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Charlie, Stop by and say hi. I'll have my 52 Type 75A there. Another friend is bringing his absolutely gorgeous 1932 Buffalo 1000 gpm pumper out of Reading, PA. He spent several years restoring it and it shows.

Congrats Tim; Is it an open cab or a semi-open cab? Where is it coming from? Unless it is re-powered, or diesel, it will have the 707. The museum package will have the manual included in it when you send them the chassis number. I tried to find the account of Radnor's trip for your edification from Vermont to PA with their B75, but their site has changed. Pretty amusing about getting kicked off the NJT for going too slow due to a malfunctioning governor. After all of your other retrieval trips, I'm sure you will be well prepared.

I agree, but I see both sides. If the local government is too cheap to provide for a basic public safety issue like fire protection than what choice do the VFD's have? If no one pays than there is no service for anyone and if you don't stick to the "no pay, no play" rules what incentive is there to support the service until you need it. After all, you can't just conjure up a fire truck when you need it! Can the folks that live on Long Island, NY refuse to pay their fire tax, even if it pays for unneeded apparatus and Taj Mahal fire houses? Why is a subscription fee any different?

That fire truck, or one like it, was offered for sale by a dealer in St. Louis awhile back. $75K if I remember correctly.

I was wondering how you were going to be able to scuff up something like a frame with all of it's nooks and crannies. Hats off to you, I probably would have taken the easy route and just blasted it again.

I respectfully disagree; anyone of the folks in this thread who are bemoaning the loss of community would drop what they are doing and go help out anyone on this board who asked for it. I've seen it before and it will happen again. People are people; some are greedy, selfish and mean, others caring, helpful, and willing to help out at anytime. Don't let the actions of a few color your view of everyone. Mr. Renie sounds like an extraordinary gentleman who really went out of his way to help folks out. What a great legacy and example for the rest of us to emulate.

The grit will get everywhere. Make sure you thoroughly clean the hub before you blast to remove any grease that will catch and hold the blast medium. Then make sure you flush the hubs completely before reassembling. I would not blast them; use chemical strippers instead. One piece of grit can destroy a bearing and leave you stranded.

There are parts out there, you just have to beat the bushes. Have you gotten your package from the museum yet? If so, the list of Mack suppliers they include is helpful. If not, item one is to write them with the chassis number to get the truck's history and a service manual. I have been told that the single hardest item to find for an A model is the chrome strip that runs a cross the radiator top just below the dog mount and has the model number embossed into it. If you have it, don't lose it.

When we climbed the auto road I seem to remember that a good part of it was still dirt because, we were told, that it was too steep to hold asphalt. Did they pave the entire length or just re-pave the existing paved stretches? I cannot imagine climbing that road in a class 8 truck. Did they go all the way to the top to turn around or did they use one of the "rest" areas part way up? And for those folks out there that have never done so put climbing the auto road on your list. It is quite a unique experience, especially in a full size pick up. It is narrow enough to require you to pull in your mirrors if you meet another truck.

That's great. Keep at it. When you do the brakes make sure you check the lines closely for corrosion. If it has been awhile since they were worked on I'd think strongly about replacing all of the steel lines as well as the rubber hoses. One trick for the pump is to put the truck in reverse instead of direct when you engage the pump to help free up any rust and crap from the impeller.

Another frame coating system is the Chassis Saver line from Magnet paints. Same concept as POR-15, but a lot less expensive. If you are not sure of what product works with what paint check with the jobber you are buying the paint from. They will carry a complete line of glazing putties and fillers that are compatible with the paint you intend to use.

Most fire apparatus that goes directly out of the firehouse sells for a lot less than you would think, however because this can be used as an OTR tractor it may bring more than most. I'm pretty sure it will go for less than $20K if the VFD is willing to let it go for whatever bids they get. Try looking at http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.AdvSearchResultsNew&searchPg=Classic&inv_num=&category=94K&kWord=&kWordSelect=2&sortBy=ad&agency=0&state=&country=&locID=&timing=bySimple&locationType=state&timeType=&timingWithin=1 for an idea of what surplus pieces go for. I really like the CF Squirt that is on there right now.

The housing should be listed. Once you have that you can look up the cartridge on the net. Try this site: http://www.filtermart.com/

Slide a piece of rubber hose over a telescoping magnet and go down the fill tube to see if you can fish out anymore pieces. The rubber will keep the sides of the magnet from sticking to the tube. I know it would be a major PIA, but I'd drop the pan if it can be done in-frame. Than you can check the pick up screen for obstruction.

You have to have the original to get the number from or the build sheet from the museum to find out which filter was used on your truck. Mack did not use the same filters for the same engines as they used a vendor's filter base and filter. These changed from time to time or the purchaser may have specified which filter they wanted used. If you have not done so yet you need to send the chassis number to the museum, along with a suitable donation, to get the history of your truck along with a service manual.

Find out if there is a local SPAAMFAA chapter near you. Most of our club members have more than one rig and they are always on the look out for someone who would drive a rig to a parade or show for them. Join the chapter and see what happens. We even have members who store rigs for other members who don't have room for a truck.

My gold leaf guy uses oven cleaner to remove old leaf.

Welcome aboard. I do some teaching for MFRI at DOD bases around the world so we may have crossed paths. Good luck with the Mack. Take the time to write the Mack Museum with the Chassis number to see what info they have.

And I agree, a big part of my mental well being is just working on the trucks or even sitting in them while the world passes by. But we are really just care takers for the next generation and letting everyone else have the pleasure of seeing them is part of that responsibility. Kind of like putting the Mona Lisa in a private collection; great for the owner's ego, but none of us could get to enjoy it.

Friday May 17, 2013: Just a heads up if you happen to be headed this way. SB 95 is closed at Rte. 17 in Stafford, just north of Fredericksburg at Exit 135 due to a TT accident and Haz Mat incident. Avoid SB 95 from DC for the rest of the day as even if they open it up around 11:00 AM it will be a mess until well after rush hour. 301 is a work around, but it is likely to be backed up as well. If you are coming down 81 my suggestion is you take it all the way to 64 to Richmond or take 66 to 17 to 29 to EB 3. Those on SB 95 may want to head out 66 to 29 to VA 3 EB back to 95. We have had these before and my guess is you are looking at a 5 to 6 hour delay if you stay on 95.

"Martian rolls? I think not since they stiffed me on the CH612s." That's why I said "Martian" rolls; to spoof them. You know something like "So good they are out of this world and better than any made in PA."

"Ok I have a 1957 B-95 with a 707 in it. the truck has been parked since 2002 when the gas prices went through the roof. The last show I went to was Litiz when Harvy had the Mack 100th year show on Saturday for Fire trucks[ all Mack fire trucks only]and the normal show on sunday. I drove it round trip a little over 500 miles from the Catkills N.Y and it cost me $900.00 in gas. Today it will be around $3,000.00 in gas ." Not to hijack the thread, but you have really hit on the crux of why collecting and showing fire trucks appeals to so few folks. Unless you can afford to have a highway truck with a lowboy to transport them most full size fire trucks are just too slow and fuel hungry to take anywhere. I'd love to have an AC or some other classic like a 400 series LaFrance, but if I bought one all I could afford to do is keep it in the garage and tell folks I own it unless the show was within a few miles of the house. I'm a bit of a purist, but re-powering a common rig like a B model makes sense to me if it means it will be shown for all of us to enjoy.

If it has been sitting a long time it is almost a sure thing that the clutch will be stuck as well. Try using a board or some other device to hold the clutch pedal down while it sits. Sometimes that frees it, but you may have to take the inspection plate off and try to pry the disc away from the pressure plate while the pedal is depressed. If you are going to leave it stored for a long time it is always a good idea to make something up that will hold the clutch pedal down to prevent sticking.

Don't use the "No-Touch" brand. It leaves a sticky residue that attracts dust like crazy.

Looks great. Now you need to take it to a sign shop and have wraps made that advertise "Martian" rolls!