Where to buy glider kits, engine, etc.

Kenworth is only offering the T800 and T660 as gliders and if I remember right they will only wire them for engines from 04 up. They are also only offering a couple cab options.

 

they are too proud of their sh-t anyway.what about a star?

 

Western Star 4900EX or 4900SA are both nice trucks and you can get them a gliders. I am starting to get one together now. I was going to do a Pete because they do both Western star and Pete gliders but after looking them both over I am sold on the Western Star.

 

Not to change the subject, but what sold you on a star over the Pete?

 

Here is the KW release info...

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...s/181376-kenworth-glider-package-is-here.html

Do not know who is going to be building them yet.

 

I looked into the ws nice truck, the numbers add up quick on a glider. Especially if you don't have any cores to turn in. The core on the c-16 is like $7500. And the pete was worse. But it beats the emissions deal .

 

We are still putting together to the spec now. Not looking to take delivery to the end of next April so we my sales guy has free time we meet up and work on things. We should be done with the spec by the end of August. One thing I liked is that even if a freightliner deal is not a western star dealer I can still have any warranty issues take care of at a freightliner dealer. That opens how many places for service I have. The sleeper I am getting is a 68" but you can go up to a 82" sleeper. I really like the sleep set up and the quilt of what they use. I have seen there base package and I wasn't impressed up I was very impressed with how much about $4000 can get you. Much better seats, and they really set it up in the sleeper. If anybody is looking at a sleeper cab set up I recommend going with the premium sleeper.

One big reason for Western Star over Pete for me is shop hours to put them together. The dealer that I am buying mine from sells Western Star, Pete, Mack and Volvo. After many hours with them I am getting the 4900SA as a rolling glider. So when it comes in it will need the engine and transmission.

When say shop hours was a big reason why and this is what I mean. Western Star glider takes them 42-48 man hours in the shop start to finish.
So if you want to do worse case 48 hours at $90 hour is $4560.00

The Pete with the same hours is 140-155 man hours. So best case that is 140 at $90 hour is $12,600.00 if they don't have any trouble.
Next question I had is why? Why so many more hours?

So about 2 weeks ago they got a Pete glider in and had 4 Western Stars that came in the week before. So I did the 2 hour drive to go see why it the difference in time. When I got to the shop they told me that they had 2 Stars 4900s in the shop and one Pete also in the shop being put together but they wanted to show me the trucks they had just got in. Both Western Star and Pete have you tell them what Engine and transmission you are putting in them so they can prep the truck for what you are setting them up with. This was the difference that I saw. The Star was very plug and go, wiring all marked, brackets in place, all the holes pre-drilled and things all with a very clean look. When I looked at the Pete it also looked about the same till they start to point some things out. Wiring was market but not as well, some of the plugs were missing so they would have to wire them in. It looked like a big empty hole where the western star had wiring, pipes, brackets and things from the factory on it.

After looking at those trucks we walking into the shop and checked out the 3 trucks they were putting together. The Pete looked like a bomb of wiring had gone off! They had a guy tracing wires and running new wires. Walk over to the star and you could see the connectors and wiring that came for the factory all set up.

To make a long story short I feel the Western Star is the better choice for many reason but these are a couple they really stand out for me.

1) Shop hours- saves me about $8000 to put in another place, save, buy extended warranty with, you name it I am sure you can come up with a better place for $8000 then the dealer you are buying it from

2) Less hands on- Every hour spent working on these trucks putting them together we have a human error factor. All that wiring, holes being drilled you name it. Just looking at all those wiring splices and connectors worried me.

3) Sleeper- Really liked the Premium sleeper they have over the Pete's Premium sleeper and the insulation that they use.

I have some more reason but they are more my opinion then fact.

 

Cores do add up... This is how I am able to keep cost down and do not need to pay the cost of not having the cores.

Engine, I got a C-16. It doesn't need to run, just need a good block and have the turbo and be a complete motor. I am having my Cat dealer rebuild it. Only thing they are doing is using the block, other then that it is going to be all new. Cost on that was I paid $3,400 for the motor (good deal) and it is going to cost $20,000 for CAT to rebuild it.

Transmission- I am got a 18 speed eaton, Any 18 speed easton will work for a core. It just can be a mess. I got one from a salvage yard for $1800.00

Rear ends- I am putting in 46K full locking rear. You only need the rears for a core nothing else and the ratio doesn't matter for the core. Those cost me $2100

All said and done you cant get a C-16 from the factory and the dealer wanted $33,000 for a remanded C-16 and I will have about $23,400.00 tied up in it with the same warranty as the dealer was giving me. Saved around $10,000 just there.

With the rears and the transmission I was told by having them for cores they will save me between 8-10k so worse case I saved $4100.00

Only other thing you will need is a title for a truck. You can buy that also if for cheap cheap...