One of my favorite vehicles in the 2012 Holley NHRR car show was a beautiful 1964 Mack B-61 truck. When I saw that baby roll in and heard the distinctive sound of an old school Thermodyne engine, I hunted the truck and owner down and we talked Mack for a while. My love of old school rigs was not lost on the dude and we gabbed about Duplex transmissions, what axles the truck had, and how fun the restoration process of this truck was. The super cool thing is that the guys at Holley, unbeknownst to me, also found this big guy to be sweet and they made a video about the truck!
I love the fact that these old beasts are being more readily accepted at car shows and events like the Holley NHRR. Antique rigs are just as worthy as old cars to be displayed and loved on. They’re awesome automotive history and they all have distinctive looks and components that set them apart. For instance, that Thermodyne engine I mentioned previously? That was Mack’s motor for years. This truck has the naturally aspirated version and it is a 707ci six cylinder diesel. That monster has a 5″ bore and a 6″ stroke! Yes, this thing will only go about 55, but I can promise you it feels like 120mph.
Press play below to hear the story of this truck and to see some great video of the rig…including the nice mellow rumble of that Thermodyne!
Two stack Mack with no shack on the back, makin’ black.
The B model Mack, loved by everyone except those that had to drive them.
See the “wet road/dry road” switch? Wet road shut the front brakes off. The theory was the steer axle could lock up in the rain, causing loss of steering. Many old trucks had no brakes at all on the steer axle from the factory, I drove a few. Lots of excitement bobtailing in the rain.
All good.
Fade out the rat-rods and usher in the age of big rig tractors.
BangShift leads the way.
My name is Chuck
I drive a truck
Its a twin stack Mack
With a shack in the back
and a headache rack