Kenworth K-100 Grey Ghosts

True,
But in summer, the more air you could get in the better it was.

regardless of the out side temp.
.................Billy..................

OK here goes at attaching an image

Anyone remember the T shirsts circa '70s from the Hawthorn social club, with a picture of a "ghost", and underneath "Hawthorn overnight express". I have a photo of me wearing one in my younger days, with my kids also attired. Spent an hour looking last nigh,t but to no avail. Will keep looking and post if I come across it. Would love to have one now.

A question for those in the know- did the initial batch of ghosts come as CKD kits from the US, or were they 100% manufactured here?

Hi mate .. the original rigid 'ghosts were boxed and crated in Seattle (after testing) and imported to Australia to be re-assembled at Bell St Preston Vic....with the first ones having the earlier so-called "B" cab and spiralflow mufflers, with 4.11 rears 15 O/D RoadRanger and 8V71 apparently screwed out to give them their mythical 100 MPH (in certain situations)

Ddog ... Do you mean the first Seattle ghosts .... Or the first Aussie Ghosts ?

Just on this posts re "Ghosts", I was under the impression that the first ones were run by Schapeloff's (that spelling could be wrong), who sold out to the TNT group, Before TNT overnight, there was Hawthorn Taxi trucks? Comet came later again??

I am quite willing to be corrected.

What about Peter Canterella's rigids? They would have been in that early time frame??

Who had the slim line American 4070 Transtars used to run Syd-Brisbane on overnight? Also a couple of pretty quick jiggers in their time.

Got a feeling may be a couple of ex drivers of the above mentioned companies lurking in the wings!

Cheers, Dave 64

I was wondering about the Australian built ones, like #400008. Would I be right in thinking that the major components (cab, driveline, etc) were still imported and assembled into a truck using locally made parts such as wheels, battery boxes and that sort of thing, until production got into full swing?

I remember reading somewhere about a pair of you beaut spakies having to adapt the wiring harnesses from US optioned trucks to suit the options available here in Australia. Apparently, when they went on holidays or had a sicky, production almost ground to a halt because no-one else could figure the wiring out.

Just on this posts re "Ghosts", I was under the impression that the first ones were run by Schapeloff's (that spelling could be wrong), who sold out to the TNT group, Before TNT overnight, there was Hawthorn Taxi trucks? Comet came later again??

I am quite willing to be corrected.

What about Peter Canterella's rigids? They would have been in that early time frame??

Who had the slim line American 4070 Transtars used to run Syd-Brisbane on overnight? Also a couple of pretty quick jiggers in their time.

Got a feeling may be a couple of ex drivers of the above mentioned companies lurking in the wings!

Cheers, Dave 64

Wellllll .... it goes a little sumfin like this ....

TNT and Alltrans started in 1946 and 1950 respectively

Hawthorn started in 1952

Kwikasair came into being around 1958ish

TNT and Alltrans formed a joint venture in 1964 when Alltrans sold TNT 49% of its new division called Comet

Because of the partnership between the two they decide to merge in 1967

Walter Shapowloff from KAA decided he needs big trucks for his overnight set up and buys a few KWs in early 1968 .....

TNT cant have Wally as competition so offer to buy his rapidly expanding company in late 1968

Hawthorn, meanwhile as just chugging along with their taxi trucks and decide to expand into the O/night fast stuff

Again TNT cant have any of that sorta thing going on and buy Hawthorn in 1970.

Somewhere in amongst all that takeover stuff Mr. Wes Searle sells his O/Night stuff to TNT as well but keeps delivering newspapers on his own.

Now once all this shenanigans finished TNT was sitting on top and after a few years had to clean the cupboard out a bit so ...

Hawthorn Taxi trucks became the start of TNT Taxi trucks
Hawthorns O/Night stuff trundled on for a while and then was shuffled into Kwikasair

Comet and KAA went to war against each other for many years until both were dissolved into TNT Express in 1999

Canterella bought some of the earliest Ghosts .... the very quick ones .... from Comet I believe ... dont know much more about them though

Better leave it there ... anymore and I may as well just type my TNT book out :

I was wondering about the Australian built ones, like #400008. Would I be right in thinking that the major components (cab, driveline, etc) were still imported and assembled into a truck using locally made parts such as wheels, battery boxes and that sort of thing, until production got into full swing?

I remember reading somewhere about a pair of you beaut spakies having to adapt the wiring harnesses from US optioned trucks to suit the options available here in Australia. Apparently, when they went on holidays or had a sicky, production almost ground to a halt because no-one else could figure the wiring out.

The story goes a little bit like this Ddog....

KW were given enough bits to build the first 20 or so K100's from America and were told that they needed to find out what bits could be sourced locally .... so every part was examined and off went the parts suppliers and got to work .... meanwhile the first 20 or so were build here to give the blokes a fighting chance of understanding how they went together before the mad rush started for Aussie built KWs....

...So techincally the first 20 or so were Aus built ( with Aus 4***** ch no.s) from American made parts.

Make sense ???