Rob

Uhhhhhh, I think that might get lonely. Best give it to me so it has company. Those 700's like to travel in "packs". Rob

I'm quite certain it is part of a distance measuring test. You know, take a brand spankin new Paccar built truck with a wrecker body, hang one of the most superior pieces of human designed machinery ever conceived from it's hook, and try to make it a hundred miles distant. This scenario has been played out time, and time again with the same result. The Mack drags the truck back in for repairs with a chain. Maybe someday those guys will get it right but prolly not in my lifetime. I hope this is in the correct forum. Sure hate to get blamed for something I said when it was posted in the wrong place. Rob

Let's see if I can answer this with a systematic approach. I guess what I'm actually doing doesn't cross my mind after all these years. This hood as you can tell really was in bad shape. If I'd have had another eastern 700, I'd have prolly used it instead at the time. There were some screws and metal strap included in prior poor repairs, plenty of different glues and the poor use of automotive store fiberglass repair kits. The parts of the hood you see missing in the photos were actually there but in such poor condition due to impact and vibration cracking I did away with the pieces. The large upper section by the headlamp bezel recess I cut out with a hacksaw and die grinder using a 5/16ths carbide burr bit. Most of the other cracks were cleaned up with the damaged material removed with the burr. All of this "prep work" was done in a single evening so I knew what I had to work with. The patches and repairs you see were basically done in a single lay up over about six hours. I like to use a combination of both cloth, and matting. I don't use any fine chopped material unless it is a simple filler. "Chop" offers so little strength in comparison to the other materials. On the large section you see missing I painted a moderate coat of resin onto the outer abraded surface, then applied a couple layera of cloth that was saturated in catalyzed resin. Using a two, or three inch wide "natural bristle" brush, I then formed this cloth to cover the hole in the base material with a usable contour. While this was still wet, I packed the backside with glass matting. I prefer to use 1.5oz per sq. yard weight. This product is applied, saturated, more applied, saturated again, and then formed to the contour needed with a combination of saturation of the material with resin, and pressure with the brush. I like to wear rubber gloves so I can use my hands to form also. After an acceptable thickness was built up, I covered the other side of the repair with more cloth and saturated this also. You do not want any porosity to the repair so I "stick and jab" the repair several times during the course of events. A lot of folks like to do a repair over several operations. There are several types of fiberglass resin available but mainly there is "waxed" and "unwaxed", in both epoxy base, and polyester base. Epoxy is much stronger and I use both under differing repair(s). Most of the retail trade material is contains wax in the mixture and is polyester based. This is what gives the semi gloss "sheen" to the cured product. It also makes a person need to sandblast, or grind before subsequent layers can be applied. With "unwaxed" resin, another layer does not require any additonal steps to add material on top of existing. You do need to add wax to the final layer of resin for durability however. This closes the pores actually of the plastic. Guess I should mention on any repairs you need to "thin" the parent material with a grinder disc because you don't want the repair higher than the original contour of the part. I usually try to thin the base to about 50% of it's original thickness to allow the repair to have adequate strength. Just the way I do it and there are several very good books available for help. My way has worked well for a lot of years so I've stuck with it. Rob

Got the new five row core radiator installed tonight. I didn't quite like the original shutters that were on the truck, (thin blades) so I modified a set from my 72 R model with much larger/wider blades. This looks pretty good and work well. Best of all there is room behind them to install either a charge air cooler, or an a/c condensor with room to spare. The bottom is gone out of the metal fan shroud but I hesitate to rebuild/replace it knowing it will not fit the Detroit engine. Right now with the additional core thickness, the fan blade is still back at least six inches from the core. I had the radiator shop strip and clean all the aluminum parts, then chase all the threaded holes so no problems getting things to bolt back up. Also used new mounting biscuits for the lower mount. I've ordered new hoses but not picked them up yet so the job is not yet complete. I wanted to run water and cooling system cleaner in it so no antifreeze until all the hoses are changed out next week. On another note: We made some final cut lines for the roof, and rear cab panel. The roof on this truck is so thin from being ground on many times it needs replacement. Years ago I "scalped" a donor cab and will graft this skin to the original cab. Also for this truck we started to unbury the winch bed that will be installed. I need to fit it, remove it, have it sandblasted clean so I can weld in some new "jr I beam" xmembers, then get it painted. Don't really remember if I've spoken much about this but it is a "Leland Roughneck" bed. Also has 12ft. gin poles, a 20,000# Tulsa winch with double capstans, and a full tail roller. It should come about pretty handy around here. Next week should be productive. Rob

And his presidency went straight to hell from there. Rob

And we are certainly happy to have you as a participant. When you have questions, (and you will) be sure to ask. While the occasional Peterbilt snip will get by the censors, (we're working on that) you'll be sure to get accurate and useful information to help you along. That should be a good truck for you. Contemplated purchasing it myself. Welcome to the site. Rob

I should prolly hang my head pretty low; but I won't. I've never really considered myself a racist; an egotistical bigot in all my self rightous honor, deserved respect, and glory, maybe. Just one of my favorite things is to openly bash Peterbilt for the thorough enjoyment I gain from doing such. I am narcisstically humbled. Rob

I try to keep a pretty sharp eye out for this kind of garbage. Should you see something questioned as legitimate, send me a PM so I can look into it further and get rid of it if need be. Thanks, Rob

Yeah well I got real problems. I gotta get different and better fitting "big boy pants" as these are starting to leak at the elastic leg gathers, and the plastic sounds crunchy. Rob

Do your tanks have the recesses pressed into the end bells on both ends? Most times with this type setup the rear support is also holds the rear support for the cab. If the strap type you can get by where it is but is best to move the strap to the rear if possible. Either way the tanks will fit provided they don't interfere with other underpinnings of the truck. Rob

If I could only spell correct!! Rob

Couldn't care less. Each has their own opinions and I respect that. Rob

34 years for me Paul. Trouble is; I'm always on the "defensive" around "Momma" fearing for the loss of another body part. Rob

Finally got my radiator back last night with a new five row core. I'll get it reinstalled into the truck tonight so I can get it out of the middle of the aisle of the shop. Looks really nice but I now have to get a new fan shroud made to replace the original that is rusted badly. I may lay one up from fiberglass, but haven't evaluated it fully. My new camera should show up later today and I can get back into the picture taking business. I only do that to give Other Dog something to fuck with in his spare time. Rob

Myself, being one of the purveyors of some of the finest bullshit available on the internet, can honestly say I have never been offended by anything posted on the BMT website. Probably never will be. Many times in the past if a participant posts something I don't agree with, I don't respond to the post. No harm, no foul there. I don't try to bias anyone's opinion one way or another. Anybody that doesn't agree with one of my opinions is welcome to do so also. Don't really make no difference to me what someone else does cause it's no sweat off the balls I used to have, (thanks "Momma"). Basically I think if someone is unhappy with what is routinely posted on a website, they should go elsewhere within that website, or to another. Complaining to an website administrator, (for instance) is very childish in my opinion. If one is unhappy with forum postings, it should be brought up in open forums for discussion. This is the art of negotiation, (not whining). The website administrator has been very lenient in the allowances of postings for many years and I too have come to the help of the membership many times through the website's inception in the earliest days, and will continue to do so till asked to go elsewhere myself. In itself, this is a great part of why BMT is where it is today, "THE BEST WEBSITE FOR MACK TRUCKS on the planet PERIOD! Why would a few want to fuck that up? I make my statements as non negotiable points. I will also say plain and simple with no ambiguity the idea of incorporating moderators into the website was not needed, and I envisioned problems in the future with the incorporation. We have done a very good job of "policing" ourselves for a lot of years, and this trend should be allowed to continue. There is much good, and bad with everything in life; it is something one must get used to. If someone needs help and they ask, it is usually provided should one of our participants have an answer. Change is not always good, nor is it needed here. Rob

Air ride really is not difficult to locate. If the cab works out for you I know 2&92 in Silvis had a couple of R model cabs with air ride a few months ago.They would sell you everything needed to convert for a single price. They have treated me fair in the past and I think them good people. Rob

Nooooo, they are only there for the "after the fact" education you need....... Rob

"Hillary Clinton Parkway" also known as I-40 between Little Rock, and Ft. Smith Arkansas. That's a rough bitch. Rob

Depends. I have prolly half a dozen of each in chrome, and brass colored that are NOS. I purchased a couple within the last three months but admittedly, they were from private collections. Rob

They are still available new. I don't have pricing but they really are not too out of line. Rob

I was very fortunate in that I never really had to beat any sense into either of my kids. I can only remember once or twice with each of them. A quick hug and offering of support after the punishment would earn the respect deserved, and the infraction never happened again. Maybe I was lucky. Rob

It's really not that difficult once everything is basically removed from the cab interior. But there must be a jillion spot welds holding the thing together that must be drilled out individually. It's a lot different and faster when you are not trying to save the old panel(s). This is what drives the cost so high for this type of modification. Rob

Sounds like a reccomended improvement by your own admission?????? I'm certain I understood that correct. Rob

I'd go ahead and list if on ebay for sale; say in the UK for example....... Rob

I have probably 1/2 dozen of those round bases new at the shop. They can still be purchased new. Rob