Uboat Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Please allow me to introduce myself (If you can identify that quote, you're giving away your age)I've been a street rod / bike builder for too many years - a couple of years back at a cruise night, we were talking about what it would take to be "unique" any more - as 3 beautiful pro street rods idled in and took their place in the pro street area between the kit Cobras and the choppers, across from the Camaros and Hummers.My answer came to be a Model B pickup. Not the wanabe type with a truck cab on a 3/4 ton frame, but a real, honest-to-God class 7, air brakes, 22.5 wheels and all. Right now I'm 2+ years into it, it looks good for paint this summer.I know that this is probably an insult to all the purists out there, but I can assure you that all the "genuine Mack" parts used were beyond hope for a restoration. It has a Freightliner chassis, a Cat3208AT engine and an Allison MT634 transmission. A true mutt, but it's going together nicely, 'glass tilt nose and all.I'm curious if anyone else has done this sort of thing - I've seen a couple of "pickup"s that are basically a bed bolted to the back of an otherwise intact truck, and a few woosie little light truck chassied (some very nicely done, but still light trucks) machines, but never a true class 7/8 custom pickup.Any thoughts / suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other dog Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 ..."i'm a man of wealth and taste"...Rolling Stones, Sympathy For The Devil.I've seen some B-pickups at truck shows. Quote Producer of poorly photo-chopped pictures since 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Barrett Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Somewhere on here theres a fella that built one helluva nice race car trailer hauler with a B model. Unfortunately I cant find the damn pictures or his name at the moment....Anybody remember this Phantom 309? Metallic Blue? has a matching blue '55 chevy race car he hauls with it?. Used an old DT466 Intl. engine out of a school bus and some other miscellaneous parts from that bus for running gear... Built a custom bed for the back. It's a mutt but it's a damn fine looking mutt that hasn't been chopped up and thrown on a pickup chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Barrett Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Here It is! Check this baby out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strollinruss Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I think it's not a big deal to customize the truck however you like. The b model cab, when coming down the road, will never be mistaken for anything but pure MACK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Ditchkus Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Other Dog The red B-model with big pickup bed on it is or was owned by a Mack collector near me. Joe D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b61mack Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I think it's not a big deal to customize the truck however you like. The b model cab, when coming down the road, will never be mistaken for anything but pure MACK. you got that right!!!!! Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumperAndSon Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Sounds really neat, I'd love to see some pictures. I've always wanted to take a B-42sx 6x6, "bob" it (make it a single rear axle) put a crew cab from a fire truck on it, put a bed on it, and have a sweet Crew Cab, 4x4, B Model Pickup thats mostly All-Mack. But that's kind of a fantasy though.Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucerne tractor Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Here It is! Check this baby out http://www.bigmacktr...__fromsearch__1 Your the one that got me started today!!! I clicked on the link you left and followed that whole story,what a beautiful truck and labor of love by some very talented craftsmen. I was 1 1/2 hours late going grocery shopping. Worth every second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Barrett Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Your the one that got me started today!!! I clicked on the link you left and followed that whole story,what a beautiful truck and labor of love by some very talented craftsmen. I was 1 1/2 hours late going grocery shopping. Worth every second.Agreed my friend....I was blown away when I saw it. I've reread that post a few times and seem to find something new that I've missed everytime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uboat Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 I agree that anyone is free to build whatever their time, money and tastes desire. As I said, I've seen a few very nicely done "little big trucks". I just am choosing to go a different direction and build a full class 7/8 truck.I also agree that "coming down the road", it is impossible to mistake a "B" for anything but a Mack, but at a closer look, those 16" wheels look kind of lonely in those big wheel wells. That's me, seeing it differently doesn't make you a bad person.A couple of pics of the project to date. It doesn't look like much, but everything there is clean and either new or rebuilt.Drive friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Barrett Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I agree that anyone is free to build whatever their time, money and tastes desire. As I said, I've seen a few very nicely done "little big trucks". I just am choosing to go a different direction and build a full class 7/8 truck.I also agree that "coming down the road", it is impossible to mistake a "B" for anything but a Mack, but at a closer look, those 16" wheels look kind of lonely in those big wheel wells. That's me, seeing it differently doesn't make you a bad person.A couple of pics of the project to date. It doesn't look like much, but everything there is clean and either new or rebuilt.Drive friendly.That looks interesting.......better to remount on another frame and get it out there than let it rot in the boneyard. Any details about chassis, running gear, bed, tow truck, tractor, future plan for finished prouct? Keep us up to date on progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamied625 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 is that a 3208 turbo cat? what tranny are you going to run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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