are mack fans a endangered species ?

[41180]

i am seeing a alarming trend with my generation of truck drivers and truck fans. i am 32 yrs old and have been born and raised around mack trucks. when i hang out with other truckers i get lots of negatve opinions of old and new mack trucks from my "friends" . this irritates me because i know the history and the legend that is mack trucks. the first mack i rode in was a 1974 rd triaxle log truck with a 300 6spd . the first mack i drove wwas a 1989 mack rw713 with a e9500 18spd. but ill get to the point . whenever i mention macks around these guys i get "macks are junk and slow and ugly" and "peterbilt is the best " . i just wonder if my generation will continue to treasure mack trucks . most of these truckers dont know the legend that is mack . they only see these pimped out petes and kenworths as the only desirable truck, i stand my ground though.

[staxx]

Thats why we are here to set them straight mack is here to stay .

[hatcity]

Ask your "friends" how thing are on the Pete or KW forum

Ask then if they can find the build sheets for a 1952

Find out if they can find a reasonable resale value on that same truck

[RowdyRebel]

Go to truckpaper and run a pair of searches.

The first search, look for Mack trucks 1980 and older. You'll get 8 pages of 32+ year old Macks to choose from.

In the second search, look for Peterbilt trucks 1980 and older. You'll only get 2 pages of 32+ year old Peterbilts to choose from.

Which trucks are "junk"? I would argue that the ones that don't last are junk....and if Peterbilt owners took their trucks to even HALF the places Mack trucks go every day, they'd be in the scrap yard by the time they were 8-10 years old. Most of the older peterbilts that are still on the road have never been "off-pavement".

[Superdog]

if Petes are so damn great,why do all the "big rigger" drivers sit on the floor and put on those big stupid looking visors so nobody can see them??Hell,alot of them even take the emblems off the hood.I've driven a couple 352's,a 362,a 359,a 377 and a 379.I was never the least bit impressed.I told each trucks owner they'd never ,ever have to worry about me wanting to borrow their truck.

[umodelnut]

Yea, I see all these Petes with big pipes and crap, with no emblems and big chrome visors. GAY. I know kids who dont even really know any thing about trucks, and they say they like Peterbuilt. Theres a logger around here that has a few Superliners, alot of R models, an OLD DM and ONE Peterbuilt. Some kid always reminds me that that guy, (Fran Vanelstine) has one gosh darn Pete. The first Mack I drove was my 75 U685ST when I was 10 years old, Doug Fetterly let me drive it in a circle. I absolutely loved it. I was watchin this show, and this guy said theres three types of people, theres people that like Petes, theres people who drive Petes, and theres people who want to drive Petes. I wanted to jump through the screen and kick him where a man should not be kicked. Thats my rant or whatever you wanna call it. Im 12 years old and you can always count on me to be on Macks side.

[paul roncetti]

You could not have said it any better Vinny. I can't understand how these guys can compare a pete or kw to a Mack, just look at the Mack suspension.

Not to change the subject Vinny, I bought another Mack B81 from a guy who has 5 Autocars for sale. That 17 y/o from NJ who sold his B61 cheap on ebay, we was looking for an Autocar I think, have him get ahold of me if you chat with him, Thanks, Paul

[umodelnut]

You could not have said it any better Vinny. I can't understand how these guys can compare a pete or kw to a Mack, just look at the Mack suspension.

Not to change the subject Vinny, I bought another Mack B81 from a guy who has 5 Autocars for sale. That 17 y/o from NJ who sold his B61 cheap on ebay, we was looking for an Autocar I think, have him get ahold of me if you chat with him, Thanks, Paul

Thanks Paul.

[dover]

I am 32 as well. Growing up in Northeastern Nevada I was never exposed to Macks. My dads highschool buddy has a trucking company and he always ran KW's. I have loved the look of the 359 and 379 since I was about 4 years old. I had always heard of Macks, I just never saw them, other than toys. I started looking at the B73 I now own about 8 years ago. When I first saw it I was hooked on the B's. Since then I have grown to love the L's, R's, and Superliner to name a few. I am doing my part to keep Macks going even after a late start.

Ben

[bullhusk]

Just ask those LARGE CAR Pete an K/W guys that bad mouth a Mack, that the next time they order one, to get a Pete or K/W motor, trans.an rears,....

It can't be done!! It's just a cab and frame rails and a half ass motor!!

BULLHUSK

[e9500v8]

I am 31 been around Mack all my life every picture of me when I was younger I was wearing a Mack Hat!! First truck I rode in was a B61 My father had several and still does! I myself own 2 superliners with E9 500 V8 in them . Mack is in my blood and will never ever own anything else !!! As long as I can still buy parts my superliners will last me a long time but parts for those motors are getting hard to find already. When I can no longer get parts for V8 I will just have to settle for and old 237 or 300 I got lots of them laying around to rob parts off of. Wont be near as fun to drive but will still be a Mack!

[ThaddeusW]

Sheesh. Most truckers today wouldn't know the difference between camel back or hendrickson walking beam if they were dropped on them. They don't know how a transmission works, how to repair one or what transmission to speck for a particular vocation. All they know is flashy chrome, fat stacks and big bore power, after all that wins the race right?

I'm not claiming to be an expert here but from what I have seen I can comfortably say that id rather be behind the wheel of a Mack. Mack's history is second to none and to this day still bring in the big customers such as UPS, and the USPS. Peterbilts are trucks for the trucking illiterate.

By today's standards I would rather be in a Granite than a Pete, looks better and I bet it will still outlast the pete.

[mowerman]

i am seeing a alarming trend with my generation of truck drivers and truck fans. i am 32 yrs old and have been born and raised around mack trucks. when i hang out with other truckers i get lots of negatve opinions of old and new mack trucks from my "friends" . this irritates me because i know the history and the legend that is mack trucks. the first mack i rode in was a 1974 rd triaxle log truck with a 300 6spd . the first mack i drove wwas a 1989 mack rw713 with a e9500 18spd. but ill get to the point . whenever i mention macks around these guys i get "macks are junk and slow and ugly" and "peterbilt is the best " . i just wonder if my generation will continue to treasure mack trucks . most of these truckers dont know the legend that is mack . they only see these pimped out petes and kenworths as the only desirable truck, i stand my ground though.

i dont see the younger generation interested in any make trucks,,,long as they got a XM radio,,,dont understand anything they do now.....bob

[Apple dog]

My first ride was in a DM 600 triaxle when I was 4. I remember it had 3 sticks in it. A few years later my uncle got an R model I could still curl up on the floor and go to sleep. I can still remember going to coal mines in West Virginia with rock dust. When I started to drive I started in an R model (which I'm in the process of buying now. I drove it 20 years ago.) I guess once a Mack gets in your blood it stays there. I drive a KW every day but I will never give up my R model Mack. To many memories.

[JTFormula]

I throw in my .02 cents as a relitive outsider to the truck thing. I always like the look of the B models. I dont know when I started to like them but probably when my uncle got me a membership to the ATHS when I was in my early or mid teens. Now I am 40 and working on actually buying one. I always though Mack's were tough sons of b*tchs and kings of the trucking world. I see some form of Mack truck everywhere and I never thought twice about it. I do have to admit, I like the styling of a 379 but it seems that Pete owners are the pretty boys looking for a place to install another 50 led lights under their truck where the Mack owners are more of the down to earth hard worker who don't flaunt. I don't know if that's a valid observation in the real world but that's my perception.

One thing that is a hard fact is everyone on this site are good people willing to help out and give a hand and advice without question. Because of this Mack's are the brand in the world.

[mackniac]

Hi !

here is my 02. cents . ALL truck a good (all depends on what you want to do with it ) but unfortunatly for them Mack was best and still very good !! I say WAS because today's Mack are a tad bit too much Volvorised , I'm not saying Volvo is not good but thay should have kept Mack as a separate bread of truck , you don't cross bread a Bulldog with chihuahua !! .

Going beside Mack in your life is like to going beside sex !!

And yes many newcomers to the truck world don't know anything about Mack but as north American we need to know that KW's and Pete's are not sh**t truck either they are very well built and they are strong and reliable , but as I stated earlier Mack is BEST ,

[daveigou]

I like Pedrobilts Peterbilts, every time I see some thing like this, I'm so glad the guy didn't do it to a Mack!!!!!

Thank you for choosing Peterbilt!

When I was selling Macks, and a customer asked me what kind of truck I would buy, I always told them it depended on what the reason was they wanted a truck - if it was to make money, then buy a Mack, but if it was for some other purpose, then buy something else.

[slpwlker]

I think it looks interesting. But now the trans? Looks like a 13 speed mated to the back of a super 10. Unless I just can't see the flip switch on the front of the grey knobed shifter. The seat bases ehh as I'm not into purple to much. or checker board. I do like the shifters. Doors are unique.

[rick harper]

The two most overated things in this world are young women and Peterbilt trucks. Like I have said in the past they have never built the whole truck.

[vision386]

if Petes are so damn great,why do all the "big rigger" drivers sit on the floor and put on those big stupid looking visors so nobody can see them??Hell,alot of them even take the emblems off the hood.I've driven a couple 352's,a 362,a 359,a 377 and a 379.I was never the least bit impressed.I told each trucks owner they'd never ,ever have to worry about me wanting to borrow their truck.

Well said Mike! i for one sure agree!................................................Mark

[41chevy]

I look at the thing with the purple and chain shifter and all I hear is "bring in the Clowns".

When I hear the lines about Macks being crap, I ask one question..."Ever drive one?" Usually the answer is nope. "So How do you know they are?" Followed by silence or "because they are."

Remember the saying, Better my sister in a whore house than my brother in a Pitabilt. Paul

[vision386]

Just for the record,NO other truck maker has the following Mack trucks has,hence this website and the like-minded people on here,there is a reason Macks are legendary,the biggest majority of this country was built by Mack trucks,thats a fact,pure and simple. EVERBODY knows the expression "Built like a Mack Truck" ever hear anybody say "built like a peterbilt"? i have'nt. Mack is a staple,a brandname,known throughout the world as "THE" truck to have when a job needs to be done,look around at how many vocational trucks you see on a daily basis,and how many are Macks,how many are "brand-x" when's the last time your buddies saw a 25 year old pete in daily use? look around at Kentucky,see how many petes are hauling coal,how many serious wrecker outfits are running petes? exactly where is the pete museum/welcome center? where is their website? how many members have they got? why don't our Austrailian friends use them if there so damn good? tough situations warrant a tough truck,and paccar DOES'NT build them! Mack does,and hopefully always will. We (this group) are all here for the same reason (most of us anyway) its a belief and fellowship in a damn good product,second to none,both now,and historically, how many pete owners can say that?the longest running,best selling truck ever produced was the Mack R-series,has'nt been built for over 20 years now,and not a day goes by where i don't see at least one! in my opinion,there are only two trucks ever built that were even close to Macks in durability/quality,Brockway and Autocar either one i would still recommend even today over anything paccar makes! so no,Mack enthusiasts are here to stay!.................................................Mark

[Mike]

I was hooked on B Models since I was 4 or 5 and it was a neighbor truck driver that drove for Pulaski Hiway Express in Tennessee that allowed me to sit in his rig back in the late 50's. I'm glad I can be a part of the Revolution of Mack people. And I hope I can find pistons so I can finish this Mack in it's original configuation.

Live On Mack!

mike

[David]

I look at the thing with the purple and chain shifter and all I hear is "bring in the Clowns".

When I hear the lines about Macks being crap, I ask one question..."Ever drive one?" Usually the answer is nope. "So How do you know they are?" Followed by silence or "because they are."

Remember the saying, Better my sister in a whore house than my brother in a Pitabilt. Paul

Better yet, ask if they have ever owned one. Reminds me of the old guy that told me "I've never lost money on a truck, just drivers".

[David]

You could not have said it any better Vinny. I can't understand how these guys can compare a pete or kw to a Mack, just look at the Mack suspension.

Not to change the subject Vinny, I bought another Mack B81 from a guy who has 5 Autocars for sale. That 17 y/o from NJ who sold his B61 cheap on ebay, we was looking for an Autocar I think, have him get ahold of me if you chat with him, Thanks, Paul

Paul, Can you give us any info on the Autocars?