Classic Wrecker from Chatham area

427CARL · CLINTON, ONT

Classic Wrecker from Chatham area

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Thanks for the interesting post Carl. Is that wrecker an old B61 Mack possibly?
Sweet towtruck anyway.
Lots of accidents every were today, including tractor trailers up in my area. Stupid people, yesterday i came back from my sons garage in total whiteouts at times, and there were cars still passing me, could'nt see ahead of them at all.
The "Dumbing Down" of america is happening everywere!

JPB · AYLMER, ONT

sasquatch wrote:
Thanks for the interesting post Carl. Is that wrecker an old B61 Mack possibly?
Sweet towtruck anyway.
Lots of accidents every were today, including tractor trailers up in my area. Stupid people, yesterday i came back from my sons garage in total whiteouts at times, and there were cars still passing me, could'nt see ahead of them at all.
The "Dumbing Down" of america is happening everywere!

Looks like a Mac

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

It's a Mack, not sure what model, but I'm liking the fender skirts on it also.

workin class · FINCH, ONT

thats kool to see it out making money.

flatblack55delivery · PORT HOPE, ONT

Ya the 401 has been closed on and off for most of the last 2 days between Port Hope and Brighton. They just get it open and another bunch of speed freeks decide to play bumper cars.Throw in half a dozen jacknifed tractor trailers and you have a major photo op for the papers and overtime for the wreckers and the cops. Ed

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

workin class wrote:
thats kool to see it out making money.

I 2nd that idea as well. Pretty cool to see that rollin up to tow something. smile

Gearhead · ELORA, ONT

my guess is that all their other trucks were on call and they used this as back up

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

likely a modern chassis with an old body on it, major cool as i am a wrecker afficanado. i like those old makcs but my god i couldnt imagine driving one, 4 gear shifts, like a slot machine at the casino, putting that tow truck in 14th, one times got no case!

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

It's cool to see an old Mack like that still working for a living.
It's a "B" model Mack, likely a B-61 model.

I've got a B model that I used to pull my race trailer with.
I always thought it would make a cool looking wrecker.

-- Edited by jim_ss409 on Saturday 25th of January 2014 10:49:28 PM

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

Gearhead wrote:
my guess is that all their other trucks were on call and they used this as back up

x2---big bucks to be made this winter for them guys

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

sasquatch wrote:
Thanks for the interesting post Carl. Is that wrecker an old B61 Mack possibly?
Sweet towtruck anyway.
Lots of accidents every were today, including tractor trailers up in my area. Stupid people, yesterday i came back from my sons garage in total whiteouts at times, and there were cars still passing me, could'nt see ahead of them at all.
The "Dumbing Down" of america is happening everywere!

its a mack for sure--guessing pre b61, that thing is pretty old for a 61,, guessing

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

jim_ss409 wrote:
It's cool to see an old Mack like that still working for a living.
It's a "B" model Mack, likely a B-61 model.

I've got a B model that I used to pull my race trailer with.
I always thought it would make a cool looking wrecker.

-- Edited by jim_ss409 on Saturday 25th of January 2014 10:49:28 PM

now that is sweet, t/y for the pic. i put many hours in one in a pit on gramps farm in the early to mid 60's. i can't remember if it was 4x4 or 5x4 with tandem tag. had my first automotive accident 56-57. my uncle and dad bought 2 new g-m dump trucks and they were parked on a long hill in a field beside the lane going up to the house at gramps, omemee. a cousin and me would jump in and play bobby big rigger and somehow i knocked it out of gear and down she went into a tree. i heard about that for years.

little did i know it would be the first of many. lol-lmao

Gearhead · ELORA, ONT

jim_ss409 wrote:
It's cool to see an old Mack like that still working for a living.
It's a "B" model Mack, likely a B-61 model.

I've got a B model that I used to pull my race trailer with.
I always thought it would make a cool looking wrecker.

-- Edited by jim_ss409 on Saturday 25th of January 2014 10:49:28 PM

Now THIS is a first class TR.

Not like the idiotic late model on steroids with super stack and every goofy, bolt on, mad max accessory available...I cant wait for the "ruin a truck" craze to end

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

X2 on that gearhead!!

Beautifull truck Jim, thanks for posting that , great to see it again.

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Many years ago i once stopped into Mt. Elgin Ont to grab a coffee, and stopped there was one of the red "International Cartage" trucks that ran steady for years hauling car parts.
It was an old "B" series Mack like a B61, the guy had totally rebuilt it, all new up to date big power train. Beautiful shiney red like all their trucks with lots of chrome.
Forgot to ask the guy were he was from, possibly Windsor area.

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

shag766 wrote:

its a mack for sure--guessing pre b61, that thing is pretty old for a 61,, guessing

People are often surprised to hear that the B model Macks were built all the way up until 1966 The B model first appeared in 1953

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_B_Model

The B-61 was by far the most common of the B models. My blue Mack started out as a B-85 model fire truck, it a 1957 model year.

It was from Texas and had only 14,000 miles on it when we got it, so it was virtually rust free.

Look at how rust free the frame was too. It was actually a pleasure to work on.

We cut the box down and turned it into a pickup truck.

We repowered it with a 466 ci International turbo diesel and an Allison automatic transmission.

The rear end and steering axle were also switched out for more modern stuff. The whole drivetrain came from a 1996 International school bus.

The front and rear bumpers also came off of the school bus, we just had to narrow them to fit.

The seats and consul came from a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

We put about 3,000 miles on it the first year pulling this race trailer.

It's a real head turner, and even the dogs like it.

Here's Winston,,, it's his name on the door.

And here's the new guy, Dexter.

Unfortunately it' mostly just sitting around gathering dust these days.

We got a second race car and a stacker trailer that we pull behind a big motor home, so we don't use the Mack anymore.

hemi43 · ONTARIO

Wow !! That's gorgeous!! Is the engine 1996 also? If so, what are legalities of using a newer diesel? I always wanted to do an older truck with late model diesel power.

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

thats the one problem with a truck like that, its a purpose built machine that has limited uses, i guess you could drive it as a truck but expensive to insure, pretty big and likely not as efficient as driving a smaller truck. i was going to build a tilt an load but same problem, limited use and expensive to insure, i dont haul cars often as i used to so it would have sat around alot.

Gearhead · ELORA, ONT

That is seriously the best looking Mack I have ever seen. I'll bet it took some serious coin

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

hemi43 wrote:
Wow !! That's gorgeous!! Is the engine 1996 also? If so, what are legalities of using a newer diesel? I always wanted to do an older truck with late model diesel power.

Yes the engine is a 1996 and we did licence it as a commercial vehicle so it had to pass a drive clean test. What they did was test it as a 1996 International truck and it passed just fine.

cheyenne · VIENNA, ONT

I seen the pic of that wrecker at the accident in the ( On Line ) London Free Pree,...thought I was seeing things,..glad you posted this.

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

That is gorgeous. Just brilliant! smile

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

fatstax wrote:
thats the one problem with a truck like that, its a purpose built machine that has limited uses, i guess you could drive it as a truck but expensive to insure, pretty big and likely not as efficient as driving a smaller truck. i was going to build a tilt an load but same problem, limited use and expensive to insure, i dont haul cars often as i used to so it would have sat around alot.

Yeah, we did manage to get an OK deal on insurance once we explained that it was more like a collector vehicle, rather than a regular working truck.

As you said, it's not the kind of thing you drive every day, so it's been sitting around a lot. It was great when we were actually using it, it hauled a trailer really well and was actually pretty comfortable to drive.

I always wanted to get a trailer with a rounded front so that it would have that vintage look to it.

The old trailers looked like this...

But you can get new trailers with a semi-rounded front, like this one.

Of course, I'd get a 5th wheeler and get it in blue to match the truck.

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

Gearhead wrote:
That is seriously the best looking Mack I have ever seen. I'll bet it took some serious coin

The cost wasn't terrible because we did all the work ourselves. (I never add up receipts because I don't want to know)

The entire driveline came from this bus that we bought for $3,500

Most school boards won't accept busses over 10 years old so you can usually buy ten year old busses for about 3 to 4 grand.

You also get a reasonable amount from a scrap yard for the hulk.

Still, it was a ton of work, I'd hate to think what the labor costs would be if you had a shop do the job.

Here's a link to the actual build thread I posted on the HAMB site...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=439617

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Great pics Jim, thanks for posting this.

Now--That is a TRUCK!! Beauty!

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

jim_ss409 wrote:

I've got a B model that I used to pull my race trailer with.
I always thought it would make a cool looking wrecker.

-- Edited by jim_ss409 on Saturday 25th of January 2014 10:49:28 PM

I'm speechless! Good thing I;m able to type this out!!

I really like this shot!!!

427CARL · CLINTON, ONT

Wow love the story I'm stealing the dog for my AVATAR

-- Edited by 427CARL on Sunday 26th of January 2014 09:55:22 PM

jim_ss409 · BARRIE, ONTARIO

Thanks for all the nice comments.

Here's another picture of Winston and his truck...

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

" always wanted to get a trailer with a rounded front so that it would have that vintage look to it."
i know where there is one. has the stainless sides and maybe a tandem. it is early 50ish. great dane or fruhauf rings a bell. not far from the cobourg area.

dave · TORONTO, ONT

That is one cool and good looking truck.

flatblack55delivery · PORT HOPE, ONT

Ya Shag that trailer is still beside the farm house on #2 just east of Port Hope .It has been moved further back in the last few years but it is still there all shiney with the round nose .Its been there a long time not shure there would be anything left of it except the stainless outside,but they did move it so there must be something left. Ed

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

that trailer is pretty neat, I would like nothing more than to check it out. I should make friendly with the natives and see if access is possible

carta · GUELPH, ONT

Here is a facebook page for Big Rig Wreckers and there are some great smaller ones too
www.facebook.com/groups/226231294118413/

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

flatblack55delivery wrote:
Ya Shag that trailer is still beside the farm house on #2 just east of Port Hope .It has been moved further back in the last few years but it is still there all shiney with the round nose .Its been there a long time not shure there would be anything left of it except the stainless outside,but they did move it so there must be something left. Ed

no ed, this one is just north of castleton bout 2-3mi. it definitely can't be seen unless you are there and a little walk involved. a buddy of mine owns the property and i was there 4-5 years ago with the backhoe doing some clean-up for him. there was a white 64-5 catalina sitting in a field a short bit down the road. i asked the guy about it but the price was steep for sitting in a field for yrs. had the 389 in it. its gone now. i keep my 40 coupe in my buds shop.

north on jackobi to i think moore rd. which ended where the car was.

Ziggy · TRENTON, ONT

I know of a old rounded front trailer that has been sitting for awhile. Think it has a single axle. Not sure of what they are doing with it. Definitely needs work. Sitting in Belleville.