Kenworth K-100 Grey Ghosts

Thanks Cam the link ted put up wouldn't work for me but the one you posted...which is the same....worked NFI must be my tired old computer.

just worked it out and ...yeah it's fast...glad I talked the boss out of swapping the 9 speed for a 13 that would have been scary. According to that page it'll do 75.3 MPH (121 KMH) with a 9 speed and 103.2 MPH (167KMH) with the 13 speed. But I doubt that the engine could push it that fast with the wind resistance etc.

its quick mate..\
my sline is on 3.5 eatons
formula cummins @ 1900
was built 9 direct, changed to full overdrive..
i have since fitted a 13 direct...
there did used to be some quick buggies around..
Run that out to 2450 and hang on!!
chocs

I remember being at the Queensland transport terminal at Rocklea Brisbane in 1972 when I used to meet up with lad from Adelaide, who used to drive a bitsa truck, it was a Commer chassis with commer(?) 2 speed diff , a v6 GM motor and topped with a Bedford TK cab, it looked like it had 2 45 gallon drums welded together across the rear of the cab for fuel and pulled a bogie trailer, the driver whose name was Laurie said he'd seen 72 mph on the speedo lightly loaded but chickened out as the truck was wandering about the road, 3 of us went into Brisbane one night in the unit, it sounded fabulous and jesus did it go, we were behind a chrysler valiant I think, at some traffic lights when they went green the car could'nt shake off the truck and it tried, (girls waving in the back of the car)

I remember back in the early 70's I did an engine swap in a slim-line KW when I worked for them in Footscray Pulled out a tired 6V-71 and put a V903 in its' place. Never thought much about gear ratios, the old jigger went out with the 12 speed Spicer still attached and did its' first run to Sydney. The guy gets back to Footscray a few days later still white and shaking from the fast trip. reckons he rounded up anything and everything, including those petrol powered Dodges.

i bet he is thinking ,i hope he brings 2 wheels

Well i reckon the bloke out on the Nullarbor with the flat tyre, is more concerned that you brought the right wheel with you than how you spelt the blokes name who made it!!


just a thought........i am a truckie after all

The Grey Ghost cab/chassis used to come into the Footscray workshop for pre-delivery before they went out to Moorabbin (Cooks Bodies I think), to have the pans fitted. Two of the jobs we had to do on them in the PD was to diconnect deep reduction and to block out the diff-lock. All the trucks fitted with 8V-71 had over-drive gearboxes and the few that were fitted with V903 had direct gearboxes. I can't remember what the diff ratios were, but they would peak out at about 65 mph when we took them for a run up what is now called the Westgate freeway. From memory, the fastest diffs Kenworth fitted at that time were 4.11:1
This topic is really stirring up some memories.

G,day , i was told there was only one 903 ghost on trial , which was sold here in appin near campbelltown couple of years ago with a rigid crate on it .I'm also led to beleave that they had fuller rto910 boxs with rockwell 4.63 diffs ?

4.63 sounds about spot on for the diff ratios. That calculates out to about 65 mph @ 2150 rpm. I reckon you are close to the mark with the 903's. I can recall one in a rigid and also one in one of the few prime movers they had too. Still pretty certain about the 15 speed behind the GM, but now you got me thinkin about the 903 set up. I wish my brain was a bit younger. Maybe I been drinking from aluminium cans for too long.

Around 1968-9, spec sheets show Kwikasair with RTO-910 and 4.11.

But in December 1968 there was a group of 4 for Alltrans Equipment on the long wheelbase with RT0-915 and 4.63 as per Grumpy's recollections.

I remember the Grey Ghosts heading out of Sydney of an evening, on the Hume. They were quite an impressive sight even amongst the semi's that they passed.
But what I remember most is the sight and sound of them as they headed up the Putty. They came down off Moran's Rock to the hairpin on the Jake, then accelerated from there down to the approach of Colo River, back on the Jake, straddling the centre line and across the old narrow and ricketty Colo River bridge. They would power up off the bridge and accelerate across the flat and around the bend to get passed a slower truck or two that had descended to Colo a couple of minutes earlier, in readiness for a clear run to the sharpe steep climb to the top of the ridge.
I know of at least two locations along the Putty Rd. where they have gone over the edge, on both occasions they were firey wrecks, on another occasion he just did'nt make the bend and lost it in the scrub near Howes Valley.
To me they are legendary,
Jeff.