GOING GREEN

THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE

This month’s “creation” was built for Kelly Ast of Nevada, Missouri.  Nowadays, “Going Green” and being “clean” is all the rage, but in Kelly’s case, we are talking about his slick new old-school Peterbilt, not environmentalism.  Kelly knows how to keep a truck clean and has always ran nice equipment, so Clint was very pleased that this “green machine” found a good home.

Growing up on the farm with ten siblings, that’s right, ten brothers and sisters, Kelly says he had a fun childhood.  All of the kids’ names start with the letter “K” - Kivins (46), Krista, Kora, Kurt, Kelly (40), Kendall, Kyle, Kerry, Kim, Kaila and Klemens (22).  When mom got mad and started to yell, she would stutter her K’s and the kids would laugh - but then everyone would run!  Kelly’s dad Leroy does custom combining and has farmed since he was 18 years old.  Leroy, who is now 73 and still going strong, also grew up in a big family (he had 15 siblings).  When the family gets together for Christmas, they have to rent out the local banquet hall!

Kelly got hooked on trucks at an early age.  He used to go with his dad to St. Louis in an old IHC when he was little, back when his dad hauled wheat.  Kelly’s dad always had combines and trucks.  Kelly started running a combine when he was 10, and worked with the family as he grew up.  After graduating high school in 1988, Kelly bought his first truck - a 1976 IHC cabover - the following year and began hauling grain.  Since then, Kelly has bought, sold and traded 24 trucks.  He said, “I get ‘em, fix ‘em up, and keep ‘em clean, but if somebody wants something bad enough, everything is for sale.”

Before adding the new Pete pictured here to his fleet, Kelly had five trucks including a Pete 359, a 2007 Legacy with a 48” flat top, a 2008 389 glider kit with a 6NZ, a 2004 Pete 379 HR and a neat 2007 Peterbilt 379 flat top flamed in blue.  Kelly runs the Midwest, hauling livestock and agricultural products in hoppers and hog pots.  Clint knew of Kelly and the two had talked before, but every time Kelly decided to buy one of Clint’s trucks, it would sell before he had the chance to buy it.  So, finally, Kelly just went up to the dealership to see what Clint was getting ready to order and to look over the specs.

Looking to build something that was truly old school, Clint was ordering a two-tone green 389 with a 36” flat top and the air horns on top.  Kelly liked what he saw and made a deal with Clint.  The 2011 Peterbilt 389 features a 550 Cat, an 18-speed transmission, a car-hauler front axle on air, polished tanks, painted breathers with Vortox lids, basket guards on the stacks, a 264” wheelbase, Low Leaf suspension, and full locking differentials.  When the truck came in, Clint and the guys installed a drop visor, a dump valve for the front air-ride, double round headlights, and a narrow front bumper.  After Kelly took it home, he added half fenders and some lettering.

Kelly and his wife Michelle have three kids, Jayden (9), Kasen (4) and Kanton (2).  Kelly’s younger brother Kyle trucks, but nobody else in the family does.  When ordering the truck, Clint asked Kelly if he wanted to change the colors.  Kelly answered, “Let’s stick with the green.  In our house, green means go.”  And to that, Clint replied, “Well alright then - let’s go green!”

~ If you would like Clint Moore to order and/or build you a new custom truck, contact him at Kansas City Peterbilt via e-mail at clintmoore@kcpete.com or call him at (913) 484-7768.  You can also visit his website at www.custombilt4.com and check out pictures of other custom trucks he has built.