vision386

LOL! now thats funny right there! i just hope there does'nt come a time when i gotta'run my boy outta' my truck for something like this! be a teenager before i know it! and i know what a pain in the ass i was at that age! not lookin' forward to it!......Mark

Yup surely an AB,late 20's early 30's, that looks to be a good candidate for a restoration, mostly complete, shame to see a "good" one sit and rot though, with the way of the world right now, who's got the time or money ya' know????..............Mark

Got to do a little cookin'out myself this weekend! we went up to my cousins'up in drakes branch,VA, he has a BIG 4th of july BBQ every year, next year wll make 20 consecutive years,we had every kind of food you can think of! ribs,fish,chicken,burgers,dogs you name it! got to see a lot of family i normally don't cross paths with too often. Had'nt seen him in a good long while (he runs a truck too) turns out he's got a B-73 covered up with a tarp out back! factory sleeper, cummins, tri-plex so, i'm gonna see what goes on with that, its pretty rough, but complete, he told me he had plans to restore it, just ran outta' $$$$$$ and kinda' lost interest in it so we'll see...................Mark

Well ive always been done told iff'n she ain't good enough for her family, she ain't good enough for me!........internet postal inspector Mark

I was always kinda' partial to the "hitler moustache" myself, but thats a little much right there! My wife wants me to tell you all that you should be thankful for what you got! .........................Expert of Bullshit DR. Mark, P.h.D, MD, DO (lotta damn education right there!)

I have taken the boy to hooters in greensboro, told him it was "his' treat! the girls were all over the boy!.....Mark

AAWWW hell tom! you aint gonna offend me! you should hear some of the shit i come up with! gotta' remember i AM a truckdriver LOL! i grew up with a dad and grandfather that worked in profanity like an artist uses paints and clay, they said things that would make a china sailor blush!!!! not too much i have'nt heard!.......Mark

Saw this on a landoll up in jersey when i was headed home, driver was taking it to a 4th of july parade up in north jersey, one of frank malatesta's trucks (horseless carriage)......one BEAUTIFUL restoration!.........Mark

I spent a little time in corpus christy not too long ago, pretty dreary place!....not much to look at, cept' the big ol' aircraft carrier (forget which one it is)..............Mark

Got home for a 3 day weekend, usually try and get my truck cleaned up inside and out, my boy will normally lend a hand with the vacuuming/ making up the bunk,this usually only requires a "bribe" of going to dairy queen for a treat when done, but, today, went in the house for a few minutes thinking he was hard at work,but when i returned did'nt hear any "action" going on in the truck! this was the result! get what ya' pay for i guess!...LOL!............Mark

Just finished reading otherdogs post "maybe It's time....." and this is what i was getting at with this one, these are some of the stories i was talking about,it's guys like old bill that we need to hear from, i am glad he has taken the time to write down some of his memories for all of us to read and enjoy! there has never been a definative history of trucking written, doubt there ever will be, but as i said, it's locked up in the minds and memories & photo albums of thousands of people worldwide. It's up to all of us interested in trucking/old trucks to try and preserve some of that history. And in my opinion, if an old timer needs our help, who better than people like us to help out.....trucking was a brotherhood back in my dad and grandads day, its come a LONG way from that now! the "comeraderie" of the road is long gone,never to return, and the publics bad opinion of us is never going to change either. I for one, don't even like to be called a "trucker" i am a professional truck driver, always have been, always will be.............Mark

Tom do you know what day of the month these 2 shows are on? if i can work it out, i'd like to go myself.....been hittin' it pretty hard here too! 3 stops in NC, 2 in SC, then 2 more and emptied out in atlanta, re-loaded went up to CT. with 2 stops, RI. with 1,then 2 more in jersey, reloaded, came back to greensboro late last night emptied out this morning. prob. not going back out till tuesday.........Mark

Yeah that is a rare one! i used to know of one that belonged to a school bus co. little single axle wrecker,that was the only one i ever saw in person.....Mark

FINALLY! a title befitting the man, the myth, the legend! sounds a lot better than "shit relocation engineer" very "classy" title, i like it!.....Mark

Welcome to the site! looks like you got a good solid start there,i have put a few miles on an "F" myself!....good luck with it........Mark

I agree with rob, what you most likely have here is an AB chassis, as to what the truck started out as, is as already stated a call/letter to the mack museum will likely help fill in the blanks. Here are some photos of some AB's and older one (circa 1909) and a later model displaying the 5 spoke wheels you mentioned.A truck this old may even still have a photo on record in "as built" or "as delivered" mack was really good at keeping records on damn near everything they built,so i'm sure the museum will be your best bet at an I.D........Mark

Yeah, i hear what you're saying! i'm pretty much self taught (arc welding) but i did go to school for mig/tig classes,just takes a LOT of practice! don't give up on it though, you're never too old to learn something new! welding can be a great asset in the old truck hobby, schools can provide you with the basics, but you really need to find a good welder around you to "shade" for awhile till you get your technique down, MOST older hands are more then happy to help you along,provided you are serious about learning......as far as that "patch" job on your air tank, i sure hope they did'nt charge you for that!.....i could'nt sleep at night knowing i did a job like that, even for free!..........Mark

Hey mike,i have done this job myself on a friends B-61, i don't know what your welding capacity/availability is, but this is a pretty straight-forward repair. I used a MIG welder with an angled tip holder,i formed a new piece of sheet metal to mimmic the piece i cut out and it worked like a champ! but, as Rob said, use caution when welding on this thin a metal,its REAL easy to get too hot and burn right through it! (don't ask me how i know that!)..........Mark

Anyone who's ever read any of my posts knows just how much i enjoy/employ the very latest technology, i had posted a few photos of my new "iphone" my new computer,then i got to thinking about it,and felt bad i had'nt showed my new portable digital camera! it works just great! only weighs a little over 800 pounds,requires only 200 amps DC to run! has more memory than i do!...ahhhhh! the wonders of the modern world! don't know how i'd get along without my devices!...Mark

Oh hell no! i still got one just like that out in my shop! works just fine for me!.......hell how lucky am i???? my new computer showed up today too! its a rockwell model 22 B.C. has 22000 megarams of giggity bites, manual printer, and a conveinent carrying case (wheelbarrow)...heres what it looks like!...Mark completely wireless too!

This is what my new "iphone" looks like, it does'nt take pictures,search the interweb or much of anything else.......Mark (the furniture hauler guy LOL!)

Can't think of a better target for these guys to crap on! LOL!.................Mark

Congradualations! seems like a good deal to me as well,especially for your pupose. transtar II was a damn good truck in my opinion,my dad ran a CO-4070 for a good many years and he liked it (gravely under-powered though) VT-903 cummins,10 spd. road-ranger. And don't worry a 9 spd. is real easy to learn/drive,single axle C.O.E is somewhat of a rarity these days as well,take care of it,maybe make some upgrades/repairs and you might just realize your initial outlay plus some extra on the return should you decide to re-sell it at some point. looks to be bedbugger specs. (moving van) with the drop frame trailer and all,i am am glad to see it going to ATHS too,great organization, been a member 20 plus years myself, and theres no better place for this type donation. which chapter are you a member of if you don't mind me asking?..................Mark

Well good luck in your political endeavors,that is one good lookin' F-model right there!......Mark

Had to laugh when i saw this! i recently introduced my 8 year old boy to the lone ranger (he had never seen it) he said "dad i think the lone ranger could kick batmans ass!" been watching the DVD's everysince! sure beats the hell outta' the cartoons kids look at today,thats for sure!............Mark