Terry T

A year and a half ago I bought the very B61 that my father had driven and my father-in-law had driven and I had driven when I was your age, I would lot drive it using it to spot trailers in the wash bay as I washed trucks for the company that My dad and father-in-law worked for. If you have a way to afford the truck, a place to keep the truck and enjoy working on the truck then by all means buy the truck. I am with John however, I believe that $500.00 to $1,000.00 would be the better cost. Mine has ment so much to me as I have done almost all the dis-assembly myself to this point. I will be continuing to be hands on on this project as well as the Mack F model that is setting in the driveway right now waiting for the time and money. The only way to truly appreciate what you have is to bust a few knuckles on it. Buying an already restored truck or paying someone to do ALL the work and then driving it with a big smile on your face and a "special" coke in your hand is no way to go. And since you want to keep the appearance somewhat "as it" then you have a head start. Good luck to you young man, you are miles ahead of many of us already! Terry

Another option for you is Hoosier Bumper in Ft Wayne, IN 800-732-4766 or 260-456-4000. Ask for Carl (Shaw). He is a personal friend of mine and had all of the chrome work done for my B Model to this point which includes the dash, glovebox door, ashtray panel, door panels, among other items. The enclosed pic does not do justice to the work he had done. Terry

Well Barry, I remember when I came out to pick up the cab and wandered around in that yard for a little bit. Hasn't changed much since then, weeds are a little taller! You really need to talk the boss into getting a crew out there to "tend" to those trucks before Mother Nature takes them to the point of no return. OR just build a really big building over everything! T.

Is this the R that you have in mind? This was the 1st of 3 sets delivered to Wabash Fibre Box in Ft Wayne, IN. These pic's show 5 of the orginal 7 that we leased to WFB when we won the lease from another leasing company. They replaced 7 IHC Fleetstars with DD and 10 speeds. These were 300's with 5 speeds, as were the two sets thats later replaced these units. The very last of all of these trucks were sold off about two years ago. I also have two of the air deflectors that you mentioned. I may have access to a third air deflector as well which came off of a Sodrel Mack R with a 300 5 speed and tag axle that sold at auction earlier this year. T.

I myself wear a long sleeve shirt year round with orange reflective material. This picture was taken more than an hour after the crash. The crash occured just before a large thunderstorm moved thru the area so (considering I wasn't there, I am just guessing) I would bet that this is probably the third time they have changed over clothes. I.E. vests or turnout gear, rain gear and now have just shed rain gear and have not put the vest etc back on. Although they should be, the dayglow or reflective material is not mandated yet. T.

I don't mean to preach, but for the 2nd time in less than two years this kind of thing has "HIT" too close to home. The first time the end result was the death of a fellow tow operator. Several states have a "MOVE OVER LAW" that requires motorists to move over or slow down for emergency, safety, and work vehicles on the side of the road. It is sad to think that a law has to be enacted where common sense should dictate. The Trooper was in his vehicle writing the driver of the van a ticket when the Buick struck him from behind at "highway speed". The Trooper and both occupants of the Buick went to the hospital. It is not always possible to move over because of traffic, but when encountering vehicles on the side of the road please try to move over or slow down. Please also pass my request on to the other driving members of your family. Many lives, including mine, depend on the driving public being safe and considerate. Terry.

Hey Sidewinder, It sounds to me like you have a '72 Mack! What you have described is rather common to a Mack, how does your oil look? Oil pressure? Fuel Mileage? I am not a mechanic, but my '95 with an E7 does the same thing every morning. T.

Trent, Just to clarify, You could not get the E9 in a CH, only in a CL. As far as Chrome Valve covers, I don't know, never seen chrome valve covers offered from the factory and I was selling Macks in the late '90's during the demise of the E9 (sad days). I think it would have to have been done on an individual basis. T.