Gus #9 1946 The Road to Life Once Again

[TDBach]

The Irony in this old truck: (My family is stunned..that's all I can say).  

Ready for this: 

#1: Gus was originally parked in the woods in September of 1971 for good (or so we thought).  Exact date unknown, but September is the 9th month, and Gus's fleet number was #9. I was born 8 years later...7(1+8) = 7(9)   (Grandma's math ha!)  (Gus is 71 years old this year).  

#2. Gus was removed from the woods on August 14th, 2014 and my grandpa came back from WWII on August 14th in 1946 (arrived in CA).
#3. My great uncle's name was "Robert" and his birthday was August 13th
#4. My birthday was also August 13th
#5. We heard Gus try to start on August 13th 2016 and Gus left for North Dakota for restoration on August 14th 2016
#6. I met my "Robert" on July 15th 2016....The Waubun parade is July 15th 2017...the day we are presenting Gus to grandma.    
#7. The Mack sits exactly 46 miles from the place where she was originally purchased for my great grandpa's fleet. 
#8. The tow truck that hauled Gus out of the woods: The last four digits of the towing company's phone number was "1946" Gus is a 1946
#9. I moved to ND in September for a new job: Start date was September 13th 2016......  9/13/16   (Gus was parked in September...and the number 13 keeps coming up!). 

#10. I changed my phone number after I moved to ND, and the first digits of my phone number are 337-67....If you look at the picture of the cab after we started restoration the numbers on the back of the cab say: EGX 3376....ironic?    The cab was broken down in December...my number was changed in September!  

#11.  My great grandpa August (Gus) was born on January 9th....1/9    In the Mack Fleet Picture...my grandpa drove truck #1 and Gus's number is 9....
#12. My grandma's birthday is also Jan 9th  1/9
#13.  After we brought the Mack out to ND, I stopped to get gas at a Cenex in Devil's Lake, and found a penny....the year was 1980....the year my Robert was born.  I kept it! 
#14.  We could not find the key to the Mack's original ignition...so we went to the hardware store in Garrison, and found a key that would  somewhat fit...there were only 9 of those keys left...so Robert didn't want to jinx anything and bought the entire set.  Robert was able to key the first one on the first try =1/9. 
#15.  My grandpa died November 1st 2009     11/1/2009
#16.  My great grandpa Arnold (his dad) was born on November 1st   (All public record!). 

So as my grandma sits and comes up with the ironic nature of old Gus...it often makes a person wonder if it was meant to be....thoughts?  

Tracy  

 

 

[Timmyb]

First of all, I just wanna say it's a great thing your doing for your grandmother, and for preservation of another old Mack. 

But to say it was meant to be, is implying some sort of fate. And that would be selling yourself a bit short. You've made a conscious decision to do a good deed for your grandmother and to restore a classic old truck. 

Its part selfless act, it shows your not afraid of hard work, you love old iron (and your grandma) and that's a badge you should wear with pride.  

So keep up the good work.

 

[41chevy]

31 minutes ago, Timmyb said:

First of all, I just wanna say it's a great thing your doing for your grandmother, and for preservation of another old Mack. 

But to say it was meant to be, is implying some sort of fate. And that would be selling yourself a bit short. You've made a conscious decision to do a good deed for your grandmother and to restore a classic old truck. 

Its part selfless act, it shows your not afraid of hard work, you love old iron (and your grandma) and that's a badge you should wear with pride.  

So keep up the good work.

 

That says it all!!

 

[TDBach]

Progress!  

Friday I finished building and installing the interior..after a serious fight with headliner glue.. I got it done. Dome light, gauges, door trim.. all finished! 

Charge air cooler brackets still have to be made, and drive shaft adapters were machined last night.  Still have wiring and some painting to do but she's almost done!  

Gus #9 has had over 30 onsite visitors who keep stopping by to monitor the progress!  Almost ready for our test drive!!! 

I tried to post pictures but it won't let me post them.  

Have a good day everyone! 

Ms. Tracy D.

[TDBach]

[TDBach]

[41chevy]

Those are nice gauges They look period. Speedometer mechanical or electronic?.

Nice work doing the head liner and panels.    Paul

[Timmyb]

I especially like the all-in-one gauge. Saves cutting lots of holes in the dash. 

[TDBach]

The gauges are mechanical, and I had to go with cheaper ones. The ones I wanted that were even more like the old Mack gauges were about 1000.00.  Since we had no patterns for anything it was a lot of measuring etc. but it turned out great.  The steering wheel has been wrapped in buffalo leather with braided trim.. its really starting to come together!   I just got Insurance on it today through Hagerty Insurance, and Dan was awesome!  It was really tough to find someone who would insure this truck.  Moving along!  Getting closer to our drive date! 

 

[TDBach]

We are on the countdown!  We only have 9 weekends left until grandma gets to see old Gus rolling down the driveway on her own!  We only have a few items left to finish before her first test drive: 

Mount Charge-Air Cooler and Trans oil cooler, 
Throttle and Linkage
Brake Booster reassembly and test (This is a challenge)
Wiring
Paint fenders, hood, and grill after final test fit

Interior is finished!  Trimmed in leather and old twine string.  

 

What a journey!  

Ms. Tracy D. 

[Mike]

It all looks good. I even like the heater in the ceiling, with the hat on. Gus is All American.Thanks for showing, OH! and the gauges look good to.

[1958 F.W.D.]

Wow. If at all possible you guys need to bring this to the ATCA Annual Father's Day Truck Show (the largest annual truck show) in Macungie Pa. and if not to Macungie then to the Mack Trucks Historical Museum "TRUCKTOBERFEST!" on October 21. 

[TDBach]

So I'm getting nervous as old Gus #9 will get her first mile test drive this weekend on her own after sitting over 40 years.  Emotions are running high as I dearly wish my great grandpa and grandpa could be here ... although I know they are watching.   I don't know what it is about old trucks but I feel like I have to save them all.. I'm going to buy the old 47 mack in mn to add to my own collection.. now that I kinda know what I'm doing!  I got a gooseneck trailer that I'm going to paint the same color as old Gus so she can haul my first tractor.. a 17-28 1928 twin city tractor to Rollag, Makoti, New Rockford and other threshing shows this summer.  She will be quite the sight!  Everyone keeps telling me to only drive Gus in parades but I'm stubborn.. I'll just leave a few days early for each show as her max speed is set at 45mph. Sometimes a slow speed on a wide open country road is what the soul needs!  Hopefully all goes well this weekend! 

I will post pictures and videos if we are successful!  We are having to rebuild the old brake booster so I hope all goes well! 

Ms Tracy D 

[TDBach]

On 4/28/2017 at 2:52 PM, Mike said:

It all looks good. I even like the heater in the ceiling, with the hat on. Gus is All American.Thanks for showing, OH! and the gauges look good to.

This is funny!  That old topless Victorian woman with her hat on in the background... I forgot about her! She's been there for years I guess ha!  

[Mike]

On 5/5/2017 at 11:04 PM, TDBach said:

This is funny!  That old topless Victorian woman with her hat on in the background... I forgot about her! She's been there for years I guess ha!  

It's alright, Don't get a chance to see ladies with hats on . Ha.

[TDBach]

Pray for this country and our Veterans as idiots are removing statues of leaders of American history...what has this country become?  Do these folks not understand what it means to live in the land of the free...or home of the brave ?  Hang on to your history books... as it appears some are wiping it off the face of the earth... very sad.  

[tjc transport]

well look at it this way. once the idiots remove all statues and mention of the civil war, we can then tell them to go pound salt because slavery never happened when they come looking for reparations. 

[Mike]

19 hours ago, TDBach said:

Pray for this country and our Veterans as idiots are removing statues of leaders of American history...what has this country become?  Do these folks not understand what it means to live in the land of the free...or home of the brave ?  Hang on to your history books... as it appears some are wiping it off the face of the earth... very sad.  

Yes and I'm totally upset about it. We members of Sons Of Confederate Veterans spend big money to protect the correct history of these men and their families. If it had been wrong then I'm sure the north would have been opposed to it years ago. I don't feel it is the flag or statues as much as it is to when they look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. I think of slavery every time I go outside or watch tv, now that they are in everything.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/02/11/once-again-racism-rears-sons-confederate-veterans

[TDBach]

I'm not saying that slavery wasn't an issue... but it is history and we learn from the past.. or we should anyways...this country has to move forward or we are in trouble...therefore we treasure our history to ensure future generations are moving forward and become better... but that is not the case any more...respect is earned by how you represent yourself and treat others.. we should not demand respect.  Give way to the selfish.. entitled.. spoiled non working brats.. mooching has become a norm.. we are not supposed to have our parents take care of us in every mean forever.. instead we are supposed to take care of our parents.. frankly I'm glad it's farming season.. keeps the exposure to human BS to a minimum...I'd rather sit in a tractor for twelve hours a day than continue to watch the crap on the news.  It's like watching a third grade fight of "who broke my cookie.. I want a new cookie.. for free"  sickening.  Didn't the old Roman Empire end this way?  Oh wait.. they tried to abolish history and look where it got them!  

[grayhair]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

Yes and I'm totally upset about it. We members of Sons Of Confederate Veterans spend big money to protect the correct history of these men and their families. If it had been wrong then I'm sure the north would have been opposed to it years ago. I don't feel it is the flag or statues as much as it is to when they look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. I think of slavery every time I go outside or watch tv, now that they are in everything.

For those of you that have interest in the U.S. Civil War history, here attached is an interesting paper about our beloved song Battle Hymn of the Republic and the oft-maligned song Dixie.  I found it to be fascinating.

Understanding “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” Abbeville Institute.mht

Edited May 21, 2017 by grayhair

[TeamsterGrrrl]

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2004/ideologues

[41chevy]

22 hours ago, Mike said:

Yes and I'm totally upset about it. We members of Sons Of Confederate Veterans spend big money to protect the correct history of these men and their families. If it had been wrong then I'm sure the north would have been opposed to it years ago. I don't feel it is the flag or statues as much as it is to when they look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. I think of slavery every time I go outside or watch tv, now that they are in everything.

That's what happens in a liberal world.

I wonder how many of those people realize over 5000 blacks fought on the side of the CSA and 3200 were slave owners them selves. Quite a few are in the Sons of the Confederacy too.  War is dirty and the liberals don't want to know about that. In Vietnam I led over 100 Zippo raids on villages.In the 1973 War in the Sinai my unit left scorched earth on the way back including many Egyptians. There is a memorial to them  it is not offensive, it is part of history  Remember both sides have a right to honor, not just the "winner".

 

[Underdog]

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/02/11/once-again-racism-rears-sons-confederate-veterans

Interesting how in your linked article, the part about blacks and REPUBLICANS not being able to vote... Remember through history, Democrats have mostly been on the wrong side of history. Most civil rights advances come about through Republican actions and conservative free market ideas. People of all creeds need opportunity and consequences, not advantages.

 

 

[TeamsterGrrrl]

Until about a century ago, republicans were the party of equal opportunity for blacks. That alignment has now shifted 180 degrees... Notice how the south has turned mostly republican?