mattb73lt

'27 Fordor

Current pics of it in storage. The cab is going to be the hardest part as it has the most issues. Engine is ready for paint. Transmission is rebuilt. Now just to get started.

I'll try to scan them. It's an old Polaroid that's kinda fuzzy/faded.

OK, so the find story. Back then I was a Trooper assigned to the Aviation Unit, I've retired since. We had three Cessna 182's we did various things with, including marijuana eradication. Our Narcotics Unit had found a grow in the Northwestern part of the state and set up on to try an catch the guy growing it as it was on public land. Days go by and they catch the guy tending his grow on a Sunday.. I got called out to pick up another Trooper as a spotter that afternoon because they want to make sure they cut it all down and there aren't anymore hidden grows. We get there and the ground guys are nowhere near ready to go in the woods to start. We have some time to kill so we do some sight seeing around a local lake. On the far side of it I spot a junkyard. I was always on the hunt for rusty metal back then and knew just about where every derelict truck was due to the job. we head over there and make a pass. I was disappointed because it was all modern cars and of no value to me. As we pull off, I turn left and see a contractor's yard with some trucks. As we pass over I spot on the edge of the woods a bunch of dead trucks. One of which gets my interest but I can't make it out because it has no hood or radiator. I come around again dropping some flaps to slow down and decending for a better look. After a few passes I'm pretty sure I struck gold and have some find of a B-70 series with an L cab. The guys were ready now to do the eradication, so we go back there. I made a note of what town it was in and how to get there. Monday I go to work and I'm trying to find out who's yard it was and how do I contact the owner. A friend of mine was the Resident Trooper in that town so I call him up. One of his Officers knows the owner, gives me his name, number and says he's a real nice guy and to just call him. I do and arrange to meet with him the next weekend. I do and he says a guy was out last year and wanted the tanks off it, but told him the whole thing goes as he didn't want to break it up. He never came back. So now I know he'll part with it, I just don't know what he'll take for it. So I ask him, bottom line what'll you take for it( I hate negotiating). He say's, same as the last guy.....$1800. I almost fainted, here was the B Model I was always hunting for and minus the engine was complete and unmolested. I couldn't get the word sold out of my mouth fast enough. That's how I came to own this B-73. As a side note- I researched the truck and got the build records from the Mack Museum. In there was the original owners name and the town he lived in. Around 2004 I searched the phone book and came across the same name, slightly different address. Out of the blue I call the number and a gentleman answers. I explain who I am and the truck I have and that I was looking for it's original owner. He says hold on and hands the phone to his father and says you need to talk to this guy. It's the original owner, 46 years later!!! He gets all excited that the truck is still around. I make arrangements for him to come see it at my house. He was about 83 or so and had a HUGE smile on his face the whole time. He gave me a few pictures of the truck when he owned it and had it all pinstriped up. As he was leaving he turns to and says, " Thank you so much, you made an old man's day" .

Yeah, Damn near killed myself spotting it. The give away was the windshield frames and headlight panels. Didn't have the hood or radiator on it, so the form was hard to recognize.

Been sitting on this since I found it back in Aug '98. It was missing the engine, the owner took it out and put it in a B-81. It was rough but all there, including the radiator and hood. It has a double-over Triplex in it with a clutch brake. The cab was the worst part with the typical L Model issues and rust, but fixable. It was converted to a tandem with a set of R Model axles. The owner kept the original axle though and it came with the truck. This was always my favorite B Model set up, cab, radiator and fuel tanks. Just loved the lines and stumbled upon this one only by luck. I had nowhere to store it as a complete truck, so I disassembled it and stored it around the inside of my barn since then to preserve it until I got to it. Collected up what was missing, to include a pretty fresh NH-220 to replace the missing one. Found a roll-back equipment body/deck for it to haul my toys around. Been picking away at various parts of it when time permits and finally getting to it. It's going to get a frame stretch for the roll-back, Budd hubs for polished ALCOA rims, polished tanks and radiator and original red paint. With luck and perserverance it should'nt take as long as I've had it stored.

Underdog, thank you for reposting that story. You're very lucky and hopefully have recovered well. When you originally posted that story it gave me shivers, wow!! Sometimes we don't think this hobby can be dangerous, but every once and a while it does bite. Because of your incident my truck has all new rims and tires. Again, thank you and I wish you well!!

I'm sure and nothing has changed. In CT the requirement for a CDL rests with how the vehicle is registered. Commercial plates/ weights set the requirement for it. If the vehicle(truck) is registered as a now Classic Vehicle (used to be Early American plate) and is not used for commercial purposes there is no requirement for a CDL and weight class doesn't apply. Aditionally, as long as you're carrying your own property the same would apply. Trailers seem to be a grey area as there is no Classic tag for them, just Commercial and Camp Trailer. I couldn't get clarity on this area, but I wouldn't think you'd have issues as long as it was your property. The Classic plate here is essentionally an antique passenger plate with no commercial purpose. Think Combination/Commercial for reimbursement/pay purposes. Issues you can have are if you appear to be doing commercial things with a Classic plate you will be subject to further inquiries/inspections/licences. Equipment violations will still stand. Tires, lights, hazardous conditions would be the same as in any vehicle. Theoretically, you could spec out a brand new dump truck, buy it, register it as a Passenger vehicle and use it as a daily driver/ grocery getter and no CDL would be required, as long as it was for personal use. Hopefully, this helps a little.

I'm double checking right now. But that was the case, unless something changed recently. Also, if below 26,001#'s, no requirement.

Casey, Contact me anytime. Looks like a good starting point with that truck. It'll be slow, though, with that 402. Mine started off that way, but with a Duplex. It was about a 50 MPH truck.

It is a shame he now is ill. His military background was very good and we need people with character and those skills today. However, his Presidential career was lacking and he always seemed out of his element, even naive on the world scene. I believe his greatest successes were in his post-Presidential years, electoral monitoring in South and Central America, humanitarian efforts worldwide, peace agreements in the middle east, that still stand today. History will judge what he is remembered most for.

CaseyB42, I have mine registered as a classic with antique insurance. No issues with it or putting your name on it. It's for non-commercial purposes and only hauling my stuff. No CDL required due to the registration. I do have a placard on the body, "Not For Hire" to lesson any out ouf state issues. Have only been stopped once in twenty years by a CT DMV inspector who had no idea what he was doing.

B-43 had a derated END-673 at 150 HP, if my memory is correct.

Nothing new or mysterious about it at all. FBI and law enforcement has been doing this for decades. If you're not doing anything illegal, you don't have much to worry about. Drones, well that's something new and still not defined much. As long as the aircraft is within legal airspace, anything that can be seen can be searched visually. How do you think Pot is found from the air? This news flash makes me laugh, like Big Brother just went out and bought this "secret air force" last week and is using it against the public like we through away the Constitution. POTUS may disregard it, but law enforcement is bound by it. A very valuable tool in catching people none of us want living next to us. The reason for the ficticious businesses is too protect the operation from counter-surviellance, anyone who gets a registration or "N" number can google it and find out who owns it. Big deal. Bottom line is they're catching the people who need to be caught. If you're worried or paranoid that there's some kind of new conspiracy afoot, then worry and be paranoid.

Very Nice, Great job!!!!

Could that first one be a B-81 series re-cabbed with a R model one?

Very nice!! Really starting to shapeup.

It outclasses all the others by a wide margin

Maybe if it was restored and re powered. I agree with the others around $2000. I payed $1600 for mine as a rust free B-42 cab and chassis. Then repowered the whole thing. The 237/5 speed mentioned would be perfect way to go and a good price mentioned above. That guy needs to stop smoking whatever he has been. That frame is predrilled for diesel mounts and front crossmember by the way.

Interesting. Like the color combo, what year? I have a '60 B-73 L-cab and it has the standard B metallic green paint from the factory.

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Interesting. Like the color combo, what year? I have a '60 B-73 L-cab and it has the standard B metallic green paint from the factory.

That truck was assigned to Emergency Services with the State Police. We used it to haul a bomb trailer and a self contained shooting range for Corrections around the state to various locations. I was assigned on numerous occations to move the trailer around as no one could drive it. Trailer was a two lane shooting house that was all armored up and I believe it weighed around 60K #'s +, HEAVY!!. It was painful trying to teach people how to drive it, I would have fired them if it was my truck. I was told the state bought it used as a Hertz lease truck, painted it blue from white. Wasn't used a great deal by ESU and looks like it went to State Surplus before DOT. And a better home, DOT takes pretty good care of their equipment.

Military Wrecker that was in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan with some Australian troops

Maddog 13407, I was told I would need a double reduction axle (RAD series) for that chuck or need to modify the original. I bought it with the axles and they did have the cones. Pulled the axles and carrier from the housing and compared everything closely for fit. The original axles had the cones, so I reused them as they were in better shape. As for the carriers, all the mounting areas were identical. there are four pads on both carriers in the back that are drawn into a ring internal to the axle housing for support.. The major difference was the external areas to house the extra set of gears, making the double reduction housing longer and requiring driveshaft shortening. My original engine was a END-673 and was upgraded a few years ago to a 237. The whole truck has been together for 15 years and I have never had any rear end issues with numerous cross country trips with various weights on it. It is possible to do that swap. If his truck was always diesel it will probably have the double reduction housing to start with.