Yesterday the postman delivered this lot of 10 SF Mack Dumpers that I won on a local auction site for just over $2 -with shipping this cost almost $10 which is cheap!
These show no signs of playwear,and all are the same final 28 issue with filled in baseplate & steps.All have the same tyres & colour,7 have tipper back casting 2 and the other 3 have casting 1.It looks like way back in the early 1970s somebody bought 10 of these to customise for a project.....
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/sms88/2009-Mar001.jpg
The unabused one is seen with the earlier open step/baseplate hole/baloon tyre issue
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/sms88/2009-Mar003.jpg
The original orange issues and the twin pack olive issues are more common than the transitionals over here...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/sms88/2009-Mar004.jpg
9 of them have had the pin securing the tipper removed,and the paint stripped - the tenth near mint example is the gem, being an error having its glazing fitted back to front with the number 28 clearly visible in the left corner of the windscreen. Does anybody here like these dumpers and actually remember seeing the real deal???
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/sms88/2009-Mar002.jpg

Oh man, that's just too cool!!!! Ten????......wow, what are the odds????
I do like these, but don't recall seeing them here in the North East US.
These may have been more common out west in those giant mining operations.

awesome casting and a whole fleet of them to I have the orange,they look really good with the superfast type wheels,now you could set up a little mining town diarama

Does anybody here like these dumpers and actually remember seeing the real deal???

I do not recall most Matchbox models from my childhood. I appreciate the picture show and the accompanying history lesson!

Yo Mick..I was just looking at the Mack I got from you with the un painted dump body and remembered this thread.
Do you think there might be another possible scenario besides someone taking these apart for a customizing project? Maybe some weird factory....something???
Seems odd to me someone would take apart half of the casting and then strip one part at a time.
Also very odd is paint left on the dump body in your above picture and on the one I have at home. Doesn't really look like residual stripped paint to me. (???)

Above you say something about " ...being an error having it's glazing fitted front to back with #28 visible in the corner of the windshield."
Can you explain what you are talking about here?
THANKS!!!

Yo Mick..I was just looking at the Mack I got from you with the un painted dump body and remembered this thread.
Do you think there might be another possible scenario besides someone taking these apart for a customizing project? Maybe some weird factory....something???
Seems odd to me someone would take apart half of the casting and then strip one part at a time.
Also very odd is paint left on the dump body in your above picture and on the one I have at home. Doesn't really look like residual stripped paint to me. (???)

Above you say something about " ...being an error having it's glazing fitted front to back with #28 visible in the corner of the windshield."
Can you explain what you are talking about here?
THANKS!!!

Lefthand lower corner of the windshield on the dumper in the last pic is a mirror image 28 because the glazing unit is back to front.
If these toys had anything beyond a home custom treatment then the tipper would have been properly fixed back with a peened axle. Whoever did this probably had some kind of quarry diorama as a couple have simulated rusty load beds.......

Sounds like a deal to me. A great-looking casting.