April 1st Mack New Model Introductions...

[GearheadGrrrl]

I think we now have an explanation for why Mack had nothing new at the Truck Show last weekend- they may have been saving it for a press conference tomorrow, April 1st. I've heard rumors of an all new truck called a "B" model...

[HK Trucking]

I think we now have an explanation for why Mack had nothing new at the Truck Show last weekend- they may have been saving it for a press conference tomorrow, April 1st. I've heard rumors of an all new truck called a "B" model...

Are you sure that they didn't say "V" model????

[GearheadGrrrl]

Well, it's past midnight in Allentown, so I guess I can post this now:

MEDIA ADVISORY- EMBARGOED UNTIL APRIL 1, 2007:

Mack Truck Company Re-Introduces "B" Model and V-8 Diesels

In recent years Mack and Volvo engineers while driving new Mack and Volvo show trucks observed restored Mack "B" model trucks silently coast past on gentle downhills while they still had their feet on their new trucks throttles. Later examination of these "B" models at truck shows revealed that they were not ballasted or fitted with super quiet mufflers, in fact they were quite a bit lighter than current model trucks and many had very loud exhausts.

These informal "coast down" tests were the talk of Mack technicians at Allentown world headquarters. For decades Mack had been the only truck only manufacturer with their own full scale wind tunnel, which explains why Mack produced sleek, stylish trucks while their competitors delivered boxes on wheels. After Volvo bought Mack that wind tunnel fell silent, and recently Mack technicians were told to disassemble the wind tunnel and ship it to Sweden.

Before they took apart the wind tunnel the technicians thought it proper to test it to make sure it was shipped in working condition. Truck production now being a couple miles away in Macungie and the keys for the Mack on display out front being missing, an employee's restored B model that he'd driven to work that day was brought into the wind tunnel. The big blades were set spinning, but the scales measured no drag at first. Finally at 50 miles per hour drag was measureable, and the tests continued to well past 100 miles per hour air speeds. The technicians were incredulous- they'd never found a truck as slippery as the "B" model. When Volvo engineers in Sweden received the results by e-mail they insisted the wind tunnel was out of calibration, and ordered that a Volvo with full aerodynamic kit be brought from the New River Valley plant to the Allentown wind tunnel.

The old Mack wind tunnel gave the same drag figures for the new aero Volvo as did the wind tunnels in Sweden. One of the Mack test drivers then snuck over a new Granite with steel bumper and no aerodynamic options from Macungie to test, and it was found to be slightly slipperier than the aero Volvo. Neither new truck was anywhere near as aerodynamic as the old "B" model thought. The technicians proceeded with dismantling and shipping out the wind tunnel, finding some old body dies long hidden behind it's walls.

Soon thereafter Mack received an RFP (Request For Proposal) from the military for a low profile truck. Noting that Allentown was not in a competitive state in the last election and Ohio was, Mack management figured International would get the bid and circular filed the RFP. A few weeks later a small company of uniformed Marines arrived at Mack headquarters, and the security guards at the gate were unable to convince them that they needed an appointment and firearms were not allowed on the premises. The Marine's reiterated the request for a low profile truck, and would not take no for an answer.

Under military guard the old "B" model body dies were put back in service and prototypes built, but the Volvo engines were too tall and their wasn't enough room for a big enough radiator under the "B" models sleek hood. Fortunately, old military contracts for replacement tank engines still had to be honored, keeping the Mack "Magnum" V-8 engines in production to the dismay of Volvo's Swedish management. But how would a V-8 engine fit under that sleek hood when a Volvo 6 wouldn't? A tank engine has to be designed to run at all kinds of extreme angles, even upside down. Mack's tank engine had developed into a 1000 horsepower engine that didn't have to fit under the hood- it could be mounted on it's side under or behind the cab, and the radiator can be as wide as the truck.

There we're initial worries about the pushrod Mack V-8's ability to meet 2007 and later emmissions standards, but new research at Mack found that the Macks pushrod engine had an advantage over the rigid Volvo overhead cam design- pushrod resonance. Much as musicians discovered that the distortion of tube type amplifiers produced a better sound than solid state amplifiers and Honda motorcycle engineers found it possible for a high performance motorcycle chassis to be too stiff, Mack found that the distortion in pushrods could produce a tunable resonance that reduced emmissions. The Volvo engines will be phased out, and the Mack V8 and it's modular engine family will become the standard powerplant for Mack, Volvo, Renault, UD, and Brockway trucks by 2010. The modular engine family will range from 3 cylinder units for light trucks all the way to V20 powerplants for the reintroduction of Mack railbusses and locomotives. Over 100 horsepower/cylinder outputs will be achieved along with full compliance with all proposed emmission standards.

The new "B" model Mack is in production now and available immediately. Options include the original integral sleeper and a reintroduced 12 speed transmission with splitter, low hole, and a choice of 4 reverse ratios. The "B" model will be followed next April with the reintroduction of the "A" model medium trucks, the Mack Jr. line of light trucks to fill the gap left by the disappearance of the Power Stroke Super Duty pickups, and the "H" model cabover.

30

This communication contains certain backward looking statements that may or may not be truth, and may in fact be the products of someones wild imagination. Mack Truck Corporation is a fictional corporation that exists only in virtual reality and whose stock is worthless, but I'll be happy to sell replica stock certificates at $1000/share. Offer void in Iowa, Utah, and planet Earth. Viewer discretion advised, your mileage may vary.

[HK Trucking]

The new "B" model Mack is in production now and available immediately. Options include the original integral sleeper and a reintroduced 12 speed transmission with splitter, low hole, and a choice of 4 reverse ratios.

What, no quad box??????

[Rob]

Well, it's past midnight in Allentown, so I guess I can post this now:

MEDIA ADVISORY- EMBARGOED UNTIL APRIL 1, 2007:

Mack Truck Company Re-Introduces "B" Model and V-8 Diesels

In recent years Mack and Volvo engineers while driving new Mack and Volvo show trucks observed restored Mack "B" model trucks silently coast past on gentle downhills while they still had their feet on their new trucks throttles. Later examination of these "B" models at truck shows revealed that they were not ballasted or fitted with super quiet mufflers, in fact they were quite a bit lighter than current model trucks and many had very loud exhausts.

These informal "coast down" tests were the talk of Mack technicians at Allentown world headquarters. For decades Mack had been the only truck only manufacturer with their own full scale wind tunnel, which explains why Mack produced sleek, stylish trucks while their competitors delivered boxes on wheels. After Volvo bought Mack that wind tunnel fell silent, and recently Mack technicians were told to disassemble the wind tunnel and ship it to Sweden.

Before they took apart the wind tunnel the technicians thought it proper to test it to make sure it was shipped in working condition. Truck production now being a couple miles away in Macungie and the keys for the Mack on display out front being missing, an employee's restored B model that he'd driven to work that day was brought into the wind tunnel. The big blades were set spinning, but the scales measured no drag at first. Finally at 50 miles per hour drag was measureable, and the tests continued to well past 100 miles per hour air speeds. The technicians were incredulous- they'd never found a truck as slippery as the "B" model. When Volvo engineers in Sweden received the results by e-mail they insisted the wind tunnel was out of calibration, and ordered that a Volvo with full aerodynamic kit be brought from the New River Valley plant to the Allentown wind tunnel.

The old Mack wind tunnel gave the same drag figures for the new aero Volvo as did the wind tunnels in Sweden. One of the Mack test drivers then snuck over a new Granite with steel bumper and no aerodynamic options from Macungie to test, and it was found to be slightly slipperier than the aero Volvo. Neither new truck was anywhere near as aerodynamic as the old "B" model thought. The technicians proceeded with dismantling and shipping out the wind tunnel, finding some old body dies long hidden behind it's walls.

Soon thereafter Mack received an RFP (Request For Proposal) from the military for a low profile truck. Noting that Allentown was not in a competitive state in the last election and Ohio was, Mack management figured International would get the bid and circular filed the RFP. A few weeks later a small company of uniformed Marines arrived at Mack headquarters, and the security guards at the gate were unable to convince them that they needed an appointment and firearms were not allowed on the premises. The Marine's reiterated the request for a low profile truck, and would not take no for an answer.

Under military guard the old "B" model body dies were put back in service and prototypes built, but the Volvo engines were too tall and their wasn't enough room for a big enough radiator under the "B" models sleek hood. Fortunately, old military contracts for replacement tank engines still had to be honored, keeping the Mack "Magnum" V-8 engines in production to the dismay of Volvo's Swedish management. But how would a V-8 engine fit under that sleek hood when a Volvo 6 wouldn't? A tank engine has to be designed to run at all kinds of extreme angles, even upside down. Mack's tank engine had developed into a 1000 horsepower engine that didn't have to fit under the hood- it could be mounted on it's side under or behind the cab, and the radiator can be as wide as the truck.

There we're initial worries about the pushrod Mack V-8's ability to meet 2007 and later emmissions standards, but new research at Mack found that the Macks pushrod engine had an advantage over the rigid Volvo overhead cam design- pushrod resonance. Much as musicians discovered that the distortion of tube type amplifiers produced a better sound than solid state amplifiers and Honda motorcycle engineers found it possible for a high performance motorcycle chassis to be too stiff, Mack found that the distortion in pushrods could produce a tunable resonance that reduced emmissions. The Volvo engines will be phased out, and the Mack V8 and it's modular engine family will become the standard powerplant for Mack, Volvo, Renault, UD, and Brockway trucks by 2010. The modular engine family will range from 3 cylinder units for light trucks all the way to V20 powerplants for the reintroduction of Mack railbusses and locomotives. Over 100 horsepower/cylinder outputs will be achieved along with full compliance with all proposed emmission standards.

The new "B" model Mack is in production now and available immediately. Options include the original integral sleeper and a reintroduced 12 speed transmission with splitter, low hole, and a choice of 4 reverse ratios. The "B" model will be followed next April with the reintroduction of the "A" model medium trucks, the Mack Jr. line of light trucks to fill the gap left by the disappearance of the Power Stroke Super Duty pickups, and the "H" model cabover.

30

This communication contains certain backward looking statements that may or may not be truth, and may in fact be the products of someones wild imagination. Mack Truck Corporation is a fictional corporation that exists only in virtual reality and whose stock is worthless, but I'll be happy to sell replica stock certificates at $1000/share. Offer void in Iowa, Utah, and planet Earth. Viewer discretion advised, your mileage may vary.

I had heard these new trucks were to be powered by "STAR TREK" quality dilithium crystals to exponentially increase both power, and driveability. This is all the while lowering, (to near zero) overall exhaust emmisions. The "five year before refueling span is sure to put the "hurts" to the oil exporting countries. Thus, less american dollars will go to support our "allies". Projections are that the sealed/recyclable refueling cannisters will soon be available at your local grocer and will be a "drop in" replacement about the size of a gentlemans wallet, or billfold. It is also rumored that the by-product of running these new engines is purified water suitable for consumption by human infants, and household pets.

Of course this technology has a tempory increase in costs due to the usage of "food grade" stainless steel, and high temperature plastics involved. Over time it is projected that the costs of these materials is to decrease due to lack of demand for fossil fuels, (OPEC) a.k.a. no product to sell, therefore no money to purchase anything, no need for protection, so raw material prices fall sharply. They will also settle their own disputes. The U.S. EPA will then be desolved due to extreme reduction of greenhouse gasses as a cost saving measure called "cost vs benefit".

And to think, It all started with Mack Trucks engineers.

I think they will be around awhile yet.

We are proud and once again saving the world from the likes of tyranny and oppression, through engineering.

Yes, Mack and it's engineers will be around quite awhile longer.

[mackmixer]

Ahh yes, it is April 1.

My 1955 Studebaker truck is going back into production too. In fact, it looks a lot like my B series Mack.

Anyone know any history of the B model cab design and possiblity of being related to the Studebaker 1949 and up C cabs?

[JST]

Dang had me going now I have to go pout.