White Road Boss

My nephew called me the other day and asked me about Road Bosses and I couldn't give any answers with any real degree of certainty

So some of the questions were

Did they ever come as a tri drive ? Not to my knowledge
Did the ever come with V12 GM's ?
I doubt it
And were double rail chassis available ?
I would expect so

Is there any experts on here that can answer these questions

I think there was only a couple of Kenworth cab overs sold new from the factory with a 12 V 71 and maybe a Atkinson, they weren't common in Australia in trucks and even in Yanky land I dont think they were very commonplace on the highways despite the urban myths of today

As far as I know the Road Boss cabs suffered badly with rust but I am open to correction on all of this

Thanks in advance for any inputs

Paul

And thinking about this a little more, I feel the 92 series GM would of been available by the time Road Boss was released so the demand for a 12 V 71 wouldn't of been there even if it was a option

As I was typing this it did occur to me that those big KW heavy haulage jobs had V12 from new, maybe but not many highway going trucks did that I know of

Paul

I remember as a kid coming home from Homebush sale yards over the Blue Mountain's with a empty stock crate on dad's petrol Commer and Paddy Ward from Orange passing us with his V12, W model loaded with fuel, pretty impressive but maybe not by today's standard. Paddy Ward still has the truck and you see it around at shows, the fuel use would be hard to take these day's.

From the best of my memory, when the Road Boss was released back in 1977 they were advertised offering over 20 engine options. Not all of those options were listed in any advertising I saw, but they included Rolls Royce Eagles (I also remember seeing a few around with Rolls engines) as well as early Cats. Cummins NTC's and 8v71T's seemed to be common from what I saw although the 92 series was also available on their release. I also have a thought that the higher power detroit such as the 430hp 8v92T came out in 1979 when the six spoke wheels also became available, I'm not sure if a bigger radiator became available at that time allowing the higher hp engine, because I don't think either the Cummins KT450's or the 3408 Cat's were ever available and I doubt the 12v-71 was either. So that's about it from me, an old White fan with a fading memory trying to recollect what I saw and remembered.

That was about what my line of thought was as well

But to be honest I have idea

I would of thought a Big Cam Cummins was probably the most popular motor followed by the GM and then the Cat 3406

For some reason I imagined the 6V92 or 8V92 would of been the most popular GM

These are just thoughts and not backed up by any facts or figures
The 71 series was getting towardsthe end of it's life for highway use in new trucks

In my brain anyway

Thanks for the information

Paul

No proof only hear say
Was at Geelong show a few years a go bloke comes up starts talking about working at Whites at Coopers Plains years ago
Conversation turns to Road Boss superseding the 9000
The mentions that there was from his memory 2 V12GM Road Boss's made and sent off to the mines but where not registered or any thing
So don't shoot the messenger but there was specified to order stuff built years ( The big block Gt Falcon for the Australian Ford Manager)

I had one a Long time ago.. was A GREAT Truck...rust got it in the End..



8V71 /15spd OD DS380's on a 4 Spring..