It's been a while since Ryan (Bulldog Chaser) and I have done a vintage truck rescue...here we go again! This one features two trucks: a 1975 International Harvester Fleetstar 2010A singleaxle tractor (549 gas V8/5speed with 2speed rear), and a Mack B61T single axle tractor (673 Thermodyne with 10speed Duplex). We brought along his neighbor Brian and his fatherinlaw Bill, plus a skid steer...we needed all the help we could get.

Ryan originally went to purchase the Bmodel, and ended up making a deal for the IH and a vintage 35ton Rogers lowboy trailer as well. The IH had been parked for about a year but was in great shape with no rust and good tires. It just needed to be woken up. After hooking up a battery and putting gas in it, the starter would not engage the flywheel, so I crawled under it (in the mud) to tighten the starter cable and work the starter gear loose. After some cranking and a few shots of gas (and starting fluid), it roared to life. We freed up the brakes on the lowboy trailer and hitched it up. Also had to cut a few wood boards for the deck so we could haul the Bmodel with it...there was no room on Ryan's smaller trailer behind the dually with the skid steer on it.

The Bmodel would not start after hooking up a few batteries and giving it starting fluid, so we had to pull it out of its spot with the skid steer. It was sunk in the ground and the brakes were stuck and would not free up, so we had to dig the wheels out and rock it out of the mud with the skid steer, while four of us pushed on the bumper to get it up the slope. I then steered it onto the trailer while Ryan pushed it from behind with the skid steer, and we got the truck chained down.

After airing up the tires on the IH and the lowboy, and filling both tanks with gas, we headed home...the 549 engine was a little finicky and could probably use a good carb rebuild and fuel system cleaning, but it did OK pulling the Bmodel and heavy lowboy behind it. I think I'll stick to diesel power for trucks this size. I have a LOT of respect for the oldtimers who made a living driving these old roughriding and gutless workhorses. These were the trucks that built this country...from a time period when men were men!