Silversonic: Dean Kefford’s V8 Peterbilt 379

Photography: Robbie Rose

Dean Kefford is pure trucking pedigree being a fifth generation transport operator. His three year project, a 1996 Peterbilt 379 extended hood with a Caterpillar 3408 V-8 engine named “Silversonic”, has gained him international exposure in the iconic American trucking magazine 10-4.

When Dean Kefford and one of our favourite trucking photographers Robbie Rose contacted us with a great story and pictures of “Silversonic” before issue three of ACT went to print it was hard to hold it back. The truck and Dean’s story were to run in the iconic American trucking magazine 10-4 first. We can now reveal the shots for an Australian magazine first!

If anyone ever could lay claim to the old cliché “trucking being in the blood” it would have to be Dean. What makes Dean unique is he comes from a long line of transport operators; he is in fact the fifth generation.

It started in the 1850s with his great-great-grandfather Richard Papworth Kefford who came to Australia from England and started a transport company with horse-drawn wagons.

The family through the years progressed as technology changed so used everything from the Vulcan trucks from England from the 20s to the 40s to the Bedfords, Fords, Internationals and Macks to service its needs. The company eventually wound up its trucking side of the business when Dean’s dad Douglas sold it off in 1975 before moving into buses in 1976.

Dean did his time on the tools as an apprentice and eventually became the company’s Maintenance Manager. It was no mean feat as the family business Keffords grew to Victoria’s fourth-largest bus operator and had a fleet of 328 buses and six depots. He was in charge of 65 staff to keep the fleet moving.

The family sold the business in 2009 which gave Dean the opportunity to rediscover his passion for trucks he had formed as a boy going with his dad to his grandfather’s trucking company, Alfred Kefford Carriers. Alfred was a pioneer in containerised freight in Melbourne. Dean continued the tradition and started a heavy haulage business in 2010 which closed up last year. Dean now spends most of his time buying and selling trucks, trailers and equipment.

He has many ongoing truck projects, including a full rebuild about to start on his 1985 Kenworth K125 with a factory-fitted Cat 3408.

This was the very last Kenworth K-series to be produced by Paccar Australia with a factory 3408 Cat. Dean also has the very last Kenworth K100E Aerodyne produced by Paccar Australia.

However his first restoration was in 2010 which was a Kenworth K125 he now uses to pull a gooseneck trailer on the quarter horse show circuit.

The success of this vehicle inspired him to commence a restoration project covering the whole spectrum of transport vehicles used by the five generations of Kefford’s going right back to the horse-drawn wagons of the past that now make up the family’s private trucking collection and museum. With a collection of beautifully restored vehicles including International R-190’s, Ford F500s and Vulcans, Dean’s next project would be to find a truck to move his collection around. He tells Australian Custom Trucks he first found the K100E, which he overhauled over 12 months but in that time he also found a 1996 Peterbilt 379 extended hood with a Caterpillar 3408 V-8 engine through a website in the United States called Truck Paper.

“I knew that the 379s were never built with a Cat 3408 from the factory, so I immediately sent an inquiry to the dealership in Indiana, and within 48 hours I had bought the truck and arranged the shipping to get it back to Australia,” he says.

The previous owner hauled livestock so it needed some special care to get it looking good. The truck was taken to Vulcan Motors in Riddells Creek Victoria where Frank Christie took on the restoration and customisation project. Frank says it was a standard job for him. He has been converting Peterbilts since 1994. However it was one of the first 379s and built on an older platform so now it’s basically a new truck after the massive restoration.

“It was a stripped down bare rail restoration,” Frank tells ACT. It has all new wiring, electronics and hoses and everything else that could be replaced.

It now also has new Peterbilt Low-Air rear suspension, a new high-roof cab fitted with late model doors and mirrors and the 63” sleeper was replaced with a 70” bunk.

Frank says the unique Cat 3408 engine was in good running condition, so they just cleaned and painted everything and replaced the fuel injectors, along with the pump and all of the other under-hood accessories.

However, he says because the Cat 3408 was shoved in, the engine bay had to be reconfigured when the Peterbilt was converted from left hand to right drive.

“We had to modify the engine bay for the steering conversion,” he explains.

Dean says he chose silver because it’s a classy colour and the same colour choice of the K100E. The paint work was done by Alrin Panels based in Campbellfield.

With the paint and the bulk of the hardware restored, on came the shiny stuff. A custom aluminium light bar sits in front of and behind the drive tyres, it has a smooth stainless deck plate and 8-inch Dynaflex pipes.

It also got a new 14-inch Texas-style bumper, fiberglass fenders (front and rear), a stainless drop visor, cab and sleeper extensions, a lot of LED lights, and the headlights were replaced with Peterbilt 389 lights.

The roof got five bullet cab lights, as well as four large horns, for that classic look.

All up the project took three years to complete. Australian Custom Trucks thanks Dean and Robbie and is looking forward to featuring more of the Kefford collection in upcoming issues.

Rear Vision: where are they now?

Do you know where this truck is today, or have an update on its story? We would love to hear from its owners, drivers or anyone who helped build it.