harrybarbon

Hi Vlad

Here is a picture of Vin plate riveted onto left door of our Valueliner and yes total of 17 letters and numbers. I have not enquired about what the letters and numbers represent. Frame (chassis) number is on right side, usually front of the cab.

Dan Thomas wrote some time ago that when he was in process of registering his Aussie Valueliner he was concerned about the Vin plate not being on left side and he was relieved when he saw it was on left same as in US,

Clarification is 1st Aussie Superliner built 1978 and it had a Cat 3408 and is now resting with other doggies in a Mack kennel in the Southern end of Australia.

The Supeliner above was the 1st powered by the MACK V8-E9, it was number 4, delivered July 1979.

I make an apology, this was not the 1st Aussie Superliner,

It was the 1st Aussie Superliner with the E9 engine, waiting for some info to hopefully track down 1st Superliner and what engine was fitted before the E9

1st Australian Superliner was built in 1979

Is this what you mean? This is our 10 spd same as the 12 spd lever and splitter. We had a solid piece of wood shaped to copy the gear knob in our Toyota Prado auto shift knob. We had a metal tube threaded to same as the gear lever, drilled hole into bottom of wood knob and set the metal tube with industrial glue into the hole.

Yes apply  the high fill in 2-3 progressive layers over the LS but you must add approx 35 of flex additive to the high fill because the LS is flexible whereas the high fill is solid, by adding the flex add to the high fill then the high fill will move with the LS - when I say move it means the product is flexible, and that is ok, after each HF you apply let it dry thoroughly then sand it back to even it a bit then apply 2nd HF with flex add, let dry then rub back, if after 2nd coat you have a smooth surface then you can apply an undercoat also with flex add, let dry and rub back to get smooth finish and then apply the final red paint with flex add in the red.

That is how we did our fire wall engine side and we have a mirror finish which you see in my picture.

If you need to apply a 3rd coat of HF then that wont hurt because you are building up in layers to get a smooth surface before  you spray the undercoat.

It sounds like a lot of work but the final result you will be very happy and get the benefits - once done you will look back and forget the extra work, but it is done properly, which is what the LS inventor, Bob Call advised me to do.

Remember the trick is to add the flex add so all the products can flex in parallel with the LS. And that is what I have seen with underside of our hood, it is aluminium we applied LS with some of our external green paint mixed in and the hood twists when it is opened and lifted, so far after 5 years no cracking or peeling of the LS because it is flexible - hence the name like the lizard skin.

With your cab wall vents they serve no real purpose unless you want a permanent air flow. If not seal them with a thin aluminium or metal sheet, painted black facing the vents, and stick on with a long lasting glue so you dont have water leaking thru into the cab, (when you wash the truck) and no bugs or mice to damage the upholstery, do this before you spray the LS over internal cab walls. That is how Ian Lee did the vents in his Pal LTL, from outside the vents look as original.

Congratulations on a craftsman workmanship, a credit to you sir.

Matt - what are you planning to do with the 2 vents on the rear of the cab? Ian welded a curved plate inside over both vents stops water and all else getting into cab and upholstery and all inside cab had LS applied

I dont have a picture of the plates he welded, but I will try ask his panel guy if he took some pictures.

Hi Matt

For your firewall please see our firewall, we have lots of fittings etc including our custom vintage air co fittings, but the smooth mirror finish is clearly seen behind all the fittings. The aim is to stop the sound and the heat getting into the firewall metal from the engine side, that is the best 1st action that is overlooked. Once the engine side of the metal is shielded, it is at least 75% of stopping heat and sound coming into the cab. The inside cab is about 25%. The same as the cab floor, you have applied LS to the underside, so the heat from the gearbox will not penetrate thru the floor. Same principal for the fire wall. 

For the firewall holes, may I suggest that you weld a thin plate on the cab side over the holes that you will not use. Then you can apply the LS to the engine side of the firewall and then the hyfil to build up to a mirror finish.

Re the use of the LS, yes you will use a bit more in the crevices etc, but on the generally flat areas you should not exceed more than thickness of a credit card. Double the thickness does not produce double the insulation, so you dont need to waste the LS by applying a thick coating.

And yes do all the inside of the doors especially the bottom sills, it will seal and prevent rust permanently and do all inside the doors. You will be most surprised by the dull sound when you open and close the doors, it will sound like a clunk, no tinny vibrating sound. And do the under sides of the fenders, deadens the road noise. And same under the hood - you wont use much LS under the hood, it works like sound deadner under cars hoods.

My experience in our B model, with E350 turbo motor and 10 spd overdrive, is it cuts out the noise and vibration coming from the engine bay, so then you can hear what you want to hear - the music coming out of the exhaust. You can go straight because with the LS all inside your cabin, and the upholstery it will cut down the exhaust sound, wind up the windows and it will be quieter. When I want to hear our exhaust humming, going up hill and winding up the turbo or going down hill and engine brake on, then I wind down the windows and I hear the music coming from the 2 exhausts. And in middle of the night the sound is fantastic, just the humming from the exhaust. Not dulled by noise coming from the engine bay thru the floor, firewall, engine hood and doors. Only noise that we could not cut out is the vibration that comes thru the gear lever - we have sound padding but it is ok, only under load it is a bit noisy.

Ian's LTL Pal had the LS applied same as our B model, it has straight exhausts and a 400 HP Cummins, he got same experience a I do in our B model.

That is the real benefit of the LS and it sound control product, it cuts out all the shit noises so then you can properly hear the exhaust sound. 

Please any idea what engine is in that Brockway?

Did Brockway ever fit the Mack motors and if yes did they fit the Mack V8's?

This 760 with an E9 would be something!!!

That Fageol seems to be maybe built on an IH running chassis, the front bumper, the front wheels look like the DCO Emeryville wheels and radiator louvers are same as the Inter R 190 ... series. With the body height it could be custom built inside into mobile home and retaining the original Ridgway external design and colours for it's heritage.

Hi Matt

Great job, a bit of red adds to the complete package, but please make sure that you have squeezed the LS into all the nooks and crannies, especially all weld joins, anywhere the nasty rust loves to hibernate, once the LS dries it will seal the metal completely.

And you probably saw how easy to apply LS, it flows when you apply it, then a quick wash up with warm or cold water, no toxins and no harm to your skin or lungs.

I may be repeating my previous posts, remember if you plan to apply to the engine bay side of the fire wall and then apply finished red paint over the LS, you have to apply a mixture of hyfill and about 35% flex additive first over the LS, let dry and then rub back and most likely you will have to apply a 2nd coat of the hyfill and flex additive to get a smooth finish, so then you have a smooth finish to undercoat and thereafter the top coats. It will come up like the external panel finish, you will get the LS benefits and the fire wall behind the engine looking great.

I look forward to soon see your completed cabin painted - our departed and missed dear friend Mack devotee "Ian Lee" always said - " trucks are red and tractors are yellow, if it's not red leave it in the shed"!!! Here is Ian during the build of his custom Diamond T - Princess Diana and his Pal, his Pal got a complete application of LS and Ian's favourite and only colour.

J is this B 73 still around and being shown at truck shows?

AZB - golden words that only some truly understand and appreciate 👌

AZB...  I bought 2 external caravan covers with soft internal fabric from Aldi Supermarket about $aust 85 each, they cover our B75 truck and sleeper cabs all over and down the sides and second cover for the frame and rear end, - keeps our Kermit clean, dry and happy in his kennel. I cut 2 small holes to allow the exhausts to poke thru so the cover drop down the sides fully, and then placed a couple of hessian sacks over the exhausts. And plenty of rat sack to protect Kermit from invaders. 

My daughter is home tomorrow night, I will ask her for latest updates from camp HQ and post back soon.

I can understand they are trying like all of us doing our best to keep our heads up and save our businesses. Fortunately, locally all building and civil works, transport, and food stores are in business. Our concrete plants in Melb and Sydney are operating normally and some plants, supplying new underground railway tunnels are as busy as before the CV shut down. Our construction unions told the govt you are not shutting us down, they said we have our own top notch OHS systems and procedures, to control how workers protect themselves, so far no infections from construction works. A friend has a his machines working in the new Sydney underground railway tunnels and they are working 24/7, his old Macks (V8's) continue to bop bop every day moving their machines. Here is 1.

My other daughter moved to Dublin, Ireland at start of March and all building and civil projects in Ireland are shut - no work. 

Our August 2020 Alice Springs National truck show is delayed to 2021, I had a booking with deposit paid at the Big 4 caravan park, they are holding our money to 2021, best solution.

Many people are doing it real tough, the lag damages are unknown and lets keep as best a positive hope. 

My daughter was invited and accepted to go back to Camp America in PA this coming June for the 2020 season. The camp owners have told and keep emailing all their 2020 staff to keep preparing for a mid June start this year. The regular update information my daughter receives weekly is that the owners are in full preparation mode for June start and to receive all their regular students. And if not mid June by end of June. My daughter has been told to get her US visa organised and she has an appointment at our local US consulate for her visa.

Most of the students that attend this camp have attended since their youngest years, nearly all come from well to do/prominent New York city and surrounds families, attorneys, bankers, business etc. While the children are in camp, their mums and dads are away on holidays. No camp then no holidays for the parents!!!

My point/question is, what information may the camp owners know/have that others don't have access to? And given the same students go back every year, the camp owners would not dare risk the health of these youngsters - consider the potential for multi million law suits for negligence, God forbid if 1 or more students took ill or dies at camp from CV!!!

And this is only 1 camp of many (100's) across USA? Camp America I now appreciate is a big part of the annual summer season for lots of families that can afford these camps.

At this time my daughter believes she will be coming to USA for the 2020 season, especially if she gets her US entry visa, we will soon know better.

here it is, Tony's 3 limited edition R models in his doggie compound, enjoy

Truckin_Life_Annual_2019_-_Tony_Champion_Limited_R_models.PDF

And a red C model with tray body with canvas cover (European style)  shown at 2014 Amsterdam truck show with an E9

Hello J, First time I have seen the V8 badge on a C model, I did not know that the C model had the Mack 864 V8 engine. I referred to my copy of Tom Brownell's, History of Mack Trucks. He states that slightly more than 1,500 C models were built and that the V8 non turbo engine was an option. Do you have any information of how many C models with the  V8's engine were made?

I have seen 3 C models that have been imported into Australia and the 3 have the 6 cyl diesel engine.

It is a pity that Mack did not rebuild the L model cabin, retaining the basic design but modernise it to 1960's build and manufacturing improvements/standards, including an updated dash, 1 piece windscreen and have the hood and fenders a 1 piece tilt fiberglass unit, with a feature chrome radiator shell similar to the early Kenworth S model. Then add a separate sleeper cab (say a Mercury cab) and it would have been a winner. And maybe extend the hood to fit the various 60's engine options and integrated power steering. 

My history lecturer said that our history has unlimited information for us to learn.

Common sense is missing big time.

Here in Australia, our 2 yearly Kyabram Mack Muster (that was to be this weekend 21 & 22 March) and our national 5 yearly Alice Springs (end of Aug 2020) shows have been cancelled and planned for 2021. And most other shows are cancelled also.

So all you guys that have planned to join us at Alice 2020 from USA and Canada, we will miss you.

As of tomorrow at 12 noon all non essential businesses are closed, such as restaurants, hotels (pubs) gaming venues, bars, movie houses, etc and each state is going into border lock downs except for essential businesses.

However, the truck drivers are still going - they keep the country going and feed and supplied with toilet paper (and keeping the arse-holes happy)

Seems to me that what is written by manufacturers about efficiency, environment, minimising materials for manufacture and future running and maintenance costs is more talk than really being serious to actually do what they say. The more I think about a single drive axle and a lifting pusher, for highway and normal road trucks, makes simple sense - which unfortunately is so missing at present. Tandem drive is not necessary for all trucks, so why is so much money invested in tandem drives!!! Think of the $'s that would be saved.

I have been thinking - there would be a lot of benefits to reintroduce a pusher axle for highway trucks, that are not really requiring the 2nd drive axle, and using for example the  Neway air bag suspension, the drive and pusher axles are independent, unlike the Page and Page system.