harrybarbon

International Harvester Co (IHC) developed the Comfo-vision cabin styling in 1948 most likely at Fort Wayne Indiana. They were in house designs and they produced scale clay models. Due to WW11 restrictions on in house designs, this meant that IHC and other vehicle manufacturers were short on design staff and so had to use outside independent design and engineering firms to add to their design teams capacity. The firm of Ornas and Labarr, Detroit, was asked to improve the Comfo-vision cab design. It also possible that the industrial design firm of Raymond Loewy had an involvement in the design improvement of the Comfo-vision cabin, because Raymond's firm was another call in for additional design work on the L model. In 1949 the Comfo-vision cab was first produced by IHC for the L model series at Fort Wayne. It had a split rear window and the external door handles were a push button style, virtually the same as the Mack R model cabs. The Diamond T Comfo-vision cabs bought from IHC under licence had the same push button external door handles. The Comfo-vision cab was sent to Springfield, Ohio and Emmeryville California for the IHC models built at those plants and also the IHC plant in Canada. Diamond T commenced using the IHC Comfo-vision cabins possibly from early 1950 or even 1949. In 1953, Ornas and Labarre with the help of some moonlighting General Motors stylists redesigned the L model to create the R model with the same Comfo-vision cab. They produced a full sized clay model for approval. In 1953 IHC hired Ted Ornas as chief of styling, Ornas and Labaree closed their Detroit offices and moved into IHC Fort Wayne to work. In 1955, Ornas redesigned the R model series and introduced the S series model, with the same Comfo-vision cabin. Ornas made changes to the Comfo-vision cabin, being a larger one piece rear window and larger door windows (lowering the door where the window starts), I don't recall any mention of making the cabin deeper, but that may have been possible. I did own a 1965 R model so I might see from old pictures if the cab was deeper. IHC manufactured the Comfo-vision cab for the L, R & S series and the variation models at Fort Wayne and maybe at Springfield as well. I cannot find any information if the cab was manufactured in Emeryville, but it was possible because the IHC Emmeryville series with the Comfo-vision cab was produced only at Emmeryville, if not the cabs were shipped by rail from Fort Wayne to Emmeryville, same as IHC shipped cabs to Canada and from about 1963-1965 to Melbourne, Australia for the R model assembly. Diamond T did manufacture trucks for IHC at its Chicago plant, using the IHC cabs, motors, frames etc because IHC could not keep up production for its sales orders. IHC and most East Coast truck manufactures (Mack, Diamond T, White, Hendricksen etc sent their day cabs plus extra parts to the Orrville Metal Speciality Company, of Orrville Ohio to build their extended sleeper cabins and special builds such as the crew cabs and 1 man narrow cabs for steel and lumber flat bed trays etc. I have posted this information about Orrville a while back. As to the cabs being built at the Chicago Manufacturing Company, I did read from one of my Mack books that Mack and IHC had their B model cabs and the Comfo-vision cabs built at the Chicago Man Co, which I recall was because IHC and Mack could not keep up production in house. I will try find what my books have about this. It is also possible that Chicago Man Co may have manufactured the Comfo-vision cabs for the truck companies that IHC licensed the use of the Comfo-vision cabs, Leyland for Canada, Diamond T, Hendricksen, FDW, the various fire engines manufacturers, etc. IHC fitted the Comfo-vision cab up to 1971 on its M series (oil rigs and heavy duty types) and the F-series, 210 and 230 and possibly a run out thru 1972-73 on special applications, like monster trucks for the Middle East and US oil fields. IHC licensed the use of the Comfo-vision cabs to about 1-12 truck manufacturers, including fire engines. I have seen pictures these fire engines etc that have the Comfo-vision cabs, closed and open styles. From my information the Comfo-vision cabin was used for at least 23-24 years. One bit of information about the Mack B model cab and the IHC Comfo-vision cab is that the door locks are exactly the same, but not the internal and external door handles. I think that the IHC comfo-vision and Mack B model cab door locks were made by the Chicago Manufacturing Company.

It seems then that the Mack E9 and Scania blocks are identical. Scania has continued with its V8 so, given the scarcity of the Mack E9's and parts, then it should be possible to retro fit a Scania V8 as a readily easy and economical as a substitute motor into a Superliner, subject to the electronics etc.

I got the info from the Facebook page, but I apologised because I could not copy the article in 1 page to then post it here. Maybe next time I may improve my computer copying skills 😊

Thanks for the clarification, contrary to the information I read Mack made and fitted the 864 at least to 1968 and more. It would be interesting to find out when Mack stopped producing the 864 and last year an R model or other Macks had the 864 fitted. We had a 1964 B615 without it's 864 because the motor was cooked by the owner, which was common here in Australia for the 864's. We imported a good 864 and sadly we sold the B615 with the imported 864.

Neat truck, appears mostly original, motor is likely 865. Mack stopped making the 864 before this 1968 R model.

Interesting reading, my apology for the pages and sizes, it is what I could do to copy the article I read today.

Example of Doggie secured to the top of the brass radiator cap for the alloy radiators. Only the base of the rear legs are mounted onto the brass cap and Doggie's body sits above the clip securing the cap.

Thanks for the information Vlad. 👍

I know this very well. 12 yrs ago I had stopped first car waiting for lights to change at 1 am one cold night I was in my Toyota Prado to turn left onto a major Melbourne Rd. I saw a Toyota Land Cruiser towing a loaded tandem axle car trailer coming thru the intersection going in the same direction I was turning into, he was doing at about 50 mph and I notice the left rear wheel missing as it passed me. Within 1-2 seconds I heard this massive bang to my right side. The wheel hit my right front door just behind the mirror, smashed the window and bounced off. Had I been 6-10 inches forward it would have hit my right side and head. My fear, shock and adrenaline kicked in so fast, I was chasing the wagon and trailer, I flashed my lights hand on the horn but the bastards speed away. I chased them and they turned into side streets like the movies, I dont know how they didnt roll with the trailer and there were no cars around in the dead of night. I eventually forced them to stop. I went off my head my ex was in the car with a friend they said I was crazy. They were 4towel heads going to clean factories etc doing cleaning jobs. I got their details photo of the car and tralier plates. I reported to the police and I did track down the owner of the business. The police did ZERO. The owner paid all costs to repair and apologised. Karma I found out. About 12 months later I was in the country and I happened to meet a guy I knew, he was the uncle of the owner and he told me that the owners wife and daughter were stopped at pedestrian lights in a country town named Swan Hill, waiting to cross the road, out of nowhere a big truck wheel came flying towards them and just scrapped them. A few inches forward and both would have been dead. I asked my guy to pass on a message to his nephew about Karma, get serious about his vehicle service and the sh..heads he employs.

Agreed. No air ride seats, solid springs, armstrong special steering, bench seat with home pillows, air conditioning was windows wild open, steel cab with no insulation - 120 in summer and ice cold in winter, the cab was the sleeper cab (in the S model KW could barely lay sideways or legs out the window, engine noise was entertainment ............ When my dad got their first Mercedes Benz the 1418 and 1924 conventional cabs late 1960's, it was like stepping into a new world -excellent power steering at slow movement (could turn with 1 finger) and gradually stiffened with higher speed and direct, quieter motors, big cab and cooler (but no air con).

Vlad, with your experience and knowledge do you think some of the mid 1990's and later gearboxes be suitable to retro-fit to the Mack E6 - 2 and 4 valve motors? I know that the 10 and 12 spd preferably overdrive are the natural gearboxes for these motors, but I am thinking of possibilities for a potential Mack project I have in mind.

I might ask Gary Richards ex Mack Aust about this. Lets not forget the Leader trucks in Australia which had the F model copy cab, it was fibreglass.

Dean I can understand the hard ride, my B model was nasty bobtail. The C model for the non purist could be modified into an interesting drive. Similar to the early S model KW. I think the C model is a better looking unit than the early S model KW, the KW cab was like a dog kennel. C model has the LT cab and being lifted the vision would be pretty good. Extend the frame, air bag rears, 4.17 or better diffs, one of those unpainted aluminium Mercury period sleepers, a Mack E6 2 or 4 valve with Mack 12 spd and upgraded brakes and a classy period paint job with some scrolls, anyway just a dream for now. Actually, there is a C model sitting in a shed over here that maybe I could be tempted and then my dream 😀

Knock knock ... Who's there? ... 😱

Thanks, that is is my recollection. I think I read that possibly 50% came to Australia, but this may be wrong. The 864 V8 was not an overly successful motor in Australia.