TOMMY’S 2-STICK
THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE
This month’s latest “creation” was built for Tommy Devlin of Andover, Kansas, and proves that Clint does not just build Peterbilts. This month’s featured rig is a 1978 Kenworth W900A Extended Hood with two sticks that Clint recently finished cleaning up and restoring. Its owner is a true truck nut, even though his family is not a trucking family - but Tommy’s little boy Quinn (3) is a chip off the old block - he loves trucks.
Tommy grew up watching trucking shows and movies, and in the summer he would hang out with a friend that had a truck. His family was more involved in being entrepreneurs, starting and running their own businesses, than trucking. But that did not stop Tommy. In 2000, Tommy bought a nice W900L day cab and aluminum end dump and ran local near his home. In 2003, Tommy contacted Clint and ordered a new 2-tone green Peterbilt with a sleeper, which he used for two years, hauling grain locally.
When the freight rates began to fall, Tommy decided it was time to get out - but he wasn’t done with trucks. He ordered another Peterbilt through Clint, but while it was being built, Pete announced the release of the limited edition Legacy and Tommy decided that he wanted one of those instead. When Tommy’s other truck came in, Clint featured it in the magazine and mentioned that it was for sale. Clint was able to sell that truck and give it a new home with another happy owner. In the meantime, Tommy’s Legacy has been in Clint’s shop for quite some time, to which Clint says he hopes to have it done by March. And this brings us to the Kenworth.
Tommy told Clint that he always wanted an old A-Model and that if he ever found one or heard of one to let him know. Clint remembered that a friend had told him about an old KW with a V-8 Cat he had found out in California. Tommy called the guy and bought the truck, which was originally owned by Parke Cox Trucking in Utah. Supposedly, back in the day, the truck was used to run between Utah and California, but it had sat in Russell Edwards’ yard in Anaheim, CA since shortly after he bought it in the late 1980’s.
The 1978 KW has a 60-inch flattop sleeper, a 3408 Cat with a retarder, 6+4 two-stick trans, VIT interior, 8-bag air-ride, power steering and A/C. The truck’s odometer shows 730,000 miles, but who knows if that is correct. Once Tommy got the truck to Clint, he went right to work. The truck was stripped, sandblasted and repainted, after all of the “extra” holes in the frame were welded up. Almost four gallons of paint were used on the frame alone! When they put it back together, they added a new bumper, custom stacks, Hogebuilt quarter fenders, a new rear light bar, white flaps, and Alcoa aluminum wheels with new Bridgestone tires.
Tommy, his wife Holly and their two kids (Quinn and Payton) plan to use the truck on the family farm pulling a hopper, a step-deck, and maybe a bull rack on special occasions. Tommy now has the old KW that he always wanted – and he has Clint Moore to thank for it.