"what Did You Buy Four Macks For?

[61sleepercab]

It is hard to answer your families question as to why anyone sane would have drugg in four fourty year old trucks but here goes!

I have collected many different mechanical things from mechanic's tool to gas engines to tractors and small crawlers and the family has humored my need for old iron. They did not know that deep down I had always admired B model Macks and wanted to own one.

I am the county prosecuting attorney and happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was in the Sheriff's jail lobby and a local tow truck service owner stuck his head in the door and said "Hey they are trying to get me to buy Larry Reed's Mack trucks for junk and they are too big for me . Larry was deceased and his family was tired of mowing around the three Macks in a hay meadow. I contacted them and started to try to outbid the junk men and save the Macks!

I got directions to the hay field and there sat three Macks were all in a row. Two single axle dumps I call "Red" and "Blue " Both B61T's and a cab and frame B613LST with no wheels or rear axles. The inspection stickers and fuel stickers were 1992 so the girls had then set for about fourteen years . They were a sight to see with all tires either busted , low or sunk in the ground. My neighbor thought I was crazzy to even make a offer but after some back and forth negoitiation, I got a phone call that all four Macks were mine . The fourth Mack was up a country road off in the briars but I will save that for later in the story.

"Blue" looked like the best chance to run as she was complete. My convoy of friends complete with tools ,fuel a 1 ton winch truck and an air compresser descended on Blue. We airred up what tires that would hold air and got all four corners up with some dead duels with no hope. When the tube comes out the side of the tire is a bad sign! Ten gallon of new fuel in the tank and pumped up to the pump and the lines , we were ready to try to pull her to start.

Great plan if all three of the vehicles could pull out a Mack still sunk rim deep in the pasture. No such luck as the winch just pull the rescue vehicles to the Mack. There were no trees in the pasture field but there stood an nonconnected utility pole at the very limit of our chains and winch cable. We finally got Blue free of mother earth.

I did not know a lot but I did ask the question ," Would it not be a good idea to make sure the clutch works before we pull this monster and she comes to life and runs over our winch truck? Everyone agreed so we got her to a slight grade on the pasture top and got the clutch unstuck. In went the fuel kill knob and we were ready to see if she would start. In hind sight it would have been a good idea to pressurize the brake system and test that but I was not that smart on air brakes.

My friend Doug was the driver and I was the spotter as he put her in a middle gear and let her roll about ten feet and let out the clutch. Blue coughed a few times and let out some blue smoke with no death rattles coming from her. We were smart enough to pull her real slow in gear to check for any thing stuck like a valve stuck or a bad rod knock before this live test. A twenty five foot roll and she spit out a mouse nest the size of your head out of what was left of the grass burner exhaust and she roared to life in a cloud of blue from the old fuel in the tank.

Well I now had a running Mack going down the pasture with my friend at the wheel heading for the steep pasture bank , the county road and the Pocatalico River on the other side. I thought that this may have not been such a good idea after all . There was room to turn on a flat but before that the truck stopped on its own "Hey this thing has brakes and oil pressure, I am going to your farm" ,Doug exclaimed! I improved the brake sutiation when I closed the fully open water drain at the air tank that was blowing wide open.

Blues trip home was uneventfull untill curosity got the cat and Doug just had to tromp down on the go pedal and she come to life going sideways heading over the road bank. He kept her in the road steering for all he was worth and did not try her out again. Blue has a different dump bed on her and I will treat her to some tires that have tread deeper than the weather cracks in the tires and hold air.

"Red " came home on a tandem wrecker with no problem other that the one hundred yard path that I got to reseed in the meadow ( road trucks do not like pastureland.) Red's engine is a basket cas so she is for parts right now

"Old Bits and Pieces" the LST got to ride a roll back truck to the farm and she is about gone but a friend needs a frame with a title to build him a Mack in the future so she may get a second chance.

That leaves the " Ugly Mack" an single axle intregal sleeper road tractor that was parked in the briars and brush almost out of sight. We winched her out to the road with me steering with one hand and beating to death wasps by the dozens with my ballcap. Tip to learn was that wasps do not like noise or movement and it would be a real good idea to carry hornet spray with you in the summertime! I survived and did'nt get stung but I was ready to get out ! The sleeper cab is a 1961 model so my Mack handle became 61sleepercab. The other three trucks are 1959 models and all trucks with transmissions are duplex.

Blue and Ugly Mack both yard drives but have a long way to be road worthy. I think they can be saved from the car crusher!

I hope you get a chuckle out of this story. I want to thank everyone who have answered my dumb questions of the site . I will update any progress as it comes . I posted some picturs on the site . 61sleepercab (mark)

[fuzzy buzzard]

Boys, ole Mark started out in this hobby a bunch smarter than most of us. Anybody in this hobby with a B model has either drug in more to support his habit or he is wishing he could find another one or more for parts. I bought 1 ten years ago, now I'm up to 8. If I had as much working gray matter in my head as Mark, I would have bought 4 the first trip and been half way done when I started. Theys a lot to be said for these lawyers even if they do ride brand X trucks from time to time.

By the way, ole wifey sure hurt my feelings other day! She allows the last B model I drug in ain't fitting behind the shed. Guess I need to find her old glasses so she can't see so good or build the shed bigger to hide more Bs. Bad thing bout building shed bigger - takes away from time playing with old Bs! Course hunting for her old glasses could take forever to. What to do?

Over & out from Ignorant Ridge

Tom

[Firemack]

B61sleepercab,

Great story! sounds like you had a lot fun getting the old girls going. I love the naming conventions and fuzzy buzzard 's comments- sounds like you will have a lot more fun getting them road worthy. How about posting some pcitures..

Firemack

[Barry]

Great story! We'd really love to see some photos!

Edit: Just found the pics in your Gallery!

[chris88]

Good find! I'm in almost the same position as far as condition goes but I'm only getting one truck. They dont look too bad for what they went through, good luck with fixing them up. Post up as many pictures as you can.

[Andy Wright]

Hi Mark

Just read your story. Don't know how I missed it. Way to go with the Bs - two of my favourites: dump truck and an integral sleeper. Hope their return to life is going well.

Andy

[KO1927]

Great story and a great idea to save them. Have fun.

[Greg Rider]

Are you trying to keep up with RoB?! Just remember to keep fuel in 'em!!! ( ROTFLMAO )

[Rob]

Are you trying to keep up with RoB?! Just remember to keep fuel in 'em!!! ( ROTFLMAO )

Four ain't gonna cut it. Seven achieves equal balance.

Rob

[Mike]

Sounds like you may have saved all the Bee's....... .......enjoyed the story and glad you can give those trucks a better home.

Regards

mike

[ajt3138]

It is hard to answer your families question as to why anyone sane would have drugg in four fourty year old trucks but here goes!

I have collected many different mechanical things from mechanic's tool to gas engines to tractors and small crawlers and the family has humored my need for old iron. They did not know that deep down I had always admired B model Macks and wanted to own one.

I am the county prosecuting attorney and happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was in the Sheriff's jail lobby and a local tow truck service owner stuck his head in the door and said "Hey they are trying to get me to buy Larry Reed's Mack trucks for junk and they are too big for me . Larry was deceased and his family was tired of mowing around the three Macks in a hay meadow. I contacted them and started to try to outbid the junk men and save the Macks!

I got directions to the hay field and there sat three Macks were all in a row. Two single axle dumps I call "Red" and "Blue " Both B61T's and a cab and frame B613LST with no wheels or rear axles. The inspection stickers and fuel stickers were 1992 so the girls had then set for about fourteen years . They were a sight to see with all tires either busted , low or sunk in the ground. My neighbor thought I was crazzy to even make a offer but after some back and forth negoitiation, I got a phone call that all four Macks were mine . The fourth Mack was up a country road off in the briars but I will save that for later in the story.

"Blue" looked like the best chance to run as she was complete. My convoy of friends complete with tools ,fuel a 1 ton winch truck and an air compresser descended on Blue. We airred up what tires that would hold air and got all four corners up with some dead duels with no hope. When the tube comes out the side of the tire is a bad sign! Ten gallon of new fuel in the tank and pumped up to the pump and the lines , we were ready to try to pull her to start.

Great plan if all three of the vehicles could pull out a Mack still sunk rim deep in the pasture. No such luck as the winch just pull the rescue vehicles to the Mack. There were no trees in the pasture field but there stood an nonconnected utility pole at the very limit of our chains and winch cable. We finally got Blue free of mother earth.

I did not know a lot but I did ask the question ," Would it not be a good idea to make sure the clutch works before we pull this monster and she comes to life and runs over our winch truck? Everyone agreed so we got her to a slight grade on the pasture top and got the clutch unstuck. In went the fuel kill knob and we were ready to see if she would start. In hind sight it would have been a good idea to pressurize the brake system and test that but I was not that smart on air brakes.

My friend Doug was the driver and I was the spotter as he put her in a middle gear and let her roll about ten feet and let out the clutch. Blue coughed a few times and let out some blue smoke with no death rattles coming from her. We were smart enough to pull her real slow in gear to check for any thing stuck like a valve stuck or a bad rod knock before this live test. A twenty five foot roll and she spit out a mouse nest the size of your head out of what was left of the grass burner exhaust and she roared to life in a cloud of blue from the old fuel in the tank.

Well I now had a running Mack going down the pasture with my friend at the wheel heading for the steep pasture bank , the county road and the Pocatalico River on the other side. I thought that this may have not been such a good idea after all . There was room to turn on a flat but before that the truck stopped on its own "Hey this thing has brakes and oil pressure, I am going to your farm" ,Doug exclaimed! I improved the brake sutiation when I closed the fully open water drain at the air tank that was blowing wide open.

Blues trip home was uneventfull untill curosity got the cat and Doug just had to tromp down on the go pedal and she come to life going sideways heading over the road bank. He kept her in the road steering for all he was worth and did not try her out again. Blue has a different dump bed on her and I will treat her to some tires that have tread deeper than the weather cracks in the tires and hold air.

"Red " came home on a tandem wrecker with no problem other that the one hundred yard path that I got to reseed in the meadow ( road trucks do not like pastureland.) Red's engine is a basket cas so she is for parts right now

"Old Bits and Pieces" the LST got to ride a roll back truck to the farm and she is about gone but a friend needs a frame with a title to build him a Mack in the future so she may get a second chance.

That leaves the " Ugly Mack" an single axle intregal sleeper road tractor that was parked in the briars and brush almost out of sight. We winched her out to the road with me steering with one hand and beating to death wasps by the dozens with my ballcap. Tip to learn was that wasps do not like noise or movement and it would be a real good idea to carry hornet spray with you in the summertime! I survived and did'nt get stung but I was ready to get out ! The sleeper cab is a 1961 model so my Mack handle became 61sleepercab. The other three trucks are 1959 models and all trucks with transmissions are duplex.

Blue and Ugly Mack both yard drives but have a long way to be road worthy. I think they can be saved from the car crusher!

I hope you get a chuckle out of this story. I want to thank everyone who have answered my dumb questions of the site . I will update any progress as it comes . I posted some picturs on the site . 61sleepercab (mark)

i'm having so much fun with my first one. cant imaqine getting multiple trucks. i'm with you on one thing though, i hate to think about adding on to my barn again. ajt