Old Kwikasair SARs

I always wondered why TNT and Kwikasair etc predominantly specced Detroit's back in the day while Cummins never seemed to get much of a look in. Was this to have one engine make only in the workshops and Detroit was what they settled on?

Werkhorse,
Great to see the photo of the 351 Pete, 1VA324 OR DY324.
Looks like a sister ship from the Alltrans tipper collection, colour doesn't mean much, could have been resprayed at some stage?
The dual headlights threw me at first, could have always been an addition off a later model?
From memory, I can only remember the one Pete of this era coming out like that, and that was Canningtons Caterpillar powered jigger, which going by a few photos posted over the years, was sprayed in Caterpillar Yellow, had the white waist band and just may have been pinstriped with either red or brown between the base colour and the white band.
Of course this is all subject to memory, around fifty odd years ago, and as we all know, memory is sometimes an elusive commodity!
Either way, great to see her again. Hope the new owner may at some stage restore her to her original glory!
Cheers, Dave

Standen wrote: I always wondered why TNT and Kwikasair etc predominantly specced Detroit's back in the day while Cummins never seemed to get much of a look in. Was this to have one engine make only in the workshops and Detroit was what they settled on?

Good Question..... deserves a good answer...…...unfortunately, I only have a guess
Peterbilts mostly came in with Cummins, ……………..KWs mostly with GM. ( In the early stages) no idea why that was the case. ………..
Maybe that was why TNT ...Ansett etc went with the GM......
Maybe...Maybe...……….
But one thing you have to admit is that in a fleet situation like the overnite express ,because of the flogging , the GM will out last the Cummins ……...
Over rev the Cummins down hill and you have a seized governor plunger in the fuel pump every time...………..
The GM will lap it up and ask for more...…………….
So for the job required, with the gear available.at the time, the old GM would have been my choice as well . …………
Also standardising on one brand does make the parts situation a bit easier …………….
…………………….Billy...…………………...

Dave_64 wrote: Werkhorse,
Great to see the photo of the 351 Pete, 1VA324 OR DY324.
Looks like a sister ship from the Alltrans tipper collection, colour doesn't mean much, could have been resprayed at some stage?
The dual headlights threw me at first, could have always been an addition off a later model?
From memory, I can only remember the one Pete of this era coming out like that, and that was Canningtons Caterpillar powered jigger, which going by a few photos posted over the years, was sprayed in Caterpillar Yellow, had the white waist band and just may have been pinstriped with either red or brown between the base colour and the white band.
Of course this is all subject to memory, around fifty odd years ago, and as we all know, memory is sometimes an elusive commodity!
Either way, great to see her again. Hope the new owner may at some stage restore her to her original glory!
Cheers, Dave

Your old Pete was parked only 20' away from 324 Dave

Well ... I don't post as much in here anymore... But look everyday.
I had reason tonight to look this old thread of mine up.
I still can't believe that this one post absolutely... And I mean ABSOLUTELY!!! ... changed my life.
I ended up printing and releasing the book back in 2018 ... 700 copies in total with printing moving to Canada from then on.
From there I've also sorta become a bit of a KW guru ... More formally known as a Rivet Counter   ... Also written a heap of other history stuff for VT&C magazine .. ghost written a book on Hammond Palmer ... Plus done a heap of research for other transport writers.
​​​​I've also got a few other projects in the pipeline, such as a history of Transport in Tasmania and a book on the transport licencing system here.
Who'd have thought that by posting my original question, that I'd end up where I am today  .

Anyway ... Enough of me reminiscing ... Have a good one guys n gals 

Thanks for your work, Werk. A fountain of KW knowledge.

Have you ever corresponded with Dick Callaway in Tryon NC USA??? He has written a lot of articles for the ATHS Wheels of Time and a book on trucking in North Carolina.. He is also on the board of directors for the North Carolina Transportation Museum.

No ... I mainly stick to Aus stuff ... But have been doing a lot of NZ stuff lately too