How many of you out there remember the Ford CL9000 series of cab-over semi trucks? These replaced the W9000 series (W1000D from 1966.5-1969) for 1978.

~Ben

 

I'm not sure which one it was CL or W that I rode in just a little ways, back
in the mid-70's. It was a day-cab and belonged to PMT (Pacific Motor Trucking)
Southern Pacific's truck-freight division. I rode with him to show "the new guy"
where we wanted our signal-stuff unloaded was all.

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I own the front half of their little bitty brother tho... a '74 C700.
Does that count for anything? ;)

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/C700-2.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/C700-6.jpg

The only track foreman I ever heard brag on how much he liked his company
truck happened to be a guy with a C700. :)

"Doggone, is that the ugliest truck you've ever seen or what? ;)" -Alvin
It was dark orange with a big boom and stake side flat bed. :P
"I love this truck. I can see where I'm going, and can turn around in a tighter
spot than any other truck I've ever had" -Angel Quidoz (gandy dancer foreman)

It was equipped with the best boom he'd ever used too. :)

He backed into my pole line with the boom up one time (as far back as he dared
go) and jumped out then went to climb back on the truck to operate the boom
and was frozen to the handle. He'd backed into my 220volt AC line! :( The track
welder (he was an ex car-knocker;) was quick thinking and ran at Angel and
knocked Angel loose and they both hit the ground like football players. LOL :)

Took angel a few years to get over the effects of the electricity tho. :/

Alvin in AZ (retired signalape)

 

I love the Ford cabovers! There is a grain hauler around here that has a totally 70s paint scheme that is the bomb!

Not even sure what the main color would even be, but it is white, blue, orange, yellow, red and green. All done in stripes and shapes. And I am sure it has more too!

Reminds me of the 70s van movement.

Josh

 

The first time I saw a CL9000 up close was in the early 1980's. What impressed me most was how 'car-like' the interior was. I believe this one was the Premium cab trim where Ford unashamedly raided the Lincoln parts bin to create arguably the most luxurious truck interior for its day. The heating & a/c controls, stereo sound system, much of the switchgear and the extra-thick pile carpeting are from a Town Car. The crank-out vent windows were a nice touch. It was ahead of its time for high-style interiors by a good 15 years.

 

My father drove one for years and he and I both loved it. Now he is gone and I am looking for one to restore in his memory and for myself. Loved that truck.

 

The local track uses a C700 as their water truck (to wet the track for the demos!), and it is the uuugliest fat little pig I've ever seen haha, but it's stiiill going, and ya, the driver can turn a U over the width of just around half the track. It looks like a kind of peppy little truck by the time it's empty, he always messes it around a little bit for the crowd, still a little pig though haha.

 

I worked for a Paving company years ago. They had a C series with a 391 gas motor in it. Also had a wrecked one with a 3208 Cat in it, they decided they wanted the Cat in the truck they were using. The cab lift springs were shot on the running truck. During the course of swapping the engine, I probably had that cab up and down a million times. Went to work one morning and went to raise the cab and POW............blew my back out while lifting the damn heavy thing............took years to recover from that fully. So just be careful with em guys!!!!! Also make SURE that the lock mechanism works to hold the cab in the tilted position......................But I have always liked the C series ...........my dad used to borrow a freind of his truck to haul hay occasionally so I've got history with them..........They are butt ugly but cool............