67RModel

The only way that truck could be better is if it had the New Process NV833 4spd OD transmission in it. Behind that 305 and with 3:55 or 3:73 rear would be a holy grail ride for some square body enthusiast. Manual transmissions in that era of GM pickups almost seem rare. Fords seem like they are a dime a dozen.

If I remember correctly they have a real nice distinct sound to them too. Maybe it was the muffler that was on the truck. But it sounded real nice and kinda mean. Like I said I never drove it but rode in it many times. From the passenger seat it seemed like it revved like a gasser. Almost like it had no flywheel on it. But you could also lug it down pretty hard and it would pull the weight.

Probably a front spring upgrade too. I would think they are pretty heavy compared to a 350 or 454 gasser.

I posted this a while back in another thread: Years ago at one of my first laboring jobs as a teenager we had one in a 1988 GMC Top Kick dump truck. 33,000 GVW with a 2 speed rear end. I couldn't drive it because it was a CDL truck but everyone who did abused the ever loving snot out of that truck/engine. Always overloaded. Under maintained and just down right abused. Some of the guys did it intentionally because the rest of the truck was just utter GM junk and they didn't like driving it. That thing never missed a beat. That engine would start and run no matter what. The company ended up selling it years later to a farmer who just wanted it for his property. The frame got bad rust jacking and nobody would pass the state inspection on it but it ran like a sewing machine when the guy took it away. That's my only experience with a 3208 but have always heard they were underpowered for their size (10.0L) and not "good" engines. My guess is if used and maintained properly they are probably as good as any other engine....

The 3208 Cat was available in the 400 series R models. It was an R482. and an R483 was a 6V-53 Detroit. I saw another 3208 Cat powered R model at Macungie last year and have seen a few here and there over the years for sale. My guess is the majority of customers who bought them new back in the day were municipal users.

The US has run a trade surplus with the UK for years and last year was nearly $12billion. Why were tariffs imposed on the UK to begin with? When was the last time you bought anything made in the UK? Ever? They send nothing here and buy copious amounts of energy and tech from the US. Heck their nuclear navy is 100% reliant on the US defense department and contractors for repair, overhaul, and refueling of their entire fleet. My guess is a 4th grader could have made this "deal". What could it possibly say?

Does anybody know what these kind of mufflers are called? Or what brand? Are they still available anywhere? Did they offer some kind of advantage over a "regular" muffler?

I have seen high rise rest rites but never one with the windows up top like that. That roof section looks like it was taken off some other brand of bunk, however, Rest Rite would build you whatever you wanted. That one was made somewhere in the mid 80s to early 90s after Rest Rite had moved do a much bigger location in Delmont, PA. When the company started out they were made in a little garage on Sardis Rd in Murrysville, PA. The Diamond Reo at the Iowa 80 museum has a high rise Rest Rite on it but with a flat top.

It was definitely a Diamond Reo. The majority of the Diamond Reos I have seen don't have the large lettering going down the side of the hood. It had this emblem on the front and sides of the hood. Yea I don't know about tracking him down. He had to have been a farmer or something going to pick up something local. I can't imagine running a gasser like that for profit. Although on the other hand buying copious amounts of gasoline and getting gallons per mile is probably still way cheaper than a $6500/month truck payment and buying diesel fuel too. I will note that it was a tandem axle so he probably wasn't "dump trucking" for hire. It would need to be a triaxle to be able to get any work in this area. Also it had regular PA truck plates on it so he wasn't crossing state lines...

This was the most recent mention of Diamond Reos that I could remember here on the forum so I thought I would post this here. Yesterday this guy was behind me. I saw him coming and he passed by me when I was waiting to pull out going the same direction he was. I eventually caught up to him and got in front of him. I still cant believe he is running this thing in 2025. It was a dump truck and in pretty decent shape. I'm thinking it is a early to mid 70's Apollo 101 model of some sort. At several red lights I was able to see it had a valid inspection sticker on the windshield. It was a gasser of some sort and probably some kind of road ranger transmission. When we would come to a stop at red lights I could hear him shift the transmission range down to low. I believe he was empty at the time but the thing scooted along pretty well for being an old gasser. just thought is was neat to see one of these still working in 2025. It actually boggles my mind lol.

Not necessary related to this thread but more or less just a curiosity of mine is how parts become obsoleted. Like who sits around and studies parts breakdowns and says we are no longer going to have xyz part available anymore. How can one part of the same assembly be easier to get than a loaf of bread but the one it attaches to has been NLA for a decade or more?

Could somebody post a picture of what the whole system plumbing is supposed to look like? A photo from an original tip turbine equipped truck?

SOLD about a year ago now

If I'm not mistaken there was like a year or two in the early 80s, maybe 1980/81 when Mack painted the engines red. And I don't think it was exclusive to fire trucks. I have seen several over the years that have a dull red engine paint.

No affiliation. Saw on FB Marketplace but thought it was a pretty interesting truck so I figured I would post it here and see what everyone thinks. Obviously its a ton of money. I'm not sure who the market would be for a truck like this. Collectors or Guys looking for a reliable old school workhorse. I would think a super heavy spec day cab that is 5-10 years old would be around the same money. Question I have is do you think there are guys that are willing to spend $75k on something like this and use it daily? 1984 RD686 Mack tractor with 25k org miles.300 6 sp 58,000 rears 11x22 tires wet system fenders 18 F - Commercial Vehicles - Boston, Massachusetts | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook

What about a viscous fan hub? I know its a strictly mechanical device and the ECM on a newer engine might not be happy if there was no input or output from/to a fan. I don't know. My 94 RD has a viscous fan clutch and I never seem to know what that c**ksucker is doing. It spins on startup then seems to decouple but the drag keeps it spinning but probably not at engine speed. Its all very confusing. but no matter what amount of load you put on the engine the water temperature never gets above 175F. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This thread made me think of a B model that has been siting outside in the same sport on the outskirts of Pittsburgh for literal decades. I honestly remember seeing this truck sit in the exact same spot back when I was a toddler riding in a car seat in the late 1980s. It hasn't moved since and actually doesn't look bad at all. Right on PA51 in McKees Rocks, PA. I was through there about a month ago and its still there....

Operate only at night?

Yea the largest contractor the USPS has is Fed Ex. Has been that way for a long time. That contract is worth like $1.5 billion annually. Top U.S. Postal Service Suppliers in 2023:‎ Transportation Suppliers Again Carry the Mail ‎ – TLA

Is the USPS even relevant anymore? Last I heard they were insolvent and had to be propped up with borrowed taxpayer money to operate every year. Get rid of it and auction everything it owns of to the highest bidder. Why do I care if the USPS, UPS, DHL, or Fed Ex brings my junk to my doorstep. At least the latter three don't operate on borrowed taxpayer money. If there is a continued need or desire by the market for daily letter mail delivery a business from the private sector will be able do it better and cheaper than the USPS boondoggle can.

I'm all for gutting large portions of the federal government and eliminating all the waste fraud and abuse. Heck, I would probably support eliminating non fraudulent and abusive sections of federal government. Its an absolute disgrace what it has become in terms or usefulness and wastefulness. at $36 trillion in debt it is obviously completely insolvent and Congress and Presidents refuse to take any meaningful action on it. THE only reason this asinine amount of debt hasn't become a crisis yet is because the US Dollar is the world's reserve currency, which is starting to come under threat but that is a topic for a different discussion. I'm very confident the United States' national debt could be reduced to 50% of GDP by year 2050 and the average citizen would not know the difference. However, since Congress refuses to take action, and on the contrary, actually doubles down on even larger budget deficits year after year you get what you have now. Trump in there with a chainsaw. Fine. Who cares. If that's what its going to take then so be it. Both parties and Congress going back at least 50 years only have themselves to blame for letting it get to this point. I would say Trump is doing the correct thing by employing auditors to go in a slash all this trash this corrupt government has been building for decades. With that said I think Trump is very dangerously playing with fire with regards to implementing tariffs of this quantity and magnitude as well as his handling of international relations with extremely close allies and neighbors. I'm not an economist. This is only my opinion based on some limited economics education and studying of history and trade policies since WWII. When implemented like this, tariffs pretty much always have an overall negative consequence, especially for the tariffing country. A tariff is a tax, and with any business tax, it is paid by the consumer. Businesses never pay tax, they only collect them. The only way prices don't increase is if the business takes a loss on their profit which is possible if there is a US competitor. But realistically speaking how may US based competitors are there for essentially every single thing coming into this country? The USA has not been a manufacturing country for decades. To think that is going to suddenly reverse course in a few years is simply daft. Moreover, I just don't see any overall alignment on this among political parties, politicians, or even economists for that matter to last any longer than this administration. And the election cycle and balance of power in this country is too fickle. in 3.5 years there will be a different president elected and if these tariffs are still in place they will most likely be all walked back. My guess is most offshore manufacturers will ride it out and sell at a smaller profit (if there is an a non-tariffed competitor here in country) and wait and see for 3.5 years. All the while the average citizen and retail investor will be getting hammered. This is akin to a brain surgeon using a chainsaw to remove a patient's brain tumor. I don't think this is the proper way to undo decades worth of offshoring. I would welcome anyone to find a reputable left or right leaning economist who thinks this is a good plan. I'll remain somewhat open minded and hope this is a strategy to "strongarm" other nations into negotiating a more favorable, long term trade deal with the USA but I don't have high hopes. At best everything is going to get more expensive, and we will slog on until the tariffs are eventually lifted, and we are back to where we started. At worst this will set off an all-out global trade war with the USA. I personally want neither.

I guess the bulldog hood ornament creates too much drag and had to be eliminated to save a thimble full of fuel over the trucks lifetime.

Nice thing about Reno though is stuff could last for decades out there and not rot away.

Realistically speaking, if correct, Schumer at age 74 and a net worth of $2.3 million is not out of line at all. Warren, age 75 worth $9 million is more questionable but probably not out of line depending on real estate holdings. She has done several if not many book deals as well. I don't know about McConnell and Pelosi. They both have ridiculous money, but I think in both cases most of it comes from their spouses' net worth. My guess is every federal politician is at some level corrupt and obtains wealth through questionable, but legal means. They are essentially insider traders. There are websites that track every trade Nacy Pelosi makes. She (all politicians) have to disclose all their trades. Trouble is, its months after the fact.

Heck, Carter signed the airline deregulation act in 1978. Info on this bill is more readily available. It passed the House 363-8 and the Senate 83-9. Could you imagine these clowns today being that bipartisan? 😂