Where to buy glider kits, engine, etc.

VisionLogistics · Jul 15, 2012

NFDDJS said: ↑

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.
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Wow! Great write-up, thanks for this.

You have me thinking about a WS now. I looked at the sleeper in one on their website and it looks much nicer than a pete. The lounge down below with the bunk up top looked real nice, and the configuration looks a lot more efficient than my W900L. The fact that WS is serviced at freightliner is a good deal since not a lot of WS dealers around from what I can see.

I'm not real hot on the idea of paying $90 per hour for some junior techs to assemble my truck- not when I could do a lot of it myself, or have my personal mechanic do it for $60 per hour and a LOT better job... unfortunately, I am guessing that the warranty dictates that the assemblers be a branded shop, such as freightliner. If I could do the assembly, and have my mech help with the engine drop, I'd seriously consider a WS glider at this point. I really want a new truck, but one with a pre-egr motor. Glider kit is the only solution to that desire.

VisionLogistics · Jul 15, 2012

NFDDJS said: ↑

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...
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It almost sounds like I'd save a bundle of cash by buying a salvage tractor just to use for the cores. I can pick up a running T2000 or something for around $6500-9000 and that'd satisfy the cores...

What's the quote on the actual WS glider if you don't mind saying?

01blackz28 · Jul 15, 2012

Have a 2013 pete glider for sale if interested. 275" wb 48" flat top.. Have a 6nz cat and 18 speed. I can have it assembled or you can take the motor and trans and have it assembled. If I were to do it I would have the cat 3yr unlimited mile warranty on the motor.

NFDDJS · Jul 15, 2012

That is the same reason I am looking at the glider. No EGR or DEF. Also just a heads up if you go with a Eaton transmission and a Eaton advantage clutch then you can buy a one year extended warranty on the clutch and until the end of the year any you get a free 36 month unlimited millage warranty on the transmission and eaton advantage clutch. My dealer told me that last week and from what I under stand it was only for glider trucks. Also if you get a glider with an Eaton transmission make sure your dealer tells them it is going into a glider because Eaton is giving $1000.00 rebate if you get the transmission and clutch form them for gliders. My dealer said he didn't know about that but I got that from the Eaton rep in my area.

Cat sdp · Jul 15, 2012

VisionLogistics said: ↑

It almost sounds like I'd save a bundle of cash by buying a salvage tractor just to use for the cores. I can pick up a running T2000 or something for around $6500-9000 and that'd satisfy the cores...

What's the quote on the actual WS glider if you don't mind saying?
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I got a quote on a 4900FA day cab with 475 cat in it. Was $96500. Ready for your trans and rears.

NFDDJS · Jul 15, 2012

Price isn't set in stone yet, but it will be around $155,000

If you are OOIDA member you can get up to $2000.00 off the truck, then everybody has there rebates from the guys you pick for your axle, transmission ext.

Keep in mind this truck is loaded. You can drop 10-15k off that price fast and still have a nice truck...

NFDDJS · Jul 15, 2012

Not sure if this is an issue you would have but we are also putting On-Spot chains on the truck for snow and ice. They work great you just needs to stay under 30mph while you have them on.

VisionLogistics · Jul 15, 2012

01blackz28 said: ↑

Have a 2013 pete glider for sale if interested. 275" wb 48" flat top.. Have a 6nz cat and 18 speed. I can have it assembled or you can take the motor and trans and have it assembled. If I were to do it I would have the cat 3yr unlimited mile warranty on the motor.
Click to expand...

Thanks but I am looking for a bigger sleeper.

NFDDJS said: ↑

That is the same reason I am looking at the glider. No EGR or DEF. Also just a heads up if you go with a Eaton transmission and a Eaton advantage clutch then you can buy a one year extended warranty on the clutch and until the end of the year any you get a free 36 month unlimited millage warranty on the transmission and eaton advantage clutch. My dealer told me that last week and from what I under stand it was only for glider trucks. Also if you get a glider with an Eaton transmission make sure your dealer tells them it is going into a glider because Eaton is giving $1000.00 rebate if you get the transmission and clutch form them for gliders. My dealer said he didn't know about that but I got that from the Eaton rep in my area.
Click to expand...

Good to know, yeah I want another eaton 13 speed- the best trans ever built IMHO.

NFDDJS said: ↑

Price isn't set in stone yet, but it will be around $155,000

If you are OOIDA member you can get up to $2000.00 off the truck, then everybody has there rebates from the guys you pick for your axle, transmission ext.

Keep in mind this truck is loaded. You can drop 10-15k off that price fast and still have a nice truck...

Click to expand...

Yup I'm OOIDA and saw that rebate, not bad! Are you getting custom paint or anything? I think I might find a local WS dealer and go test drive one. I wonder if I could find one to rent for a month and see how I like hauling with it. That'd be ideal.

NFDDJS · Jul 15, 2012

No I am going with white. Not the best looking color but when it is clean it looks good, and you take a white truck that has not been washed in 3 months and at 30 feet it looks like it is clean. I have 2 white trucks now and I will never go back to any other color. Stays looking good longer.

VisionLogistics · Jul 15, 2012

I totally agree about white paint. My other trucks are blue and have suffered from UV, but my white one seems to have held up really well. Must be due to the surface temp being lower versus the dark colors, at least in part.

White paint looks real nice with shiny bits, too.

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