10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

GOT WHEELBASE?
THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE

Richie Acosta and I built this beauty last year, and boy it was fun. Many of you might already know Richie, but for those of you that don’t, here is a quick overview. Richie is from New Jersey and has been nuts about trucks since his brother Raul started a trucking company when Richie was five years old. He always tried to help with the trucks, and then in 1991 he got his first one – a Volvo straight truck (we all have to start somewhere). Next, he got an R-Model Mack tractor. Then he moved on to a 1993 KW W900L Aerodyne. He did quite a bit of custom work to it, including a stainless deck and a stainless-wrapped frame. Shortly after, he sold that one to buy a 300” wheelbase 1994 KW W900L (he had the frame wrapped on it as well). Then, in 1999, Richie decided to order another W900L KW – with a factory 320” wheelbase and a 60” modular sleeper (which was unheard of in his neck of the woods back East). He named this monster rig “Size Does Matter” and took it to many shows. That’s where it gets to me.

Richie contacted me to help him build his next truck, named “Project 350”. It took a lot of convincing at Peterbilt to let us build this truck with a 350” wheelbase on only a double frame (no triple – he still has to haul something). Peterbilt didn’t think Richie would leave the 36” sleeper on it, assuming that he was going to get a big bunk later. But they all know now – Richie is just crazy. Originally, we had it spec’d with a 550 Cat and 10x4 two-stick, but when we found out we could get the 625 horsepower Cat, we changed it to an 18-speed with a 4-speed auxiliary. After thinking about it for a bit, we both decided that was just a little overkill so we went for a single 18-speed instead. When it finally arrived, nearly a year later, we immediately began tearing it apart. After almost three months, it was finished. Just a few days later, the truck made its debut at the 2005 show in Louisville, KY.

In addition to the long wheelbase and powerful engine, this 2005 Pete 379 Extended Hood features a high-performance rear-end, a car hauler front axle, low air-leaf suspension, Michelin low-pro rubber and a 20” Valley Chrome bumper with a recessed license plate. The stainless grill and air cleaner screens were made by Roadworks and the grill trim, from a 379X, was powder-coated black to match the truck. We switched the headlights to 359 double-rounds (originals, not replicas) mounted on Double J brackets and removed all of the emblems. The factory air cleaners were replaced with powder-coated black Vortox cleaners with chopped screens and black brackets. The cab and sleeper panels were fabricated by Brunners and contain cosmetic rows of huck bolts to create the illusion that the cab and sleeper have been dropped. The cab doors were re-skinned without door handles, incorporating a remote pop-lock system. The passenger door’s “peep window” and top door mirror were removed and the driver side sleeper door was re-skinned without a latch and vent, operating with the same pop-lock system. The exhaust is an 8” Dynaflex three piece system with Pickett elbows. The 120-gallon fuel tanks are painted black and have covers over the strap bolts. The visor is custom made and painted gloss back on both sides. The inframe deck plate (which is also painted black on both sides) is 16 feet long and lies flush with the frame rails. WTI fenders mounted on custom brackets finish off the rear of this rig.

Inside this totally-custom truck, Richie rides in style on Bostrom Wide Ride low back seats, which sit on aluminum floor panels, supplied by Brunners, which are powder-coated black. All of the dash panels and interior accents are painted gloss black. The shifter is chopped and sleeved and features a custom black knob from Whelan Brothers. An Alpine head unit and Galaxy CB are enclosed in a custom-fabricated box between the seats. The rest of the powerful sound system consists of Alphasonik components which were installed by Mike from Loud and Fast. A Power Acoustic DVD system is located on the top front cab panel and operates through the sound system. To be honest, these are just SOME of the things that Richie and I did to this truck. There are just too many things to mention them all.

Since Louisville, Richie has been running in the Northeast, hauling LTL freight in a stainless reefer that matches the tractor. Most weeks he has around 20 drops, and these places are tight – even for a normal truck. But Richie likes the challenge. People out there love seeing a rig like this actually working. Whether it’s clean or dirty, this truck is definitely an attention-getter. Other “projects” that Richie is working on include two trucking websites – www.eastcoastlargecars.com and his newly started www.westcoastlargecars.com. These sites are packed with information and photos from across the country.

Although Richie is covered with tattoos and has a “bad boy” image, he’s really a down-to-earth, nice guy. The side of Richie that most people don’t see is the love that he has for his family – his mom and dad, his brother and sister, his wife Nieves and their two-year-old twin girls, Alexandra and Arianna. “They are out of control,” he says about his twins (I wonder where that comes from). I know that we all will be hearing a lot more about Richie in the future – he’s just that kind of guy. So stay tuned, and look for this rig at the truck shows or running back East. It will certainly spin your head (and blow your mind) when you see it! To view a complete collection of photos of this truck and to see the project from start to finish, visit www.gotwheelbase.com, a small site dedicated to this large work of art.