Vladislav

And that was not the end of the day. Speaking to each driver I met I was explaining my interest seeing "a chicken's egg" (B-model on the local slang) and Jungee (a kind of a L-model produced or assembled or-? in Iran). And those folks in that company (actually that was a company selling used trucks) put me in a car and drove nearly 10 km to a yard where a B-model was parked! It was not a truck used for work anymore, more for fun of the owner as I figured. Unfortunately my new friends didn't have much time so I couldn't speak (drink tea) with the owner. But there was enough time for look and pictures😀

The cabs of the R's worth some attention. Red truck has American cab. Blue one is Kaveh cab with a sleeper (short version of the similar style also exists) And the yellow cab is a kind of a mistery. Or mire correctly a question I don't have an answer for yet. That's basically American cab with normal doors. To which some factory made panels are added making it an integral sleeper. That's not a home made product since I saw similar trucks multiple times. So seems like an Iranian built version with side panels off a F-model or specially made panels. The roof seems similar to what was used in the blue cab. Don't know is it the same of only appear so.

Ok, enough of typing at the moment. Or better to say, back closer to my activities. The next day I'm going to tell about was quite eventful. I rode over the big bypass road in Tebris and saw a yard with three R-models parked in line. Went in, explained who I am, was invited to office and after general talks was allowed to crawl over and under the trucks, take pictures etc. Than the guys called to some one by phone and gave the phone to me. That man was speaking Russian very well! He showed up in person in 20 minutes. Turned out he was one of the drivers of the company who used to work in Russia alot. So we had very warm communications with tea drinking after which I was allowed to drive blue truck in the yard!

That's one interesting point you mentioned. No, orange F-models were not from the same fleet. But were assembled at the same factory, called Iran-Kaveh (ایران کاوه) Along with R-models. For some reason the most of trucks were painted that color. But also red, dark green and dark blue. And yellow sometimes if I'm not wrong. R-models (I don't know if all of them or the majority of) were equipped with Iranian made cabins. But F's had American cabs. I also don't know if the cabs were imported complete or were welded of panels in Iran. There were also F's with cabs made locally. I once was shown a pic on the net with some ugly cracker box. But saw none of those in person. So far. Worth to point out there are Macks of different origins in Iran. Many (looks like really many) were assembled at Iran-Kaveh. Some were imported from the US. Than after the US put sanctions trucks were purchased from Canada. Than after Canada put sanctions too all good Macks were bought out from Europe. Yesterday I was explained of how to determine what is what. Kaveh trucks all have 44000# heavy rears. With 6 bolt axle flanges. With sharp edge in the most (or all?) cases. And the trucks which have 38000# (8 bolt flat flange) are generally from the US. Also worth to point out the most Macks here ride on 12.00R24 tube tyres. Along with 90% of other trucks, including European production. And only some newer European or Chinese tractors (there's plenty of the latter ones BTW) have tubless 22.5. Sometimes you can also see 12.00R20 but that's relatively rare case.

That's one good point you asked about. I mentioned the answer in the posts above but would like to tell more detailingly. Yes, I've learned Farsy to some grade. I had interest travelling Iran for a long while and well understood that seating in a bus and looking through the window was not my cap of tea. And as long as I expected speaking with drivers, garage workers and other common people in that country hopes on using English were really poor. So I figured I should bite the bullet. At the Covid time I had to spend a couple of weeks at home so figured I would use a few days for the study. Easily found on-line coursus and in a few days I learned the most basic things such as "I am - you are - my mother is - we are here - I have two brothers and a sister" and so on. The coursus consisted of lessons of 12-15 phrases each. Each phrase was written in Farsi, than duplicated by Lathinik for prononsation, and also spoken by voice. A man's voice than a woman's voice. That way you could just click a button on your phone and hear a certain phrase. After the lockdown I successfully continued with that coursus hearing the sentances while being stuck in a traffic jam. That continued for 3 or 4 months and than I figured the coursus had some imperfection or even mistakes and also got a trouble with reading/typing since could not identify letters. There was something infigurable in them definitely. So I lost interest and abandoned the story for nearly half a year. Than later I ocassionally found a teacher on the net who was a Russian girl lived in Iran for well amount of years and was providing on-line lessons. I started taking lessons from her. Not much though since time is always an issue. But we communicate with her by Skype once in a week for one hour. I see it requires more for achieving good skills but what I did also worked out. It's a kind of hobby to me and I do that as long as I enjoy that. But try to do no interruptions. Since it's usually difficult to get back to a not the most needed affair after you got off the line. For the moment nearly 1.5 years passed since I started regular lessons and now I'm able to tell where I'm from, what's my job, my family, what I'm intersted in (old trucks), also if I want or need something (a room in a hotel, food, gasoline, a way to a certain point). Actually I feel I need 3 or 4 times more word reserve to feel comfortable but what I have at the moment allows to describe people that I have interest in trucks and so on. Than after showing pics of my own stuff on a phone the most everybody I communicated with was eager to represent their trucks for pics, open doors or a hood, than also (especiality of this part of the world) offers drinking tee and staying in his home overnight as a guest. In some cases you even have to decline the offer 4 or 5 times. Sure in a kind manner.

Interesting story, thanks for sharing. Unfortunalely I'm not familiar with Georgian language. Excepting two or three words. So difficult to judge.

Yup, those air filters are of oil bath style. I once saw an ad on a certain Iranian site offering such ones new for sale. Don't know if they were made locally (the most probably) or that's some older style American part. Seems Iranian install those filters on trucks which originally had dry element canisters too. Speaking the cab that's not rear corners only. But a complete cab including floor, firewall, windscreens of different shape and the roof. And there were multiple styles of local cabs. I will mention them in further posts.

Brocky, NEVER is not almost correct term in this case. As I said Iranian guy helped me importing my bike. That same guy told that he provided full spectrum of touristic services regarding Iran. Including arrangement of visa's. So I asked him if a US citizen might visit Iran? The answer was "Yes. But the person must have a guide (a kind of a convoy) during his trip. That guide is provided by Iranian officials and his service must be payed by the visitor. Including daily fee, stay in hotels and others". I asked of how expensive such deal could be. He didn't say the exact figure. But put an example of a British motorbiker who made a trip over Iran a few weeks ago. He had been in the country for two weeks, respectively rode some good amount of hundreds km. The guide followed him in a car all the way, stayed in hotels for nights. All in all that cost nearly $8K for the traveller. To my question of who needed the guidance the answer was the citizens of GB, US and Canada. Nothing of advertizement in this info and sure nothing of personal interest. It was just a case I could achive info from the first hands knowing it might be of use to some one. And I definitly am way far from putting recomendations on to travel to Iran or do not to. Just learned in a theory that could be done.

Once again, thanks for your interest, guys. Now is the time to answer some of your questions. I will do that as responses to posts put up earlier.

Also saw this Buick parked in a street. Than accuired a room in a quite comfortable hotel for quite reasonable cost.

The 1st day in Tabriz. Actually half a day. These were parked along a transit highway in the city.

Wow! That's cool, Hippy! Now I don't need any excuses😀

Soo... On the way to Tabriz... Once I passed the lake and than crawled over some local mountain pass a couple of cabovers were found out at a lot at the opposit side of the road. Keeping in mind I would never reach my destination if talk to every Mack driver along the way I just made a pic from where I was and continued spinning the wheels. Than I stopped a couple of times more seeing something of familiar to me shape and made more shots. Uggh, and that's probably the time to hear first rant of no girl in a car pictures. Sorry, seems this place doesn't work that way🤣

Ups, I was wrong hiding facts of me leaving the city. As soon as I leaved the center and went over the city sorruond Mack trucks sharted showing up. Seeing a quite good looking R-model dumper I stopped by, saw the driver, asked for pics and so on. Turned out a tractor got parked nearby so I was able to make a few good quality pics. Worth to mention the dump truck had original American cab so I guess it was imported as a truck, new or used. And the red tractor was definitely an Iran-Kaveh creation.

Ok, leaved Urmie on the next day and hit the road to Tebriz. It wasn't far, about 150 km. The road was crossing a salt (or salty?) lake with a similar name as the city so I expected artificial scenaries. But turned out that wasn't of a great look and also weather wasn't pleasant. Really hard wind forcing me to keep dead grip on the steering and short shots of rain a few times. Presence of trucks also didn't suit my taste but some "historical" examples were cruising that highway.

It's also worth mentioning that German person I met there. It was his 2nd visit to Iran, also with a motorbike. And his further plan was to go to Afghanistan. To my really big surprize he stated that that's almost safe there, the Taliban put all the things in order and foreign tourists may feel safe in the country. He supported his statement by an interweb post of some French motorcyclist who rode there just two weeks before the date. On my mind that info requies a triple check but definitely worth interest. The general plan of the German was to pass Afghanistan, than enter Tajikistan (former USSR member), than from there to Kazakhstan (also former USSR), from there to Russia, and from Russia to Poland and back home to Nurnburg, Germany. I keep in contact with him so hope to learn the turn out.

On the next day Hossein's father offered me to walk over the center of the city and bring me there with his car. I accepted the offer since was tired of driving and also had interest seeing the streets. That man spoke English wery well so we spent a whole day walking, talking and eating😀 The most important part of that city along with all other Iranian cities as I learned later was a so-called Bazzar. Actually an old market located in a historical building and used for its original purpose. The outside of the building was not really artificial since the most you see is small shops facing the street. So more interesting was to look inside, for the most part the ceilling made of bricks as a series of domes with vent holes at the center. And sure almost different goods offered for sale there starting from clothes, foods and furniture and ending a grinder who was sharpening different knifes and other things right inside the building, tracing sparks to the passing by public. If anybody ever want to buy a samovar I would tell the offer there bets offer in Russia😀

Continue of the story. I came to the B&B the city of Urmie. From the outside the place looked like a fortress with high concrete walls and massive gates. The gates had a portal, both were reachly decorated. With lights making them look fashionly and so on. Hossein met me and let driving inside to park the bike. The inner yard was also well furnished with grass, trees and so on. There was a building inside with a really large living room unified with kitchen, two bed rooms and a bath room. My expectations about new friends also found a ground there. That day a rider from Germany arrived to the place. So we took both bed rooms and the owner stayed overnight in the living room. Actually the place was specially organized for guests and is inhabit when none of them are there.

Also note heavy rears and 12.00R24 tube tyres. As I found out later, the most every truck in that country rides on that type of tires! And when I asked the driver of why so few Macks were seen in the streets the answer was "You should go to Tabriz"😀😀

The truck (actually the both of them) was produced by Iran-Kaveh in Tegeran in 1975 (or so). As you can see the cab was of local production, probably the hood too. As I figured the most components of the chassis and drivetrain were made in the US and supplied to Iran. Possibly some engine parts were produced locally too but that matter is not clean to me so far. Interesting point the dog maskote was definitely made in Iran. Its shape slightly differes from the American original and where chrome is worn you can see bare brass casting.

Ok, MB was a good deal but I didn't order all that music for them. Finally passed over a heavy tanker pulled by an R-model. Since I was hungry for any Mack I than drove a few km, found a spot where I could take a pic and shot the 1st bird. Not a really artificial road train but it was what it was. Driving further I noted an R-model parked in a side street near the main highway. I U-turned, went by, saw the driver tinkering with something under the hood and asked for taking photo's. Also showed him pics of my Macks in the phone and our conversation went fine!

Honestly entering the country I was expecting seeing Macks all over the streets from left to right. To my surprize and slight disappointment I saw neither of them for no less than 70-80km. The most of traffic were 90's years European trucks along with modern China marks and a few mastadonts made by Volvo and Scania in 70's and 80's. Also a very common truck is Mercedes-Benz semi-conventional which was produced in 60's in Germany. To my surprize I learned that model is in production in Iran till now! They simplified the cab a little and successfully use 60yo design which can be seen everywhere and do its job. Something to think about a little, right? The same story with cars. 50% of them running down the road are French Peugeot 605 which came into production about 1995 year. As I understood Iranians produce it till now with some minimal mods and people buy them and use. Do we really need a new model of a car/truck every 5 or 7 years? I'm not sure on that.

So... Entered Iran. Crossing the border was not anything exceptional with only point I was asked to come there as early as possible to have time enough for arrangement of paperwork with customs due to importing the bike. So I came about 8AM to Turkish side which I passed in 20 minutes and than later it took nearly 2 hours for the customs deal at the Iranian side. I was told it could take a few hours so all in all it turned well. The nearest interesting city was Tabriz which seemed as Iranian trucking capital. Or at least that looked that way to me since the most drivers I previousely met in Russia and Georgia were from Tabriz. I needed to drive nearly 300km to it. But figured to correct the initial plan becase the guy who helped with customs also offered to stay at his B&B place in a city of Urmie. The distance to there was almost similar and I had that city on my mind also since it was located near a large salt lake with a dam/bridge crossing it. So I though I would take that offer indeed having the first place with a well English-speaking hoist and also having a chance to meet other travelers there.

Thanks for all the comments, folks! I don't answer each one personally to save time. Will do for some later since that makes sence.

Than on the next day I took my ride to the border and saw two F-models going in opposite direction. My phone camera had wrong settings at the moment so the truck with a container was catched only from its back. Not a big deal as it already seemed to me since it was 4th F-model with orange cab I met in 3 days😀 To be continued.