sodly

I agree... it wouldn't be my first choice either. But sometimes beggars can't be choosers. I'm just wondering if I should pass on a seemingly good E9 truck just because of the engine. I mean... a v8's cool and all but I don't want to inherit a future headache if the motor should ever develop problems (not likely, I suppose, with the light duty it would see with me). Personally, I've always liked straight 6 motors of all flavors... diesel or gas. An E6 350 with a 12 speed would be my druthers.

Speaking of the E6/E7 and E9.... Would you recommend an E9 as an engine in a hobby truck? One that just hauled light loads or ran empty frequently? Like most folks, I think a V8 is cool but I constantly hear horror stories about how scarce parts are getting to be. If something went wrong, sounds like I'd be sunk. I've never been around an E9 but wouldn't want to get a motor that is so obsolete that parts are unobtainable. Sounds like that's not such a concern with the 6 cylinders. Also, what kind of MPG difference would there be between a small-bore 6 and a V8 under these light-load conditions?

I also find it amazing that something like this has survived completely intact for all these decades. I would love to know the story of how it avoided the scrapper all these years.

Wow! That looks like a unicorn, right there! Do you have any more pics of that cool, early western R? Looks like a fire truck of some sort. I hope that's a recent pic and it still exists in that condition. I've never seen one of those in person. Would love to see more of it.... or ones like it. Cool stuff!

I realize it's probably silly. My concern is purely cosmetic. To me, a tractor should normally have a little bit of frame behind the tandems. Like maybe 8"-10", I'm gonna say (I've never actually measured). I just think it would be a big bummer to go to all the trouble to remove a dump body and wind up with a tractor that has a shortened, odd-looking tail frame (or lack thereof) behind the tandems. I think that would bug me, visually. I'm weird, I know.

I've always been curious about converting a tandem dump truck into a tractor. People say it's no big deal. But, at least to my eye, a dump truck typically appears to have a shortened tail frame compared to a tractor. Is this just my imagination? I'm talking about trucks like R and RWs. Seems like on a tractor there is several inches of frame rail protruding past the back wheel. But on a dump truck the frame typically ends abruptly just past the rear rubber (where the dump hinges). I always figured if you removed the dump body and put a 5th wheel on it would appear to have an unusually short tail frame. So are dump truck frames modified when a dump body is installed? Do you cut a little bit of tail frame off to get that hinge as close to the rear wheels as possible? Or is a tractor frame (length) and a dump frame exactly the same? Can people show me pics of tractors that once were dumps? Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who offered advice on Macungie. Great show in a nice setting! Very welcoming event, too. Left this first-timer feeling like an old hand. Many thanks to Doug and all the other folks that welcomed me with open arms. Sooo many great trucks to see. This Superliner fan was in hog heaven. Got to see several things that I've only ever seen in photos or books. Well worth the visit if you can make it happen. I would love to come back if I can.

Thanks so much for sharing! I'm not really even into fire trucks but I always enjoyed your work.

Looking forward to my first ATCA show next week. Bummed that the factory is closed but looking forward to seeing all of the cool "east coast" trucks!

Please keep us updated. Hardly recognizable from Salem last year!

Is Dick Lein from WI a member here? Or does anyone have an email for him that you could PM me? Thanks!

I was blown away, too, Superdog. It's just amazing that that much iron escaped TWO world war scrap drives. Disappointed to hear that the drivetrain isn't original. Still pretty amazing, though. Loved the extreme arch on the springs. Talk about "parabolic"!

So is the padded headliner just glued up there? Or are there some kind of clips that fail? Or what? Anybody have a pic/diagram that shows it?

How hard is it to get an R model headliner to stay up where it belongs? Seems like 90% of the trucks I see have a sagging headliner. What holds it up to the roof? Figured it must be difficult to get it to stay up or difficult to repair since I see so many saggy ones.

I'd take the teal/white one any day, lol!