1961H67

Got it started today,, almost done with chassis & running gear,, Started on cab ( probably a year project)

I had time to work on the exhaust today, have a parts truck with the engine & cab intact, so I did some measuring for the backdrop clearance, think this will work, I’ll have to change the air filter location later ( I was going to switch to a dry anyway) Thanks for the Coca Cola tip , My cell is 828 777 3406 ,, thanks for the information

Still a long way to go,, the paint on the 5th wheel was the original color that was painted over the factory Red ( Found under the hood chrome & emblems) was matched by my local DuPont store,, This was the color on the cab, fenders, hood, 5th wheel & fuel tank. The top of hood and cab was white, still trying to trace the original owner from 51 to 60, the older guys locally told me it was purchased new and painted by the local Coke distributor, one guy said Royal Crown, I Do know it was purchased buy a local welding co in the early 60s , they put the recon 220 in it , the driver of it is still living, he said they never painted it , and we got it in 1969 ,, so still not sure who the original owner was ,,,, any ideas out there,,, looking at the yellow/ orange paint scheme?

I’ll let y’all know when I get it started, I’ll run a long piece of flex pipe just to run it a bit before I start on the cab , I’m sure I really won’t be able to tell until I get to drive it and make it work, Thanks for all the reply’s! I’ll keep plugging away at it

My latest backdrop, I can make this work on the LJ cab, it has a 90 deg flange that will rotate , this one has NO baffles, you can see straight to number 6 cylinder ,, I’m hoping for that special sound!

The best I can track this truck down is it was delivered to Asheville Mack in in September 1951 , the truck was red , ( everything) word has it the local Coke distributor purchased it new and painted it , cab, sides , fenders , fuel tank was kinda of orange looking yellow. top of cab and hood , white . Top of doors black. A local welding company got it in the 60s and we don’t think they painted it I still stay in contact with the last driver it had when it was traded for a new 69 Pete tandem ,he drove that Pete for 34 years ,I remember both when I was in school, we got it from the Pete dealer in 69 . it was painted blue all over in the late 70s , I’m just trying to go back with the paint scheme it was given in 51 , I’ll probably paint the door top black, like you said, it would be very different, thanks .. Dean

I’m thinking the same thing, I can’t figure out what ( if any) purpose that would ever serve, But you would think someone would know why ,,,

I have a 51 LJ , the original owner painted the truck yellow with a white top and hood, but the top of the doors ( window frame) are black, I also have a parts truck (1949) it looks to have originally been white, but it’s the same way, I found a picture of a old Howard Johnson L model and it has the black door frame, anyone know why the reason for this paint scheme in the 1940s - 50s ?

Makes good sense, Thanks for the answer, I’ll probably just go with the one that’s easier to install, cause it’s going to be awhile before I can drive it with a full exhaust on it

Thanks, I see the difference in the 2 bell housings, if I need I could probably index the starter nose and hang it upside down for more clearance, I’m still wondering why Cummins ( or Emeryville) used the 2 styles, there are no restrictions on a cab over ?

Thanks Jerry, I know the bottom one is off a Emeryville , I took it off before they were crushed, a friend of mine said he took the one on the tailgate off his Dads Emeryville back in the 70s and hung it on his shop wall, wondering why they used 2 different styles? Thanks for sharing

Yep I’m with you on being comfortable, we will probably have to change as we go on this project, When I drove this truck as a teenager it had a muffler beside the transmission ( factory hangers are still there) then just a 4 inch pipe on the cab , after 42 years you would think I would have it figured out!

Yes I see it, I believe you will have more room to play with then me , you may be correct on running the other one over the frame, or I may have to “ Make a Factory Notch “ in the floor , also your air cleaner is out of the way. We’re all caught up in the Backdrop Sound,,, I’ll I’m thinking we’re both going to make them work!

I’ll keep you posted, I’m going to get the other one , so when I temporarily set the cab on ( I have a lot of rust repair on it to do ) I can play with each style, it’s probably going to be this one if it sounds the best, also I may have to change the original air filter ( oil bath ) because it’s tight back there also, I was thinking of a dry type anyway.

Maybe this will help, I’ll set the cab up with a forklift in a couple of weeks hopefully and take a few more pictures, I have a feeling it’s going to take a terrible tight elbow to miss the firewall, and still might not work with out raising the floor some .

I bolted this one on , it’s going to be tight, I may try the other, I haven’t found anyone that can tell me what the one laying on the the tailgate sounds like,, I may try to start it with each one ,,, probably a lot of trouble for just a different sound,,, But I think it will be worth it

Thanks , I’m thinking the same thing you are about the top one, I have never seen one like it , but if I figure out which one is going to sound the best hopefully I can make it work, I have the cab off now, I may bolt one on and set the cab in place temporarily with the forklift just to check clearance,,, thanks .

Thanks, I need to look at the top one to see if there is a baffle in it when I get a chance, I think I can make ether one work, the top will be easier like you said, I just want the best sounding one , thanks

I want to put a backdrop manifold on my 220 in my 1951 LJ restoration project, I have 2 different styles, one comes down at the back on a 45 degree and has a fin ( or baffle ) inside, the other comes down at a 90 degree, not sure if it has any type of baffling in it or not, they both came off Emeryvilles , Any ideas of the best choice for that good sound?

I have a 51 LJ that I’m resorting, I have the record from Mack where it was delivered new ( here in Asheville NC ) Coca Cola Bottling in Asheville purchased it ,, It was painted old Coke yellow, frame red , top of cab and hood white , when I started sanding it down, there is Red paint under everything, I’m trying to find out if Mack did any custom painting from the factory or would the Asheville Dealer ( or Coke ) Painted over the red when it was new , I guess there is no way ever finding out if it was ordered for Coke or they just bought it off the lot , I have visited the local Coke Office , they have a lot of old pics but none of mine, most of the information on it came from a driver that I knew about 20 years ago that worked at a local welding supply that drove it from around the late 50s to 1969 when it was traded for a new 69 Pete , and he said they bought it from Coke , Thanks for any ideas on a paint scheme, I think I would like some of the Coke yellow on it just to break up all the Red