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$3150 I found a couple on craigslist. None 15 minutes away like this one though.

I am unfortunately not the new owner.

Really? I did not notice that, but it was tough checking under the hood without a something to stand on. Thanks so much for that info.

I can tell this forum is top notch. The three of us have experience fixing rust, welding, doing body work and paint, nothing on a professional level though. The truck does have some rot over top of the windsheild in the cab, I'm guessing it came in where those horns are mounted after the seals went. Otherwise the cab is solid. The bed has rot in one corner but it's flat metal and would be an easy fix. The frame looks good, but it looks like pinion seal started leaking pretty badly after the truck was awakened to be sold. This is the truck in question, hopefully nobody here scoops me. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-B61-Tow-Truck-Green-1961-b-61-mack-tow-truck-/261324166106?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3cd82253da&item=261324166106&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Hey everyone, first post here. I've been shopping B61's and I found one close by me, a 1961 tow truck, single axel 10 speed. It had a restoration in the mid 80's to be used for a city towing contract. It was in service for about 15 years and I would guess it sat around for another 10-15 after the company went under. It does run and drive. I looked for a FAQ but I didn't see one. I'd like to better educate myself on what to look out for. Can you tell me what some common problems are with these old Macks and ball park parts costs to fix them (especially brake work) so I can get an idea if these are real money pits. The truck isn't for me it's for my dad. He'll be retiring soon after 40 years on the railroad and my brother and I have been looking for something really cool to get him. In my opinion it doesn't get much cooler than an old Mack. He is a mechanic by trade, repairing freight cars mostly. I'm sure it's much different work but the point being something big won't scare him. He's also no stranger to twin stick transmissions and he loves the B series Macks. One was for sale near by about 8 years ago and he still occasionally talks about it. My brother and I are in our 20's and working with a somewhat low budget. Fortunately my dad likes a nice patina. On the other hand I don't want to set him up with a headache. I'm concerned about tools. My dad has some 3/4" gear but I suspect he might need 1" and probably some Mack specific items aswell as a jack that can handle the weight. My dad is always looking for an excuse to buy tools, but I don't want him to have to spend $2000 just to be able to do normal maintenance. You don't have to dumb down your answers too much, I'm mechanically inclined and so is my brother.