How Much Did You Really Like Them?

[v8superdog]

if the superliner would be offered again i would buy it in a minute no doubt. it has the classic square nose long hood look, with the E6 motor it was a BREEZE to work on, with the V8 (E9) motor you had enough power to pull the world off its axis and the reliability was second to none, it was a first class truck.

[BAD DOG]

What I really miss about the old trucks is the big steering wheel. The new ones all have a little wheel like you have in a car. Small steering wheels make the steering ratio seem more positive and don't handle like the old trucks did. I went from an 89 superliner and a 92 Mh cabover to driving a 96 & 98 Ch . There is no comarison I would take the superliner & Mh back anyday . With the big wheel you can sit back hang on to the big wheel and just drive. The small wheel is more like work to me , and harder on a guys nerves to I find my fighting it more than driving it.

[Mike Blais]

I started driving in 1979-80 on mid 70's R-600s and LT-9000s. At the time I didn't appreciate what they were. The company I work for now just traded off the '99 CH 613s we were stuck with for 8 years. Now I'm in a ' 05 Columbia. The old '70s tractors looked and sounded like real trucks. Big steering wheels, steel dashboards, trolley brake on the column where it should be. I ask myself now if I were to start hauling for myself, what would I get? I find myself on Truckpaper looking at R models and LT-9000s. Who knew??

[other dog]

Ah, a subject dear to my heart. Now I don't have an R model and am not a highway hauler but my B & DM models get the work done and have paid for themselves many times over. New is nice but the shine wears off and the real reason you own a truck comes through. Can you imagine anything put out today still working at 46 years old like that B? Again, I know the subject is R models and the DM's are of that vintage. Mine will definately beat you to death but will also get the job done, get you home every night and make you money. In fairness to the new stuff all of the pollution regs, electronics and weight laws have taken a toll on a newer truck costs and reliablility which is something the older models didn't have basically have to deal with. So as long as I can I keep my old stuff working, which to date has been very economical, that's the success formula for me . Bob

You're right,that's what I always say-I pull in at the shop and the mixer is parked there still looking pretty good and it still works good and i'll say "now how many of these new Peterbilts,Freightliners,or Internationals will still be around in 43 years?" Most likely none of 'em.

And you're right about the emissions engines- when they have a particular engine available long enough to perfect it and get all the "bugs" out, like an N14 Cummins,they have to change it to meet the newest pollution standards so they have to start all over.

I've often wondered about if truck manufacturers did like the car makers and came out with an old look cab with all the latest bells and whistles,like a B-model cab,only bigger, or the old 2 story International DTC 405-always wanted to drive one of them!

[waslucky]

Mack Man i agree with you wholeheartedly ........my MIR700 works evry day, doesn,t get pampered and in 2 odd years of my ownership the repairs i have done to it combined with the frugal amount of fuel it consumes to do its job far outweigh payments on a NEW machine . Sure a new shiney one wld be nice to look at but at end of day will it still perform like my 38 yr old Mack and keep going with the same reliability ?? as for bringing out a NEW " R " model i,m hoping to replicate my version of that when my R688 makes it out of workshop .

[other dog]

I had a 2005 Kenwoth W-900 475 cat,stuido sleeper,real nice truck,sold it with 30,000 miles on it,junk.4.5 mpg,water leaks,wind noise.6,000 miles on it,cat had to replace the heads,13,000 miles turbo,front engine cover leaking.It seems like I was in a rental truck more then it the KW.I sold it with only 30,000 miles on it.So I go and buy a 2005 Peterbilt,475 cat,63'' flat top,junk,just as many problem with this one as with the KW,sold this one with 40,000 mile on it.Ok so I go for a 3rd time buy a new 2006 Western Star,Detroit diesel 515 hp,not a bad truck.5.5 mpg,rode good,not to many problems,I like this truck,still it was missing something.So I sold it 85,000 miles on it.I bought a 1988 Peterbilt,425 cat,1,050,000 mile on it,I have not had any problems with it.I have put 70,000 miles on it 6.5 mpg,no problems.I am also getting ready to start running my 1988 Superliner,E-9 V-8 450,240"WB,just came back from Double Eagle had a new 42" sleeper made for it,they also did the cab interior.After Double Eagle,the truck went to 4 States,in Joplin MO for pimpin'.I go the truck for the 2nd owner 450,000 miles on,never been out of Texas,I will switch off between my old Peterbilt and the Superliner,I have less money in two trucks then one new junk truck.I get better mpg,power and am alot happier driving the old trucks.Also if one of my older trucks need to go into a shop I can fix the old trucks on my own and save 100.00 per hour labor,and still have a extra truck to run and keep the money coming in.It seem funny anymore how guys are trying to make there new trucks look like old trucks.

Know all about that-I don't own a truck except the B-model ,but where I work most of the trucks have the c-15 475 cats and there's always one or two at Carter cat being worked on for one thing or another.Not too much major stuff,but we've had a time with broken rocker arms, water leaks,oil leaks,etc. The starters haven't been lasting on them either.I'm driving a 2006 Peterbilt with about 300,000 miles on it now and i've had broken rocker arms twice,intake valve actuator malfunction twice, and one turbo put on it. The truck I drove before that,one of my all time favorites by the way,was a 2000 W-900 with a 525 N-14 Cummins that had almost 700,000 miles on it when Jeff traded it for the Pete.It ran great,pulled good,never broke down and got well over 5 mpg pulling heavy loads across the mountains.

The last new trucks they ordered they went back to the ISX Cummins. I don't know that they'll be any better. Drove a couple of them before,and it was always EGR problems.They're supposed to be in in October. Jeff turned my truck up to a 550 and it's really pulling good now,so I guess i'll be starting over too. I wouldn't mind giving one of those new Detroits a try,but now it's getting to the point where you have to buy a particular brand of truck to get the engine you want. I don't get to pick anything anyway,I just get to drive it. That 550's a "hawse" though-'til the engine light comes on.

[other dog]

Of all the trucks I've owned that I used to make a living,all Macks of course,B-61,F model,Cruiseliner,R model,MH,Superliner & CH,the Superliner's I had were by far the best driving and handling.I'm not talking about ride or power,but the way a truck feels.Got my first Superliner in '89,it was a '85 with 500k on it.Really thought my old '76 R model was a good driving truck until I drove that Superdog for the first time.I loved the layout of the cab,also,and the Superliner look is second to none.Don't get me wrong,I really like the CH I have now,it's been a good truck,and of the 3 CH's I've had,this has been the best driving one so far,but it don't hold a candle to the Superliner.I even tried a set forward axle CH in '97,close,but no match,but I really think I'd have liked it better if it would have had a sleeper.CH's are alot harder to bond with in my opinion.My first one was a '91 I got used in '95,E7400,T2130,42"bunk.Loved the motor and trans.,never could get to like the truck much,made me want my '85 Superliner back really bad,then I got the '97 set forward axle CH new,427,T2130,liked it alot,but couldn't ever fall in love.Went back to a F model,best driving COE anybody ever made.Loved to drive it.Then got a chance to buy a '87 Superliner again,and it was true love from the first mile.Broke my heart when I had to park it because of the frame going bad from spreading,but was lucky enough to find a CH I could live with.

when I went from a transtar IH with a 2600 rpm vt-903 with a 13 speed to an F-model with a 300 and 5 speed in 1980,I certainly had my doubts about it,but the F-models turned out to be some of the best trucks I ever drove. I drove that Mack all over the eastern half of the U.S. Here's a picture out of a magazine-interior looks pretty plain,but it had everything you needed.

[EM6285]

You're right,that's what I always say-I pull in at the shop and the mixer is parked there still looking pretty good and it still works good and i'll say "now how many of these new Peterbilts,Freightliners,or Internationals will still be around in 43 years?" Most likely none of 'em.

And you're right about the emissions engines- when they have a particular engine available long enough to perfect it and get all the "bugs" out, like an N14 Cummins,they have to change it to meet the newest pollution standards so they have to start all over.

I've often wondered about if truck manufacturers did like the car makers and came out with an old look cab with all the latest bells and whistles,like a B-model cab,only bigger, or the old 2 story International DTC 405-always wanted to drive one of them!

Is a funny thing that here in Puerto Rico they call MACK TRUCKS to be the truck for the poor driver. Is not for the poor driver, MACK is the truck for the SMART DRIVER who does not want to spend all his $$$$$$$$$ on costly repairs. So we are not that poor.

Well those KENWORTHLESS, PETERTILT, FREIGHTLIGHTER AND INTERTRASHIONAL trucks will never beat my old 1989 MACK R600 that has been up graded to an all NEW MACK EM6 400 HP engine.

Some peolpe buy trucks because of their fashionable interiors...Who cares for that ? My old MACK can eat any of this newbies in a blink of an eye. Sure is not a 600 HP monster, but it can deliver th goods all day and all night 7 days a week 24 hour if you ask to do it.

My worst experience was with a KENWORTHLESS with a DETROIT DIESEL.Worst truck I have ever drive. How can KENWORTH call itself "THE WORLD'S BEST" when it has to rely on second hand suppliers. So that pesky DETROIT DIESEL motor ruin my KENWORTH'S reputation of "World's Best"

Let MACK be king of trucks.

Ohhhh that unbeatable CAMMEL BACK suspension... I won't trade it for nothing else.

Sometimes technology makes things worst.

[EM6285]

Know all about that-I don't own a truck except the B-model ,but where I work most of the trucks have the c-15 475 cats and there's always one or two at Carter cat being worked on for one thing or another.Not too much major stuff,but we've had a time with broken rocker arms, water leaks,oil leaks,etc. The starters haven't been lasting on them either.I'm driving a 2006 Peterbilt with about 350,000 miles on it now and i've had broken rocker arms twice,intake valve actuator malfunction twice, and one turbo put on it. The truck I drove before that,one of my all time favorites by the way,was a 2000 W-900 with a 525 N-14 Cummins that had almost 700,000 miles on it when Jeff traded it for the Pete.It ran great,pulled good,never broke down and got well over 5 mpg pulling heavy loads across the mountains.

The last new trucks they ordered they went back to the ISX Cummins. I don't know that they'll be any better. Drove a couple of them before,and it was always EGR problems.They're supposed to be in in October. Jeff turned my truck up to a 550 and it's really pulling good now,so I guess i'll be starting over too. I wouldn't mind giving one of those new Detroits a try,but now it's getting to the point where you have to buy a particular brand of truck to get the engine you want. I don't get to pick anything anyway,I just get to drive it. That 550's a "hawse" though-'til the engine light comes on.

Can you give me the production dates for the MACK F Series...I am tryn to find one made on their last year run so I can restore it and give it to my grandfather...

Thanks for the help.

[other dog]

Can you give me the production dates for the MACK F Series...I am tryn to find one made on their last year run so I can restore it and give it to my grandfather...

Thanks for the help.

Cetainly-according to one of my favorite history books "Mack-Driven for a Century" the F-model was introduced in 1962 and made until ...well,it just doesnt say.The last one I drove was a '79 model.It does say the Ultra-Liner came out in 1983 and the Cruiseliner came out in 1981. The Ultra-Liner replaced the Cruiseliner,so I would guess the Cruiseliner replaced the F-model in '81. The last R-model rolled off the line in August of '89,but it doesn't say when the last F-model did.

ah-hah!!! I found it in another book-they were made until 1982.