Been a while since I've posted a truck video that didn't feature a drive-by. Here's a look at a diamond-in-the-rough that showed up at the local auction yard for the upcoming sale this weekend - a 1991 Peterbilt 379 standard hood daycab, single axle with 1.4 million miles, which came from California. Judging by the combination of fifth-wheel and pintle hitch, this truck probably pulled equipment trailers or was someone's camper hauler. It doesn't appear to have ever had a wetline kit installed.
My favorite part about this truck is the powerplant - Caterpillar 3406B air-to-air 425 HP (my favorite engine), and 13-speed Roadranger transmission, with Air-Trac suspension. I drove it around the auction lot and it runs and drives strong with no major concerns aside from a little blow-by. A little rough around the edges (to be expected for the age and miles), but overall a good solid truck that was just recently taken off the road. In my opinion, the late 80's-early 90's were a solid era for Peterbilt, as they made some of their best trucks in this time period with the square dash, while still retaining the older mechanical engines and simpler drivetrains. Nothing sounds better than the growl of a mechanical CAT engine, in my opinion - the only thing that even comes close is an older Mack Thermodyne or Maxidyne. Having grown up riding with my uncle who was mostly a CAT man (except for his final truck which was Cummins powered), I've grown to favor the older CAT engines.
The cab upholstery needs some TLC, and overall the truck could probably use a good servicing, but this would be a great candidate for a tractor hauler for me. Heck, it might even be cheaper to run annually than my 7.3 Powerstroke F-250. Even if I don't buy this particular truck, this is very much along the lines of what I would like to own in the future for hauling tractors around. a 359/378/379 would be ideal, or to keep things simple, a Mack R-series or Ford Louisville would do just fine.
8 окт 2023
