What were we thinking ?? After driving Frank Buck's fully restored Mack M123 in August, I really liked it and thought it would be cool to own one, if one came up in decent shape for the right price. Low and behold this 1965 M123A1C showed up in a Facebook want ad a few weeks ago. With only 13,000 miles it was in good condition with very little rust and no obvious mechanical issues. Ken Ochenkowski and I agreed to buy it together and picked it up Friday in Francestown, New Hampshire. For 54 years old this truck is in great shape, it runs and shifts well, and has only a few minor rust issues in the fenders and one small spot on the cab. The truck was owned at one time by the Forestry Service in New Hampshire and had a protective cage built over the cab. The current owner had a sander on it, but it was only used for half a season to sand a parking lot at the top of a mountain. The truck was really too big and heavy to be efficient on that job.
On Saturday we put in a full 12 hour day at Ken's in Connecticut cutting off the cage, painting the wheels, front bumper, and mirror brackets. and touching up the paint on the rear frame. The Mack looks so much better without that ugly cage ! Sunday we took it to it's first show, the last ATCA show at Worcester Sand and Gravel in Shrewsbury, Mass.
The data plate is missing from the truck but being a 1965 model we believe it was built under contract by CONDEC (Consolidated Diesel Electric Corporation) using all Mack components. It is quite a beast, and photographs do not give you a sense of just how BIG it is. Our plan is to add the missing military pieces, give it a military paint job, and bring it to Macungie in June. Ken already has the fenders off for repair. Now we have to keep him from taking the cab off LOL !
Frank Buck's 1958 M123 that started all this.

With the sander last winter.

We saw it for the first time in person on Friday.




It came with a few extra 1400-24 wheels and tires.

Loaded up.

Quite a metamorphosis after an all day thrash on Saturday.





At Worcester Sand & Gravel on Sunday

Gotta keep Ken from taking the cab off !
Jeff