Hey guys I figured I would start the thread on my 90 KenworthT800 Semi conversion. I ripped the box off, got rid of the lift cylinder and pup hydraulic tank. I began stripping the hood by taking the headlights out and started getting some of the grille off. The tanks are off and I'm patching the fuel tank where the straps laid. There was a small pin hole under it.... Tomorrow I will move the axles forward since I already have the holes drilled.... I'll get more photos on here for yas
another great project in the making
Here's the pictures coming down the line.
Update on the project. I have shortened the wheelbase about 33 inches, installed the fuel tank, air tanks and new power steering pump. Here are the links to the pics
Dam you must have got that t800 cheep, with all the work you got into her, you could have found a road tractor for about the same as what you got into her... looks good tho...
kind of what i was thinking......going backwards
You guys are going to laugh when you find out how much I have into it...... 900.00 for the truck, 265.00 for driveshaft work, 385.00 for batteries, I did some trading for my 5th wheel plate and maybe just under 100.00 in to other little odds and ends and I'm getting ready to shoot it this weekend with some black paint and maybe some orange flake in the clear but I have a great truck now for absolutely nothing. I'll put more pics up when she's completed. I love shopping at a scrap yard, you never know you're gonna find LOL!!!
Hi ! good work , sometimes spending more time in the shop and less at the bank is worth it !! banks are thieves with a permit to do so !
Cool, what you going to be pulling with it? and what motor?
LOL!!! no kidding especially with the economy right now..... I have an excavating outfit and I've been without a semi for over 3 years so I'm unable to move my excavator or loader long distances without having to pay someone else and that's not cheap, almost 300 bucks one way. So when I got the chance to pick up this project I hopped on it
Right now the plans are to be able to pull my lowboy trailer to move our excavator and loader over long distances and to be able to use our lead end dump trailer since the only thing we've been hauling with is our two tandem dump trucks.... makes for a lot of hauling especially when one of our jobs this year was 610 ton of 22a gravel. A lead will cut that in half since you can get almost 2 and a half times the amount of a tandem dump truck into a semi lead combo. The truck is actually a Kenworth T450... they look so damn close since the cab components are the same LOL. The truck has a 350hp L10 cummins with a 13 speed eaton with the low reduction. I figured it's not a big power house but I figured it will do the job just fine plus I think of it as the more HP ya have the more chances of breaking something go up LOL
Hi ! More HP usualy means more fuel too ,unless HP means Hamster Power ! thus won't be able to pull the lowboy ! LOL better have an old nelly paid for than a spanking brand new rig with payments and fuel to pay anyway ! also not afraid to scratch it all the time on jobs , not that we have to scratch them on purpous but at least it hurts us less . you will also have pride in that KW that you refurbished yourself ! I'm in a process of buying brand old 1985 Mack RD688S 10 wheels dumper , he is in a great shape and the price is right !! so I'll go with that to start instead of a big investment ! time will tell but my feeling is that should be a good buy . I will go see it today with a friend of mine that has truck and he is a damn good mecanics.
5th wheel plate on, shortened the wheel base 33 inches now she just needs needs black paint and she'll be ready for her first trial run. Already took it for a drive today and it ran flippin awesome, transmission felt awesome and it felt extremely peppy. Once I shoot it black and get the stickers for it then I'll post some more pics for yas
Wow that truck is turning out great. Kyle
Thank you DEERE, I'm getting excited to hook on to a trailer for the first time with it. I need to finish my paint and stickers then I can put my headache rack on and hook it up. I've always wanted to build my own semi... LOL
Just finished painting it and I'll pull the tape off tomorrow.... Had to throw the headache rack on there to see how she would look and I LOVE IT!!!
That looks awesome, good going buddy!
Headlights in and tape off just need to find a different grille cause this is looking like poo
and a cow catcher bumper
The truck looks great ! Kyle
looking good, was it built as a dump or was it originally a tractor? I was just thinking it would be great to find the old trailer plug ziptied to the frame rail and a couple of T's in you air lines plugged off from old trailer lines. I think it's great you giving that rig another chapter in it's life.
It was originally a triaxle dump truck. I know finding a T in my service line would have been great but oh well I had to make one LOL. I love this truck and hopefully I can give it a great chapter in it's life and I hope it does the same for me
I got to hook up Yesterday and I had a blast!!! Thank you guys for the support and cheering me on. This was the first conversion I have ever done and I think it turned out great but only you guys will be able to tell me.
Looks good!! Just gotta paint up the lowboy! And paint the rims on the truck to match :drinkup
Looks awesome ! Just needs some LED strobe lights Kyle
I have LED brake lights on the rear of the truck.... That good enough DEERE? LOL :notworthy
Ok cool. I was just thought that you may need strobes if you haul oversize loads. I don't know the rules down there. But up here you need them. Now as for me I just love LED lights & LED strobes. Kyle
Don't think the ol girl will be doing any long hauls or oversized moves but I agree with ya fully on the LEDs.... They look so pretty, I find myself sometimes running into them like a moth to a light man.... Don't do it man... "I can't help it"....... ZAP!!!!
Ok well she looks great with or with out them. Yah me to lol they are vary pretty. Kyle
A friend of mine told my I need to make some window stickers for it and give it a nick name.... I like what he came up with.... "The Ugly Duckling".... Went from being an ugly duck to a swan... LOL
lol
Here ya go with the LEDs.... made me some brackets to mount the two up under the headache rack.... I'm waiting for my LED cab clearance lights and I order some Stealth Square LED turn signal lights for the front fenders... Added the work lights on the back and hooked them to the transmission switch so when you shift to reverse they automatically come on but of course there is a interrupt switch on the dash plus another switch to turn them on when you don't need to move just to have them on to see around the truck if I'm dropping off our excavator and it's dark out... I like this stage of the build, I get to pimp it out
That looks great. Can't wait to see the other lights your waiting for on the truck. Kyle
I didn't pay attention to your user name until I saw the picture of the truck in front of the shop. I was born in the Soo and still get up there every now and then.
Really? That's cool as hell.... there's the owner and myself that work there, of course though I'm the brains of the operation LOL!!!! Nah I'm just a grunt that bought a project truck to help us out a bit
Hey guys been a while since I've posted anything on here so I figured I would throw something on here about my project.... Updated the exhaust yesterday and made is shiny.
Look's good ! Kyle
Good looking project! Show some finished pics with your excavator all loaded up.
Might not be the Excavator but here is one finished picture with our Case 580 Super M, painted the low boy, redecked it. Stickered the semi and I got creative with some orange pin striping that I had laying around..... I hope you guys approve LOL
She look's great love the pin striping ! Kyle
Looks like a nice truck, and all the better hearing how little $$ it took. Great job!
Looks good, We were up that way in April, went by your shop on the way into town, heading to the shelter to adopt a dog.
Oh yeah, you mentioned something about that when I posted up the Ford L9000 dump box swap.... Like I said there should have stopped in LOL
Found a hydraulic tank and fixed the wet kit that was in it when it was a Dump truck..... This is the last picture I will post since I have finally accomplished what I wanted to with this project...... Grand Total including cents is $4139.17....... A lot of receipts I had to go through LOL.... Thank you guys for all the compliments as I was working on it.... I love the fact I don't have to haul 10-12 yards anymore and I've jumped to 20-24 yards per haul.... Oh I love it LOL
Look's great ! Kyle
Nice truck! i wouldn't even have to change the lettering if i bought it! I own Molitor septic and excavation .LC here in Iowa.
That truck came a long way, looks awsome