY shops?

There is a definite market for a steering wheel restoration service out there if anyone has the time and skills to develop it. Almost all of the AB's and AC's that are restoration candidates need it done. It would make a great part-time retirement business for someone.

Nice rig, but it would have to include a weight loss program for me to fit into it.

The tractor museum is well worth the trip. The owner and prime moving force behind the museum, Keith Jones, has done a remarkable job of putting some very unique and beautiful trucks and tractors on display for the rest of us to enjoy.