Bullheaded

I can't wait to see more pics of the cab. I see so many components of that truck that look like they are from suppliers that are used on other makes. Do you think it's all an in house build or is it sourced from other manufacturers? Their low cabovers are still well liked in the refuse industry and now with this I can see them taking some of the roll-off, dump and maybe even ready-mix markets.

Now wouldn't it be funny if they offer a heavy haul truck you can logging or oilfeild with, that has big power and they let you put a real sleeper on it, LOL. That would make a good dump truck spec too with the 500/1750 X12. That's basically all you need for that.

Holy sh!!!!!!!!!! They did build one. Well they beat the T-Line guys to it. That looks like a cross between everything out there. When I look at it I see International HX, Peterbilt, Granite, Freightliner with a 1960's Autocar grill styling. I can't wait to see the interior. I hope it works out for them. Thanks for posting Engineer!

I hope you guys are right about a new truck. Because last thing I read was they were just showing the pics of the old Autocar conventionals at shows for marketing to show their old heritage.....even though it is a different company, LOL. Would be nice if they do though. I'd like to see what they come out with.

I've never ever seen one. And I still have all my old Mack brochures and Canadian Bulldog Magazines. As you said, there was the DM800 and then the RD800 with steel hood's and V8's, but I have never seen an R700 with one. Hopefully if there was one, someone here will know.

My local dealer (which has three locations in a 4 hour radius) is not even allowed to sell new Mack's anymore. They can still do warranty work but can't sell them. Not positive why but I had heard it was because sales volumes were too low. Regardless...a lot of good it is having three Mack dealers that don't sell trucks.

We will never see that kind of class and good looks in a truck ever again.

Lots of parts exchanged under warranty. I have a list a mile long. Cracked and mis-matched interior panels, switches in the dash that are warped and don't sit flat on the dash face, paint peeling off, passenger side door cracks around where the look-down mirror is mounted, chrome peeling off the mirrors, satellite radio that loses signal every 20 seconds, frame crossmembers that constantly loosen all the bolts, windshield wiper linkages that fall apart all the time, etc. And lets not even get into the emission system issues. There was no quality control when they built this truck. I think it was built by disgruntled drug addicts. And we're not talking a cheap fleet spec truck here. It's a fully loaded 4900 with almost every option, all the fanciest stuff they offer. You would think they would have put some pride into building it.

I was also led to believe, whether it be true or not, that many P&D fleets did this so when drivers bent the bumpers in tight quarters they wouldn't end up driving away cutting the tires. At least that theory works today with the new breed. The brief while I pulled 4 axle van with my highway tractor it was rare to go into the warehouses in the big cities and see fleet trucks that DIDN't have bent bumpers and the side fairings ripped off, LOL

I know the feeling, LOL You especially gotta love it when a truck can leave the factory with the wrong engine mounts and cooling fan and a visiting Western Star rep at my dealer just happens to walk by and notice it. Or when you have it the first week, head up into the bush to work, far from any dealer or parts places, in a rain storm and the windshield wiper linkages saw through air lines deep inside the dash. I had cuts on my arms from the middle knuckle to my elbows trying to put unions in all the cut air lines. Luckily I carry a pail of brass.

Thanks for that Jim. That's a very interesting truck.

If that were the dump truck I was running right now, I guarantee you I wouldn't hate life as much as I do. That is beautiful. My dream truck would be that with an 87/88 E6 350 4 valve and a Mack 12 speed. You don't have a bigger pic of that do you?

What application did that tri-drive get used for? That's a nice truck. And the article echoes a thought I've always said. I don't know why all these manufacturers have to reinvent the wheel every couple years and change everything. Look how long the W900 and Pete and other classic's lasted and still sold well with no major changes. I bet if there was still an R or DM or Superliner they would still sell. Or maybe it's just me? I HATE change.

Well lets see......they have no more heavy haul truck, no big bore engines, no off road heavy loggers or mine trucks, and a "you'll take what we give you, not what you want" attitude. Can't understand how their market share would be dropping? LOL.

Speaking of all the BS regulations Red Horse.......I have a couple small farm tractors and I have been seeing all kinds of adds recently for these brand new Russian tractors like Zetor and some other name that escapes me at the moment, selling new tractors in the USA and Canada with tier 3 engines and advertising no emission systems or electronics. How can they get away with that when all the domestics are forced to sell us junk?

Thanks 85snowdog. I'll see what I can do if I can get away from work for a bit.

Wow what a difference some paint and cleaning made!! That looks great 85Snowdog. Nice job. Looking at your first pics, the dash looks in amazingly good shape too. Usually all these old trucks are trashed inside, or full of holes.

Thanks autocardc. I'll try. But I'm not over there often any more. I used to haul wood chips and bark to and from Michigan but I'm not doing that any more. Where I see them is the upper peninsula. The Sault, Newberry, Macelona, Munising, Escanaba, Gwinn, etc.

That would explain it. I grew up on the Canadian side of the Michigan border and I remember there being many Diamond Reo's and Autocars working there. Even now I still see old steel nose Autocar's still working over there as dump trucks, log trucks and pulling live bottom's. Where in Michigan? Wasn't it Lansing?

Happy Easter everyone. Hope you all had some down time to spend with family.

I was going to say.....I know which dump truck I'd wanna drive and it ain't that black one. But I do know guys that think a large cab full of fluffy electronics and cup holders is more beneficial than good old simple tough reliability. But I guess you gotta be comfortable and have room to lay down when you are broke down on the side of the road. That is the only good thing about my Western Star. I've had many comfortable sleeps stretched out across the cab every parked regen and breakdown, LOL

OK thanks guys. I'll keep watching, maybe somebody will chime in with an explanation. Edit: I just did some googling and it appears to be a 1975 issue for Mack's 75th anniversary?

I've been lucky enough to heavy haul with R's, and V8 Superliner's and MH Ultraliners and CL's. But I have a soft spot for the R. That was my favorite do all truck. Until you dive the V8, LOL. Anybody know the story behind that whiskey and why it was? Was it a promotional thing, or was it done by the whiskey company? Mine was found by a relative when they bought a home and were cleaning it out.

Yes. We saw the pics of an unfinished cab, and I do love the idea of an old school simple truck. But those pics showed components like the mirror arms and mounts that look kinda toy like and not like they will last in a vocational environment. If they got one built and got it out on a job for people to see they would have a better chance.

Have one or two for me. Mine is empty, LOL.