Little Irvy

[Truck Shop]

How many of you saw this truck years ago? It's a 1967 that was used to haul a frozen whale and frozen 400 year old sea bass around to early shopping malls as a side show.

I saw it in 1970 in Sacramento, the owner Malone let me set in the drivers seat. If not the first it was one of the first show truck semi's ever built. Inside was all diamond

tuck and chrome.

 

 

[41chevy]

I believe it is in the

stagecoach Museum in California. They have almost all Tyrone Malone and Bandags tucks and haulers and his "Smoky Bear" Corvette there on display and in storage. They are missing 3 or 4 units I recall, the red custom KW that was junked, the Hideout Truck which was in Texas, the Mini KW race truck and one other.

We took a lot of photos of them in the late 90's including his Freightliner called Defiance.

Edited March 23, 2018 by 41chevy

[carlotpilot]

seen that shortly after he started running the country with it` was one of the best looking rigs on the road       also note the chrome steel wheels   no alum. for ty

Edited March 23, 2018 by carlotpilot

[Lmackattack]

Where does one get the White wall tires in truck sizes?

 

[Rob]

Seen it too in 72, or 73 with the whale in the back. Remember looking the truck over but don't  remember the wide whitewall tires. I do remember the chrome rims however.

[Truck Shop]

On 3/23/2018 at 4:54 PM, Lmackattack said:

Where does one get the White wall tires in truck sizes?

 

This guy right here has a set for sale. And the Russian and Chinese military likes them too.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Truck Shop

[Lmackattack]

I bought a set of white walls for my old Cadillac about 10 years ago. company called Coker Tire was producing them but they make them for hot rods and pickup trucks only. I dont really like them on Big trucks but think it is kinda cool to know someone made them

 

[h67st]

I saw Little Irvy and the KW at the Ohio State Fair back in the day. I met Tyrone at a Bandag shop in Columbus in 1988, he had several of his trucks there. He started up one of them that had a 6V92 with some huge turbos on it...that was a memory that will stick with me for a long time.

[carlotpilot]

saw him burn up some bandag recaps on a couple different occasions    but never did get a look at the whale

[Truck Shop]

7 minutes ago, carlotpilot said:

saw him burn up some bandag recaps on a couple different occasions    but never did get a look at the whale

The whale was kind of freezer burnt actually.

[carlotpilot]

1 minute ago, Truck Shop said:

The whale was kind of freezer burnt actually.

I could imagine                     you read my pm?

[Truck Shop]

9 hours ago, carlotpilot said:

I could imagine                     you read my pm?

Yeah I read it and I might have a line on one of those manifolds but I have to look at it first.

[Quickfarms]

I believe it is in the
stagecoach Museum in California. They have almost all Tyrone Malone and Bandags tucks and haulers and his "Smoky Bear" Corvette there on display and in storage. They are missing 3 or 4 units I recall, the red custom KW that was junked, the Hideout Truck which was in Texas, the Mini KW race truck and one other.
We took a lot of photos of them in the late 90's including his Freightliner called Defiance.

Where is this museum located?

[41chevy]

9 hours ago, Quickfarms said:

 

Where is this museum located?

They were in Newbury Cal but the collection is now in Minnesota since 2003  owned by Statecoach  Express Trucking owned by Gary Reese . His collection is in Hastings Minn.

Edited March 31, 2018 by 41chevy

[Quickfarms]

They were in Newbury Cal but the collection is now in Minnesota since 2003  owned by Statecoach  Express Trucking owned by Gary Reese . His collection is in Hastings Minn.

Thanks, I figured the collection had left California since I had not heard of it.

[mowerman]

Wow nice looking rig...but I’ve never heard of it or the whale...interesting thanks for sharing...bob


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Norbster]

Saw his whole set up at Upper Lakes Tire, Gaylord MI. Bandag dealer.  Grand opening 1976ish...Whale in blue refrigerated trailer pulled by matching KW. Conventional red KW with two single bunks, front was bar, rear was 4 bar stools.

both Red White Blue plus black Super boss dragsters, their carriers and smoky and the bandit corvette.

had autographed flyers and got a Super boss hat. 

 

[Bullheaded]

I used to go see Tyrone's shows all the time when he came up to Canada. I have all kinds of pics and videos somewhere.

Those V12 Detroit race trucks sure sounded wild!

 

Tyrone was very nice to talk to. But some of his people were a little odd, LOL.

Edited June 25, 2019 by Bullheaded

[41chevy]

Bought this at Hersey a number of years ago, all about how he got the whale and how it basically financed his first race truck. Here is his Great White Shark tour truck.

 

[Chuck P]

Never heard of the "shark truck".  

I remember seeing him at Etown Raceway Park as a kid.  The Bandag recapper people were there in full force.

He would leave the timing tree for a 1/4 mile run ....  haul ass just to about the 1/8 mile mark and stand on the brakes.  The next thing that happened totally blew my mind.  He would crank the wheel hard left and start doing 360's in the middle of the track until you couldn't see him for the tire smoke.  He always brought the crowds to their feet and put on a great show.  What a showman!

[41chevy]

On 3/25/2018 at 9:40 PM, Truck Shop said:

The whale was kind of freezer burnt actually.

But it was not too bad. In the early 1980's Micky Dee's made 60,000 Mac-Fish burgers from it

Edited June 27, 2019 by 41chevy

[h67st]

8 hours ago, 41chevy said:

But it was not too bad. In the early 19080's Micky Dee's made 60,000 Mac-Fish burgers from it

I thought mine tasted a little dried out!

[41chevy]

8 hours ago, h67st said:

I thought mine tasted a little dried out!

When my wife was alive she would not let me order at McDonalds or Roy Rodgers because I'd ask for a Flipper Mcfish or Trigger on a bun. She was mortified but the staff had no clue.