May 2010 - Performance Zone
A “FREE” NEW TRUCK?
By Performance Specialist Bruce C. Mallinson
Have you ever seen or heard of an opportunity to get a brand new 2010 Peterbilt for FREE? I know you haven’t, but if you look at the big picture, you will see how buying a new, efficient glider won’t cost you a thing. So, how do you get a brand new Peterbilt, equipped with an engine built by Sid Compton and the techs at Pittsburgh Power, for free? To answer that, you first have to really look at what it costs to not only own your truck, but also to operate it.
Consider your overall cost per mile figure. For example, if you are driving a truck that is getting 5 mpg and you drive 125,000 miles per year, you are spending $75,000 a year on diesel fuel at $3.00 per gallon. Now, if your truck gets 6 mpg you are spending $62,500 per year on fuel. That kind of money can easily help to offset the cost of buying a new 2010 glider equipped with one of the most powerful and fuel efficient engines on the road.
The Peterbilt 389 you see in the photo, which was in our booth at the Louisville truck show, was built with one of our Signature 6NZ Caterpillar engines. This Cat is set at 600 hp and, with the Pittsburgh Power Computer installed, is capable of producing 810 hp. Getting 8 mpg, this Pete will only consume $46,875 in fuel when running 125,000 miles a year. The annual savings you will see (versus a truck getting 5 mpg) is $28,125! If the truck’s payment is $2,200 per month and your fuel savings per month are $2,344, you just made your truck payment and put an extra $144 in your pocket – and you’ll get that each month! Now, if you’re a really sharp driver and can control your speed, this Pete is capable of getting 9 mpg, which would give you a yearly fuel bill of only $41,667. Don’t have the cash up front? That’s not a problem. Banks are starting to realize the smart business decision of buying a turnkey glider truck, and many will now finance you.
So, with a truck payment of $2,200 per month and a fuel savings of $2,778 per month (getting 9 mpg instead 5 mpg), after making your truck payment, you will still have $578 extra each month. Now, I do realize that it will be hard to hold yourself back to 60 or 62 mph with such a free-running and good looking truck, but if you can do it, you will reap huge rewards (savings). With that said, you may want to figure out your savings on the speed you drive. Remember, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. So sit back in the seat, relax, and just cruise easy. Then, about 1/4 mile before a grade begins, give her hell and crank up the mountain! We all know from listening to Kevin Rutherford on XM Radio that we can save fuel by driving slower. If you can leave one hour earlier on a trip, you can drive 5 mph slower, which allows you to relax and still get there sooner.
How have we built this 389 to get 8+ miles per gallon? First of all, it has a Pittsburgh Power Signature Series 2002 6NZ Cat engine. Like all our Signature Series engines, this engine was soaked in a hot tank, magnafluxed, and then line bored, squared and resurfaced. It is important to square an engine block during the machining process. Once a “seasoned” block has been corrected, it will never warp, twist or bow again. Then, the crankshaft was straightened and polished, the Genuine Caterpillar pistons were ceramic and Teflon coated, and then both the pistons and connecting rods were carefully balanced. Other modifications included setting the liner protrusion at .006 (to avoid head gasket failures) and installing a Cat Reman head with new bolts. We also added a ported and Jet Hot coated exhaust manifold, a performance turbo and ECM, and a Pittsburgh Power Performance Computer. A new crankshaft damper and mercury-filled engine balancer were also installed, along with a Fuel Air Separation System (FASS) and an OPS-1 Eco-Pur oil bypass filter.
Once the engine was built, we went to work on the drivetrain. The transmission in this Peterbilt is a double over 18-speed, hooked to 2:64 rear gears. In most cases, we recommend this combination for the best efficiency. The clutch is a 2,250 ft/lbs. rated Lipe that will hold 2,800 ft/lbs. of torque, so even at 810 hp, you will not slip this clutch. To allow the engine to breathe, we have installed the new Shorty Sport straight through performance muffler under the cab, and vented the exhaust through dual 7” stacks. The tires on this 389 are Michelin’s newest and lowest rolling resistance “Super Single” tires – the XDA Energy. The wheelbase is 273” and the bunk is a 63” flat top. The rear fenders were custom-made by WTI, while the front bumper, rear bumper, visor, and extra lights are all from Valley Chrome Plating.
If you become the proud owner of this Peterbilt 389, or any of our Signature Series trucks, you will look cool, have unlimited power under your right foot, never have EGR or DPF problems, and, if you’re a smooth driver, get 8 to 9 mpg. Our glider trucks may seem expensive up front, but if you look at the big picture, our trucks are not nearly as expensive as driving an inefficient truck. If you’d like more information about this truck or have other performance-related questions, call me at Pittsburgh Power Inc. in Saxonburg, PA at (724) 360-4080 or send me an e-mail to bruce@pittsburghpower.com.