jeeper61 Posted June 24 Author Posted June 24 Con-Ferr made accessory parts for Scouts, Jeeps. Land Cruisers and other 4x4s Founded in 1961 by Pete Condos and Frank Ferro, they closed shop in 2005. I had the pleasure of touring their shop in 90s when I bought some axle trusses for my CJ Con-Ferr made Steve McQueen's Super Jeep Condos and Steve McQueen earned a highly respected second-place finish in the 1969 Baja 1000 In a 4x4 built by Condos called "Brick Privy" by McQueen Still have one of their stickers on my tool box 4 Quote
jeeper61 Posted June 24 Author Posted June 24 Another legendary Off Road supplier this one founded by Pete Brown Back in the day these companies started by the need for parts fit for the duty they needed for their own out back travels. 2 Quote
jeeper61 Posted June 30 Author Posted June 30 Anyone seen a house with carbide lighting? Worked as plumbers helper one summer in the early 80's He was replumbing some drain lines in a old farm house that was getting rehabbed it had one of these set ups at one time it was still pretty complete. 2 Quote
twostepn2001 Posted June 30 Posted June 30 18 minutes ago, jeeper61 said: Anyone seen a house with carbide lighting? Back in 1975, l worked for a electric co-op. We helped move this old house about 80 miles from Cotton Center, Texas to the Texas Tech Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock. lt was built in the early 1900's and plumbed for carbide lighting. lt stayed that way until the late 30's when the REA (Rural Electric Administration) reached that area and it was wired for electricity. But they left all the carbide plumbing at the time. When it was moved to the Heritage Center they rewired up to safety codes but left all the plumbing and fixtures for carbide. BTW, anybody ever use carbide for fishing? Back when l was in high school, we would buy the little cans of carbide for lights. Then take a pocketknife and punch a small hole in the lid. Then toss it in the water. The result was a small explosion and in a little bit there would be catfish floating to the top. Not exactly legal but.... 2 2 Quote
jeeper61 Posted June 30 Author Posted June 30 Pennsylvania wouldn't allow any doubles on I-90 so they split them up and these things moved the tail trailers across. Weighted over the drive for better traction and stability 3 Quote
yellowrosefarm Posted June 30 Posted June 30 3 hours ago, jeeper61 said: Anyone seen a house with carbide lighting? Worked as plumbers helper one summer in the early 80's He was replumbing some drain lines in a old farm house that was getting rehabbed it had one of these set ups at one time it was still pretty complete. The house my Mom lived in the last 20 years of her life had what was left of an old carbide system in the back yard. We buried it and planted flowers on the mound. Remnants of the plumbing were still in the house also. 3 Quote
twostepn2001 Posted July 1 Posted July 1 When l was growing up in west Texas on a cotton farm, this is the type of crop dusters l remember. Not these fancy new turbine powered Airtractors but the old radial engine powered Stearmans. Saw quite a few times where two planes would be spraying in the same field but not side by side but "roundy round robin". Anyway, hope you enjoy the video. 2 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 1 Author Posted July 1 Mack was in the front discharge mixer business in the 70s Produced from 1973 thru 1979, the Mack HMM was a solid product with “pedigreed” engineering. Featuring an ingenious side-tilting cab, the HMM offered unparalleled engine access. The HMM was available in both 6x4 and 6x6 versions. The majority of HMMs produced were the all-wheel drive variation, utilizing Mack’s proprietary full-time TC15 transfer case. Only 130 trucks were made the red one pictured below is a survivor and was for sale in 2020 The main reason the HMM ended production in 1979 was because of an absurd lawsuit. Mr. J. Jack Willard had patented a front discharge mixer design in 1955, but never did anything further. Then Mr. Royal W. Sims designed a front discharge mixer in 1958, and in 1965 entered into a licensing agreement under the Willard patent that gave him all rights under the Willard patent. Sims opened a small operation in Salt Lake City, Utah called Rite-Way Inc. and begun building trucks for his own use. The small Utah truck assembly facility eventually evolved into Savage Manufacturing (for a time it was called Savage Rite-Way Corporation). A group of mid-western ready-mix companies obtained a license from Sims in 1966 to produce front discharge mixers in Fort Wayne, Indiana for their own use (Rite-Way, Inc. of Indiana, a.k.a. Indiana Rite-Way Truck Co., a.k.a. American Rite-Way Truck Sales Inc.). Rite-Way Inc. of Indiana went bankrupt in 1970, and was purchased by Moran Tank Company who went bankrupt in 1974. This operation then evolved into Advance Mixer, which began producing front discharge mixer for public sale. Terex acquired the bankrupt Advance in 2002. What became a heated contention was that R.W. Sims claimed that he had total control thru his Willard patent over the production and sale of front discharge mixers. Sims had gone on a patenting binge in an attempt to profit from what by 1970 had become an industry standard design. Mack won the initial court ruling, that was overturned, and subsequently the lawsuit against Mack was again found to be invalid. By the 1980s, Sims had lost his grasp on the front discharge mixer concept in court, and manufacturers were able to design and produce trucks with out his hindrance. Looks to have been a Twin Steer version as well 2 2 Quote
TroyDairy Posted July 2 Posted July 2 I have never seen a front unload mixer in person. Not in WA or OR anywhere...or Cali that i can recall Quote
TroyDairy Posted July 2 Posted July 2 On 6/30/2026 at 1:07 PM, jeeper61 said: Pennsylvania wouldn't allow any doubles on I-90 so they split them up and these things moved the tail trailers across. Weighted over the drive for better traction and stability I can hear the air start from here! 2 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 2 Author Posted July 2 6 hours ago, TroyDairy said: I have never seen a front unload mixer in person. Not in WA or OR anywhere...or Cali that i can recall Just about all front discharge here on the east coast 1 Quote
ray54 Posted July 2 Posted July 2 11 hours ago, TroyDairy said: I have never seen a front unload mixer in person. Not in WA or OR anywhere...or Cali that i can recall No need to get the truck to close. My understanding the vast majority is pumped here in California. 1 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 2 Author Posted July 2 Geiser Manufacturing Company of Waynesboro, PA Peerless Engine freighting barrels 1905. 1 Quote
ray54 Posted July 4 Posted July 4 11 hours ago, jeeper61 said: Bull hauling in the 60s Still a few trucks running that style boxes out here. And the truck is not that old to meet California Air Resources Board rules. But more short semis in the front and the same pull trailer. 2 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 9 Author Posted July 9 A PIE wagon getting a replacement iron lung Cummins 3 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 10 Author Posted July 10 Marmon conventional with a load of cab overs head to the dealer 4 Quote
twostepn2001 Posted July 10 Posted July 10 12 hours ago, jeeper61 said: Marmon conventional with a load of cab overs head to the dealer Pretty sure l've posted this pic before. Just like the one l drove for Pride Pipeline in Abilene, Texas. Pride had a fleet of about 250 Marmons, all of them 1986 models. But l got lucky in a way. When l transferred to Post, Tx. they said l would get a new truck. ln a way l did. The truck l got had been in a rollover accident. Cab was totaled but frame was Ok. So the shop ordered a new cab. Thing was all they could get was a new 1989 cab. Exterior was basically the same but it had a deluxe or fancy interior instead of just the plain like all the others. Even came with a factory mount for a CB in the overhead console. 4 Quote
twostepn2001 Posted July 13 Posted July 13 Digging through google and found this. Never even heard of one till now. lt don't say exactly what year model this one is. Wichita truck, made in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Wichita truck is one of the great (mostly) forgotten stories of Texas manufacturing. Built by the Wichita Falls Motor Company beginning around 1911, these rugged heavy-duty trucks quickly earned a reputation for reliability in some of the toughest jobs imaginable, hauling oilfield equipment, logs, construction materials --- and newspapers. Their durability made them popular overseas as well. During World War I, thousands were shipped to the French and Russian armies, and after the war the company proudly advertised that "The sun never sets on a Wichita," reflecting sales in more than 80 countries. At its peak, Wichita was one of America's leading heavy truck manufacturers, an extraordinary achievement for a company based in what was then a relatively small North Texas city. Sadly, the company ultimately succumbed to the Great Depression and increasing competition from industrial giants like General Motors, closing its doors in 1932 after building more than 10,000 trucks. Today, only a handful of surviving Wichita trucks are known to exist. 5 1 Quote
twostepn2001 Posted July 17 Posted July 17 Conversation that really fits this pic...lol l've heard the same thing at least a 1000 times l think. Driver: Got a load for me yet? Seems like l've been sitting here forever. Dispatcher: l'm working on something for ya right now. call me back in a hour. 3 1 Quote
jeeper61 Posted July 20 Author Posted July 20 On 7/17/2026 at 12:41 PM, twostepn2001 said: Conversation that really fits this pic...lol l've heard the same thing at least a 1000 times l think. Driver: Got a load for me yet? Seems like l've been sitting here forever. Dispatcher: l'm working on something for ya right now. call me back in a hour. That sleeper must be a decade newer than the Triple Diamond its attached too. 1 Quote
TroyDairy Posted July 21 Posted July 21 On 7/1/2026 at 10:18 PM, TroyDairy said: I have never seen a front unload mixer in person. Not in WA or OR anywhere...or Cali that i can recall I seen a frt mixer in E WA last week! 1st time 1 Quote
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