The truck you drive?

[RostyC]

What year is that 359 rabbit? What motor is in it?

I have an 84' 425 Cat. I had it turned up a little when I rebuilt it in Feb of this year.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

Steel Horse Cowboy said:



Yeah, but can one actually LIVE in those flattop Petes for any length of time? I agree that they look the best, but I just gotta have my Condo if I'm out there for awhile. Throw in a motel room whenever I want it, and I'd drive the cool looking truck!



Yeah... I'd like to SEE one of those!

Well I drive a 99 FLD Flat Top with a 36" bunk for 6 years.

I have spent as much as 3 weeks but I now have a dedicated run and work 4 days a week

As for the repairs, I drove the truck for 5years w/o anything but oil changes and lightbulbs.
This year tho seems to be the opposite. Since Feburary I have put all new tires, brakes, shocks (and cabs) radiator, ECM, blower motor, and power divider. But thats not all bad...... brakes and tires are just normal wear-n-tear items, the radiator had 700,000 miles on it. Remember that the truck is 12yrs old (Build date 3/98)

So I guess the $30K I gave for it in 2004 at the Penske auction was a good investment seeing I was able to make over $150,000 a year and not have a truck payment.
I was looking at buying a new Pete these last few weeks, but after putting on all the new brakes, shocks and tires I think I'm just going to have Pittsburgh Diesel rebuild the motor/trans and run it for another 5 on profit

[Jackrabbit379]

What year is that 359 rabbit? What motor is in it?

I have an 84' 425 Cat. I had it turned up a little when I rebuilt it in Feb of this year.

It's an 84. It's got a 475 CAT, 15 speed. Ya know,.. the one that's backwards .

[Kurbski]

Well I drive a 99 FLD Flat Top with a 36" bunk for 6 years.

I have spent as much as 3 weeks but I now have a dedicated run and work 4 days a week

As for the repairs, I drove the truck for 5years w/o anything but oil changes and lightbulbs.
This year tho seems to be the opposite. Since Feburary I have put all new tires, brakes, shocks (and cabs) radiator, ECM, blower motor, and power divider. But thats not all bad...... brakes and tires are just normal wear-n-tear items, the radiator had 700,000 miles on it. Remember that the truck is 12yrs old (Build date 3/98)

So I guess the $30K I gave for it in 2004 at the Penske auction was a good investment seeing I was able to make over $150,000 a year and not have a truck payment.
I was looking at buying a new Pete these last few weeks, but after putting on all the new brakes, shocks and tires I think I'm just going to have Pittsburgh Diesel rebuild the motor/trans and run it for another 5 on profit

So, whoever your leased to doesn't care about the age of the tractor? That's a plus and I would keep it too if it was mine because you know what you have. I drive a company 9200 Eagle puling a tanker.

[Mackman]

I could care less about the truck. As long as it was DOT safe. What i cared about was my pay check.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

Nope, no age requirements.

I also have a 74 Pete I run in the summer but it's at Pittsburgh Diesel getting it's motor purdy'd up and made fancy LOL

[RostyC]

Nope, no age requirements.

I also have a 74 Pete I run in the summer but it's at Pittsburgh Diesel getting it's motor purdy'd up and made fancy LOL

What motor is in it? Any pics?

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

It had a BIG CAM 2 @ 375hp, but It will have a 6NZ Kitty once they are done with it........ and a 13spd. I bought a burnt-up 2003 379 and am having it all swapped over hopefully by the end of this year. Pittsburgh Diesel is rebuilding the motor for me and trans, then my buddy is going to swap over the low-leaf air and eng/trans for me. Pitsburgh said the motor will make between 700-800hp, but I'm going to run it on the low-side because 700hp is WAAAAY too much for the 4,000lb load I pull. My fuel mileage will be crap, but I'll look good LOL.

I get some pics up once it's repainted and running. But here is a rendering I found online that gave me the idea and what the body shop is working towards it to look like. Honestly, after all is said and done, I should have just bought a brand new Pete LOL

This was the very 1st truck my dad ever drove back in 78. I grew up riding in it every summer and I was able to buy it from his old boss 30yrs later, so it's kind cool.

[jordang900L]

i drive a 2000 Kenworth 900L with 72in studio sleeper, with an 18spd 525 cummins. and i love it, i dont know if i could drive another truck now. which i own the truck, i bought it used, rebuilt the motor, added a few chromies. and im good to go. i dont know if i could drive something else. i could live with a 379 or a coronado. but i like the power, the chrome, and the big sleepers.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I agree, the KW sleepers sure are nice, but the Pete's dash layout I think is better. Too bad PACAR can't just go and make one ULTIMATE truck...... say a Pete hood and cab with a 86" studio and AG400 suspension.

[RockyMtnProDriver]

Best Truck I ever had was a 1986 Ford LT 9000 with no air conditioning, no sleeper, no power steering, no radio and a 350 cat hauling a-trains in the British columbia mountains.

Why?

Because that was 15 years ago and I was making almost $60,000 a year back then.

Sure, my rides are nicer, but the road is the same and the food had gotten no better.

[Musicman]

As a company driver, I’ve been in some real pieces of junk, especially the first couple years of my career. I think a lot of the answer to your question depends on what kind or schedule you’ll be keeping. Back when I was driving beaters that weren’t mine, I would only be out three or maybe four days at a time and for many of those trips it was as a team and the truck never stopped moving. The tiny sleepers in those company trucks didn’t matter that much in those situations. These days, my wife and I (and our cat) team together and stay out for perhaps as much as month (and occasionally more). In our current operation, having a bigger sleeper and a bigger bed is VERY important. When our truck was stolen a couple of years ago, we went back to a place I had started my career out with for a few weeks until our new truck was ready and I couldn’t believe just how cramped it really was in those crappy little company spec’d Freightliners.

One more thought: I always thought, even back when I was living it, that a newbie really shouldn’t expect too much. I always figured that I was the new kid on the block with little or no experience and I hadn’t earned the nicer equipment. I was there learn and do the best job I could that was about it. As a trainee, equipment really shouldn’t matter to you. Learn the job and the industry and then perhaps you should raise your expectations.