The R-Model

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Eric

Back in the mid 60’s Mack Trucks found themselves in an interesting position regarding the future. After 13 years their B-Model line of trucks was near the end of an extremely successful existence. While the B was tried and true it was time for something different and thus the world was introduced to the R-Model in 1966. A worth succesor, the R-Series would roll of the production lines of Mack for nearly 40 years. The outward appearance changed little over the decades while spawning variants like the U and DM. In the mid 70’s the cab was made deeper and the steel dash became a thing of the past. Numerous engine choices came and went. This 1985 R-686ST example was seen at the 2015 ATHS national convention and meet. While the sound of a Detroit Diesel is unmistakable the Mack engines of the past certainly have their own charm. This truck will give you a great idea of what I mean.

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Bomag Cold Planer

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Eric

Just when you thought the 47 million dollar road construction project was over it’s back with a Bomga BM1300/30 cold planer to mill down the bike lanes around storm sewers. This is all based on my non expert observations so take it with a grain of salt.

Bomag Cold Planer

You’ll notice that the bike lanes are green. They are painted with some sort of substance that cures to an almost rubber like consistency so when a biker is clipped by a car the fall isn’t that bad. I guess it’s the the thought that counts. When applied this green goop had the most God awful chemical stench I had ever encountered. It lingered for days after application and came roaring back to life as the cold planer chewed it up. Be thankful the video below doesn’t transmit odor.

More photos.

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Saved to Plow Again

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Eric

I can now confirm that a previously classified rescue mission to liberate the Town of Henderson Walter from the former Dobbins Auto Parts property in Adams, NY successfully took place in mid August of 2015.

Walter Snow Plow

A dedicated and skilled team was able to rescue this QCUS model with a Cummins V903 and Allison automatic despite what appeared to be at the time a seized engine.

Walter Rescue

Pushing the limits on both time and size regarding over sized loads the QCUS returned to the safety of Walter Snow Fighter refugee center. Just a few months later the seized engine returned back to life.

Thanks to Mike for sharing these recovery photos. For more information and photos regarding this truck and other Walters click here.

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The Brockway Trail

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Eric

It happened again. I journeyed up and down the Finger Lakes wine trails of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes and spent more time looking for rusty old hulks than I did enjoying the scenic vistas. Well, that’s not entirely true but I did have my eyes peeled for gems hiding in the numerous fields and wooded area along the route. I almost crossed the double yellow lines when I craned my neck around to catch a second glimpse of this old Brockway. My wife doesn’t even scream out in terror anymore when this kind of thing happens. In fact, she encouraged me to turn around and grab a shot.

This truck was way off in a farmers field and almost beyond the reach of my camera’s zoom. It’s a little fuzzy close up but the overall details are there. It’s possible the true Brockway fanatics out there already know of this truck resting along route 96 in Romulus, NY. You don’t have to be close to tell this truck is in rough shape and probably only good for highway gawking now. You can’t see it from this angle but the driver’s side door is wide open. God only knows for how long. If you know the story behind this truck feel free to share.

Brockway Snow Plow

I also saw a few other cool trucks in the form of a Mack Superliner, International Loadstar (gas power booo) and a Ford L9000.

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Autocar Mondays – Awesome Autocar

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Eric

Depending on your knowledge of social media you may or may not be familiar with the use of hastags. On social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram hastags are used to search and categorize past posts. There is no limit to what a hastag can be. Simply enter the symbol (#) and then your search or post phrase. For example, #atetoomuchturkey will bring you post of people complaining of eating too much turkey after Thanksgiving. I’m sure a decade from now you’ll want to relieve these moments of perfect strangers and that’s what the # tag will help you do. For stuff that matters, truck stuff, head on over to the likes of Twitter or Instagram and type #awesomeautocar. The results will probably feature a photo of this truck and many others.

This particular photo comes to us from the 2008 ATCA national meet in Macungie, PA. If you can find a photo that better fits the tag of #awesomeautocar please share it with me because I can’t and won’t believe it till I see it.

Autocar Roll Off

Truck perfection in each way. If you desire to see more of this ’72 beauty search for Dibella Autocar and you’ll find plenty of photos and even a few videos. I can’t say that I’ve seen this truck in recent years but I sure do I hope we cross paths again.

Autocar Roll Off

For nostalgia purposes only here is a short clip of it running at the 2007 show. Video technology sure has come a long way in eight years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0dwpJdU9Vs

Have you spotted an Autocar? Let the world see! Email eric@dailydieseldose.com today!

Posted in Autocar Trucks | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Sterling at Auction

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Eric

After reading the post regarding that ’87 Diamond Reo wrecker and the eventual sale price of 6,500 dollars you might be left wondering if old trucks sell for dollars on the pound at auction. Sometimes they do. Other times they don’t. Clarence sends us a great shot from an auction early last month in which a 1950’s Sterling sold for 27,500 big ones. This twenty year old restoration caught the eyes of many and the wallet of one.

Sterling Truck

This truck happened to come from the same auction that offered that sweet late 50’s DC Autocar dump truck. Looks like this was one sale worth attending! Thanks for sharing Clarence!

Posted in Vintage | Tagged | 1 Comment

Just in Time for Christmas

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Eric

Just in time for Christmas, two brand new Western Stars. In a delivery setup like this one I’ve often wondered how it is determined which truck will be the power unit and which one gets the free ride.

Western Star 4800

Maybe they just pick the cooler of the two trucks. Clearly the case in this couple. I know I’m preaching to the choir on this one but it’s amazing what a real paint job with stripes can do for a truck.

Western Star Truck

The shipping tags don’t tell us much regarding the final destination of these rigs. They have names but the seem like last names to me. I’m getting the feeling these trucks are heading to our friendly neighbors to the north. Keep an eye out out for them if you travel up there sometime soon.

Posted in At the Dealer | Tagged | 2 Comments

New Farm Equipment

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Eric

Now I understand why farmers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on new equipment. It’s not because they need to. It’s because they want to! Can you blame them when each load arrives on the back of a vintage semi? In this instance a pair of Kenworth W900A’s. Both trucks were seen at the ATHS National Convention this past spring in York, PA. They arrived as pair and left pair. The first truck in the video is a ’74 while the second is a ’81. Your average Joe Sixpack cruising down the interstate would see these trucks and probably not even realize the youngest is 34 years old. Impeccable.

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Diamond Reo Giant Wrecker

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Eric

Take a look at this, a 1987 Diamond Reo Giant with just over 14,000 original miles. Yup, that’s right. Just 14K on the odometer.

Diamond Reo Giant

I usually keep tabs on the auctions hosted by the local companies but this one almost slipped away. It was part of dual site auction that contained mostly building supplies and other junk. Thankfully my dad took the time to browse the listing with more attention than I paid or this truck would have been missed. The online auction catalog didn’t contain any photos but when you see words like Diamond Reo Giant and tandem winches attendance becomes mandatory.

Diamond Reo Tow Truck

I wasn’t sure what condition the truck would be in but I can tell you I wasn’t expecting a rig in this great of shape. The cab was completely rust free and contained a full set of working gauges. All glass was clear. The steering wheel was without cracks. The tilt fiberglass hood was free of breaks or tears. Under the hood was Cummins PT240 that started with just one crank. No smoke, blue or black, of any kind. The only fault that I could find was  an air system that didn’t hold a full tank on it’s own without the truck running. Gearing was provided by a Road Ranger eight speed. Out back a wrecker body that I assume is a Weld Built. From what I could see the frame was very straight and rust free with no cuts, splices, or visible holes. At one point in time the current owner stopped by and dropped some more details. Apparently this truck came out of the Buffalo, NY DPW. It may have had a trash body on it at one point or was always a wrecker used to haul garbage trucks. Details are murky. At some point the truck went down to Binghamton and then back out to Buffalo were it was last used to move steel plates around.

Diamond Reo Giant

I mention all these details because for a very short while my dad and I toyed with the idea of buying this truck. You see, there was almost no one at this auction. Possibly 20 people for over 140 lots. We figured if we could get a deal on this truck we could figure out how to store it for the winter, play around with it some, and possibly resell for a profit in the future. Maybe take it up to the Coquihalla and haul trucks through the smasher. We were dreaming big. Just so you understand our commitment this was the absolute last item up for bid. When the hammer fell the final price was 6,500 bucks. The money did not come from our wallets and we still have wives that will let us come home. What a steal someone got with this one.

I made a walk around video of the truck with the typical commentary. At one point I make a note about the engine having a knocking sound but that disappeared after the truck had been running for a bit. I believe it had something to do with the weak air system but for you out there with better trained ears please let me know if you hear something different.

Cool beans.

Diamond Reo Giant
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Autocar Mondays A-OK AT64

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Eric

The AT64F was the highway tractor of the Autocar family and primarily intended for hauling in an over the road environment. In most other trucks this would mean flimsy materials or other weight saving measures coming at the cost of durability or longevity. But we’re talking Autocar here so forget about that. Kyle spotted this AT64F in Williamsport, PA two years ago and at first glance you could be forgiven for thinking this was a DK model. It just has that legendary tough look about it. Unlike he DC or DK models this truck has a one piece tilt forward hood. A butterfly steel hood is not always the best….maybe. 😉

Autocar AT64F

Thanks to Kyle for sharing! In case you were wondering Kyle is the same gentleman that owns the 1965 Brockway 257 featured on this site from a few years back. If you like Brockways, Detroits, classic trucks or any combination of the three click on that the link!

Update:

After some discussion on the FB group Autocar Trucks it is now believed this truck is not an AT model but a DKF which, from what I understand, could be considered a DK model with the flip forward hood. Either way, it makes this truck all the more unique.

Have you spotted an Autocar? Let the world see! Email eric@dailydieseldose.com today!

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