Ultraliners on the long weekend break.

The sleeper box MH is connected to a flat deck and has a 4 axle draw trailer  tied down on top. In beside are two crane trucks, the white one with a 4 axle draw trailer tipper. Tucked into the gap to the left of  sleeper box MH is a bizalloy burrell bin. Not quite clear on the truck and trailer are the Samoan and All Black flags while about 6 ks away the All Blacks prepare to take the field against France in the Rugby World Cup final. If you are a rugby supporter or player, this is a front row accumulating over 1300 hp keen to do the business.

Right way up down under, at last....

We finally established what was wrong with the new trailer, it was the wrong way up. No wonder we couldn't load it. The trailer was dragged out of the workshop on rollers, had 4 wheels fitted so that a crane could lift it twice. Firstly onto it's side on blocks, then onto the wheels. A little after these photos were taken, the wheels would have been removed to get the trailer under the door height and pushed back into the workshop on rollers to have the door fitted and the stabilising  frame that will run forward from pins below the bin in front of the first axle to an upside down skid plate that will have a fith wheel pin fitted to lock onto the tractor unit.

The trailer has been undercoated and could be ready to move to the paintshop in a couple of weeks. Noel Williams, the engineer who makes these trailers, car transporters, tipper bodies, low loaders and all manner of things for the transport industry says this is the biggest 3 axle demolition body trailer to be made to date in NZ. A better appreciation of its size will be possible when we get a truck under it to move it to the paint shop.

Dog gone

I wasn't drunk when I took this photo showing the Superliner on a lean before it left the auction yard. It was the bloody camera, honest. I drove her for the first time yesterday over to the panel shop from Truckstops Wiri. The motor sounds real good, fairly quiet for this model so the rumours of a recent re-build are probably true. The gearbox and diffs are all sound and she really boots along when the turbo pushes full air. Quiet inside the cab, probably much quieter than the sleeperbox model. Seems like a good buy at this stage and I could just feel this truck wants to be working again. Danny from Trucksmash says the body is very straight, doors good and only a little rust around the aerial holes at the back of the cab.

The bumper is a bit suss, and one engine hood hinge is worn.

Driving it reminded me of what Bruce McQuoid's 2 superliners probably run like, all in spec, smooth and powerful.

The dog kennel made from stainless above the radiator where the bulldog usually sits is empty and gives the truck its current name 'dog gone.'

Nearly ready

The R Model a little closer to being back on the road, just the remaining trim to go on now. Dashboard to be refitted, new alloy battery boxes, stainless exhaust pipe to muffler, alloy chasis covers, a COF (prepped already) then back to work.

The day cab Superliner

The day cab Superliner being prepared by Truckstops Wiri for its journey back to certification and back onto the road. Note the turntable and subframe has been lifted off from the container locks that hold it into place. The truck is set up to run either as a tractor unit or as a tipper, having the turntable lifted off and a tipper body attached. Unfortunately the tipper body and locks didn't come as part of the auction however the intention is to use it as a tractor unit anyway. Note the massive diesel tanks and the two heads visible of the massive V8. Apparently she started easily after the mechanics wound it over on the starter to make sure it had oil pressure, pushed the engine stop cable back to the dash and fired up. The prognosis at this point is a chassis sandblast and paint, and a good run to see how sound the motor is. The branch Manager Nigel believes this truck had recent motor work which is good news if correct.

The doors on this truck are remarkably rust free, and open and shut easily. The top grill piece is new looking and in good condition, certainly doesn't look 25 years old - a bit like me. 

Self-loader, 8 wheeler.

The MH Mack 454 one of the last few Macks assembled in NZ, converted to a tipper and a log crane added prepares to crush and pick up a load of drums.

This truck has had a lot of teething problems since its conversion from a curtain-sider but is now coming into its work. It had fallen into disrepair after coming out of the TFL fleet into contract work. It was originally a tanker truck then converted to a curtain sider truck and trailer.

The crane is Jonsred 1070 with a 7.9m extension.