My Son and I own a small trucking co (5 trucks) I learned to drive a semi in a twin stick B Model Mack, we very recently bought 2 brand new Mack’s with less than 1000 miles on each truck. My pride wants to drive a stick but my desire to maximize profits wants the M Drive Mack’s they get about 113% better fuel mileage and THAT is a lot of savings, that never stops giving!
Allentown born and raised! One of my earliest memories, maybe 4 years old, was wandering off and sitting on a hill overlooking the plant and watching the trucks roll off the assembly line. That would've been 1954. I don't know how long I was there, but when I got home my folks were frantic. They had the whole neighborhood out looking for me. I guess you could say it was foreshadowing things to come. Been jamming and grabbing gears for almost 30 years, and have no intention of quitting anytime soon.
I understand automatic transmissions are great for some people, but not me, I've been driving an old twin stick for years and there is just something I love about going through the gears
the GOOPER automatics have slip and can and will and DO lack torque and are slower and just suck all around An old b61 or a gmc With a 5 speed trans A 4 speed brownie box And a 2 speed rear end If you spit gears with the rear end You have ten forward gears as is 4 speed brownie box Giving you 20+ forward gears And 4 reverse gears. Drove a 1970 something international loadstar with that exact setup The powerhouse was a detroit 3-53 .... had 4 inch straight pipes.... and worn synchros So driving it was fun Double clutching splitting gears blowing through low range up a grade..... that damn thing was unstoppable it had so much torque.......
Notice the superman cape on the bulldog.LOL but seriously folks he mentions the computer control how many times? Because we all know computers are prefect and we can dependent on them to catch a mistook !
Jim Parks, a journalist, not a salesman, or especially a driver. With todays modern electronics, even women can drive these trucks. The talent to drive the B models, and craftsmanship, simplicity and durability, will never be duplicated, and is deteriorating by the minute. Very sad.
Even women???!!! Ooooooooooh, the humanities! If you think it's bad now with women and their electronics, just wait till they figure out how to piss in a jug without making a mess... That manly 18 speed will be going the way of the dinosaur for sure.
Sad to say that you're wasting your time, Mack and TodaysTrucking; the SuperTruckers will always want to stroke their extended 18 speed stick shifts till a manufacturer designs a 19 speed to brag about. It takes a lot of power and gears to haul around a SuperTrucker's ego.
My Son and I own a small trucking co (5 trucks) I learned to drive a semi in a twin stick B Model Mack, we very recently bought 2 brand new Mack’s with less than 1000 miles on each truck. My pride wants to drive a stick but my desire to maximize profits wants the M Drive Mack’s they get about 113% better fuel mileage and THAT is a lot of savings, that never stops giving!
I learned on a 5×4 Spicer transmission, and a quad box...
Allentown born and raised! One of my earliest memories, maybe 4 years old, was wandering off and sitting on a hill overlooking the plant and watching the trucks roll off the assembly line. That would've been 1954. I don't know how long I was there, but when I got home my folks were frantic. They had the whole neighborhood out looking for me. I guess you could say it was foreshadowing things to come. Been jamming and grabbing gears for almost 30 years, and have no intention of quitting anytime soon.
I personally prefer the 237 with the 5 speed
Maxidyne transmission
So you go from a cool manual truck to an automatic
both truck look very nice
I can remember a cab over Mack with a 3 stick transmission - Struth, I'll be sticking to an Allison !
As a mechanic, I've found the I-shift and m-drive are miles beyond the automated transmission competition. Now the d13/mp8 engines; not so much.
I understand automatic transmissions are great for some people, but not me, I've been driving an old twin stick for years and there is just something I love about going through the gears
the GOOPER automatics have slip and can and will and DO lack torque and are slower and just suck all around
An old b61 or a gmc
With a 5 speed trans
A 4 speed brownie box
And a 2 speed rear end
If you spit gears with the rear end
You have ten forward gears as is
4 speed brownie box
Giving you 20+ forward gears
And 4 reverse gears.
Drove a 1970 something international loadstar with that exact setup
The powerhouse was a detroit 3-53 .... had 4 inch straight pipes.... and worn synchros
So driving it was fun
Double clutching splitting gears blowing through low range up a grade.....
that damn thing was unstoppable it had so much torque.......
Guy looks like Jack Morris, HOF pitcher
Notice the superman cape on the bulldog.LOL but seriously folks he mentions the computer control how many times? Because we all know computers are prefect and we can dependent on them to catch a mistook !
To be honest I like the 18 speed Quadruplex in the Mack my dad used to drive compared to this crap
Jim Parks, a journalist, not a salesman, or especially a driver. With todays modern electronics, even women can drive these trucks. The talent to drive the B models, and craftsmanship, simplicity and durability, will never be duplicated, and is deteriorating by the minute. Very sad.
Even women???!!! Ooooooooooh, the humanities! If you think it's bad now with women and their electronics, just wait till they figure out how to piss in a jug without making a mess... That manly 18 speed will be going the way of the dinosaur for sure.
I have been driving for 22 years .
we have one of these trucks they are garbage.you can't pay my enough to drive one
Sad to say that you're wasting your time, Mack and TodaysTrucking; the SuperTruckers will always want to stroke their extended 18 speed stick shifts till a manufacturer designs a 19 speed to brag about. It takes a lot of power and gears to haul around a SuperTrucker's ego.