Anybody on dialup is gonna wanna kill me after this post. This one is for you, Jed! I'm gonna give the photo credits right now - some are from Ultra Rigs of the World, and the rest are from SuperShowRigs.com.
I've said before how I don't care for a lot of lights and a cluttered look. Lots of lights means lots of non stock wiring. That means a lot of splices. "Road salt" loves to eat that stuff for kicks. More lights=more work for a fat trucker. I get paid by the hour, but at some point, I get tired of fixing the same thing over and over. Any of these trucks that go "over the hill" or even run in some ice and snow are gonna have trouble. Plus, all that chrome and stainless absolutely has to be polished frequently. Just going to "The Streakin' Beacon" isn't enough - hard water deposits, bugs and the film that builds up has to be removed by the Karate Kid method: Wax On, Wax Off. Yer listening to the Voice of Experience here.
As far as styling goes, I prefer conventional Peterbilts (359,379 and the new 389). I just like the simple nose, grill and classic lines. When it comes to driving, though, I prefer conventional Kenworths (W900A, B, and long nosed versions of each). The KW's classic styling is a bit overblown for my taste, but driving one is a different proposition. The cabs are quieter, the foot pedals are placed correctly, the steering shaft isn't angled, and the rest of the ergonomics are of a higher quality, in my humble opinion. Supposedly KW's manufacturing neighbor Boeing designed their doors, and I can guarantee you that NVH is far more controlled in a KW.
But, that doesn't take into account the custom goodies:
Here is a Pete that in my books has had the chrome and stainless slathered on a bit liberally. I like the single headlights - that evokes the old needle nose Petes of days gone by. The grill is stock. There are too many lights, though. Lights are in the bumper, extra clearance lights on the cab, matching clearance lights on the leading angle of the sleeper, a strip on the air cleaner housing, at the bottom of the cab and at the bottom of the sleeper, on top of the sleeper, and the load lights on the rear of the sleeper. I'd bet you just can't see the strip of red lights behind the air cleaner housing - nothing like having a bunch of lights brightening your evening driving experience. There are some painted train horns on top of the sleeper - the truck has to have some sort of horn, and the stock ones from the top of the cab had to be removed to make room for the extra clearance lights. It also sports a stainless "droopy" visor - but not so extreme that you can't see through half the windshield. Stainless goodies include the air cleaner housings, the leading edges on the sleeper, the battery box/steps, the compressed air chambers (just under the cab above the steps), the step on the fuel tank, the tool box under the sleeper behind the tank, and some trim behind the headlights and on the full rear fenders. By the way, full rear fenders suck when you have to chain up. Last but not least are the six inch straight pipes.
further in the next posting
I've said before how I don't care for a lot of lights and a cluttered look. Lots of lights means lots of non stock wiring. That means a lot of splices. "Road salt" loves to eat that stuff for kicks. More lights=more work for a fat trucker. I get paid by the hour, but at some point, I get tired of fixing the same thing over and over. Any of these trucks that go "over the hill" or even run in some ice and snow are gonna have trouble. Plus, all that chrome and stainless absolutely has to be polished frequently. Just going to "The Streakin' Beacon" isn't enough - hard water deposits, bugs and the film that builds up has to be removed by the Karate Kid method: Wax On, Wax Off. Yer listening to the Voice of Experience here.
As far as styling goes, I prefer conventional Peterbilts (359,379 and the new 389). I just like the simple nose, grill and classic lines. When it comes to driving, though, I prefer conventional Kenworths (W900A, B, and long nosed versions of each). The KW's classic styling is a bit overblown for my taste, but driving one is a different proposition. The cabs are quieter, the foot pedals are placed correctly, the steering shaft isn't angled, and the rest of the ergonomics are of a higher quality, in my humble opinion. Supposedly KW's manufacturing neighbor Boeing designed their doors, and I can guarantee you that NVH is far more controlled in a KW.
But, that doesn't take into account the custom goodies:
Here is a Pete that in my books has had the chrome and stainless slathered on a bit liberally. I like the single headlights - that evokes the old needle nose Petes of days gone by. The grill is stock. There are too many lights, though. Lights are in the bumper, extra clearance lights on the cab, matching clearance lights on the leading angle of the sleeper, a strip on the air cleaner housing, at the bottom of the cab and at the bottom of the sleeper, on top of the sleeper, and the load lights on the rear of the sleeper. I'd bet you just can't see the strip of red lights behind the air cleaner housing - nothing like having a bunch of lights brightening your evening driving experience. There are some painted train horns on top of the sleeper - the truck has to have some sort of horn, and the stock ones from the top of the cab had to be removed to make room for the extra clearance lights. It also sports a stainless "droopy" visor - but not so extreme that you can't see through half the windshield. Stainless goodies include the air cleaner housings, the leading edges on the sleeper, the battery box/steps, the compressed air chambers (just under the cab above the steps), the step on the fuel tank, the tool box under the sleeper behind the tank, and some trim behind the headlights and on the full rear fenders. By the way, full rear fenders suck when you have to chain up. Last but not least are the six inch straight pipes.
further in the next posting
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