hicrop10

Vinnie,if I use it as a daily driver it may get up to 100,000 say in maybe 5 years.

Started to sandblast the frame today until my air compressor took a shit on me.Got water in the gas,took the tank and carb all apart and clean it out.By the time I got that done it was getting a little late so I should be able to start right up in the morning.Will post a pic when it done.

Yesterday was such a nice day I took the old R model out for a ride.After I wash her all up from collecting dust all winter long.She's parked in the driveway for the night will be using her this week to get back and forth to the mancave since the car is at the dealer.

Hope my B87 looks that good when I'm finished.Keep up thr great work.Mike

The Mack V8 ran away one morning and by the time we got it shut down the damage was done.We did it in house.That truck was preety beat when we got rid of it.I can only think what it's like now.I would have taken the old B87 to drive over that truck any day,when you took out the B87 you knew you would be coming back under your own power.

When ever we would get hung up on a hump on the road with that truck within 2 weeks the front rear would blow out.The other problem we had with it was with a heavy load on the lowboy and you went to take off the frame would flex bad enough that the fan would hit the should.My dad had wanted to order a truck that he would spec out but the wait time was to long so Trenton Mack found this truck that was ordered by a fellow in North Jersey to be used as a triaxle dump.It only had 58 rears and my dad wanted 65's,but Mack said they would hold up and they back it up so everytime they blew Mack replaced them.

Congrats,didn't see the pic till after I sent you a pm.Looks real clean.Is it a tractor or a dump.Why don't we drive up and drive it home.That would be cool.

Here are some shots of my latest efforts to get this old girl back up and running.First one is the motor(cummins nt335),secord is the main trans,and the last 2 are of the frame.I druged it out of the shop to be blasted this week.I'm thinking of doing the front half first then removing the rear tires and doing the back half.I am not looking forwarded to removing the back tires,may have to get the hoist out to help.1200x24's are just to damm heavy to be moving around anymore at any age. Will keep you posted on my progress.Thinking of painting the motor with the Cummins pale brown paint,any throughts?

If that truck could only talk,the tales it would tell.

Rich,the rmodel and the truck thats next to it were the only 2 that he got off of us.Mike the owner had 4-5 B81's long time ago.His dad was in the trucking business also.ABC is a small local guy that does very small site work,he main thing is the trucking.Things are getting very tight around here for any kind of work,the jobs that do come out are going very cheap.Tough to make any $$$ noadays.

Rich,that r model from ABC was one of our old ones.It a 1979.Kmeitz,that driver Richard Parsons moved some of our bigger loads when our lowboys were to busy,or when we were going ioto an area that we weren't use to.Whenever we used Daily's to over weight tickets were always on them.

My father God rest his soul,was a man that believe in learning on the fly.I guess that why my mom taught all 5 of us how to swim.My dad would have thrown us in the pool and said swim or sink.With learning how to drive I taught myself,that was in our construction yard.I first would move the trucks out of the garage and around the yard a bit,got pretty good at it.Then after I turned 18 and was allowed by the insurance company to drive on the road,I was told to hook up the lowboy.I was going out to move a dozer.After that it all kind of fell into place.Next thing I knew I was moving loads that weighed in at 150,000-200,000lbs.Got stopped by the cops but never had any real problems other then taking some road signage down with some of the over size loads.It a whole different world out there today.I guess I'm partly to blame.Whenever I would call the union hall for a driver or equipment operator I would always tell them to send me a 20year old with 30 years of experince.

Mark,I know just how you feel.I was waiting to off load at a power plant that we were involved with the building of.I had our lowboy that was loaded with a part of the plant that had my gross at about 180,000lbs.Now mind you I was looking to back into the loading docks so that the crane could off load me,as I was watching this fellow try and back his company 53'er box into the dock next to me I could see that he had no idea what he was doing.So I just pulled up and away from him and sat and laugh my balls off as he hit the wall 3 times.After which I went over to him and asked him if he would like me to back it in for him.He was so glad I did that for him he broughted me lunch,he asked what I was driving I pointed to my load and he said no way would I fit in between him and the wall (that he hit 3 times).I just said watch me and I backed it in on the first try.Have a safe week ahead driving.Mike

Yes you do have that worry.For the most part the only parts that I was alittle concerned with were the 2 doors.I did all of the blasting on very cold days so that took care of some of the problem,and I skipped around alot going from one area to another.For the most part the metal on these old Mack are heavy enough that you won't have that problem.

Here's some of my latest work done on the cab.It is completely sandblasted.Now I will start to hand sand it and do some minor body work.Only panal I still have to replace is in the area where the floor meets the back side of cab.I will be replacing a strip about 3"x30".After which I will prime and then paint it all.Have to wait for the weather to warm up a little since my shop has no heat.

I just afew hours ago spoke with a PA DOT cop,now he was a township officer.He told me that in PA you do not have to have a cdl for a antique truck.He quoted section 75 I think and that spells it out.

I use Gulfway also for both the 79 rmodel,56 ford f600 and it about $3oo.

Thanks Lesile,a friend of mine was working one of the pipelines up that way and saw the truck.He called me,cause he always know I'm on the look out for old B models.Truck look great would love to have it. Mike Durkin

Here are some pictures of the last Macks we had.The B61 had a water tank on it,and it was sold to a fellow down in Virginia that was going to make a car hauler out of it.The 3 DM600 triaxles were all 1979's brought new,they all stayed in and around Philly,North Jersey area,the R600 with the smaller tank was a 1969 model we brought new as our fuel truck,that went to Newark NJ to be shipped overseas,The 1979 R model with water tank went up to the coal fields around Frackville PA.The 2 Rmodel dumps and the tractor all went with the fuel truck to Newark NJ,these trucks all had under 100,000 miles on them.The last one was the rmodel with the service body on it,that was supposed to be heading to Afica.That one also had under 100,000 miles.The only one I have left is my R model that has just turned over 72,000 miles.We had brought 45 Mack back in 79.20 r model tractor,15 DM600 triaxles dumps,15 U models tractors all for one job we did in Philly.

Dennis, I will call you in the morning if that is good with you.Thanks Mike Durkin

I made a wood frame for under the floor so I can do just that,the under side of the floor.

Hopefully I will finsh up sandblasting the cab, fuel tank, and brackets that hold fuel tanks to truck and other mics.parts by middle of the week.Then I will tackel some dings and dents and a couple of rust spots.Once the weather clears up I will be pushing the frame outside to sandblast it also.That will be a bear to do.Wish I had a crane to flip it over,I hate sandblasting on my back looking up.Will get some more pictures soon.

Anyone here know of the B61 that is sitting not to far from I80 &180.I go out and check on it but it alittle far to go and just look at it.Hoping someone here that in the area knows about it.I was told it doesn't look all that bad.It suppose to be 2 exits down 180 from 80,go to top of ramp and make a right and it right down the road about half a mile.

If I had your truck I would put it back as aflatbed with a nice winch setup.I could really go out and get some old Caterpillars out of the woods with that.Good luck.

Leslie,I am from Philly and have always had my CDL.But I was told when I put antique tags and my 1979 R model that I didn't need to have a CDL.I'm not supposed to be towing a trailer but have not ever had a problem as long as I'm only towing my antique Caterpillars.