It’s a 1928 Mack logging truck.
I’ve passed by it a couple of times on the way to Bi-Mart, but today Kim was happy to stop and read the New York Times Review of Books (always at hand in the PF for just such delays) while I jumped out to take a few quick snaps. The lighting conditions were at their very worst, and I only had the old point-and-shoot along, but I was soon engrossed in inspecting & documenting. And the owner, identifying himself as Jerry, soon appeared and proceeded to unwind a lengthy dissertation on the truck’s history, features, provenance and his adventures bringing it back to life.
Jerry found the thing up to its axles in mud, where it had been since 1947, the last time it was started. Amazingly, with just new belts, hoses, spark plugs, wiring, and oil; cleaning of carburetor and felt oil filters; and radiator repair, it started up and ran. Cranking the four-banger quickly started it and it ran quite smoothly in my presence. Jerry pointed out a number of unique features including a large inspection port providing access directly to the crankshaft. The original tires had become hard as rock with missing chunks, but were replaced with new ones, readily found to fit. Rated top speed for the torquey, geared-down four-cylinder was 27 mph. Rear axle ratio was something like 9.3:1. The radiator and oil pan are aluminum. Electric lights, but manual crank starter. And on and on.
Jerry has the original factory build sheet, with part numbers for every component, which he has been inspecting to confirm for authenticity and possible replacement, if needed. It turns out be a numbers-matching classic (!), for those who were wondering.
Jerry says he has been around the block a few times with it, and down the street to Bi-Mart, and invited me back for a ride (after a few more tweaks that are in progress) and when a better photographic set of conditions exist.
