Voodoo Blue: Justin Dukes’ A & I-customised Kenworth T909

With a five week build time Justin Dukes is extremely happy with the quality customisation he enlisted A & I to do on his Kenworth T909.

Original ACT archive feature. Images from the ACT archive; no individual photographer is identified in the retained feature.

The lads in Lithgow, central NSW, have really got onto the customisation bug and for owner operator Justin Dukes, 38, he is definitely no exception to this rule.

He is good mates with Carl Forrest, who featured in the last issue of Australian Custom Trucks. Both mates have been instrumental in pushing each other to go that one step further in creating trucks which look spectacular.

They both went through Andrew Heathcote at A & I and speak very highly of the finished product.

Justin started out as an apprentice motor mechanic before carting coal.

He also did a bit of seasonal work and grain harvest work.

He ended up buying a couple of tippers and dog trailers. He also, for close to a decade, worked for a pyrotechnics company driving to different shows.

Over time Justin built up enough contacts to be able to run a truck of his own.

His primary job at the moment is hauling hay bales across New South Wales however he also hauls general freight when it’s a bit quiet or when there has been lots of rain.

Justin reckons it hasn’t been all plain sailing over the last 12 months though with one of his trucks burning to the ground and another, a 904, blowing up an engine.

But every story needs a silver lining and his Voodoo Blue Kenworth T909 fits the bill.

In creating the customisation it was on the top of Justin’s mind to create something that catches the eye and looks presentable.

Presentation is everything in this game and Justin wears his trucking pedigree proudly on his sleeve when it comes to presentation. He got this from his dad and remembers fondly helping his dad on the weekends washing and polishing trucks. His dad had his own trucks for years before deciding to sell up taking up a job driving with Justin’s good mate Carl.

Complementing the extensive customised chrome is the beautiful blue metallic paint colour. Justin says he was toying with the idea of a motif or some sort of graphic but admits he didn’t know at the time what he wanted to put on. He tells ACT it could be something for the future, if he gets the time.

Starting from the front the robust bullbar is made by Bar Up based in Wagga Wagga NSW. It adds a rugged toughness to the look of the T909.

The modifications start with the front lights. Stainless steel headlight backing plates with blinker cut outs were put on as well as replacing the factory speaker headlights.

The custom headlight backing channel replaced the offering from the factory. Square clear amber bottom blinkers replaced the standard amber bottom blinkers to give it even more of a custom look.

Six vertical grille bars were added to the grille and a stainless steel hinge cover was added down the bottom. A smoked bonnet bug deflector was also added.

The stainless continues with the air cleaner covers. Six inch chromed stainless air intake pipes with a stainless steel air ram style intake were also added.

Andrew Heathcote says a stainless steel panel for the air cleaner covers was created with five LEDs on a 45 degree angle. Matching this are the stainless steel mirror covers with lights on a 45 degree angle – both using six diode LEDs. Stainless elephant ears were also added.

Curved fender flares were put on the steer guards and A & I used its own one-piece custom visor creating a beastly face for the 909.

The truck cabin has five clear amber roof lights and the sleeper has an additional five.

The toolbox and battery box lids were chromed and received some special enhancements.

“Instead of having the rubber straps we chromed the lids, we put stainless steel sides on them, and we put chrome compression locks on,” Andrew explains.

Stainless steel tank strap covers were used to conceal the genuine straps and the rubbers. The tanks were also wrapped in stainless. A & I made stainless steel tank runners and added more lights.

The overhanging steps were cut back and made to sit flush with the tanks. The aluminium plates were welded to the end of the steps and then all the steps were chromed. The top steps got lights and A & I manufactured a bottom step kicker.

Four piece wing extensions were added with eight clear red lights. Andrew says the 80mm wing received cover plates to add a bit more class to the extension.

Where the dog boxes are is a step and a stainless steel panel, so there is no cut out for the step.

The drive guards are smooth stainless steel with custom centre mount brackets that mount to the bottom.

Both the front and rear deck plates have 45 degree side folds, cut, welded and polished.

A unique feature is a custom mini deck plate with a custom trailer box to suit Justin’s needs.

Andrew says from the factory it had bracket to the right which had the pogo stick and the airlines, but all the airlines and trailer plug lines all come out of the harness all as one.

“What we did there is get rid of all that and made a custom box and re-did all the cabling and lines and went to the centre of the chassis so the box went across the middle of the chassis,” he says.

“We also made it all quick release fittings so everything had plugs coming out of the box so you can disconnect your lines, so when we go to a show we can disconnect the lines and the box is just there.”

The unique feature also helps with maintenance if the lines are ripped they are not ripping them from the main feeds and only the plug in leads would need to be replaced. Six 4-inch LEDs sit in the back sleeper wall.

The original Kenworth exhaust shrouds were also replaced with a smooth and streamlined alternative which adds to the smooth lines of the truck. As Andrew says “It just looks better!”

Andrew says from the factory the Adblue tanks come with a half step rather than a full step, which looks bad. What A & I did was put a full step on then they cut a scallop out of it and welded it for a filler. The reason is to make all the steps match.

“The reason they do that from the factory, where the filler neck comes out, it misses a step,” he says.

“But what we do when we put a full step back on, we cut a scallop out of it then weld a plate back in so it follows that scallop so the filler neck comes out through it, and looks perfect.”

A & I added a stainless turntable cover and the rear is adorned with a chrome rear bar made in the US with a stainless steel tag plate at the bottom of it.

The little extras add up like the chrome LED loading lights on the mirror arms.

As a home away from home a 22-inch TV/DVD combo has been added to the sleeper and the A & I Group added an auxiliary battery in the dog box to run the drawer fridge.

They also used the room on top of the fridge to create a shelf to utilise the space.

A 12 V microwave was added as well as the essentials including two UHFs.

To finish off tinted windows, A & I special mudflaps with stainless and chrome door handle covers are the perfect accessories to this Australian custom truck.

Rear Vision: where are they now?

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