I’ve run several Mack trucks. My brother-in-law had a mid-1970s R model with a 300-hp Maxidyne engine and five-speed Maxitorque transmission. We called it a “purebred,” because it was built with all-Mack parts. While it was a really good truck, it was kind of crude. It didn’t have a fuel gauge — you unscrewed the cap and looked in the tank. Another Mack I’ve driven was also a purebred, a 1988 R model that had a 350-hp Mack engine and 10-speed Mack transmission. It offered a little more comfort but was still pretty crude.
As shown at the top, there is a gold bulldog on the hood. I always thought that meant that the truck was a purebred.
The steel buds on the drive axles are chrome-plated 11/24.5s, while the steer axle has aluminum wheels. It’s riding on four-spring Reyco suspension. I thought that was unusual, too.
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