This way to everything K100...... | |
 | Paul,
It will look great when it's finished. Your web site looks really nice. I have enjoyed the BJ and The Bear Fan Club site over the years. Hopefully it will continue and grow but has looked pretty questionable recently.
Best Regards,
Brent (texfrt) |
| Hi there Brent,
Thanks ! Come the glorious day when it's completed - I can't wait to drive it again. Yes, I also owe the BJ site a debt as it was responsible for me chatting with and meeting many people just as crazy as me and I wish it well for the future.
Best regards,
Paul (kenworthk100) |
 | v8detroit wrote on Dec 7, '08, edited on Dec 17, '08 this is a great site keep up the good work.Paul any idea on what colour you going to paint your rig ? |
| Paul,
Yea I know what you mean about driving it again. I've got a INTL. tractor, several trailers, and straight truck that set around alot lately. Recently, I had to renew commercial license and had to to the Haz-Mat fiasco for the new homeland security. If you or anyone hasn't had to do it yet, it takes the majority of one day with appt. and everything. I am glad you have started up you site it looks great and I recognize several of the members from the BJ and Bear site. Hopefully Paul S. can post some of his pictures of his restored BJ original tractor, trailer, and other trucks they own. What a work of art he and his Dad Craig has accompolished! Good for them! Good to see everyone again!
Best regards,
Brent (texfrt) |
| hi Paul,
when you where working for trucking international do you remember a owner driver in uk Gerry Holmes i think his name was ,he had a 1980/1 k100 i think they did a story on him .where in england did you live was it london.thank`s Paul. |
| Hi John,
I've got a bunch of Trucking International magazines around here somewhere, I'll dig them out for reference.
Gerry Holmes sounds very familiar - I think he may have been the guy who had a 108" flat top wrecker, based in Newbury I believe and the story was by Andy Harris and not me I recall - I liked to do all the US truck stories but I was covering an ex-Whitwells K100 up in Liverpool (cab covered by images of sailing ships !) used for heavy haulage with a low boy at the same time.
I remember the flat top wrecker owner was a huge KW fan of course and even called his wrecker/recovery company 'Kenworth' as this was sign written down the side of the cab. He got into trouble with Paccar over that.
I lived in west London (Twickenham) when I was working for TI, that was a long time ago now, and at that time, I had the best job in the whole world....now I feel old.
Paul.
|
| v8detroit wrote on Dec 21, '08, edited on Dec 21, '08 hey Paul,
i have year`s of trucking international,truck ,commercial motor magazines but they are all in ireland .i look at them every now and then ,i never thought i would own 2 kenworth`s my self all those year`s ago when i was at the back of the class room reading truck magazine instead of my maths book ! that must have been a great job working for a trucking magazine .i live in Harrow not too far from Twickenham,i had to take my k100 to ireland because of the emission zone in london .i would have to pay £200 / $300 a day to drive inside the M25 if your truck is not euro 3 ,i don`t think the detroit would pass the smoke test .our yard is inside the M25 so that is why it is in Ireland.Paul your truck has a aluminum frame is that rare mine is aluminum as well great for the Irish weather no rust.cheers john |
| Hey John,
Hopefully your left over Xmas turkey is in the fridge and you are clearing some hedges & trees to get that Aero out for a spin.
I was the same as you - look at my school books and there's pencil sketches of K100 Aeros everywhere and Wintjoy's CB Store stickers. My truck interest was peaked when I spent a few days during school holidays with my Uncle who drove a Leyland Clydesdale for Hall Aggregates - one day whilst in a quarry, he got out of the driver's seat and said, "Come on kid - you're up." A great day - and no disrespect to the Leyland, but it was inevitable that a set of KW keys would one day be in my hand. I know Harrow very well indeed and when I'm in the UK visiting I'm aways in the West London area - I'll keep you posted and maybe we can meet up (even though seeing your K100 in Ireland would be super !).
So you have the aluminum (guess we can say aluminium can't we ?) frame too - I really like how substantial the rails look, that's a big old chunk of ali for sure. I've got a picture of an ali frame from a K100 parts truck that was used for off-road rock hauling towards the end of its life - it is completely ripped apart in the middle when a big rock was dropped from just a little too high and too quick. Certainly not the best frame for all applications, probably better to keep the thing on the highways as it was intended.
Happy Boxing Day to you.
Paul. |
| Hi there Brent,
They certainly make everyone jump through a bunch of hoops to keep get the license and papers straight for sure. Glad to hear your legal on all counts.
Thanks for your kind words about the site - plenty of ex-BJ site members tuned in and more on the way. Also word has spread and lots of people coming onboard through the ATHS, a great society. I try to go to the ATHS national every year, no matter where it is. Yet to take a truck of my own though I think 2010 National in Northern California will be the first one for my truck, it should be wrapped during the summer of '09 if I can keep working away on it.
Have a great holiday,
Paul. |
| Message for Rick Knox !
Hi Rick, I see you were just viewing this page...Big Brother's got nothing on me ! I got your e-mail with questions on creating an album - the e-mail I sent you keeps being returned, so I posted the message on your personal Multiply page for you.
Look forward to seeing your '66 live on the site !
Paul. |
 | Impressive! I cant' sem to get myself to tear my truck apart. I love driving it too much. I'm thinking of buying another one so I'll always have one to drive while rebuilding the other. This site is GREAT. I'm running out of places to search for K100 pics and info. |
| Thanks Steve,
If you don't really have to tear your truck apart, don't would be my advice !
I like the idea of one to drive whilst restoring a second - good plan.
Happy you like the site and thanks for joining - great pics in your album too.
Paul. |
| v8detroit wrote on Jan 8, '09, edited on Jan 8, '09 hi Paul,
look`s like we have the same taste in truck`s i was trying to buy a transcontinental but it was rotten with rust and it was a 4x2 wanted a 6x4,i did my test in a TM.the scammell crusader`s had detroit diesels in some of them and the TM`s had them too.i have all ways liked scania and volvo great truck`s ,i used to drive a scania 143/450 great truck fast, powerful and 100% reliable i think they were the best truck ever made they don`t look as good as a aerodyne but they where the king of the road.if you are ever in London drop me a line would love to meet you and have a chat,as you can tell i am not very good with computers would rather have a chat over a pint or 2,thank`s john |
| Hi John,
You are doing fine with the computer - I guess you are saying you've spent more time holding a tankard than tapping a keyboard !
Sure, next time I am in London I'll let you know. There's a lot of my real job going on right now, so I'm truck free for a couple of weeks, but not forgotten about the capture tank.
Yes, we do have the same taste in trucks it seems, next to the K100, the White Road Commander 2 is a lovely looking truck - oops, I'm off subject - David/Gtmaker will be issuing me a citation....
Talking of great trucks, for Trucking International magazine I had to go to DAF's hq in Eindhoven, Holland to check out that crazy twin-engined Paris-Dakar rally truck they built in the mid-eighties -now that was a wild ride....
Paul. |
| thank`s Paul,
don`t panic about taking pictures of the capture tank i won`t be doing anything with it till xmas,got to get the tipper and w900a sorted out first as the k100 is in the best shape of all of them.i might take a trip out to America when you take your truck to a show ,you said it might be 2010 i might have money saved by then ! thank`s john. |
Comment deleted at the request of the author. | Hello everyone,
You probably wondered why I haven't posted any restoration update pictures for a while. Well, I've been so busy with real work, scanning and uploading lots of goodies for the site here too and not much spare time until recently. I've just uploaded a few. I have been concentrating on the tunnel and now that it is nearly completed, I can proceed to install the tunnel, rivet the front panel sheet metal and then drop the roof cap back on.
Then some real progress can be made - it may even get doors in a few weeks.
Paul. |
| got to hand it to you Paul you don't do thing`s by half measures good job,can`t wait till you start inside the cab.john |
 | Hey Paul,
It all looks so easy when you see it posted up here in a nice little progression of photos, doesn't it? I know you've slaved over this tunnel project more than anyone can imagine, and it will all be worth it one day so keep the spirits up and forge on. We'll take Goldie for a spin in a few weeks and I'll even let you drive so that you don't forget the feel of it all.
Great work brother crunch!
David |
| Hey v8detroit,
I was looking through the messages and didn't catch your one from a while ago. Regarding paint, I am hoping to have it in the booth late summer, then final assembly through to the end of the year. We'll see, best made plans !
On the colour....oh boy...at first I was all black/black/black but even though black looks great fresh out of the booth, it's a nightmare to keep looking good - I have a black SUV and therefore know all too well. I love Salem and that is hot on the list, although not red/white - I would do metallic silver/medium metallic blue possibly. Whichever I decide, it will be a factory period scheme and I am a huge fan of metallic finishes, the shapes and curves deserve some reflective assistance.
Paul. |
| hi Paul,
i wanted to paint my w900a black but a friend who is going to paint it said that all the body work must be 100% or every slight dent or imperfection will show,i will try and copy the scheme on my k100.i think the dark blue and silver salem look`s great.the main thing is not to rush the job.it is hard in Ireland to get anyone to do more than 1 colour as you know the salem takes a lot of masking they don`t realy want to know.cheers john |
| Hello John,
I agree, black looks amazing straight out of the paint booth but so difficult to keep up. Black with a riveted construction like the K100 can only look so good, I am spending a long time riveting and it is pretty damn straight so far, so it would carry black nicely - but Salem is so period I am still leaning in that direction with the sliver/blue.
I have just posted a magazine cover (UK Truck from 1978) which shows a close up side view of a brand new black Aerodyne - the rivet distortion is terrible...(sorry for any ex-factory assembly workers who may be reading this) the worst I have ever seen !
Cheers, Paul. |
| v8detroit wrote on Feb 12, '09, edited on Feb 12, '09 hi Paul ,looking good,i have noticed on most driver side sleeper door there is a rubber cromet what is this for thanks john. |
| Hi John,
Yes, I will drill and locate the rubber grommets on each of the sleeper doors. The grommets are there to stop the door hitting the grab rail brackets when they are fully open. They look really odd on the truck with the door shut of course, but they serve a useful purpose. It would look much better without the grommet, maybe have a retainer strap to restrict the door opening, like on the early Ws.
Paul. |
| thank`s Paul i could not think what they were for,you learn something new every day ! i thought you would know the answer.your truck is looking realy well,it`s coming together now .thank`s john |
| Hey John,
It's funny you asked that question...it took Paul and I ages to figure that one out ourselves! I had come up with some fairly exotic ideas - like filling the door with foam. But no, it's just there to keep the door from hitting the grab rail as Paul said. Also, if you look closely you'll notice they're in different places on the flat tops, and they keep the handle from hitting the side instead of the grab rail. Flat tops don't have the same outside locking handles either.
Cheers,
David |
| Hey Paul,
What's great about that truck on UK mag cover is the worst distortion we see s with the bench-riveted pieces. Of course you already know this better than anyone else could, or would, ever want to...
Cheers,
David |
| i thought you guy`s would have the answer !Paul are you getting new gauges for your dash ! i have looked on ebay but can`t find any new old style gauges or sleeper door handles/lock`s,cheers john |
| Hey David,
I remember buying that issue of Truck as a kid, reaching up on the top shelf to grab it with my little hand - no one wanted truck magazines so they always stuck them on the top shelf....Unfortunately just the cover image for the time being anyway.
Paul. |
| Hi John,
I've been buying as many NOS gauges as I can from Ebay. They do come up so keep looking. I've acquired many gauges from parts trucks too so have some good originals to chose from where I haven't found NOS. I'm lucky enough to have a NOS in the box speedo with 1 test mile on the odometer and a new tach too. I've spent many hours creating artwork for all the trucks' stickers & dash tags etc, exact duplicates of the originals. Once I get a bit further down the road on assembly, I'll post some pictures of these little goodies.
Sleeper door latches aren't available anymore, the part number cross references to the later one without the double plate like we have. I am dismantling and re-chroming my original ones (I have a NOS set of keys and barrels - they are still available but not for long).
Sorry about your terrible weather over in the UK...Paul. |
| hi Paul,
yea the weather has been bad spent 2 hours trying to start my w900 can`t find or get the glow plugs to work,trying to figure out the breaker circuit`s !! wish i had your patience .i think our ebay is different we can`t get the pages you get .i have been looking for over a year for new gauges oil,air ,etc the k100 is around the same age as the w900 and the dash is the same apart from the switches witch seem better in the k100.these old trucks will be getting harder to restore as time moves on .thank`s Paul for your help .john |
| Hey John, both doors have the rubber bumper. It protects the door from hitting the bracket on the grab handles. Steve |
| Hello all,
At last, some notable progress......I do love the reassembly stage of a restoration when it begins to look more like a K100 at every turn.
Paul. |
| hi Paul,looking good,thank`s for the heads up on the gauges, |
 | Hi Paul, First off let me thank you for the info you gave me a while back about Paul Sagehorn's B.J. truck.I also wanted to say what a fantastic job your doing on the restoration process of your truck, what a job but it will all be worth it when it's all said and done. hopefully you'll be able to bring it to a show out here. looking forward to seeing more pic's of the restoration. take care, NICK |
 | looking great Paul! Thanks for adding the new pictures showing the latest progress. |
| Hi v8detroit & k100aerodyne,
Thanks for your comments. Still lots to do of course, but certainly shaping up now.
Thanks 87kw,
I appreciate your support Nick, thanks. When it is finished I would like to do as many shows as I can, and I'm looking forward to out of state runs and taking advantage of all that 70s luxury that an Aerodyne provides. I had one driver come over to me when I was filling up and he said he drove a new one back in 1978 - he went on to explain it was the worst sleep he'd ever had. I was expecting to find out something terrible about the bunk area, but he went on to explain that it was because the Aerodynes caused quite a stir wherever they went, the cab would rock about all the time with people clambering up the side to get a look inside.....
I'll keep you posted on the show circuit appearances further down the road and hopefully I'll get to your part of the country,
Paul. |
 | 78kw wrote on Mar 21, '09 It's turning out nice. Good luck with the restoration. |
 | Is this truck rerady ?? hopefully you'll be able to make it to the Truck Show in Oak Grove Missouri June 2009 !!!! I can hardly wait !!!! |
| Thanks v8detroit and 78kw - it's certainly moving along but still much work ahead.
Hey condor011 - I wish it was ready....the last few pictures were taken during the last week. I plan on having it assembled and ready for paint probably toward the end of summer '09, maybe ready end of the year if possible or ready early next year for the ATHS National in Northern California during May '10.
Paul. |
| nice job Paul,it details like this that realy count ,have you made a gear shift pattern,yours is a 15 sp. thank`s v8detroit |
| Thanks John,
I'm working on the last few items and they include the shift pattern sticker - yes mine is the 15 with the top two slots reversed, just to mess with our heads ! Is yours a 15 too ?
Paul. |
| hi Paul,mine has a 13 ,i must get a shift pattern decal for mine.you should do a few set`s of id and information tag`s i bet a lot of people would buy them ,i certanly would.the cab fans look perfect .great job.v8detroit |
| Hey John,
Was chatting with Paul and I have a 13 speed decal we can reproduce but I'm not sure it's the same pattern as yours. Mine is the RTO9513 which is basically an 8 speed with overdrive on the high range. Let me know if that's what you have and we'll scan it and have them printed.
cheers,
David |
| hi Paul,David,
my 13 sp is 4 over 4 and split top 4 reverse in top left corner and low below reverse.i wll check it out in the summer the joy`s of having your truck 500 miles from where you live !!!!!!!! was bidding on a white steering wheel on ebay but missed out aprox $200 ! keep up the good work ,v8detroit. |
| Hey John,
I think I have that decal. The thing is, do you have a 3-position knob or a two-position knob with a separate splitter switch mounted on the shift lever? They were different decals, but I have both so no sense in duplicating them both if we need the same one.
You missed out on a steering wheel by $200? Gosh, Paul and I both picked up NOS wheels for under $300 total I think.
Hey, are you interested in that Unity lamp I have? I sent you an email last week on that but maybe it didn't come through.
Cheers,
david |
| hi David,
i have both ,3 position knob on k100 and separate splitter on w900 but have a new knob for the w900 3 position.the w900 has a RTO12513 the k100 has the same shift pattern but with 3 position knob.David i do want that lamp ,has it got the mounting kit,all the w900 has is a hole in the cab nothing else ! don`t suppose you have 2 ?.cheers john |
| John,
I posted a photo of the two decals on my site, if you need both then let me know. My truck with an RT09513 uses the smaller decal.
Please send me a PM about the lamp...don't want to abuse Paul's blog for that.
Cheers,
David |
| Hi John/Dave,
I got my 15 speed sticker finished up - real nice - I'll post a picture of the latest sticker reproductions when I get them back from the silk screener shortly.
Here's my latest progress report - It felt good to get some chrome on this thing - even if it is just for a trial fitting session. It's almost a shame to have to shoot paint .....
Paul. |
 | HEY Paul, FINALLY got to see your restoration pics and stories! Man it is looking real good, Talk about the details, geesh are ya obsessed or what??? heh! Awesome pictures, glad I finally got things straightened out on this end, look forward to more updates and wish you luck. P.S. I didn't lose my job that night..lol (inside joke) Talk to ya later. |
| 78kw wrote on Apr 29, '09 Wow!!!!! You're really going the distance on this restoration!! Nice work. |
| Hi MK,
Great to chat and catch up last week - pleased you didn't get in trouble on the job too ! Yeah I know, my middle name is crazy, I just love the details and when you have to tear something apart so far, there's no better time to exert the extra effort. Glad you got your computer fire wall issues sorted and you are back with us. Also, thanks for the extra pictures you posted in your folder too.
Thanks 78kw - I appreciate the comments, I'm happy that I'm starting to look at paint colour chips and the sheet metal work is almost behind me. More pictures to follow....looking forward to dragging this thing into the booth.
Paul. |
 | PJ
I dont think I have ever seen anyone with the attention to detail you have. Absolutely fantastic...
KW Tracer |
| Hi there KW Tracer,
Thanks so much for your comments - much appreciated. I checked out your site and that's a pretty sweet set-up you've got going on with your shop. Some nice hardware sitting in there. Look forward to seeing the progress on your Aero.
Paul. |
| So Paul, she ready 4 primer yet? And, I've looked b4 asking, but do you have a paintjob, or at least a pattern in mind yet?
Ray |
| Hello Ray/78kw,
She's moving right along - here are the latest progress pictures. I should have all the interior sheet metal installed this week.
I have decided to do the Salem paint scheme and as I love metallic colours, it'll be Aztec metallic silver and Concorde medium metallic blue with the normal black and gold stripes. I've got an original paint scheme book and paint chips and I'm just getting the samples together - I'll test paint the old front panel, corners and headlight sections to confirm colour plus make templates for masking the curves with the correct angles and positions.
I've got to rewire and make new airlines etc, so I think realistically (with time and cash permitting !) it should be ready for primer/paint maybe in another 3 months or so. I want to take care of everything before it's painted and it's easier to climb in and out of it hundreds of times a day with the doors off and no finished paintwork to worry about.
Paul.
|
 | I thought you were going to paint it BJ and the Bear colors like Paul Sagehorn's truck. |
| hi Paul,great job,looking good you must be the most patient man on the planet,wish i could do a restoration half as good as you keep up the good work .v8detroit |
| Thanks v8detroit - more progress this week too - not being married and no kids help !!!!!!
Hi anderss96 - I certainly love the KW Salem paint scheme but I really like the more uncommon period correct colour variants.
Paul. |
| Wow, can't wait to see it when its done. Are you going to paint the frame the same color as one of the cab colors, or leave it black? I thought the frame was currently just painted a primer/sealer. |
 | Wow, Who was the awsome machinist that did those? |
| Theres no other way to do it but the right way as my father always said. |
| Hey Paul, Long time no hear? Wasn't receiving any updates so thought everything slowed down here.. Ok I was wrong, Great to see more progress pics! She's actually starting to look like a truck again.. the amount of time you put into this truck, the amount of detail will pay off big at the truck shows! Gonna be a show stopper that's for sure. Are you still going with the same paint scheme and colors we discussed on the phone? I think it will real sharp with what you have planned, but if you're like me you've thought about changing it at least a few times anyway. Keep up the Great Work and will be watching for more updates. Take Care and oh yeah tell Dave I've got some more "factory original" pics I found and yes single sleepers, a few VIT's and unfortunately no Aerodynes...yet! |
| So cool to see the inside of one of these with out the interior, I think maybe you should just leave it like that and have it chromed??? Huh? just kidding. Really gotta hand it to ya.. Sounds like this thing is gonna be better than new. Can't believe that Kenworth would leave out rivets but I'm sure as fast as they were putting these things out more than a few were neglected. Great to see you're on the job at spotting and correcting these things. Keep up the great work. |
| Not too get off topic here, but how about adding a photo section strictly for K100 series model trucks such as if any of the owners here build a model replica of their truck? |
| 78kw wrote on Jul 23, '09 Very cool Paul. I like the colors you chose. I admire anyone who would go to the great legnths you have demonstrated to restore any vehicle. Simply amazing. |
| Hi Mk,
Thanks for your kind comments and good to have you back online. I agree it's almost a shame to paint anything but paint it will have !
Paul. |
| Hi anderss96,
Regarding the frame, I did put a nice primer on it and just shot a mist of gloss black when the mechanical work was done. A quick scuff up and degrease for the final coat is all that is needed.
I do love a black frame - something about seeing the rear axle hubs black against the Alcoa's, it's really nice. Plus I've got several factory pictures showing silver or predominantly silver trucks with black frames, so I'll probably keep it black. Another interesting note with silver trucks is that at the factory, they didn't paint the sleeper door hinges like all the other coloured trucks, they were masked up and left bare like the main door hinges.
Paul. |
| Hi 78kw,
Thanks very much for your enthusiasm, seriously appreciated ! I've been out of town a lot recently and looking forward to getting back in the shop for cab air line and electrical work, then after mounting the doors, she'll be ready for paint !
Paul. |
| Hey Paul! How's it going? Just checking in to see any new progress on your rig. I see that you've been out of town recently so I won't ask, but enough playing around, time to get back to work...some of us can't wait to see this thing finished! Take Care. |
| Hi MK,
Good to hear from you and thanks for continuing to add pictures to your album - goldmine original pictures indeed.
I'm back on the old girl and up to my knees in making new airlines, electrical harnesses and finishing up the heater/ac boxes. I did tilt the cab for the first time the other day since I finished assembling the main cab structure, very nice, with no wear or slack on anything it goes up straight without any creaking or bending or sleeper doors popping open (which it did before I started all this). So that felt good. I'll be getting paint samples together soon for a test shoot on the old headlight panels........
Regards to your family too & chat soon,
Paul. |
| Weren't you going to paint it a blue and silver combo? How about blue for the frame? |
| Just curious, when are you going to post more pics? Still working on the interior re-assembly? Are you going to put in all new leather for the interior also? |
| Hi anderss96,
I'm still going with blue/silver Salem, no change there. The interior re-assembly is completed and I'm currently refurbishing and installing the steering column, clutch rod/pedal/linkages, heater/AC boxes. Outside I am just putting the cab air ride unit together, fitting new frame horn mounts for the rear vertical supports, getting all the brackets/pipework organized for twin stacks, making a bunch of new airlines and starting on the new electrical harnesses.....there's a lot going on.
I already have the interior carpets & upholstery panels (including the embossed KW logo on the seats and door panels) done and ready to go. Everything is chromed too, front bumper, heat shields, grab rails etc etc so after paint it'll go back together quickly.
I'll some pictures shortly when some of this stuff is completed.
Paul. |
 | irnmn wrote on Nov 17, '09 Hi Paul,
You've truly done a great job in the restoration of this KW, I have really enjoyed all that you've done to bring this truck back to "new"! It looks like you've done a lot of homework to make this right so I've got a question for you, what did they do to run all the air and electrical lines that come from the tunnel at the steering column under the cab and run along the frame towards the back. I have some of this tore apart and probably should replace most of the lines as they are very stiff, but I'm trying to figure out what was done to make this look good enough so ADOT doesn't have a problem with it. It was originally covered with side skirts but I've taken them off as they were not the right length between the axles. Do you have any info that will help?
Thx Ken |
| Hello Ken,
Thanks for your kind comments - I've finally got a little time to get back working on it and I've just posted some current pictures of the progress.
Regarding your air line/electrical routing question, the only information we have is what we can derive from our trucks themselves and some original brochure pictures. Generally, with the exception of lines changed for repair purposes, many of the factory routing paths/clamping locations are still evident. For the DOT, as long as nothing is hanging down and all lines/electrical are neat in appearance, they shouldn't complain too much.
I'll be installing new lines & electrical over the next few weeks after I've done fabricating the exhaust plumbing and I will post some more pictures.
Thanks,
Paul. |
| hi Paul ,excellent job can`t wait to see it finished ,keep up the good work,and happy first anniversary of this great site,regard`s john |
| anderss96 wrote on Dec 5, '09, edited on Dec 5, '09 Wow, what an impressive project! Can't wait to see it when you install the interior and get it painted. This is also an excellent source for model truck builders to get close-up details. |
| Paul, all I can say is wow! The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, incredible! |
| Hi John - Thanks for remembering the 1st anniversary of the site. It went quickly, too quickly ! Thanks for the comments, I've been really busy with the real job for the last couple of months and haven't had much time for the old girl so it's been a while since I posted until these cab tilt views.
I just bought her a pair of 48" chrome top pipes and rain caps for Christmas so she is not forgotten at all.
Hope all is well and the weather isn't too brutal in Ireland.
Paul. |
| Hello anderss96 - Thanks for your comments, I am hoping to have it ready to paint for Feb or March, I've still got much to do but it has come a long way.
Interesting point you made about close-up details for model makers - I hadn't really thought of that before, but any help the pictures can provide I am sure is welcome.
Paul. |
| Hi there k100aerodyne/Naseer,
Thanks, I hadn't even considered a light of any form at the end of any kind of tunnel until you mentioned it. Much still to do but getting there.
I got your phone message - I've been working long hours and out of town for the last couple of months so it's been tricky to keep up to date - I'll be in touch soon to catch up.
Paul. |
| hi Paul,at this stage would you consider twin air intakes look cool and even things up,regards john |
| Do you have any new interior pics? Have you started putting all the upholstery etc. back in? |
| Hi John,
I'm probably not going to have twin intakes. Twins almost look too custom and non-stock even though it seems some trucks did have twins from the factory, but normally 6" and not 8" pipes - I like the look of the big old 8". Plus finding another original 8" cap to rechrome would be tricky too - nothing aftermarket will do !
Paul. |
| Hi anderss96,
No I haven't got that far yet. I've got the doors on and have been working on the exhaust piping, battery box/air tanks and some general things on the frame. I'll get some more pictures up shortly.
The interior panels will be the last items to install after final paint.
Paul. |
| Impressive!!! The fuel tanks may be able to be polished instead of acide dipping. Its a polish and buffing system by the Eastwood company which makes lots of stuff to help restore cars. |
| Paul your truck is looking fantastic ,lots of work done,bet kw never were as exact great job.a few hundred led`s and you would be good to go !!! |
| Hi anderss96,
I'm only acid stripping the air tanks, the fuel tanks will be replaced by new ones - these originals are good for a driver but too many road chips to be perfect enough. I know Eastwood - not sure I subscribe to their sales pitch of you can restore everything out of a spray can....but they have some good stuff, a big fan of their high temp stainless exhaust paint and Spray Grey cast iron finish.
Paul. |
| Hi v8detroit,
Thank John - it's almost a shame to paint any of it. Funny you mention the LED lights.....the main reason I replaced the side skins (apart from a couple of tears) is that they looked they had been hit with a machine gun with all the different holes from numerous aftermarket lights put all over it. At least they didn't drill & mess up the fuel tank steps for extra lights - they were the only perfect parts on the truck when I bought it !
Paul. |
| How have things progressed since you last posted pics in January? Did you get the new fuel tanks etc.? Getting any closer to paint? |
| hi Paul your truck is looking great can`t wait for more pictures keep up the good work,regards john |
| Hi anderrs96 & John,
I've been really busy with the real job to pay for all this so haven't had much time. Should be back on the old girl in a couple of weeks or so.
I did remove the fuel tanks, battery box, air filter, and all brackets etc. They have been blasted and primed and ready to reattach when I got the time. Then air tanks and re-plumb the air system and get on the electrical work.
I'll get some more pictures up soon of the progress.
Thanks guys,
Paul.
|
| Not to get off the subject of your truck, but what happened to all the pics of the gold and white Kenworth single bunk K123 by Deguitar??? |
| Hi Paul. I haven't posted in a while. The truck looks amazing! I can't wait to see it painted. |
 | A world class truck restoration....its going to be a cracker when finished |
 | Paul, I have just found your truck re-build and was wondering if you have any further updates? |
| Hi steve82c,
Good to hear from you and hope all is well with you. Thanks for your message, I can't wait to see it painted either !
Paul. |
| Hello riverstick,
Thanks very much for your kind words. I am looking forward to getting the old girl back together and on the road in the next few months.
Thanks again,
Paul. |
| Hi there cremellobloke,
Welcome to the site and happy you found us.
I'll be adding some more pictures shortly, right now it is time consuming small jobs and lots of 'em.....final detail on the exhaust system pieces for chroming, new clutch/gas pedal linkages, air line fabrication, new electrical harnesses, radiator (made new top & bottom tanks)....so the truck is getting closer but still a little while away from getting her silver and medium metallic blue salem paint job. It's all in the details. Time is tricky to find right now too but keep checking in for updates !
Regards,
Paul. |
| Paul, after seeing your cab de-construct, I was amazed at how little there is to one of these. |
| Even when they are tired, the K100 Kenworth looks great |
| It's looking good Paul. I wish you luck with it as you have invested not just your hard earned money, but yourself as well. I'm glad to see your paintjob won't be a BJ and the Bear copy, but different colors of your own choosing. She's going to be sweet. |
| hi Paul ,i managed to get 2 steering wheels just asking what is the correct shade of white to use in the restoration . hopefully you would know .regards john.ps need more photos of your truck |
| Hi cremellobloke,
I agree, whilst I love the idea of fully restored, they are only original once and even though my neighbours disagreed, I thought mine looked great all beaten-up and well used.
Paul. |
| Hi 78kw,
Thanks for your message, much appreciated. I am very much looking forward to the reassembly phase after paint, my favourite part !
I've forgotten what it is like to drive one after all this time too.....
Paul. |
| Hi there John,
Sorry for the delay....the real job has seen me working away from home for a few weeks, back now for a bit and hope to get back in the shop, get this thing finally ready for the paint booth.
Regarding the steering wheel, I have seen many different shades from glossy white to slightly ivory in colour. I am planning on going the very slightly ivory rather than stark white. If you are planning on just painting the wheel, off-white/ivory would probably look better than gloss white - the off-white/ivory looks less obvious when painted.
I have a steering wheel restoration company re-colouring an NOS original wheel that is not the correct colour for me. They will use an acrylic covering to retain the molded plastic look.
Hope all is well with you.
Paul. |
| v8detroit wrote on Dec 20, '10, edited on Dec 20, '10 Paul are your battery`s 6 volt !! ie 6x4 =24.as you know in ireland every thing is 12 or 24 including battery chargers.question can i put 2 12 volt battery`s in place of the 4 that are in it as long as it is 12volt .i don`t know if they are 6 or 12 volt as it does not say on them.would make life easier if i could .i know you have some with 12v charging and 24v cranking thanks regards john |
| Hi John,
My truck left the factory with 4 x 6v batteries, someone had changed it to 4 x 12v for 24v crank & 12v run....they did a pretty nasty job with the wiring which doesn't matter as I am making an entire truck's worth of harnesses anyway.
If you are not sure what you've got, try putting a meter across each battery with the cables off and see what you've got, hopefully they are not dead completely. Also look at your starter and see if the tag says 12v or 24v.
There's a wiring diagram in the The Shop Manual section of the site which details the 24v crank/12v run system. With these old Detroits with no glow plugs it is only as good the amount of crank power you can throw at it. 4 x 12v with a series-parallel switch (each pair is wired as a parallel for 12v with a combined current total of both batteries for cranking amps) then each pair is temporarily linked in series when the starter switch is hit, shoving 24v at the starter. The series-parallel switch, after the motor is running, allows both pairs of batteries to get a 12v charge from the alternator.
If you do not have a series-parallel switch, the Delco number is 1119845 - there are plenty of after-market ones out there as they are still used in marine applications. I just bought two Delco ones brand new old stock off E-bay for $125.00 total.
Sorry for the long message - I've just had a big mug of tea to start my day.
Paul. |
| thank`s Paul,it`s the series parallel switch i was not shure about,the starter has no id on it but it must be 24v because it turns over fast and starts on the second attempt even when standing for months.i have charged the batteries with a 12 volt charger but they would be completely dead now as it is -10 and it has not been started since august,i am going to be broke buying batteries 4 for the k100,4 for w900 ,2 for scammell and 2 for forklift !!!!!!thank`s Paul for your help i will use 12 volt as you can`t get 6volt here.i could never figure how it had 24 volt cranking till i looked up series parallel switch`s ment to go to Ireland tomorrow but all flights are canceled .regards john |
| wow i am so jealous i would love to be able to get new door panel`s and seat`s for my truck ,the seat belts catch the panel and mark and rip,Paul i suppose you have sorted this problem ! this is going to be a one off truck perfect with no second best and no gimmicks ,keep up the good work Paul |
| any one else would say ah the grey skirt will cover it !!! fair play Paul your a perfectionist can`t wait to see it finished |
| Hi Paul,
Do you have any new pictures to add? Hope all is well. |
 | are all the body skins avabile |
| anderss96 wrote on Mar 6, '11, edited on Mar 6, '11 I think he may have fabbed some of the skins such as the side skins himself. I think he notes what was available from a KW dealer and what he fabbed as he posted each picture. |
| Hi Naseer,
Good to hear from you and thanks for checking in. I've got a few more photos to add but progress will be big very soon......it's booked for the paint booth the 1st week of May......at last. Still a multitude of little items to address though really close.
Hope all is well with you.
Paul. |
| Hi k123kid,
anderrss96 was correct - I fabricated the side skins from scratch. The main front panel and side corner sheet metal were NOS factory items that are not available anymore - though they are not difficult to fabricate, same as the floor sections, door skins etc.
One of members 'k100 aerodyne' has a good selection of NOS and used sheet metal parts and worth contacting with anything you need.
Good luck with your restoration k123kid.
Paul. |
Comment deleted at the request of the author. | Hi all,
Here's a few new pictures for you. The big news is that it is finally ready for the paint booth.....after 3 years of hard work and at least a hundred dollars.........
Paul. |
| hi Paul.i have a spare 3406a cat you could put in now you got the old drip troit out !!!!! great job you must be happy your nearly on the put it back together stage keep up the good work regards John o`shea |
| Hi John,
Thanks ! Maybe I'll squeeze about 6 Toyota Prius hybrid motors in there instead, that should make the wipers work to start with.
Fortunately the original green drip 'Troit was destroyed and it had a later 1985 Silver Series put in, at least they made many improvements from the old green to silver....I still have a drain box on the breathers though....it is still a Detroit after all.
I'm looking forward to getting all those truck parts out of the house, garage & storage...stuff everywhere right now ready to go back on.
Hope all is well with you John.
Paul. |
 | Who are those two handsome devils who are 'in the doghouse'? All women should be so lucky as to have men with K100s... |
| Blue and silver for the cab, but matching blue for the frame? This will be cool to see after paint and when all the parts go back together. |
| v8detroit wrote on Jun 21, '11, edited on Jun 21, '11 must be the best prept truck they ever had !! |
| Hi wings2wheels,
Those two handsome devils look familiar from "America's Most Wanted" list I think. And probably not the last time we will ever be in the doghouse either..... |
| Hi anderss96,
As standard the frames were always painted the same as the predominant body colour, it's certainly period correct. We are still shooting samples for the blue, changing metallic particle sizes though again, basing the colour on period correct paint names, codes & formulas.
We will shoot some much larger samples over the next couple of weeks to confirm.
Paul. |
| Hello John,
I don't think they mind that there is no paint stripping or major sanding to do. I gave them my old side skins and loaded them up with rivets so they can use them for sample colour and application testing. Masking across rivets is always a pain, we'll see in a couple of weeks where the lines will end up being, I wanted to do a quick test mask with some 1/2" tape from the front around one side to see where we are at, though just didn't have the time. It differs so much from truck to truck. Some just above the rivets, some right on and others 1/2 way across, especially down the side skins.
I know I won't be cheating that thickness of the 1/2" gold or 2" black to accommodate, that's for sure.
Hope all is well and you get to Ireland soon to fire those old girls up.
Paul. |
| Paul man that is lookin good.. I was goin to call but I don't have your number anymore. I've got a bunch to talk to you about so if you can email me your number and we'll chat.. take care |
| Paul, if you ever get the urge to build a plastic model of your truck once finished, the AMT K100 model or the AMT BJ and the Bear model actually came with an 8V92 Detroit engine. The other K100 Aerodyne models all came with Cummins. The only problem is that the AMT model appears to have an automatic transmission. I didn't kow they made automatics in over the road trucks back then, but I suppose you could swap in a trans possibly from an AMT regular cabover which did have a manual trans behind a Cummins if you want it to be as exact as possible |
| Haven't seen any new pics in awhile. How is the paint job going? |
| Hi anderss96,
The paint shop got really busy over the last couple of months and so did I with work - now we are back on track.
All the exterior prep work is completed and the truck is ready to roll into the booth for etch primer and sealer first thing on Monday morning. The cab exterior will be painted by the end of next week.
Then the week after the frame will get painted and we'll be done with paint.
Thanks for checking in.
Paul. |
| I had heard that KW would paint the whole cab gold for the outline stripes and then put the other colors on top of the gold. I was told this way they never had trouble with the gold trim pealing due to the lack of width of the lines. |
| Hi anderss96,
That's right, the whole cab was painted gold first to allow two things, first as a base coat and secondly for the gold detail stripes. This meant the entire paint job was only taped once and each coat was applied & masked etc with no overall scheme re-taping.
Paint has come along way since the 70's so now a base colour coat isn't really needed, the paints adhere better to primers & sealers.
You'll see by my new photos I'm doing the same thing, gold first, mask, black, mask, silver, mask and lastly the biggest colour blue.
Paul. |
| Wow! That is looking great! |
| Are you going to put any type of lettering on the truck other than the typical DOT stuff? |
| wow she looks a million dollars worth the wait .great job Paul |
 | mh612 wrote on Oct 20, '11 Increible el resultado , puede estar muy orgulloso de su camion. |
| Hi everyone,
Thanks for your kind words. We've started colour sanding and polishing the cab and the wheels are off for prepping the frame for paint.
I don't plan on putting any lettering on the truck at all if I can help. I am trying to keep with the 'looks like the day it was made' theme.
I have a historical vehicle plate for it because as of 2012 this thing will be illegal to operate commercially in California due to the age and ozone sucking 8V92 motor. So because of that, I don't have to have DOT/CA numbers all over it. I would liked to have worked it a little when completed though now it has seen the last of its money earning hauler days.
More picture shortly.
Paul. |
| Are you planning on getting and restoring a trailer to match the truck? |
| that doesn`t look like your average back street sprayer,some job .hate to be paying the bill !!!! can`t wait to see it finished.great job Paul |
 | John I just started restoration on my k100. I have lots of questions. When you have time could we talk? You can contact me at 9186980828 or at Corey@hotrodcaskets.com. Thanks so much Corey Parks. |
 | Hello all! I just recently bought an '83 K100C with a 3406A and am planning on working it come next spring. It is a beautiful barn find from Minnesota, but as with anything old it has a few issues and I'm not sure where to start. It needs a clutch (due to wear) and a rear differential housing (due to rust). I'm mostly curious to meet a few people who are in the know about these beautiful classics, maybe meet some friends either in my area (Grand Rapids,Michigan) or further as I still currently drive truck. On a closing note...Paul, you have done one of the most meticulous and wonderful restorations I have ever seen! Kudos to you and everyone else who has taken the time to keep these trucks rolling! |
| Hey, your truck appears to have front drum brakes. I thought Kenworth's did not have front brakes back then. |
 | Lookin' at the world through NO windshield!! Good picture!! |
| WOW!! Paul,that is a first class job!! I am jealous!! PERFECT!! |
| That is just so amazing, I can't believe how incredible that paint looks. I can't wait to see it on person. |
| That is just so amazing, I can't believe how incredible that paint looks. I can't wait to see it on person. |
 | Very nice!! I'm contemplating a similar project myself, this site certainly doing lots for my enthusiasm. |
| Could the crack have been divine inspiration? Hmmm.... |
| Looks absolutely fantastic. I must say I am a might bit jealous...perhaps one day ONE of my K100s will approach Paul Cox quality! |
| Work of art! This truck simply is the best example of a late 70s/early 80s K100 anywhere in the world. Nothing else comes close to it. I do believe that no matter what show you enter it in, the judges would be crazy not to let it escape without first place in any category it is elgible for. While I know that isn't why you made it your labor of love, the quality, re-engineering and care you put into Big Lucy make her a prize winner in my book. |
Comment deleted at the request of the author.  | kenw100 wrote on Dec 23, '11, edited on Dec 23, '11 nice truck your got there |
 | Did you buy or build this piece? |
| About how much money have you invested?
Nick |
| If the past owner(s) could see it now . . . .Amazing |
 | It is turning into a true classic look of the k100 awsome job cant wait to see the finished truck. |
 | Once finished it will be the best K100 on the planet. Can't wait to see the K100 finished |
| And still, question is, will you restore or find a traler to paind to match? |
 | Paul met Chris with his 79 today at a Kohl's store here in Havertown Pa, he turned me to your website. What a labour of love, she's beautiful ! I'm also Brit truck driver, 35 years here, thank you,thank you for the great documentary so far, fabulous job. Sincerely davidlister18@gmil.com |
| Thanks everyone !
Sorry I've been a bit quiet...out of town for Christmas and work too though now back home and spending some man time in the new shop.
There's a bunch of questions to answer so here goes.....
windhawk18 - Thanks so much, happy you met Chris, he's a great guy and whenever he comes into town here we get together and talk truck and have an extensive show & tell session ! I am looking forward to taking this to as many truck shows as I can around the country and it would be great to meet some members...maybe get a K100 line-up going.
Paul.
|
| Hello aanders96,
I will probably look for a period trailer to restore potentially though I have my eye on a White Road Commander 2 next.......
Paul.
|
| Thanks manta400, jbrett, 776brock, bt2927 & kenw100, I really appreciate your kind words and I hope the photographs do help everyone is either repairing or restoring our favourite cabovers to keep them on the road. It isn't too difficult, sure there are certain times during a restoration where you just want to hang yourself though a few harsh words, put the hammer back on the bench and go have a beer. It just needs time, patience and a little cash helps too. As a friend of mine says about any automotive restoration project, "It won't happen overnight but it will happen."
Paul. |
| 776brock - the new front panel I used was NOS and I got it from Naseer (k100aerodyne) here on the site...he's got a vast selection of parts. None of the sheet metal parts on these are difficult to fabricate, the involvement of a good metal working shop for the bending is useful, especially that hard 90 degree flange on the lower edge of the side skins when doing a 108 incher.
Paul. |
| Hi Chris,
Thanks so much, it's always a joy to have you visit when you're in town. And you have to understand that you are just as crazy as me...you don't know it yet but I see it a mile away.
Now I have a real shop it's a joy to put it all back together in a clean, spacious environment....I've waited a long time for the right place. There's a beer in the fridge with your name on it next time you're flying in to southern CA.
PJC. |
| Now that is a thing of great beauty! |
| See....the motor and trans came out for good reason! |
| David - glad you found Paul's site. As a fellow Englishman, I figured you would appreciate his kind of 'crazy'! Hope everything worked out with the Pete once you got on the hook and over to the dealership. |
 | You sir are to applauded for your dedication, it all takes time and money, but I tip my hat to you, I look forward to the next installment! |
| Thanks pumper8032,
Your comments are much appreciated - I too need enthusiasm to keep going !
I'm trying to balance the real job with shop time, real work is winning right now. I'm pretty much done with air lines though and the last few visits have been spent colour sanding & polishing some details and currently have one side left of the cab to do, then more chrome goodies & glass can go in.
More updates to follow....
Paul. |
| so envious ,it deserves to go right for you Paul you have put so much hard work in to it it`s a credit to you and you deserve to be proud of your work so far can`t wait to see it finished.ps more pictures please lol |
| like pumper8032 said it takes time and money ,some people have the time and money but hats off to you Paul because i don`t think many have your dedication.regards john |
 | Paul, your truck looks great! I wish i had the time and resources to do a job like yours. One thing i would love to do over is my dash.Are you going to repro any of the different dash decals or woodgrain? If so please let us know. I'll be your first customer! |
| Hi John,
Thanks for your kind words - now it is starting to look like something I am really looking forward to climbing into it, firing it up and taking it for a spin.
I'm hoping to have it completely finished during October or earlier if I can squeeze the time in between the real job.
I'll get some more pictures shortly once the next milestone is reached and worth a picture or two !
Thanks again and hope all is well with you.
Paul.
|
| Hi k100kw,
Thanks...someone asked me the other day how I managed to all this work so far and I think the answer is I don't have kids (yet that is) !
I have repro'd every single dash/frame/engine/cab id tag, warning sticker and manufacturers nameplate or badge the thing had. Once I'm done I will probably let any extras go.
Regarding the dash wood grain I found the exact material and I mean perfect, the original stuff.
I am putting together a new parts restoration section that will have photos and descriptions of many difficult to find parts and where to get them - parts that I needed and had to research. I'll be sure to add the wood grain vinyl to the list.
Paul.
|
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