Memories for us old truckers

[Paystar]

Now that's a real Western Star....not like the Daimler junk I have now.

I'm probably missing some but through the years White has owned Western Star, Autocar, Freightliner, Euclid, Michigan, Minneapolis Moline, Cockshut, Diamond Reo, White Agricultural, White Power (power generation systems), etc.

It is staggering to the mind how a company like that can go under with bad management.

 

[RZucker]

12 years ago I bought a similar old Freightliner for $1200, guy wanted $2500. It had a 425HP 1693 Cat I needed for another project. I lugged out 4 batteries and got her lit off, ran good but the mouse smell could gag a maggot. I cranked the heater up and told the owner "If you can sit in that cab for ten minutes... I'll give you the 2500." He didn't even try. I drove it home with my head out the window. 1693 went to a good home in a Kenworth. Freightliner went to scrap.
FWIW, I think the Freightshaker was originally a Safeway foods truck, it did have red painted rims on the inside duals and a long day cab.

 

[mitch504]

I noticed that was once an Abitibi truck, is that why it has the funky front hubs? It looks like maybe they were made to protect the hub caps?

 

[RZucker]

I noticed that was once an Abitibi truck, is that why it has the funky front hubs? It looks like maybe they were made to protect the hub caps?

Just a ring to step on. Seen it on other trucks.

 

[crane operator]

I've seen this too, where they just modify the cover into a step, that's a pretty big ring on the freightliner. Anything to make that cab easier to get into would help, they aren't user friendly.

 

[Truck Shop]

Always liked those Stars. But try and buy parts for one Western Star had no cab parts on hand and the elbows for twice pipes are super expensive.

Truck Shop

 

[DMiller]

Must have been one of the last WF line or had cab work as has the later model door latches, most had the roll over exterior L-handle in that day. Man what a Rat's Nest!! That was a typical Midwest truck of the day. Hendrickson looks like 36 or 38,000 rears, Beat you to death AND back!

 

[colson04]

Another one on the ol' craigslist:

https://lansing.craigslist.org/grd/d/1971-international-4070-truck/6462485579.html

 

[Paystar]

I noticed that was once an Abitibi truck, is that why it has the funky front hubs? It looks like maybe they were made to protect the hub caps?

Yes, those were steps. That was very popular around here back in the day. Manitoulin Transport runs a lot of Freightliner cabovers and they all had those. Here's some of their fleet new and past.

 

[RZucker]

Another one on the ol' craigslist:

https://lansing.craigslist.org/grd/d/1971-international-4070-truck/6462485579.html

In the early 80's when I was grain hauling, I ran with a guy that had a 4070, it was fire engine red with dual chrome everything and polished aluminum wheels and tanks. 400 sc Cummins and 5' straights. Pretty classy looking rig, people would tease him about the "Farmall" and he would say "Spotwelds are cheaper than rivets".

 

[JPV]

What is the story with all those axles on those Manitoulin trucks? Are they steer axles or steerable drop axles or fixed or what? I have seen trucks with dromedaries but nothing like those, pretty cool.

 

[Truck Shop]

But back in the day that was some truck! look at the interior even....pretty classy for back then. Back when a Freightliner was a real truck.

I know what was running around in those days, I had my first ride in 1963 in a K100 cattle truck owned by Nello Pistoresi and I was riding with his son Corkey.
I was eight at the time- with out a doubt Nello Pistoresi owned the jazziest, sharpest looking equipment on the west coast. The front cattle box and trailers all
aluminum were built by REA fabrication here in Walla Walla where I live. Nello owned 25 cattle truck and trailer rigs at that time. They were painted white with
maroon panels out lined by black and gold pin stripping with lots of polished chrome and aluminum wheels. I wish I had a photo. After that ride I never got
away from big diesel cars.

Truck Shop
.

 

[Truck Shop]

I don't like high jacking someone photographic work but this is the only pic of a Pistoresi cattle truck to be found. The one I rode in was #8.

Truck Shop

 

[RZucker]

I don't like high jacking someone photographic work but this is the only pic of a Pistoresi cattle truck to be found. The one I rode in was #8.

Truck Shop

View attachment 177558 View attachment 177558

I remember as a kid, going to the local cattle auction with my grandfather and there would always be 2 or 3 of those rigs there on auction day. Haul 'em in and haul 'em out.

 

[Truck Shop]

Here you go RZ there just aren't any of these left {like Zero} it only needs a 12v92. And the price at
$3,500 is real good they normally go for $7,000 in worse condition. Hell I'll throw in $1750.

Truck Shop

https://missoula.craigslist.org/hvo/d/1975-gmc-tandem-detroit-8v17/6452157903.html

 

[RZucker]

Wow. A single headlight long hood. Get a load of the original paint color on the doors. It does have the fancy trim panels on the doors, probably a really nice truck when it was new.
And no... I really don't need a project like that.

 

[mitch504]

I've got one, a 1970 Chevy C90 with a 6-71 and a 9513, 34k on walking beams. I bought it 10 yrs ago from a man who drove it everyday and treated it like his favorite child. It runs and drives great, but the cab is about to fall off.

 

[Truck Shop]

I've got one, a 1970 Chevy C90 with a 6-71 and a 9513, 34k on walking beams. I bought it 10 yrs ago from a man who drove it everyday and treated it like his favorite child. It runs and drives great, but the cab is about to fall off.

Those C90's were few and far between. there were many more GMC models produced. There was a C90 that was auctioned on Big Iron this time last year and it went for 6,000.

Truck Shop

 

[mitch504]

That blue one is even the same color as mine.

Funny story, I seldom haul anything on the road with mine, but I keep tags and ins. on it mostly to move it. About 8 or 9 yrs ago, everything was real busy and a good customer was up against a hard deadline, so I sent 3 of my CH Mack tractors, ( 427/18 spd, 400/ 9 spd, 350/10 spd) and drove my C90 myself. Another outfit sent 4 brand new RDs, and we all took off in a line following a car to see where to dump our bricks. One of the guys in an RD called on the CB and said "put the old truck in the front or he'll get left and lost."

We took off running a block at a time from red light to red light. The 6-71 stayed right with the car, and I was on the phone calling each turn back to one of my drivers who had a CB. The 4-strokes couldn't hang from 0-30, over and over again!

 

[Birken Vogt]

Here you go RZ there just aren't any of these left {like Zero} it only needs a 12v92. And the price at
$3,500 is real good they normally go for $7,000 in worse condition. Hell I'll throw in $1750.

Truck Shop

https://missoula.craigslist.org/hvo/d/1975-gmc-tandem-detroit-8v17/6452157903.html

Drop center wheels all around it looks like too. That is a bonus.