60 years of the R model in Australia

[mowerman]

lol thanks for that always fascinating to watch what you guys got the side of the world 

[mechohaulic]

2 hours ago, cruiseliner64 said:

Am I seeing this right?...That drive across the dash is for the steering??? Never seen or heard of that set up before but if it works then why not?.....

Paul

right hand drive common in other parts of the world.

[mrsmackpaul]

3 hours ago, cruiseliner64 said:

Am I seeing this right?...That drive across the dash is for the steering??? Never seen or heard of that set up before but if it works then why not?.....

Paul

You are seeing this right

This is a F model and they were only sold for a very short time before the F model cab was put on a R model chassis and from then on they became the FR

The R model chassis was used well into the 2000's as it is suited to RHD trucks 

 

Paul

[cruiseliner64]

9 hours ago, mechohaulic said:

right hand drive common in other parts of the world.

Sure is.We are right hand drive in Ireland.What surprised me was the left to right conversion.Neat job...

Paul

[cruiseliner64]

8 hours ago, mrsmackpaul said:

You are seeing this right

This is a F model and they were only sold for a very short time before the F model cab was put on a R model chassis and from then on they became the FR

The R model chassis was used well into the 2000's as it is suited to RHD trucks 

 

Paul

Nice.Yeah just never seen that type of set up before.Interesting they used the R model chassis for the F but then what real difference would there be in a chassis between a cabover and a truck with a hood??

Paul

[Geoff Weeks]

2 hours ago, cruiseliner64 said:

Nice.Yeah just never seen that type of set up before.Interesting they used the R model chassis for the F but then what real difference would there be in a chassis between a cabover and a truck with a hood??

Paul

Paul, for a while Freightliner was converting their old leased cabover "turn ins" to short wheelbase conventional sold cheap. I don't know what all had to be changed, but they had leased so many cabover units to the big carriers that got turned back in when the length limits went away. No one would buy the old units, and they had to either export, scrap or find some way to get some money out of them.  They overhauled the engines and transmissions and offered a warranty close to that of their new trucks. Still, there were not many "takers", some farmers that needed something cheap to haul short distances, bought them. 

 They didn't learn their lesson, and there were a ton of conventional turn-ins a few years later. Used to be  a huge storage yard not far from me of Freightliners sitting in a field, They would try and sell through dealers, but most just sat.

[cruiseliner64]

Very intetesting Geoff.Id say that yard full of Freightliners was a sight to see.Id walk around it for hours just looking.Im sure it was a difficult time for them trying to shift that much stock.The cabover to conventional conversion is something I love to know more about.....

Paul

[Geoff Weeks]

I don't know much about the actual conversion, what was re-used and what was new.  The engines were Detroit 11.1 L 60 series, and the transmission I think were Meritor. I remember the ads, "new truck for the price of used".  I don't know if the frames were the same, it would look that way, otherwise why were the wheelbase limited to short conventionals?

It was doomed from the start, the 11.1liter Detroit was the 1st electronic engine and while not bad, the displacement and power were not what people were looking for. I can't remember if the 12.7 L was a option or not. They were trying to use up what was already in the chassies.

The bodies looked like Freightliners "business class" mid range with a hood that was different then their other trucks IIRC. That would seam to indicate that the original cabover frame was used and parts from newer trucks would't work. I don't think the program was a success, by any measure. 

 I didn't pay much attention, as I wasn't in the market for new trucks, I always bought used and held onto what I had. When I retired, I sold my 1st truck I ever owned, it remained with me for the whole time. It was used when I bought it.

Edited 10 hours ago by Geoff Weeks

[mrsmackpaul]

9 hours ago, cruiseliner64 said:

Nice.Yeah just never seen that type of set up before.Interesting they used the R model chassis for the F but then what real difference would there be in a chassis between a cabover and a truck with a hood??

Paul

It must be pretty big difference 

Even C models as I may call them,  CH, CHR and so on used the R model chassis in Australia 

There has gotta be something special about the R model chassis

I'm gunna say, without looking it up that Mack Australia stopped using the R model chassis maybe 10 - 15 years ago 

 

Paul