What Is Your Favorite Mack Era?

[Maxville Truck]

I really love the 4 valve engines, got both e-6 and e-7s all vocational, low speed engines, hauling cow crap of course.... got lots of competion running with cabover cornfield cadilacs (internationals) and big block cummins, I'm constantly out lugg'n them. I'm partial to the MR's though.....

[other dog]

I like the looks of the B-models and R-models too,but I drove F-models in the early 80's.The '77 model had a 300 and 5 speed and would pull 25 tons of fertilizer in a van up Christiansburg mountain (that's a bit south of Roanoke on I-81) in 4th gear.It was a bit slow taking off,but once you got'er going it had all kinds of power.But the V-8's then were just an awesome piece of equipment! We used to haul wood chips from Dillwyn to Covington,Va.and the company trucks had 237 and 300 Macks,290's and 350 Cummins,and a few 903's in them.But Al owned his truck and had a V-8 325 F-model Mack with a little extra fuel (well,maybe a lot of extra fuel pressure-if anyone ever did manage to pass him,he'd just turn it up a little more!) Al would let us leave the woodyard first whenever a bunch of us were running together and when we got on I-64 at Lexington,Va, he would pass everybody then pull off on the exit ramp at exit 50,wait for everybody else to go by,then catch and pass every one of us before we got to the top of North Mountain.He had a straight pipe on it that turned out and just barely cleared the top of the cab,and sounded great.We had no AC then,so the window was always down.A V-8 Mack with a straight pipe-nothing else like it,and one of the sounds I miss!

[1923Mack]

While I have many road hours in my 50's Mack I still gotta love the early ones. The AC Mack is what I first think of when I think of Mack. The bulldog from WWI is the AC Mack. By the time you get to the 50's there were many brands of trucks. In WWI for heavy duty work there was the Mack. The AC started the get it done reputation for Mack.

[rsmartyn]

They're all good when their runnin' but it just seems the "B"s run longer. Not the fastest truck on the road but they can sure pull. Small cab but it's roomier than the DM. Rides better too but the DM has a 21K front axle and 58K rear tandem so let's be fair. I heard it put well this way, "After you drive a DM for 10 hours you've felt like you've wrestled a gorilla. After you drive an RD for 10 hours you feel like you could wrestle a Gorilla."

[bulldog man]

They're all good when their runnin' but it just seems the "B"s run longer. Not the fastest truck on the road but they can sure pull. Small cab but it's roomier than the DM. Rides better too but the DM has a 21K front axle and 58K rear tandem so let's be fair. I heard it put well this way, "After you drive a DM for 10 hours you've felt like you've wrestled a gorilla. After you drive an RD for 10 hours you feel like you could wrestle a Gorilla."

Yup Bob couldnt agree more "OLDDOG" is 43 yrs old & still going he Wont run but 50mph top speed on the floor put he will pull a D7G Cat & 225 Cat like a tandem & hes ONLY A SINGLE AXLE tractor (granddad ,dad & great uncle had done this back in the late 70's & up to mid to late 80's before DOT was bad on that kinda stuff ) Can remember as a kid ridding in "olddog" my uncle or granddad driving "olddog" pulling equipment should had been pulled w/ a tandem up the hills of N.W Shelby county & South Tipton county w/ the 711 stright pipe talking to ya & gearing "olddog" down maybe once while going up the hill .

There was a 77' DM685S We had it had a 237 2stick 6spd double framed 16' bed w/ 2 way tailgate 20k f/a 44k r/a on macks versison of a rubberblock suspension (w/o the blocks) cant remember what they call this suspension but it wasnt CAMELBACK the ole Tandem rode better loaded than empty but like ya said ya felt like ya wrestled a gorilla @ the end of the day . but it pulled like hell w/ a 6:06 ratio gear

The best riding Dumptruck we had was A 87 RD688S triaxle 350 4v Mack 6spd airshift dynatard brake 18k f/a 44k r/a double framed on Camelback 16.5' bed w/ 2waytailgate & too me had more room than THE DM I liked driving this truck & "olddog" too

just my 2 cents & yall have a goodone

[montonedump]

I like them all but if you have to choose it's the `60's where the B's crossed paths with the R's. And great trucks like the G cabovers the F models Great western B's and my favorites the Hayward models. Of course then there's DM's and the Rd's and ............... All of them are great it's hard to choose!

[Camelback]

I like anything with a bulldog setting on the hood but if i have to choose it would have to be the R's. I growed up with 3 R-600 74,77,79 models. My grandfather bought these trucks new and passed away shortly before i was born and then they was handed down to my dad , he ran these trucks for many years, i worked on these trucks almost everyday before i was even of age to even think about driving one. We still have all 3 dogs setting in the yard and i doubt they will ever go anywhere as long as were around.The 79 is still used from time to time and the 74 and 77 is yard drivable but needs a lil tinkering before hitting the highway again. My dad currently drives a 92,379 pete and when i have to drive i had much rather take the dog with me. I always felt at home in the R-model but still to this day never did like the feel of the pete. I guess its all that hood LOL. I am currently in the process of buying a R-688 i believe its a 85 or 86 model.. it don't have a engine or tranny or stumps but all else in solid shape. The guy that owns it says 800 bucks will buy it or its going to be scraped so i decided to make room for it. Well worth alot more than hes asking !! Going to be a great project truck!! I would also like to own a B-model someday never been around them much and have little knowledge of them but i do like the Antique look of them.

[Rich Reinhart]

Thats a tough choice Barry, but I gotta go with the 70`s.

[Eric M]

It was a real hairpuller for me to decide. I love the B and R Macks, along with the early BX trucks. But like 1923Mack said, the AC is the quintessential Mack truck. It was the model that put Mack on the map.

[rockinrandolph]

I was hard pressed to answer just 70/80's because I rode in my dads 53 mack with the integral cab(at least my diapers got changed there a lot) as my mom and dad ran from fla. to ny with a reefer trailer and then I really got a taste of otr riding with my dad in a 63 F model Mack the summer of 63 That mack was a diesel w/duplex trans. It ran 80 plus mph. My first truck was a 74 F model 237 w/ 5 speed,I owned 3 F models ,3 MH's and my favorite 1982 Cruiseliner WS787lst Still sits in the backyard , starts and runs yet. only had 680,000 miles when I parked it.I bought a 76 ws with a 325 v8 from Oregon but I never got the time to put it back together. I started in conventionals in 96 but I still miss the power of that old 2valve 350 mack with that 9 speed fuller going up over fancy gap or through the poconos, outpulls my 500 detroit and got better fuel mileage. I never did get my dreamtruck (80's superliner with big puppy power) oh well maybe someday. I am ashamed to admit that I strayed and owned a gmc, and several cornbinders {International for the youngsters)

[BUDD5670]

Definately have to go with the 1970-1989 era. I can remember riding in a 1970's DM dump when I was a kid, and thought it was funny I was looking over the center of the hood. I have a 1979 R685ST now, and sometimes just like to look at it, just as much as drive it...

Edited April 16, 2008 by BUDD5670

[Sotrekker]

Has to be the 70's 80's era, the F700 in particular

[Skullsquadron X]

I voted for the 50's and 60's I alway like that round look

[Bullheaded]

Wow this is a tough one! I love all Mack's but I have to go with the 70's and 80's. Maybe it's because that is what I grew up around and drove. But you have to look at the broad product range you had to choose from. So many awesome models in this era. Everything from F, Cruiseliner, Ultraliner, MR cabovers to the R Model (with it's RD and RM offshoots), Superliners, DM's, and the M series Mack-Pack off road haul truck lineup and CL350ST heavy I-beam trucks! Then you have the motors. The unmatched E-6 and E-9's.

Like rockinrandolph said, I also had E-6 350's that would outpull C15 475 Cat's and get way better fuel mileage. Too bad Mack didn't sell glider kits like Western Star is doing now. Imagine a new Titan with an E-9 500!!

[mackdaddy1911a1]

Hello all,I'm new to the site. My name is Matt but ya'll can just call me MACKDADDY. Any way I voted for the 70's and 80's. The 1st truck I ever rode in was a R Mack and the first truck I ever drove was a R MACK. I,ll never forget. However the best driving truck I,ve ever drove is my 01 CX-613 Vision... Along with the 08 Pinnacle I drove at the Nashville TN.

MACK dealer last year during the Mack performace tour. She was sweet. I liked everything except the volvo battery box on MY MACK TRUCK and you can bet your eyesight I let them know it.

[dak49]

I like the 60's and 70's as the first truck I ever drove on highway was a 1966 R model, it had the 237, and quadraplex transmission, then moved up to a "77 "R" with the 285 horse and 2 stick 6, I really like the 285 and the 2 stick 6.

Then I move to a Frieghtliner and I felt like it was a couple of steps backwards. I did get a chance to drive a new '97 CH and I liked it as well, but I think the "R" just looked tough, and I just like it more.

Dak49

[huppypuppy]

Hi all,

I chose the 50's and 60's - much of a muchness I suppose???

I like all B-Models - in particular the B-615 V8 - and the 1966 - 1970 R-600 "Flintstone" model (only seen in Australia as a "Flintstone" - however I do stand to be corrected).... didn't the "Flintstone" bonnet appear on other Mack models in America????

Joe

[Arcticmack]

I would have to agree the E-9 was is a really cool looking truck when done up right. But theres nothing- Nothing like a very well done up B-model..

[mowerman]

rode in a U600 with my dad,excellant memorys,especialy sounds of that engine,then learned to drive on a U600,also owned one later on in years,as well as a F model,Rmodel,and a cruiseliner,all as an owner operater,,now i drive for fedex freight,and own a DM600,just as an antique fixer upper..looking forward to getting it all nice again...bob

[mowerman]

rode in a U600 with my dad,excellant memorys,especialy sounds of that engine,then learned to drive on a U600,also owned one later on in years,as well as a F model,Rmodel,and a cruiseliner,all as an owner operater,,now i drive for fedex freight,and own a DM600,just as an antique fixer upper..looking forward to getting it all nice again...bob

[KO1927]

I just think that the trucks of the 50's and 60's (especially Macks) are the best designed trucks ever built. All the "classic" design cues come from this era, many from my personal favorite, the LT Mack.

Anyone know who was designing/styling for Mack during this era?

[bulldogboy]

I would say that my favorite Mack era was the 1950s. I was a kid then and it was a time that Mack

had most of the the truck classes covered. My local fire department had several "L" and "B" model

fire trucks; the local public works department ran "B" model dump trucks and "N" model rubbish trucks.

I remember many of the local trucking companies and industrial plants had "L" and "B" model straight

trucks and tractor trailers. Several oil companies ran smaller "A" and "B" model tankers. Even a

private school had "A" and "B" model school buses. Traveling on the roadways (no interstates at that

time) I saw "B" and "H" model tractors with sleeper cabs. I think that this was the golden age of

Mack trucks.

bulldogboy

[cgallamore]

hands down the best trucks ever built, 1996 threw 2002

[Rob]

I like the 50's, 60's and the 70's so I have a bit of each. The 51 A40 is my favorite truck, the B models are just classy in the true sense of the word, and the R models just drive well with excellent visibility. I like the looks of the long hood R700 series.

The Peterbilt, well, I don't own one of those things cause walking home after the journey makes my ankles swell.

Rob

[drg]

Even though I really like the R models and learned to drive in them I have to say my favorite's are the 1990 to 2002 Ch'S. The reason being those were the Macks that I've owned and made the most money with.