mattb73lt

I hope you feel better. This one operates differently than the one on the B42. That one is a Chevron body that has fixed pistons to the frame. You can unlock the body, raise it and drive around to reposition to hook a load up. This one you put the landing gear down, then run the body out and then raise and lower it with the landing gear. That's really the main difference. Other than that they operate the same. The body is repainted black and will remain so. One, it's a lot cheaper to repair or repaint it black vs red.

The truck grew 6+ feet in length, today. Added both upper and lower lifting frames and all three hydraulic pistons. Lots to hook up and connect. But, edging closer to adding the deck onto it, pretty soon.

There's actually a few extra inches between the cab and the head board, for the stack and more importantly a condenser for air conditioning (in the future).

Damn, now you’re making me second guess what I did?? I had to go out and remeasure everything to double check and draw it up to be certain.Thanks by the way! So the axle does sit close to the center of the bed, 12’8” forward and 11’4” in the rear. What you’re probably not accounting for are the two under body frames that raise and lower the deck. In the upper photo, they’re blocked by the torch set. The lower frame extends out from the end of the truck frame about 6’4”. From there, there’s only 1’10” of over hang at the tail end. The lower frame presses on the ground to raise/lower the deck, stabilizes the deck at loading docks and is also a rear bumper (Mansfield bar).

That's a heavy spec Tractor!! I've seen Anthony equipment around, just can't place them at the moment. RT 22, somewhere in the New Haven-Branford area.

Looking good!!

I was going to suggest the same thing. It would stand to reason that if they were built here and shipped to Australia, that some sort of record would exist. If the were built in Australia, then they might be there, also.

No worries, it’s all good.

The fire truck forums here should be helpful. Joining SPAAMFA could also be a good resource for obtaining parts and fire equipment. Easiest solution would be to find a good running takeout to replace it. Rebuilding can get very expensive, depending on the work involved to bring it back. Be prepared for some significant payout of resources to get it back into an operational state.

It’s always darkest before the dawn. Keep at it and once you start fixing things and laying on some primer to make it one color it’ll start looking like something! At least it runs moves and is mostly complete. You’ll turn the corner soon.

And I’ll say this, I feel blessed surviving what I’ve done and now enjoying the fruits of my labors. Three combat tours and 21 years as a state trooper. Five years away from home from 2003 to 2013. I’m just so glad I’m able to do what I want and fixing up this truck up as I want. A bunch of people I served with never had this opportunity to enjoy what they earned.

All of the WWII vets I know are gone. My Godfather was a LST captain in Europe and the Pacific theater and my neighbor was a Marine vet from Iwo Jima and later the Chosin Reservoir. The Viet Nam vets I’m most close to, as I learned to fly from them when I was a kid fresh out of flight school. We’re all retired now and we meet up monthly for coffee once a month on a Sunday to chat. But, they too are fading away.

The LED’s are so small now. I can easily hide them at the top of the rack in the screened area, front and back. I might mount some additional rear stops and turns on the back side. Nothing crazy and sort of unobtrusive.

Thanks. But it'll be a while before I get tired of driving this one, then we'd have to duke it out before I give it up(LOL)!!

I'm going to add some work lights to it for the deck and some underneath the body for backing up. I'll probably add some LED warning lights at some point, too. The winch mounts into the deck, up front below the head board, like most roll backs.

Utilizing my amateur woodworking skills today. Ripped down the oak for the frame rail strips. Drilled and countersunk all the holes for mounting and now treating the wood with preservative. I’ll give them a few coats before I mount them. Ordered up some parts from Jerr-Dan for the sliding pads and some hydraulic line protector for the winch lines. Mocked up a NOS control box I found to replace the crusty one where the valve body mounts. Ordered more hardware to attach all the bed bed mounts and guides. All the new hydraulic lines should be back next week. And…. Busy day getting a lot of things ready for the bed. Thinking I might make Gerhart’s this year(maybe)!!

Well, that was fast. Thought deck would be done towards the end of next week from what I was told when I set this up. Got a call this morning that it was done and ready for pickup. Jumped through my ass and got the B42 up to Torrington by 11:00, loaded and headed back to the house by 12:00. Glad I shopped this out. I don’t think I could’ve done it cheaper by myself, plus the mess of sandblasting. They guy I dealt with said it took 6 gallons of paint to cover it. It’s done now I’ve got to hustle it up and get it mounted. Painted all the mounts and guides for the frame, today. I have the oak for the frame top, where the bed slides and rests on. All my hydraulic hoses should be headed out to be fabricated tomorrow or Friday. Lots to do and source, but it’s coming together pretty quick at the moment.

This is the Saturday Evening Post cover from 1943 that this car replicates and a recent photo the department did as a tribute.

Again Dean, my condolences. Very tough to lose a friend of that long. Sounds like he was very talented and that's an amazing truck he built. Enjoy those close to you and what you have.

It is real close, it was a very short wheelbase. I have some pictures of the back, but I’ve never digitized them.

It had the shortest factory wheel base, fixed fifth wheel. The person I bought it from put a tandem setup in it and added 8” to the frame for the air tank.

So pissed I missed this show, it's one of my favorites. One of the few where it's almost equal distance for my brother and I to meet up, like Brooklyn. I wish it moved back to the Fall, it's a lot easier for me to attend. This weekend is flat out for work, every year.

Steel or aluminum? Are they not still available from Mack. I bought two aluminum ones complete from Mack around 2005. But that was a while ago. And the was definitely Doug Fetterly. I have his number if you can't find it?

No, I have to work Saturday and Sunday, now. Big weekend at work.

Picked up the deck this morning and dropped it at O&G in Torrington for blasting and paint. The manager actually set me up with another party they do business with and had a much better price for the work. Should have it back in about a week or so. Then went to Atlantic Trailer and ordered the wood, 17-16'X7" boards should cover the deck. 860 fasteners, six drill bits/counter sinks/drive bits, also ordered to install it. I'll head back over in the morning to pick everything up with the B42. It had a big work out today running stuff around. Interesting how different the two trucks are. The B42, smooth, quiet, easy shifting. The B73, harsh, loud and rough. A lot of the roughness will go away with the body mounted, the harshness will go away as things wear in. And while I love the loud bark of the Cummins and Jake, it'll get a decent muffler in the future. Another day of gathering things up and logistics.