harrybarbon

Here are some pages from the 1995 Truckin Life article. A couple of points of interest are 1 - all of Eric Ballard's trucks had names because the drivers were illiterate 2 - the ledge over the top of the truck cab was the drivers sleeping bunk where they put their swag at night and they were off the ground and safe We bought MaryAnn and it's number plate was NES-260 same as in the pictures, this bent number plate was on the truck up to very recent, and the same plastic sun visor which is on the truck today. There are 2 pictures of MaryAnn on page 4. The bull bar was likely modified after Eric sold MaryAnn. MaryAnn was name of Eric's wife.

We bought the truck around 1997 from Jeff MeHarg, Big Orange at Gatton, the Cat motor was in pieces. We were told the truck had been sold some years earlier to a cattle station in outback Queensland, to work on the station pulling trailers around the station. During the drought there were problems with the CAT engine, the truck was taken to a mechanic's workshop some distance from the station, the motor was partly dismantled and work stopped because the farmer could not pay for the repairs. Then Jeff bought the Mack and it was in his Gatton yard. He advertised the Mack in a truck sales magazine which is where we found it. My partner went to see the truck and we decided to buy it. In between us buying and time it arrived in Melbourne the emblems were gone. We put the Mack into storage until we were ready to restore the truck. About 2002 vandals broke into our storage shed and poured the paint over the cab. We decided to not restore the truck and it passed to the guy you bought the Mack. The information we got came from a Ballard family member around 2003, we had no way to dispute the family member. We also got the truck build information from the Mack museum, built red colour and was ordered to be an oil rig in Northern Australia hence the joey gearbox - third gearstick, the sale did not proceed, Eric Ballard bought the Mack and Mack Australia dealer painted it yellow to match Eric's colours, the Trucking Life magazine lead article 1995 about Bush Ballards (Livestock Transport of Longreach), we cannot recall how we got this but have the copy and the number plate in the picture was same as the bent plate on the truck that we had when we bought it, hence it's name Maryanne. Also the sun visor on the Mack is the same as in the Trucking Life picture. You can see the original red paint on the back of the cab where the yellow paint has peeled off. We could only rely on the information given to us. We had the truck for approx 15 years. We are pleased the Mack is back with 1 of it's former owner operators and that it will be restored.

I guy who makes vintage aircraft wings put me onto Nuvite polishing products, not cheap. We have been trying to polish or alloy storage/step boxes with the polishing wheels/pads using the polishing bars - the steps with the button holes and the rounded ends come up good with the polish bar and the wheels. But the flat areas are awful, the wheels create a mess, shadows etc. and dull. This guy lent us his double head polishing machine and we started with some of his old Nuvite polish on our flat alloy sides and within 30 minutes the surface was starting to shine up and removed the scratches. You have to wrap a baby nappy over the 2 pad heads and put dabs of the polish onto the surface and the bay nappy does the surface contact. You have use separate nappies for each grade of Nuvite polish. We will post pictures of our storage boxes when we finish after new year.

We put lizard skin first the sound proof lizard skin and then lizard skin on top as per lizard skin manufacturer's specs on our B model custom truck under fenders and hood, took it out on the road 3 - 4 times, no damage to the underside of fenders and fantastic for sound absorbing control, good decision to use the 2 lizard skin products. Tap the alloy hood and steel fenders they feel and sound like fiberglass!!!!!

This may be an Eric Ballard, Longreach Queensland Australia B model Mack from 1950's. I have a copy of a Truckin Life article with pictures about Eric, I will scan the story and pictures and post soon. Picture here is 1 of Eric's b model it was named Maryanne who was Eric's wife. Unfortunately it was attacked with a bucket of paint by a real bastard with no respect for history and trucks (but alas KARMA - he has since gone broke and lost all and more - Maryanne got her revenge) , and now Maryanne is about to have a resto. The sun visor is the original visor. Maryanne features in the Truckin Life article. It was painted red at factory but when sold to Eric the Australian Mack agent, Anderson's painted it Eric fleet color yellow - that is original yellow that was painted about 1956. Eric transported sheep and cattle. Eric sold Maryanne to his nephews Harris family who had a Cat dozer which they worked to dig "tanks" the Queensland word for very big dams in the outback of Queensland on stations (100,000's of acres). Harris's cooked the mack diesel and they put in a Cat motor which remained in the truck until it too was cooked. During the resto a Mack 673 is going into Maryanne. It has the original 38 gears - 3 sticks the joey is at the back of cab, see it in the picture. I have a copy of Maryanne's history and will post with the Truckin Life article.

The reality is that poor senior management is the reason for the company's failure, look back at the separation of Toll and the Patrick businesses after Toll purchased Patrick the public company, the public company offshoot that was named Asciano - who ran that and what happen?? The good operators/managers under former Patrick CEO and now chairman Chris Corrigan, from the old Patrick pubic company are back in the transport business after laying low for approx 5 years, after Toll took over Patrick's. They have formed a new public company named QUBE Logistics and it is performing. Corrigan has brought back most of the old players into the QUBE team - same as the Blues Brothers - the band is getting back together. Corrigan and his team of operators/management and his core investors have a long successful proven record and they rewrote history on our waterfront transport, ultimately for the good of our economy and the port operations. And to top it off, QUBE has now recently completed the takeover of Asciano, they have bought back the old Patrick businesses that they created. They also bought the newly recreated Westgate transport/Container/Wharf businesses from Sam Tarascio, another astute and successful long term excellent transport operator. Why is QUBE performing whilst McAleese failed!!!!! The rent issue is just a diversion, McAleese buying Cootes from private equity was like a cow fattened up for sale with ????? to make it look good. And the HHA business - just watch the TV series of HHA - the arrogance on public TV, we don't see the good operators like the QUBE guys on TV, mouthing off !!!!! Sadly, it is the honest hard working employees, sub-contractors, small private business suppliers and mum and investors that depended on the company for their daily living that have and will suffer the most from this failure.

Please what is the difference between the Mack 10 speed overdrive and the 12 speed overdrive boxes - is it only the 2 deep reduction gears? What difference is there between an E6 - 350 with a 12 speed overdrive versus a E6 - 350 with the 10 speed overdrive?

We have used the Lizard skin products extensively, first apply the sound control and then the lizard skin, very simple and easy to apply, non toxic and wash with water, it dries quickly in the heat, apply a thin coat thickness of a credit card let dry and you can do another thin coat. It is sprayed on and it gets into all corners and hard to get joints etc, it becomes a sealer to stop rust - but sure any rust is first removed if any exists in the joints etc. This is inside our cab with a light coat of left over green paint on top, all the hidden joints welds etc are fully sealed and there is no drummy sound of the metal - actually sounds like fiberglass when tapped Check the lizard skin web site

Add said motor was 350 then engineered to 450 by Mack, anyone know if it was a 4 valve and what was done to engine to boost to 450?

Consider the hollow rubber tubing for the weather strips, (similar to that on new cars) we removed the solid foam type rubber from our B model and fitted the hollow tube, better fit, they mold into the door frame and better for wind proofing. Restoration Specialties should have the hollow rubber tube or your local rubber store. Have you considered Lizard skin for sound and temp proofing!!!

I saw the remaining Mad Max Mack R model was on display at a hot rod car show at the Melbourne Exhibition building late last year or earlier this year. I did not take any photos, but I recall that it is black colour and is pretty rough but runs and was complete. I will do some research ans see if I can find information and a picture, even track down the owner.

Does anybody know what year air bags were first fitted onto the rear of the R model cabins?

Andy Zary was the owner/operator of the 1958 B61. There was a story about Andy and his B61 in 10-4 Magazine a few years back, a great read about a dedicated family man and transport man. Andy has owned the truck for most of it's life, it was a day cab originally, he had a major accident, lucky to survive and then virtually rebuilt the truck. When he rebuilt it he added the mercury sleeper and continued to work the truck. He did the full make over some years back. Sadly Andy's age has resulted in his sale.

Please what was the original engine in your B67, those alloy shutter radiator set ups were mainly for the B615 with Mack 864 V-8 and the B73/75 models. Although, here are some Mason Dixon B models that look same as your B 67, there are no emblems on the hoods to indicate motors such as the V8 for the B615. maybe Mason Dixon had a special build spec for their trucks and with the bigger radiators to cool the motors Any guys know more about Mason Dixon macks, I have wondered for a while what the set up was with their B models

And here is our local sample with it's Mack stable mate

And before Howards bought it - great truck, one of the best looking trucks, especially 1952. The exhausts behind the cab complete the truck appearance It deserves to be cared for and appreciated, What is size is the cummins motor and what is it like to drive? Have fun.

here is your Howard Diamond T next to the 2 Doggie Mack LJT

Maint 1 - I recall that Howard trucking bought that Diamond T maybe 4 years ago, and now new owner!!! Do you know what has happened to the Howard trucking collection, they had this magnificent Mack with the 2 doggies up front?

for the clearance light pads at restoration specialties it is a bit hard to find - go to the catalog PDF and scroll to page 60 - there you will find them, these are the correct rubber pads for your clearance lights and also comes with the sponge type seal as well, you can send an email with your lights, They are a family business and very helpful

For your marker lights go to www.restorationspecialties.com - great people to deal with, they have the reproduction rubber mounts/bases for the clearance lights and the hollow rubber seals for the doors, (see the hollow tube on home page) we have fitted the hollow rubber seal on our B model cab, much better door closing and also a good seal for air coming thru, the solid door rubber does not give an tight seal. With the clearance lights you can fit LED replacement globes, we have fitted them, tight fit but some adjustments and they will go in and when you put the glass or plastic lens into the frame the LED's will be held in place Great project, like the flat fire wall

my dad had the 4-53's in Inter R - 190's - the trucks had 2 gear boxes, one was the standard 5 speed Inter box with 2 speed diffs and others had 10 speed Road - Ranger, you can have a direct or overdrive box, if you want some extra speed go for the 10 over drive, I do recall that the flywheel housing matched the R/R box, clutch you may need to check . The 4-53 and 10 speed were a great, strong and reliable combination. Need to get suitable diff - again an R-190 diff or the R - 200 Diffs are strong / powerful diffs. We recently sold a1965 Inter R-200 with a Cummins 180 turbo motor with a R/R 10 speed overdrive, a 2 speed diff and Page and Page pusher axle, it ran easy 65 mph What truck are you building?

we also just bought 1 for our 10 speed overdrive, tried to replace o-rings etc, but they are old and worn, air leaks are hard to plug - secure and easy to replace and did same on air valve at top of gear box - now peace of mind

What model Mack do you have? Does your truck have shock absorbers on front axle? We are now about order kit for our old Mack, we have done a lot of research, maybe send me a private message or your email address and I can copy you the information and fitting - for us it is a single Firestone bellow air bag or you may be able to fit a double bellow air bag with internal stopper, to protect the air bag. Also depends on gap you have between top of the spring pack Ubolts and underside of the frame. Do you have parabolic springs or ordinary spring pack because this may impact gap between frame and top of Ubolts

Hi Leonardo Thank you. My mum's family go back approx 200 years in the same village and the name was always spelt as Favaro, but who knows names have been changed over the years. We did have cousins in Rhode Island name same as yours, sadly most are no longer with us, but mayde some younger ones hanging around, welcome to the Big Mack site. Harry