1972 Loadstar , my love for loadstars continues .

[Geoff Weeks]

That would be the heavier end of the Loadstar line 1800.  Air braked? I think I see an air tank, but could also be for vacuum storage.

[Terry T]

On 12/14/2025 at 5:19 PM, Geoff Weeks said:

That would be the heavier end of the Loadstar line 1800.  Air braked? I think I see an air tank, but could also be for vacuum storage.

Geoff,

If you're referring to the one I posted, it did have air brakes.

[other dog]

On 12/13/2025 at 12:47 PM, mowerman said:

i never drove a transtar,,only rode in one,,,,they used to be everywhere,,,,i have driven a few eagles,,,i really liked them,,bob

I drove 2, the first truck I drove was a 74 Transtar with a 290 Cummins and 13 speed. Then I drove a 78 Astro with a 290, 9 speed. 

When I started driving for H.H. Moore Jr. my first truck there was a 74 Transtar with a VT903 with a 13 direct.

Here I am at the old Ponderosa Truck Stop at the bottom of North Mountain with a load of wood chips, going to the Westvaco paper mill in Covington, VA.

That's the last Transtar I drove, drove a couple of F models after this truck, then 3 K100's, then H.H. went to conventionals.

[mowerman]

Sounds similar to my past about drive every make at some time or another 

[Brocky]

I drove a 2001 9600 with series 60 Detroit and RR 10 speed for 5 years and liked  that truck.

[BOBWhite]

I wish our truck had the 549, but the 345 V8 in our seed wheat truck really has treated us well. Such a smooth engine for not being maintained and cobbled together spark plug wires. 

[mrsmackpaul]

345 and 392 are really low compression 

Have a huge crank shaft

As a result they just tick over and last a long time

They are no power house, but they are good motors for what they are 

Hard to believe we had line haul International semis with a 345 and later the 392

Never had any bigger petrol V8 inters in Australia than the 392

 

Paul 

[Geoff Weeks]

IHC had different compression pistons both for altitude and for "export". One being higher the other lower. All IHC designed engines were truck engines (or ag) from the get go. Made them stout as opposed to converted passenger car designs.

[Brocky]

6 hours ago, mrsmackpaul said:

Never had any bigger petrol V8 inters in Australia than the 392

Paul, Up here in the States the 549 IH and 534 Ford would run with a 220 Cummins, until it got to a petrol station, then they had to stop and fill up again!!!!

[Geoff Weeks]

7 minutes ago, Brocky said:

Paul, Up here in the States the 549 IH and 534 Ford would run with a 220 Cummins, until it got to a petrol station, then they had to stop and fill up again!!!!

LaPort Transport ran an all gas fleet of IHC and Ford until they closed sometime in the late 90's early 2000's.

Before my time but do you know how the GMC 503 and the IHC 450-501 inlines stacked up against the diesels? I had a 406 in a parts truck for awhile. sold the engine for more than I paid for the whole truck.

[Brocky]

1 minute ago, Geoff Weeks said:

Before my time but do you know how the GMC 503 and the IHC 450-501 inlines stacked up against the diesels?

Geoff, NO I do not!! There were a lot of them around, our school busses had the black diamond 450's in them. In about 57-58 (when I was 12-13) one of the local dump truck operators had a fleet of tandem drive GMC's with the biggest V-6 in them. One local sand and gravel / redi-mix outfits had a fleet of 59-60 F-1000 Fords with the 534's.

[Geoff Weeks]

450 was the biggest dry lined IHC 6 the 501 was parent bore. IDK when the GMC 503 stopped being made in favor of the big V6 that came later.

My parts truck came with a RD450 that was replaced with a re-newed (IHC's factory rebuild program) 406, long before I had it.

Always wondered what it was like to run one of the big inline gassers.

[Geoff Weeks]

interesting comparison. They list the RD501 at 3000 but it was gov at 2600 so not sure that was a one time test!

[Geoff Weeks]

From what I can find the V6 GMC came out "new" for model year 1960, so production in 1959, so one would guess the 503 was done in the '59 model year.

[67RModel]

Has anyone ever seen he loadstars with the one man, center mounted cab for hauling long beams or pipe? There is a roof hatch to get in and out. I think IH made them before the loadstar but they are neat looking. Only ever saw one in real life. 

[Geoff Weeks]

yes, I've seen quite a few of them.

[mowerman]

ya me too i think i saw one back in LA

[Joey Mack]

Everytime I see a post about a truck that was 'purpose built' I smile...  wish we had the same engineers today.  They built trucks for specific needs, i assume they talked with operators about how to improve the use-abilty of a truck, and may have talked to mechanics about ease of maint. and repair..  Wishful thoughts I guess.   I look at todays trucks and all I see is a mess.. liken to trying to work under the hood of a fancy front wheel drive automobile...

Ok... am I out to lunch ?

[Geoff Weeks]

I don't think a driver had much input on those Loadstars. I have also seen one, that looked like a "carry-deck crane" without the crane part. Tiny drivers cab offset all the way to the left. and flat deck from the rear to the front. I saw it driving down I 79 south of Erie, Pa.

I don't think a driver would much care for entering and exiting through the (leaky?) roof hatch.

[mowerman]

i do remember seeing what looked like an eagle conventional cab  offset to the left and it hadda really short nose,,,,also in LA i tryed to find a photo but unsuccessful,,,Geoff im sure you know what im talking about

[mowerman]

and yes i changed it a bit,,,,i think garret had a bunch out here in the west coast

[Joey Mack]

GW. I guess so. But back then... Men were Men..... and WORK  had to get done...  today.....  not so much... Sure am glad I was raised by MEN..  today.... not so much.. GW,  you had to work!  You didnt gain the knowledge you have without busting your a$$.  Just sayin...

[mechohaulic]

4 hours ago, 67RModel said:

Has anyone ever seen he loadstars with the one man, center mounted cab for hauling long beams or pipe? There is a roof hatch to get in and out. I think IH made them before the loadstar but they are neat looking. Only ever saw one in real life. 

yrs back a CT steel hauling Co had not only the roof hatch, also both front fenders were flat top /lower fabricated with diamond plate. edgecomb steel had some {blue)  units with the flat fenders.

[Geoff Weeks]

29 minutes ago, mechohaulic said:

yrs back a CT steel hauling Co had not only the roof hatch, also both front fenders were flat top /lower fabricated with diamond plate. edgecomb steel had some {blue)  units with the flat fenders.

Yeah, that is how I remember them, but it might also have been an earlier "R" series which had low flat fenders.

[Geoff Weeks]

From what I remember also the windshield was two piece gasketed  so you could push one out and get out if the top and sides were blocked for some reason.

Hauling crane beams on take-a-part trailers where the beam itself provides all the structure, makes you painfully aware about chaining down loads. Bridge girders are the same.

Old "fish belly" girders were nerve wracking as you had to crib them up so high to clear.