I am looking to purchase this loadstar and was wondering if anyone could provide some reviews on the truck. So far I know it has a 392 engine, manual tranny and about 9k miles.
Is that a 6x6, or is the rearmost axle an unpowered tag? Was it ex military, or some other gov't truck? That's only 200 miles/yr! Those trucks were tough as nails, but getting parts can be tough nowadays. I am more familiar with the 345, 404, and 446 gas engines.
Thanks Mitch. Not sure, seller says it's 6x6 but I could only find 6x4s on the internet. I believe it was government owned. Will confirm this weekend. Any close gestimate at top speed? 50-65 mph? If it has air brakes I may go for it.
It's probably a 6x6, 6x4 is more common, but they have an unpowered steer axle. Top speed depends on gearing, did he say what tranny is in it? Probably a 5 spd, since it it a 6x, it's probably low,50-55.
I'll find out saturday. He is asking 2k but it has been started in a long time.
Cool truck. I learned how to drive stick in the single axle model. Took tow summers to find third and been jamming ever since.
I like old trucks but i wouldnt pay more than scrap price for one that was not road worthy. It looks like it had something that ran of the crankshaft fire truck maybe. Its not uncomon to find a IH with low miles. My dad bought alot of them when he sold trucks and i dont remember seeing one with alot of miles.
I had a 1968 Loadstar dump truck with single axle. If it was not for the 2 speed rear end, it drove just like a normal car. The shifter was smooth as silk but after putting brand new master cylinder and wheel cylinders and still not braking right I got rid of it. Wish I kept it though. Lesson learned? They are fine machine but make sure you get one with air brakes.
I have a 1970 that had a bad engine 392 which i replaced with a 350 chevy. It has a tilt hood which every truck should have. It runs and drives great but it has had 4 lives. What it was bought for new is unknown next it was lengthed and a tag axle was added made it into a IH tractor dealers implement hauler, then it was shortened to use as a farmers grain hauler, i got it and spent a day torching the frame off behind the cab and removeing tag axle to use as a winch truck. I need a truck but its frame is not dot aproved past were i worked on it. It has spring ride seat so its rides ok.
Yep, that was the worst thing about them, hydraulic brakes. I still own my first big truck, a 1977 Loadstar 1800, with an MV 404, a 5 spd, and a 2spd rear. In the rear, I think high was 7.37, I know low is 9.97. We bought it new; it has been through 5 or 6 engines, 2 transmissions, 4 or 5 rear ends, and at least a dozen rear axles. It is sitting in a corner of the yard right now with a spare axle under the seat. I retired it from front line service when I bought my first diesel spreader. The MV 404 gas burnt nearly 100 gallons more fuel a day than the L10 Cummins, running right together all day. Using a low-hole 9spd with a 26,000 lb Eaton rear at 4.30 we never broke another axle or tore up another hoghead. I quickly realized that even at $.89/gallon I could afford to buy another diesel truck with 100gallons a day saved. I put a dump bed on the Loadstar and used her occasionally that way for a few years. The brakes had been the weakest part of the truck since it was a year old, and I finally retired it when it got like the one Aruba was talking about, it needed new drums all the way around to stop well and they were 5 or 6 times the cost of drums for my air braked trucks. One day, I'm going to restore the old girl and take her to truck shows.