yarnall

I live outside of Boyertown. We used to go to Zern's, which we call The Sale, every Friday night when I was growing up. It is a great place to get ring bologna or boiled gizzards. I live there and I still wonder where all the weirdo's come from, but maybe I am one of them. They changed things around at the Boyertown Museum so it is worth a repeat visit. Mike

Here is a White that I bought at Macungie last year. It is a 1964 4264 with a flat head gas engine. It has a winch. It is a very solid truck. I am the fourth owner, but it is still titled in the original owners name. Mike http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/gallery/image/13515-1964-white-4264-rigging-truck/

Steve, My father says you got an H63. Lets see it. Do the Brockway guys know about this? Three Macks! They are going to kick you out of the club. Oh, and I agree with the above statement. I need a bigger pole barn for when these trucks become available. Mike

The same thing is happening in the old truck hobby. In the early 80's Leon Schnepper used to drive his AC tractor to Macungie from Jersey pulling a trailer. That truck is in the Mahan Collection. There were some really old trucks there, but I have to remember it was 30 years ago. The show was much smaller, though. I made the comment in a post a couple weeks ago wondering where all the really old trucks have gone. My thought is that they are in either private or public museums and do not see the light of day any more. . I know some of them have deteriorated for lack of care from seeing too much light of day. Some of them the owners have gotten to old and they sit in a garage waiting for the next collector. Others have been passed down to children who do not have the time or interest to take them to shows. Some trucks are non-functional because of inavailabilty of parts. I need a block for an EN540, but cannot come up with one. I bet over half of the trucks at Macungie were made after 1970. When I was younger I would not look at trucks made after 1960. This year I am going to take a 1989 R688, 1988 RW613 and 1985 MH612. None of these trucks were built when I was at my first show at Macungie, but they are all considered antiques now. Part of it is that a lot of the younger collectors want trucks that remind them of their youth, The trucks that they learned to drive in. The did not learn to drive AC Macks. The flea market at Macungie is still the best in the world, but I have heard that a lot of the fire flea markets have become pack and mug swaps. And yes, fuel prices do keep some trucks in the garage. That will only get worse from here. Mike

I got an IH V200 drawn 85' Pirsche ladder for $200. Not quite a dime a dozen, but close enough. It does take up too much room in the pole barn. I could put 3 trucks where it is. Mike

Superdog, It looks like you are buying another truck. Too far away for me. Mike

The N model Mack and C model Ford used the same cab made by the Budd company. The C model Ford was probably the most popular commercila chassis every used in the fire industry. Almost every manufacturer of fire equipment built a body on a Ford chassis with a Budd cab. There are a lot still in service. Ford used that cab almost unchnged from the late fifties or early sixties into the early nineties. Roadway had a large fleet of C model Ford tractors. N model Macks are very rare. I assume it was replaced by the MB, but am not certain. Someone else can fill in the holes. Attached is a C model Ford that was used as a race car hauler. Mike

A friend had a 4x4 park in Hazelton PA about 12 years ago. They had an orange and black N model water truck for keeping the dust down on the coal roads like the one pictured. I never took a picture of it. I assume it was an ex Barletta truck since they were near by and had a bunch or DM's and a B in the same livery. Mike

Do you have any pictures? It could be listed on SPAAMFAA, but I don't know what they charge for non-members and they would frown on the flatbed. I would like to see pictures and more details: milage, condition, tires... Mike

Harvey Eckart would have a heart attack. Might be worth that in parts though. Pull the engine since the truck is already destroyed. Sell the dump. Mike

The EQ was on ebay.

I could use some parts, but it is way too far away for me. The big thing I need, and I mean big, is a bumper. My B70 rolled into my CF and messed it up. I could also use a head liner. Any chance you could bring some parts to Macungie. Emergency Equipment is the feature this year. Mike

They certainly are worth something, but not $1275 a piece because it did not sell. I paid $350 a piece for two. I paid $1000 for one, but it is a Mack/Childs soda acid extinquisher off a 1925 AC pumper. Some people said I was spending too much on it. I hope the two that fxfymn saw sell for $1200 were older or in way better condition. Mike

Great save. Can you post pictures of the KB 11 and KB 12? I am trying to buy a KB 10 and KB 11 in working order. Thanks, Mike

I think there are a lot of factors feeding into why we are not seeing some of the trucks from years ago. Aging of the collecting population is part of it. Some of the older trucks end up in "museums" and don't get brought any more. The collector gets a new piece that he either likes more, is easier to drive/transport, more reliable and/or easier to fix/find parts. Death of the collector and the truck ends up in the family's hands who do not want to get rid of it, but also are not into the show seen. Unfortunately some of these trucks have deteriorated to the point that they are no longer functional either from lack of funds, lack of interest, inavailability of parts or knowledge to fix them. I remember a lot of the trucks that get posted from Macungies past. Where are they? Mike

The kit from Eastwood has three things in it. First you pour in something to eat away the rust, slosh it around for so long then rinse with water. Next you pour in an etching chemical and slosh it around. I think it gets rinsed again with water and blown out with air, but maybe not. Then you pour in the coating and roll the tank until everything is coated and it starts to harden up. Then let it sit with air going through it to dry. I think we put a fan up to the open. The whole process to a good part of a day. The tank on my AC has a large opening that I could get an arm in to get the rust out. I would try it on another tank, but Marco Radiator is affordable. I had them do a couple tanks for me and they are maybe $300-$450 depending on the tank. They did the saddle tank on my LFT, but I don't remember what it cost. They also have re-cored a couple radiators for me and for about $900 each. I was very happy with them.

My father and I coated the inside of the tank on my AC. It had been coated in the early 70's when the truck was done, but it was coming apart. We wire-wheeled the inside of the tank then used two kits from Eastwood. Eastwood is right around the corner from my house so that made it easy. My other tanks I had done because I couldn't get inside of them. The company I use is Marco Radiator in Shenadoah PA. They did a great job. They pick up and deliver, but I do not know if they go that far. We did the AC tank ourselves, because they steam clean the inside and we not going to guarantee the paint and I did not want to have to repair and gold leaf the outside. Mike

I went to the Carlisle truck nationals once and was disappointed. It was almost all newer pick-ups with fancy paint jobs and big stereos. There were about 50 new big trucks. Maybe a dozen antique trucks. I don't remember any antique big truck stuff in the flea market. I went to an automotive flea market in Allentown this weekend which is part of the Carlisle. There actually were a couple gauges off a CF and some Mack firetruck owners manuals, but nothing I needed. It was almost all car stuff. The spring melt is in Allentown in April each year(12 nad 13 this year). It is put on by Union Historical Fire Society. It is a great flea market and I have bought a lot of stuff there, two Mack extinquishers, Mack emblems, fittings, uniforms, hand tools. You are a little far away, but it still might be worth it. Also Pennsylvania Pump Primers has a big flea market at their annual Muster in Harrisburg the second Saturday in July. I will keep my eyes open. Mike

I hope it doesn't sell because I don't want them to cost that much. I bought one for $350 at the Spring Melt in Allentown about 3 years ago.

The new owner plans to paint it candy-apple red. I begged him not to. He promised me the first chance at it if he did not do anything to it. I am sad to see the fender off of it. That means they are working on it. Mike

I tried to buy that, but it was already sold when I got to Smith's. In my opinion it was the nicest truck they had. The new owner would not sell it to me. Mike