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June 2010 Feature #1

Bulldog Build


Stephen Frasier grew up around Mack trucks when he was a young boy as his dad was a local freight hauler in and around the city of Philadelphia. 
During High School Stephen used to work on the trucks in his dads yard, he built his first R-Model Mack in his last year of High School in Votech for a senior project and then started driving for his dad when he turned 18 years old.

They ran the R-Model every day for nine years and finally sold it but Stephen now wishes they hadn't.
In 2009 Stephen needed a heavy spec tractor for some of the off road / job site work that he does. He couldn't really find anything that was cool or what he wanted so  a heavy spec R-Model was found that had only one owner with 219,000 original miles but it needed to be restored.

The truck was a factory double frame with a 220 inch wheelbase, 46,000 ib rears on camelback with cast iron rears. it had a 350 Horsepower engine with a Mack 12 speed transmission.

Stephen got to work and sandblasted and painted the frame. Then he replaced the cab with a newer one and also replaced the hood and painted it the same colour as his Peterbilt. The airhorns and the vent were taken off the roof and a total of nine roof lights were added. 
The drivers side fuel tank was taken off and split for hydraulic and fuel and put back on. 
Stephen also made a 40 tonne pintle hitch and mounted a set of minimizer fenders.

Stephen added at the end of his interview that he hopes everyone can appreciate the truck for what it is...just a cool old work truck! I couldn't agree more!

A big thanks to Stephen for sending me the information and photos of his R - Model.

 



 


 

Bulldog Build

Click to enlarge

Bulldog Build

arriving on the Pete

working on the Mack

all finished and ready to roll

From the back