Troubled diesel-makers unite?

[Nuke-E]

Or are they diesel troublemakers?

 

VW has stepped in to invest in Navistar--evidently there's cash left over after all of the TDI buybacks and payouts.

 

 

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/volkswagen-is-getting-into-the-american-big-rig-busines-1786287700

 

I'm sure it'll be just a few months before I can order my Scania with a 700hp V8 under the floor. ?

[Dollytrolley]

So.......do you think the cornbinder engineers will feel the hard gaze of the EPA Geeks when they introduce the new VW software helpers.......you know the folks with GPS ankle devices locked on their legs......

 

Drive on.....(Hackers R us.....)

[beyerjf]

I think it is great that 2 companies that have overtly or covertly defied the EPA are getting together in the US market. International Harvester, or International, or Navistar or whatever you call them have been on shaky ground since 1983 when they split the company and sold off the agricultural and construction divisions. The truck division was almost bankrupt then.

 

This matchup reminds me of a similar one, when Studebaker and Packard merged in 1954, lying to each other about their respective dire financial straits. The automotive press characterized that deal as "2 drunks trying to hold each other up"

 

This one isn't quite as bad, VW is a very large concern and can handle the finances. Not so with the current Navistar, without VW they would surely go under. Have you checked the resale price of any Prostar with a Maxxforce engine(2008-2014) vs a Volvo?

[Nuke-E]

Jeff,

 

You beat me to it--cheating or not, I'm sure there are a lot of Maxxforce owners that would be happy with a running engine. And VW is probably taking notes too--if they'd just openly not complied and sold the cars with a $2,000 fine like International, they'd be way ahead.

 

Of course, I imagine there are good deals to be had on ProStars with the ISX if someone takes he time to sort through the listings. I'm kind of partial to the instrumentation on the International trucks (full sweep gauges, mainly), and they seem to be fairly quiet and comfortable. Supposedly they made some significant improvements for 2013, and backfit some of those to trucks in their certified used truck program. It would seem that they're at least trying on some level to address a very large problem with their customers, but obviously walk a fine line between alienating existing customers and running out of cash to keep the lights on.

 

I have to believe that anti-trust issues start to arise at some point though--VW now owns VW, MAN, Scania, and a large chunk of Navistar; PACCAR owns Pete and KW, along with DAF and Leyland, Daimer has FL, Western Star, Mitubishi/FUSO, and the Benz brands, and Volvo now has Mack, Renault, and UD/Nissan. By my rough count, there were somewhere in the range of 12 major players a decade or two ago, but now only about 4.

[Pete Kildow]

I can see it now. A VW harvester grow with us while we offer you the best of both worlds.. 53 MPG in our class 8 tractors. Yes find a 100 mile down hill stretch and our trucks can get 53 MPG.

Pete

[GeorgiaHybrid]

You have to admit,, a black Lonestar with a ISX and Eaton combo at the right price would make for an evil looking RV hauler. If we could change the time of the National Rally, you could even get a few harvests in along the way to Hutch.

[Pete Kildow]

You have to admit,, a black Lonestar with a ISX and Eaton combo at the right price would make for an evil looking RV hauler. If we could change the time of the National Rally, you could even get a few harvests in along the way to Hutch.

I agree I would love to own a Lonestar. First one I got to see, thought man how Ugly.. But it was a day cab, add a sleeper and its sharp for sure. We looked at one last Oct. But it had that engine that I for one would not own. Even International wishes they did not own it. But I had the pleasure to drive a few 9300 Eagles over the years. And still have a soft spot for a farm truck.

Pete

[Jack Mayer]

You have to admit,, a black Lonestar with a ISX and Eaton combo at the right price would make for an evil looking RV hauler. If we could change the time of the National Rally, you could even get a few harvests in along the way to Hutch.

For sure. I had one here in the campground and looked it over closely. It was actually a very nice truck. Interior was pretty tricked out, too.

 

I found the pics...here is a LINK.

[SuiteSuccess]

Wife calls them "Gargoyles " cause they look menacing. She would love for us to have one, but ain't gonna happen.

[Pete Kildow]

For sure. I had one here in the campground and looked it over closely. It was actually a very nice truck. Interior was pretty tricked out, too.

 

I found the pics...here is a LINK.

One sharp truck for sure. Did it have the ISX? The one we looked at the MAxxForce and it stayed on the lot for months. Guess they sold it at auction back in the spring.

Pete

[rickeieio]

So, I must be the only person in the world who thinks the LoneStar is butt ugly. We have a '47 KB-6 that looks better, in my eyes. I'm just not a fan of gobs of chrome for no reason, and it fairly drips from the LoneStar.

 

Thank goodness we don't all like the same things.................life would be boring.

[cactus]

Come on

Show us that KB

It`s been a long time

Thanks

[Jim Gell]

So, I must be the only person in the world who thinks the LoneStar is butt ugly. We have a '47 KB-6 that looks better, in my eyes. I'm just not a fan of gobs of chrome for no reason, and it fairly drips from the LoneStar.

 

Thank goodness we don't all like the same things.................life would be boring.

I'm with you...butt ugly!

 

Jim

[Dollytrolley]

 

 

So, I must be the only person in the world who thinks the LoneStar is butt ugly. We have a '47 KB-6 that looks better, in my eyes. I'm just not a fan of gobs of chrome for no reason, and it fairly drips from the LoneStar.

 

Thank goodness we don't all like the same things.................life would be boring.

 

 

Come on folks.......I know BUTT-UGLY .......I am.

 

Ya Know trucks can be a lot of things ....butt, ..... Butt-ugly is a pretty harsh word....

 

Grumps had a knack for .........butt-interesting-trucks

 

Grumps brought home a OLD Oshkosh 6 X 6 powerline reel rig one day......oh what a buy.......folks kidded him that it was so BUTT-Ugly that the seller must have paid him to take it away. Grumps would smile and say......."well just wait a bit and you'll someday come around and think this old girl is miss America....."

 

Well "Miss America" turned out to a well loved rig by many folks that were towed back to town from out in some forgotten logging pig trail in knee deep snow.

With planetary-gear-axles and all TEN tires chained up Miss America could tow a fully loaded log truck up a cliff in 3 feet of snow and IF that was not enough the 40 ton PTO winches at each end could drag anything out of any hole. She was a real head turner with a 220 Cummins and a five and four speed boxes and TWO speed axles so with 40 speeds forward and EIGHT-speeds in reverse you had more options that Bernie Madoff........

 

Now to keep the old girl tipping the scales at a mere 52,000 empty the Osh-folks made sure that NO CHROME was allowed on the rig no where, zip, NONE......by keeping her light weight I once rode shot gun when Grumps got the old girl up to......... 47 MPH..... one time.....and I well tell you the screaming of that many gears turning at THOUSANDS of RPM was a sound that can not be described.

 

Speaking of ride.....the rear driver springs were right out of a Baldwin Locomotive stacked 3 feet high and they had never ever been flexed at all.....ever.....Power steering oh ya right......the wheel took up half of the cab and the bench seat was a huge tool box and the cushions were canvas stuffed with horse hair.

 

Being made in Wis. the Osh had a cabin heater core bigger than the radiator on a new Volvo and the heater ran wide open year around but with the "optional vicegrip heater hose control" you could turn the heater off on 100 degree days and then enjoy the heat from the Cummins at your feet. Obviously in a ALL WEATHER rig like Miss America you would need a ........entertainment-system for the spare time when spinning the steering wheel and rowing 40 gears so.......in your spare time on snowy nights you had to hand crank the passenger side windshield wiper.......in your spare time.

 

Once in a great while I would need to .......move....Miss America and it was always a event.......shucks I could not count to 40 and sure could never shift much past 10 to 15 in a good day (one day I did get up into the mid 30's gears but that is another story)......Grumps made sure my Miss America trips were on gentle hill roads so not much danger of runaway when I got too many gearboxes in neutral at the same time....... As a service rig she carried several hundred gallons of diesel and oil and grease and a few tons of sorted tools, welders, air compressor and cutting torch so Grumps said it was impossible for Miss America to break down because any fool could just get out anything that needs to be repaired because everything was on the rig.

 

Miss America was a chick-magnet......once.....

 

By far the best looking girl in school was named Maya and she was a knock-out......her family was well off and had a very nice lodge on the Dechutes River South of Bend Oregon........one snowy winter day I was plodding along in Miss America when I round a corner and along the side of the road is a brand new International Carryall 4 x 4 with steam billowing out of the hood and Maya standing along side the rig..........Oh god what should I do.... I could never utter a word to such a goddess........maybe I could just duck down and maybe she would not notice the Osh creeping by...oh ya, right......so I pull in behind the carryall and push the 3 ft snow berm into the ditch. I set the brake and climb down and fall on my butt.....I get up and waddle over and mumble "ah hi....looks like your hot.....errr ah oh your rig is hot ...ah your carryall is is...is steamy ....oh heck let me pop the hood and take a look.......so she smiles and says "oh that would be soooo nice" I almost fell on my butt again.........I opened the hood and in a moment it was obvious that the water pump seal was shot.

 

Maya was peeking over the fender and I pointed at the water pump and muttered........"Uh gee ya see your seal is shot on your water pump and your engine will get too hot to get back to town" she smiled and said "oh my.... I guess I am sooo lucky you came by.........could you perhaps give me a lift to town".........Gulp......I mutter "ahhh ohhh uhhh you mean you want to .....to.....uh uhhh ride in uhh THAT (pointing to the Osh) to....to.......town.....with.....uhh ....me?" Wow I thought, what a pickup line.

 

She smiled and said "I would love to ride in that BIG truck to town".......... Gulp..... she got here purse out of the Carryall and we walked over to the Osh and I helped her up into the Osh and then cranked up that darn beast and ground gears in every shift all the way to town.......Maya smiled a lot and really got the hang of cranking the hand-crank windshield wiper on her side of the windshield all the way to her house.

 

As I stopped the Osh in front of her house she leaned over and gave me a hug and a little peck on the cheek........I almost passed out......( I did NOT wash that cheek for a month).

 

Once in a while a would drive by her in my jeep the school parking lot and she smile and ask when we would take our next trip in the Osh.........

 

Grumps would never let me take the Osh to school .....what a bummer........go figure.... never was a girl safer than riding in the Osh with 40 gears and a 3 foot steering wheel and a hand crank windshield wiper there was NO time for hanky-panky........

 

Drive on..........(the Osh was a big girl.......)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[noteven]

I'm with you...butt ugly!

 

Jim

Me three.

[rickeieio]

Come on

Show us that KB

It`s been a long time

Thanks

Well, I do have a few pics of that old KB-6, with a grain bed we built in our shop. Sadly. all those pics are on slides......... It's sitting in my uncle's barn, and comes out for small jobs, like hauling limbs and flood debris from the fields in the spring. Still looks pretty good too.

 

And D-T, my bride-to-be spent many a Sunday afternoon riding in the passenger seat of that old Binder. It was pretty plush compared to your Osh Kosh though. Real springs in the seats, only a straight 5 speed behind 238 ci of mighty motor, and electric wipers, but it did have a rather large steering wheel. And juice brakes, natch. Big handle sticking out of the floor for parking brake.

 

We've come a long way baby.............

[Phil D]

The Lonestar is a very polarizing design, for sure. People either really love it or really hate it -- nobody ever says that they think that it's just "okay".

 

Count me in with those that think it hideous, with that big chrome cow catcher on its nose, but I understand that those that don't share my opinion of it think that it's positively gorgeous.

[RickW]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder .... as they say. The LoneStar is not my favorite but I will say I have seen uglier!

[hdonlybob]

I have always liked them from the day they came out...and as was said earlier, very functional interior, as well as classy..

Cheers,

Bob

[cruisin66]

I side with the people that like the looks of the Lonestar, but I have always liked the looks of 30's vintage cars also. The two have their similarities

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I side with the people that like the looks of the Lonestar, but I have always liked the looks of 30's vintage cars also. The two have their similarities

 

They always reminded me of a late 30"s Ford waterfall grill. One of my bucket list trucks to own is a '39 or '40 Ford truck with that beautiful grill chromed out and looking pretty.

[sclord2002]

Jack, that LoneStar looks like it drove through the Iowa 80 Chrome Shop with glue on it......kinda like the lines, though. Charlie

[Darryl&Rita]

Their biggest failing, aside from looks, was failing to account for how heavy all that chrome was. In a paid cargo world, that truck was too heavy to make any money.

[Nuke-E]

Their biggest failing, aside from looks, was failing to account for how heavy all that chrome was. In a paid cargo world, that truck was too heavy to make any money.

Wait--you mean it's the real deal, not the fake plastic stuff?

[Jack Mayer]

Wait--you mean it's the real deal, not the fake plastic stuff?

That front cow catcher is VERY solid, I can tell you. I kinda like the way it integrates with the rest of the truck. But I have no idea how heavy it is.