Do You Think Mack Will Ever Again Build a Truck Like This 2020 C500?

[james j neiweem]

Brian 71583; Brian you say ' Don't complain, they won't build what they won't buy. They won't buy because they don't offer a big bore engine. Also they don't promote heavy haul in their marketing tool bag (website sales brochures etc.) so most prospective buyers don't even consider Mack.

It's a Volvo problem.

[kscarbel2]

25 minutes ago, Bullheaded said:

Cause I'm old school and I like steel hoods, LOL.

 

Within reason, sell the customer what they want. 

Listen to the customer! (And not just the major fleets!)

[Bullheaded]

Sure steel can crack around the mounting bolt holes, but I find they stand up better off road. The edges of the fenders don't get chewed off where they rub like the fiberglass and plastic ones do. And the grills are tougher.

[TS7]

Nothing fights rust like a good steel hood and fenders.

[Bullheaded]

41 minutes ago, TS7 said:

Nothing fights rust like a good steel hood and fenders.

Oh well. Everyone has their preferences. Just like how I buy steel Kubota tractors and not plastic Deeres.

Steel hoods on off road trucks don't get all the spider web cracking all over the fenders from the stones coming off the tires. It cost me $4000 to have a hood painted here and have it rubber lined underneath to try and stop the spider webbing.

[TS7]

I would like to see a Granite with a steel hood and fenders like a B-81.

[m16ty]

I just love the looks of a steel hood. IMO, the C500 is the best looking modern truck on the market.

[louisgbone]

Mack will only do what Volvo will allow them to do.

[Bullheaded]

Now that Western Star has turned the 4900 into a Freightliner Columbia and also the 4700........I wonder how long before the 6900XD gets turned into a plastic Freightliner?

 

[louisgbone]

Mack will only do what Volvo will allow them to do.

[louisgbone]

Bullhead.- There are many reasons for a  100ton+ logging truck to use a steel hood #1 the constant pounding that the logging roads did to a truck

a fiberglass hood could never endure this.#2 w when You needed to remove a hood to remove an engine steel hood was easier to remove.

#3 if You have an old truck where the original hood was no longer available You could fabricate new hood panels in a sheet metal shop.

#4 I have seen where logging companies have ran the exhaust systems outside the hood and out the front fenders eliminating the hood side panels.

there is one exception here on a kenworth model  LW the hood side panels were fiberglass and so were the front fenders.

[Miami Cossack]

On 11/10/2019 at 7:37 AM, Bullheaded said:

Oh well. Everyone has their preferences. Just like how I buy steel Kubota tractors and not plastic Deeres.

Steel hoods on off road trucks don't get all the spider web cracking all over the fenders from the stones coming off the tires. It cost me $4000 to have a hood painted here and have it rubber lined underneath to try and stop the spider webbing.

I deal in a lot of RV's and class 6-8 of all kinds and see so much of the fiberglass, aluminum and composite. Even the really cheap Chinese steel, and none of it holds up even on gently driven senior owned RV's like regular old cold rolled steel. And the stuff that actually gets worked or corrodes (I'm coastal) is horrible. The aluminum rots really fast with the high humidity and salt air even in low stress environments, you just may not notice it right away. Aluminum trailers are the worst. They seem to look nice until they crack all to hell then you scrap them when they are barely dirty. It still comes down to personal preference and local issues. Some swear by fiberglass. I can fix any of it, that doesn't mean I want to, or that it will be even close to affordable even at some kind of discount. Look at old Corvettes as they age and the fiberglass slowly starts shrinking and popping. All you can do is keep "restoring" them and they look wavy under good lighting unless you can put a ton of money into them every few years. Look down the side of an older one. It's not bad body work, not usually. Fiberglass shrinks and shifts. Van running boards and RV side panels. Dump them when they are 3 years old or buckle up!

[tompands]

I used to live in Allentown/ Macungie PA area, never worked for MACK, but knew a lot of people that did. I bet you a good 40% of the population worked for Mack. They had warehouses all over Allentown, the 2 huge plants in Macungie, and who knows what else they had in the area. They had it going on, back in the day.  When Mack sold out, everyone was devastated. They all knew what it was going to turn into. I remember riding down the highway and looking over at the plant, they would have R model cabs stacked 6 high, 40 wide, 20 rows deep. All the same cab.  Everything back then got a R model cab. The R model itself, the U model, the DM's , which is what I used to plow snow with.  A twin stick DM mack, I loved driving them trucks.  I haven't been up there in 30 years but I'm sure it's all different now.

[louisgbone]

J  anytime You think Volvo is the bad guy just remember this if Volvo had not bought Renault which had control of Mack Mack  would not exist today

it was Volvo's money that kept Mack in business without Volvo Mack would have been auctioned off for penny's on the dollar.

[james j neiweem]

Who was at the helm during Mack's demise? Signal acquisition was the start. Paccar came through the tough times, why didn't Mack? Spread too thin like White and IH?

[louisgbone]

J during Mack's demise Renault was at the helm. Before that signal sold out most of their shares to Renault. During Renault's

reign sales of Mack Trucks were at rock bottom Renault was going broke Volvo bought the Truck division of Renault 

Volvo saved the day for Mack if not for Volvo Mack would not exist today I think everyone should remember that fact

before You go around bad mouthing Volvo. 

[mrsmackpaul]

6 hours ago, louisgbone said:

J during Mack's demise Renault was at the helm. Before that signal sold out most of their shares to Renault. During Renault's

reign sales of Mack Trucks were at rock bottom Renault was going broke Volvo bought the Truck division of Renault 

Volvo saved the day for Mack if not for Volvo Mack would not exist today I think everyone should remember that fact

before You go around bad mouthing Volvo. 

I have said this style of thing many times on here and on a Australian truck forum

It might not be a perfect situation but the brand is still going and despite some carry on Mack in Australia at least stocks plenty of old Mack parts

They (Mack Australia dealers) tell me as long as people keep buying old parts Volvo will keep making them

Dunno how true that is but it makes sense if you think about 

So it is up to all of us to support Mack because if we don't we will end up with nothing and only have our selves to blame

Or at least thats how I see it 

Paul