cruiseliner64

We are married 36 years today and the Mack rolled off the assembley line 43 years ago today.....Im am very lucky she loves the Mack as much as I do!!!! Im 61 on Sunday and my better half is a year younger than me...... Paul

Hi all, Today is a cause of great celebrations over here.In the picture can be seen the two great loves of my life.One Iv'e been married to for 36 years today and the other is 43 years old today.Guess which is which????

I think one has to be around heavy vehicles/equipment for some time before learning to drive/operate them.In my own case my best friends father owned a bus company.When I was around 11 years old he employed me at weekends/school holidays to wash/clean out the buses.After some time I was shown how to check oil water and grease them.At 12 years old I was allowed to take them from the parking area,wash clean them out check them over fill diesel then park them up for going out to work.It was the best training I ever got.It set me up for life.I now train new train drivers.When a new driver starts,they go through the training school and then come to an appointed mentor driver like me.They work my shifts under my supervision and only after 250 hours and my approval can they take their driving test.Something like this should be applied to truck driving in my opinion.... Paul

Most of Asia too.Vietnam Cambodia Philippines India Sri Lanka Japan Austrailia...Im sure theres a few more.I once read that more than half the world is RHD.Dont know if thats true.....Some of South America was RHD too.My son is married to a Panamanian woman.We went out to stay with her folks 3 years ago and her Dad remembers Panama being RHD... ...to me they drove any side🤣🤣🤣 Paul

I second that....There is no issue running LHD vehicles in Ireland or the UK (only RHD countrys in the Europe) but it sure does make junctions and roundabouts very interesting as Nathen said..We get ,and Im sure the UK gets a lot more,but we get a lot of LHD vehicles over from mainland europe.Everybody just gets on with it....Sadly there is always at least one bad accident every year,usualy involving a tourist who forgets and drivers on the "wrong" side of the road.Many years ago it was proposed to convert to LHD but it hasent happened yet...... Paul

Yeah id say theres a lot of that too.... Paul

They havent done that in the EU...YET but they have made it so expensive few will do it.A big part of that 45%tax is a smoke tax....I mean come on a vintage vehicle doing 2/3000 miles a year is goona ruin the planet.....yeah right... Paul

I agree 100% with you Paul.Its way outta my pocket range....and itd cost 6000$ to ship to Ireland then 45%tax to import.That 45% is payable on the price paid for the truck and the shipping....75k+6k=81k plus 35k tax=116k......OUCH PAUL

I know Joey but its the heart ruleing the head in this case..... Paul

Big big money ok but its a fantastic truck.....200 big ones I dont think he'll get that but if you dont ask, you dont get..... Paul

It is a beautiful truck...got the WOW factor.Yes its a big chunk of change but with that mileage where would you get another like it??? Way outta my pockets range but if id the money id be tempted..... Paul

Does show the interest in the hobby.... Paul

Classic..... Paul

They always do come back....like when theyre lookin for money for a hair do or new shoes..... Paul

Theres a smell of fish in the air for me on this one.Surely a shop could find out very quickly if an engine had seized??? I dont think a shop would try to tow start a truck without enough air to relese the brakes...... Paul

Oh and the 3 examples you have there ...Iv seen them all in concert over the years.... Paul

100% agree JC.You have some fine examples there.ZZ Top played in Ireland in 86 I think it was and brought the car and the girls with them.They shot some video at a beach just 4 miles from where I live.Dont know if it was ever used but Iv never seen it.Unfortunely I didnt get to see them but I did see the car later the same week....You have jogged another thought outta the back of the head🤣 Paul

Oh yeah as for food,one thing I have alway loved on my visits to the US is to go to a good smokehouse...man baby back ribs...sausage, burgers,pulled pork,chicken wings...the list is endless... Paul

Cant say how I missed this topic but heres my take...Love many different types of music...country,rock,trad,80s...If we're talking a celeb for wife material then its Debbie Harry aka Blondie for me,still in love with her..saw her in concert last year...Had a binge on alcohol for about 5 years in my late teens early 20s.drank just about anything and went to bed with any female that was old enough and had a pulse....but outta the haze came a beautiful woman who cleaned me up and sorted me out.Glad to say we are still together....We both still enjoy a beer but its once a month or thereabouts...Only drink that turns my stomach is Baillys Irish Cream,a mix of Irish whiskey and cream Yuck Yuck Yuck....anyway thats my story... Paul

I cant speak about how things were/are in the US as I never lived there but here in Ireland things are much much worse than the 80s.My son just bought a house about the same size as my own but cost 16 times more than I paid...His wages,ajusted for inflation are about 7 times more than mine when I bought my house.While interest rates are lower now than the 80s my mortgage was for 20 years,his is for 40 years.He wont have it paid untill hes 71....paying much more in interest as a result.Wages here have not kept anywhere near inflation.When I got married my wife did not have to work,my sons wife MUST work.So for me things were much much better in the 80/90s...... Paul

Ah Mech,if only...I'd go back to those times in the blink of an eye.Ireland only really caught up to the rest of the world starting in the mid 80s.the first 20 years of my existance was bliss.Now I'm really lucky to have a wife who feels the same and we keep things as 80s as we can.We'v often been told we live in the past but that a big 10/4 for us.... Paul

Wow what a beautiful R model.best of luck with it...been a cabover man all my life but thats a beauty...love it... Paul

Yeah im 21 going on 61....your as old as you feel....age is but a number.. Paul

They are Joey and as Nathen said those wheels are bloody heavy...and so is everything else!!!! Paul

Happy birthday guys..none of us getting any younger...I'll be 61 soon but still loving life..... Paul