R700 Hood:

[Rob]

This photo was posted on the old BMT board several years ago. How common was this hood on the R700 series trucks? My 1978 RL755LST has this style hood but I've never seen another myself personally. I have however seen one other photo of a medium blue early 80's R700 series with one.

My hood is original to the truck with the serial number of the truck painted into it on the underside. I also have the turn signals that were commonplace on the later RW series which are also original to the truck. My air horns are however round in the bells.

Thanks,

Rob

[Lmackattack]

Rob that truck is owned by Mark Mead. I did some sled pulling with his son years ago. I dont know the reason for that hood but it seams some had them others did not. I kinda like them as they are odd. They could also could be found on RS600L/valuliner models. over where I keep my trucks the owner has a eastern built valuliner (RS600L)with that style hood.If I recall this truck has gone thru some rebuilds. I dont remember the whole story but I recall it had some diffrent drive train and fame work done. I see it every now and then still earning its keep. Nice truck it is

Always wondered myself about the reason for the hood.

Trent

[terry]

I have seen that style with the longer cummins engines, or with V8 macks or detroits. terry

[Rob]

Rob that truck is owned by Mark Mead. I did some sled pulling with his son years ago. I dont know the reason for that hood but it seams some had them others did not. I kinda like them as they are odd. They could also could be found on RS600L/valuliner models. over where I keep my trucks the owner has a eastern built valuliner (RS600L)with that style hood.If I recall this truck has gone thru some rebuilds. I dont remember the whole story but I recall it had some diffrent drive train and fame work done. I see it every now and then still earning its keep. Nice truck it is

Always wondered myself about the reason for the hood.

Trent

Hi Trent, I've seen several ValueLiner style 600 series trucks myself but never another 700 series.

I like the looks of them also as they are different from the norm.

Rob

[vision386]

This photo was posted on the old BMT board several years ago. How common was this hood on the R700 series trucks? My 1978 RL755LST has this style hood but I've never seen another myself personally. I have however seen one other photo of a medium blue early 80's R700 series with one.

My hood is original to the truck with the serial number of the truck painted into it on the underside. I also have the turn signals that were commonplace on the later RW series which are also original to the truck. My air horns are however round in the bells.

Thanks,

Rob

I have a picture of an RL-700 with this style hood, if i can find it i will post it. It looks to me as trent said, this particular truck has gone through some cosmetic upgrades, re: squared off horns, later model turnsignals, half door-dogs mounted on the fenders, and newer style tubeless type aluminum wheels. If memory serves me, the truck i'm thinking of was cummins powered, maybe a later value liner hood and grille surround adapted to an older R cab? kinda hard to say.......mark

[Lmackattack]

Rob who posted that pic on the old board of the Red Interior of a RS700? It showed a hood like that with a nice paint job. That hood reminds me of the 70s KW hoods that had simmilar lines...If I recall Meads RS700 now has a E7 400 and a 12 speed in it. If I recall it was wrecked and rebuilt or the cab had damage and a new cab was installed. somthing like that...

[Packer]

You guys have better eyes than I do!!!

Hood looks the same as my RL700L???

Since I have only one to look at and "R" models are rare out here, please point out the differance.

Packer

[Lmackattack]

packer.... look at the top of the hood in Robs first pic. the hood in his pic shows the body lines come up off the hood sides and then curve back to the windsheild. most RS/RL had the body line just run across the LH hood side, them up to the top of the hood, running behind the dog, and then down the RH side of the hood.

hope you can follow that

[Packer]

I think I've got it!!!

Like I stated, 'R' models are rare and I've never had a chance to compare hoods.

That may be why I'm not a Guru or a "Know-it-all"

But I can be trained!

Packer

[MidniteMechanic]

My Rs753LST western has that style hood. With the body lines back the hood and the pedestal mount turn signals. The westerns also had the rear hood extensions clipped to clear the step like Packers. The regular 700 series had the full extensions cast as part of the hood and the body line went overtop the radiator and the top of the hood was blank. The battery box was directly behind the hood.

The picture shown looks like they made fender extensions and put them on a western hood and mounted it on a regular 700 series. They will fit if the hinges and rear hood rests are changed. This is what I am familiar with please correct me if I am wrong.

[convoyduel]

No, the b/w photo is a end-of-production RS/RL7. The center rib long hood is extremely rare. They were fairly common on the RL/RS6 Value Liner series. I was told by a retired Mack engineer that the rib was for strength and stiffening as much as anything. The RL/RS7 hoods had a moderate stress cracking problem, especially when repeatedly lifted by the rear of the fender. End of production numbers would be VIN #'s 35500+ or so, give or take. 35500 would have been spring of '77. RW Superliners started not long after.

The yellow RS7 is early production, pre'73 when the RS/RL7's shared hoods with the eastern R7's. Western cabs/hoods are mounted higher on the frame than the eastern models. In order to address the disproportion, the western models received new hood designs starting in late '72. The new hoods had the dropped fenders, longer side sill on the hood and the chopped fender splash guard arrangement. Battery box arrangments switched from the yellow photo to the b/w photo style in '74 mid production.

[Doug Maney]

I think this is pretty much figured out, Dan has the specifics.

Basically what it comes down to is the R-700 had the standard R style hood (eastern) and the RS/RL-700 had the hood with the body lines turned back toward the windshield (western). Bobbed fenders, battery box configuration, grille surround panel and aluminum bumper are the easy things to look for on a Western.

This top of hood design was used on Value-liners which I believe were all Western models.

[Rob]

No, the b/w photo is a end-of-production RS/RL7. The center rib long hood is extremely rare. They were fairly common on the RL/RS6 Value Liner series. I was told by a retired Mack engineer that the rib was for strength and stiffening as much as anything. The RL/RS7 hoods had a moderate stress cracking problem, especially when repeatedly lifted by the rear of the fender. End of production numbers would be VIN #'s 35500+ or so, give or take. 35500 would have been spring of '77. RW Superliners started not long after.

The yellow RS7 is early production, pre'73 when the RS/RL7's shared hoods with the eastern R7's. Western cabs/hoods are mounted higher on the frame than the eastern models. In order to address the disproportion, the western models received new hood designs starting in late '72. The new hoods had the dropped fenders, longer side sill on the hood and the chopped fender splash guard arrangement. Battery box arrangments switched from the yellow photo to the b/w photo style in '74 mid production.

That could be a lot of it for sure. My truck is 35359, and was built in July of 1978 which is very late production for the model year. I do know all is original to the truck by the line setting ticket. The splash guards on this chassis resemble the type used on the ValueLiners that were yet newer. They are plastic and bolt to a tubular weldment on each side. These recess into the "bobbed" lower fender extensions of the hood when closed. My other RL is a 1974 with the vin of 19001 and has the flat, standard hood with splash guards mounted to the aluminum treadplate extensions with a bolted anti sail bracket. Photos of both trucks are attached and the spash guards on both can be seen. Both trucks have the dropped fenders style hood panel. My 77 R795 does not, nor has the clipped fender lowers with any type of splash guards incorporated.

Herb posted the photos of the RS series brochure on the old board that was in color.

[mack mhe9]

i have a rs700l with that ridge line like in the black and white. for sale its nos but weathered, found it in il. out side

[Lmackattack]

thanks for the info Dan. My Vin is RS786LST 32474. was sold to me as a 1978 model but build and titled show it as a 1977 model. I dont have the body lines the comes back towards the cab. I do have splash gaurds where the rear of the hood fenders end.

Trent

[Rob]

Here are some photos of my trucks in the areas we have discussed:

The red solid color truck is a 1978 RL755LST series.

The brown truck is a 1974 RL797LST series.

The red truck that has a sanded hood is the 1977 R795 series.

Plus a few other miscilaneous photos cause nothing better to do.

You can see the differences between them, and the lower fender/battery box arrangements. Also the hood on the 1978 RL with the body character lines. I even moved the brown truck to allow the opening of the red truck's hood to show the serial paint markered on the underside.

Rob