Bullheaded

I ran many, many Louisvilles. Up here in Canada the cabs all rotted off from the salt, just like their cars and pickups. (I am a Ford fan, but the fact is they don't live in salt.) There aren't any left around here and at one time there was nothing but Ford's. And the dash's all cracked from the sun. You can't find an intact Ford dash. Every restored one I have seen for sale up here has a custom home made dash in it. We also ran a Sterling dump truck. No issues with it either. Lots of plastic, but it lasted the 7 or so years we kept it with nothing broke. I found the cab rode really nice too. The air ride was set up really soft.

Funny you mentioned AM General's 41chevy. Just got the latest Truck and Trailer paper in the mail and Transport Robert in Quebec, Canada has 3 6x6 AM General M920 tractors for sale. And they are painted black too, LOL. I think they were 1980's? They have 400 Cummins with Caterpillar automatic transmissions.

There is a signal marker on the underside of the mirror arm though.

On the Ford thing......I watch some cars shows on the weekends on tv when I'm having breakfast. A couple years ago I was watching Autoline Detroit and they had some execs from Ford on the discussion panel. They were saying how Ford is going to get back into class 8 trucks in north America because they feel they once again want to offer a full commercial portfolio. They wanted to be able to offer everything from vans and F150's all the way up. The most interesting thing he said was "we still own all our old tooling and dies." I wonder what ever happened to that plan? And what tooling do they still own? The old Louisville stuff or Sterling era stuff?

Well, likely doesn't matter. I have what is supposed to be a "premium" truck from a company that has test tracks and makes "extreme duty" off road trucks. The videos on their web site show all the details that make them better as the guy says "does it cost more? Well yes it does." And guess what? It's the worst truck I have ever been in. The build quality flaws when it was delivered are far too many to list here.

Oh, ok. I used to haul RV's and I remember seeing Workhorse Chassis. I didn't realize Navistar had them. I knew Navistar had Monaco. It's getting hard to keep track of all these companies. I don't know how you keep up to all this news! LOL. But it is appreciated.

Mr. Kscarbel2, again thanks for all the info. Is Workhorse Custom Chassis still part of the GVW/Autocar group?

Like I have said, I like it. I'd like to try one as a dump truck. I'm dying to see the dash and interior. It's funny though, they must do a lot of direct sales to customers, because I never see the Xpeditor's on lots or in the truck papers. But I see lots on the road working.

I just had a look for Ontario, Canada. I knew there was a trailer sales dealer that was selling the shunt trucks because there are a lot of those in use in southern Ontario. But I just saw that Tallman (my old International dealer) sells Autocar. And they just sold their dealer chain to Rush Truck Centers. So I can see them expanding the Autocar sales line. They are a huge dealer network, and Tallman was excellent to deal with. So Autocar may be in good shape for sales after all?

Now we just need to see them get a bigger sales network. Not many dealer around here. Who'd have ever thought we'd lose Mack and gain Autocar, LOL.

Well that's a good move for Meritor. Axle Tech and Sisu are the two big players when it comes to planetary axles.

I kinda agree. It would have looked more classic without the nostrils. And different headlights. But I still like it.

No interior pics yet? Thanks to all those that have posted. I think they are doing it smart anyway. Their core market is refuse and this all the truck you need for that. And the X12 is all the power it needs, especially when backed by an Allison auto as that makes a small motor feel like a bigger motor. And since they also make concrete pump truck chassis, this truck might be enough for a tandem mixer also. Who knows if they will go bigger, but they are starting out the right way with this truck.

Actually no. I spoke to their Canadian sales rep. They do not meet emissions regulations. They have a set amount of units they can still sell with emission credits. Kinda like what all the engine manufacturers did in 2010. Those tractor are 2018 models that are still left over and that is the last batch that does not have DPF's. Now they have to have to conform to tier 4 like everyone else. They were allowed to sell so-many non-compliant engines and these are the last remaining stock. The ones I was looking at in the Marketbook were MTZ Belarus as well as Zetor. Anyway, I was just curious. I'm not interested in owning one. I have Kubota's and Allis Chalmers. And they are pre-emissions. It's bad enough I have to deal with that useless emissions crap on my big trucks, but I will NEVER have an automobile or tractor with a DPF on it. Not ever.

I can't wait to see more pics of the cab. I see so many components of that truck that look like they are from suppliers that are used on other makes. Do you think it's all an in house build or is it sourced from other manufacturers? Their low cabovers are still well liked in the refuse industry and now with this I can see them taking some of the roll-off, dump and maybe even ready-mix markets.

Now wouldn't it be funny if they offer a heavy haul truck you can logging or oilfeild with, that has big power and they let you put a real sleeper on it, LOL. That would make a good dump truck spec too with the 500/1750 X12. That's basically all you need for that.

Holy sh!!!!!!!!!! They did build one. Well they beat the T-Line guys to it. That looks like a cross between everything out there. When I look at it I see International HX, Peterbilt, Granite, Freightliner with a 1960's Autocar grill styling. I can't wait to see the interior. I hope it works out for them. Thanks for posting Engineer!

I hope you guys are right about a new truck. Because last thing I read was they were just showing the pics of the old Autocar conventionals at shows for marketing to show their old heritage.....even though it is a different company, LOL. Would be nice if they do though. I'd like to see what they come out with.

I've never ever seen one. And I still have all my old Mack brochures and Canadian Bulldog Magazines. As you said, there was the DM800 and then the RD800 with steel hood's and V8's, but I have never seen an R700 with one. Hopefully if there was one, someone here will know.

My local dealer (which has three locations in a 4 hour radius) is not even allowed to sell new Mack's anymore. They can still do warranty work but can't sell them. Not positive why but I had heard it was because sales volumes were too low. Regardless...a lot of good it is having three Mack dealers that don't sell trucks.

We will never see that kind of class and good looks in a truck ever again.

Lots of parts exchanged under warranty. I have a list a mile long. Cracked and mis-matched interior panels, switches in the dash that are warped and don't sit flat on the dash face, paint peeling off, passenger side door cracks around where the look-down mirror is mounted, chrome peeling off the mirrors, satellite radio that loses signal every 20 seconds, frame crossmembers that constantly loosen all the bolts, windshield wiper linkages that fall apart all the time, etc. And lets not even get into the emission system issues. There was no quality control when they built this truck. I think it was built by disgruntled drug addicts. And we're not talking a cheap fleet spec truck here. It's a fully loaded 4900 with almost every option, all the fanciest stuff they offer. You would think they would have put some pride into building it.

I was also led to believe, whether it be true or not, that many P&D fleets did this so when drivers bent the bumpers in tight quarters they wouldn't end up driving away cutting the tires. At least that theory works today with the new breed. The brief while I pulled 4 axle van with my highway tractor it was rare to go into the warehouses in the big cities and see fleet trucks that DIDN't have bent bumpers and the side fairings ripped off, LOL

I know the feeling, LOL You especially gotta love it when a truck can leave the factory with the wrong engine mounts and cooling fan and a visiting Western Star rep at my dealer just happens to walk by and notice it. Or when you have it the first week, head up into the bush to work, far from any dealer or parts places, in a rain storm and the windshield wiper linkages saw through air lines deep inside the dash. I had cuts on my arms from the middle knuckle to my elbows trying to put unions in all the cut air lines. Luckily I carry a pail of brass.

Thanks for that Jim. That's a very interesting truck.