Crackerbox

To tip up the cab on a crackerbox, just release the locks and pull the cab by the handle on the front.

 

I drove a 6-71T for Central Transport in the 80s that would pull 40K in the box like it was almost empty, another driver drove it once and would come in a half hour early to get that truck. That only happened twice , It got "disabled" when I parked it (I was on the casual board)

 

A 6-71 is like some girls I've dated..
They make alot of noise and you think your getting big things done... but your pretty disappointed with the perforamce

 

You sure it wasn’t a CO-4000 or a 4070A? The B came out in ‘74 and there wasn’t many people choosing a 238 Detroit for the power plant.

 

But those 2 strokes were bulletproof.

 

Have quite a few miles on a Crackerbox, 238, 5 speed, 2 speed axle. While it is fun to look back, those things were just tin box rattle traps, doors didn't seal worth a crap, cold in the winter and hot in the summer, wet in the rain, rode like a box of rocks and pretty loud. Can't remember if the ones I drove had power steering or not. Sometimes if you pushed the fuel shut off back in after shutting it off, it would run backwards. Ahh the good ole days!

 

I remember seeing one that had independent front suspension. Does anybody know if that was an experimental thing? I haven’t been around many and they were before my time. I have never seen another one. And yes it was factory as this truck was in a scrap yard and had been for at least 20 years. This was probably around the late 90’s

 

Yea I’m quite certain. I personally rode in that Transtar ll the day I went with dad on a road call to fix it. Weed was broke down on route 23 close to pikeville Kentucky. Nothing but a belt broke but down just the same. This was in 1982…?

Weedhopper drove for a company called Imperial Bedding out of Huntington WV.
If memory serves me, it was a 1979 - 1981 model.

The owner of Imperial Bedding had a yard truck that the owner used personally.
His yard truck was a international Fleetstar with a 6-71 and straight exhaust.

Neal. (Weedhopper)’s truck was one of the last of the Detroit powered trucks, everything was Cummins after that for a good while.

Weedhopper always said the trick to driving a 6-71 was to never let the antifreeze touch the front of the radiator lol…..

 

Interesting. I would have figured an 8v or a 6v but never a 6-71. I wonder why they would have spec’d that? I mean at that time there were way better options.

 

Homer Cochran ( RIP Sir) was the man behind ordering trucks. He seem to have a soft spot for the 6-71, but he was tight too.

I recall him asking dad to be the one that worked on his Detroit powered trucks. seems he had a bad experience with a less knowledgeable mechanic at some point.

If memory serves me, Homer spec’d all the trucks with 300 Cummins after those trucks were put out of service….