Model Mania — Peter White’s Custom Kenny

Peter White explains the kit-bashing behind his custom Kenworth T900 model, photographed by Kim Ashton.

Words by Peter White. Photography by Kim Ashton.

It came out of the 1/25 scale Revell Kenworth T900 ‘Australia’ kit.

But when parked next to an almost straight from the box, but day-cabbed, build of the kit, there are a few noticeable differences as you can see from the picture above.

This can be put down entirely to what the Kenworth’s builder, Peter White of Truck Model World fame, called “an exercise in kit-bashing”.

The chassis, engine and cab from the Revell kit were built but the high rise sleeper came from the AMT Kenworth T600A kit as it went more towards the look Peter was after than the effect the Revell flat roof sleeper gave him. The T600A sleeper was generally an easy swap-over but the ‘walk-through’ to the cab needed some work to achieve a good fit.

Chromed long range fuel tanks from the spare parts box were fitted under the sleeper on both sides of the Kenworth so the cab step battery boxes could be retained. New rubber tyres on Trilex style wheels were fitted on all three axles and ribbed aluminium mudguards were fitted over the drive wheels. A combination rear bumper and light bar fitted with a full width array of Kenworth mudflaps, all of which came from the spare parts box, was added across the back of the truck.

The front grille was detailed using a photo etched mesh insert from Czech Model Trucks while a chrome bug deflector from the spares box was fitted at the front of the bonnet. The side flashes on the bonnet were cut from self-adhesive chrome tape and detailed with Kenworth decals. The air cleaner intake stacks were extended using aluminium tube while the kit air cleaner barrels were fitted with chrome deflectors and marker lights.

The bullbar was kit-bashed from the Italeri Western Star ‘Australia Truck’ and despite the scale difference it was an easy fit. The bullbar was enhanced with a set of driving lights, turn indicators, marker lights and Road Train signs. An air conditioner was mounted to the cab roof and combination CB, UHF and mobile phone aerials were fitted to the mirror arms.

The big bore exhausts stacks were scratch built from Evergreen tube and spray finished in chrome paint.

“In hindsight,” Peter White wrote, “they might have been a bit taller. Maybe.”

Behind the sleeper, air and electrical trailer lines were added via an all-chrome fittings connection panel and a short chrome rack to hang them from when not in use.

The truck was spray painted in Citroen Wicked Red from an auto parts shop’s rattle can range. Pin striping and emblems came from Kit Form Services as did the fictitious operator decals which were leftovers from a KFS set.

The inspiration and ideas for the model came from various articles and pictures in Australian Custom Trucks magazine. Where else!

Rear Vision: where are they now?

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