Black Betty: Barry Elms’ Peterbilt 389 dream machine

Barry Elms took the plunge and bought his dream machine, a 2014 Peterbilt 389. Chris Smith spent some time talking to Barry about his time in transport and his new truck Black Betty.

Words by Chris Smith. Photography by Avit Chauhan – Toast Graphics.

Sometimes in life you just got to take the plunge and do something you want. The critics call it all sorts of things like a mid-life crisis and other derogatory terms.

I prefer the term following your dream. And following his dream is exactly what Barry Elms, 62, of Lithgow, New South Wales did when he purchased his 2014 Peterbilt 389 “Black Betty”.

If the headline didn’t get the song going in your head. You should put it one when your reading this to set the mood.

It’s true Australia makes some of the world’s best trucks and the Australian market is saturated with all sorts of truck makes and models. It was always a great testing ground because of the huge distances, extreme heat and rugged conditions.

Having a passion for the industry companies are increasingly looking for something special and not just a workhorse. That is why the dominant brands release all sorts of limited edition vehicles which excite the passionate trucking community and create a buzz as well as nearly every truck going from a factory to a customiser.

However, for some, the local offering is just not enough. People love Peterbilts and increasingly people are opting to drive out the rest of their trucking days in a Pete or at least having one as the flagship of the fleet.

They are a truly a dream machine.

Barry Elms has had a long and distinguished career in transport and so Black Betty is a just reward.

He can rattle off every truck he drove and who he drove it for.

“The first truck I drove was in 1976 for Mick Collins in an International, I then went from there into a Volvo FH 6 and later a Road Boss,” he explains just a few to Australian Custom Trucks.

He temporarily took a hiatus from driving trucks and decided to work in the coal mines.

In fact, it was a 11-year break from driving, but not a complete escape from the industry.

“While I worked in the coal mines I had the truck as a side line with a driver in it shuttling coal from the mine to the power station,” Barry recalls his time as a miner.

“I had an Atkinson but the driver got crook so I left the coal mines and started driving the truck myself.”

He was able to expand the business and bought a 1994 Western Star with a tri-axle tipper trailer to increase his workload.

He formed a working partnership with his good mate Carl Forrest and instead of subbing for others they worked well together to secure their own haulage contracts.

Barry’s business expanded once again with a purchase of a 2005 Kenworth 904, which is still in the fleet, and things were moving from strength to strength.

Barry and Carl secured the Coalpac contract, more work meant a larger fleet and it expanded to nine.

However, the economy and mining industry, especially coal, has suffered incredibly in the last few years.

So much so that the Angus Place mine, the contract Black Betty was ordered to work on, closed and the timing was like a Shakespearean tragedy.

“It was the same day they delivered the truck they announced the mine was shutting down,” Barry explains.

Being seasoned veterans, Barry and partner Carl are doing everything they can to keep the wheels turning.

“With the mines closed now we just have to get out and do whatever we can. So instead of just carting coal we are carting anything and everything,” he says.

Black Betty is out earning its keep in the west carting grain for Transforce and arguably it’s one of the most unique and best looking trucks out there doing it.

I have heard many stories of PACCAR’s reluctance to bring in Peterbilts and about lengthy court cases years ago.

However today there are a few that can and do bring in the brand and convert it over from left hand driver to right hand drive. Barry went through American Truck Works based in Wingfield, in Adelaide South Australia.

Barry gave American Truck Works a simple brief explains Clayton Tilbrook, the Peterbilt Conversion Manager.

“The design brief was pretty simple, make it a custom truck without altering the practicality of the vehicle,” he explains.

Above the standard cost of the truck Barry says he spent just under $80k in extras including the conversion from RHD to LHD. It’s probably good to note here the engine is a Cummins ISX15, which is a step above the emission standards required in Australia. It delivers 600HP (447 kW) and 2050 lb-ft (2779 Nm) of peak torque with SmartTorque ratings that add 200 lb-ft of extra torque in the top two gears so it can make it up steep grades with fewer downshifts. It also has On-Board Diagnostics and is meant to be better on fuel economy as well. It uses AdBlue. The original AdBlue tank been replaced by a stainless tank to match the diesel tanks. The diesel particulate filter *DPF) also received a stainless wrap proving just because it’s good for the environment doesn’t mean it needs to be ugly.

The diesel and AdBlue tanks have also been colour coded to match the cab and sleeper.

Barry gave strict instructions in custom fitting a custom gearstick and knob.

American Truck Works also manufactured and painted a custom wooden floor as well as custom painted dash panels fitted with a Rockwood dress up kit. Barry says the dash is adorned with Peterbilt emblems.

Custom exhaust shrouds with "Black Betty" were laser cut and they are backlit red for a tuff look at night.

Hogebuilt one-piece stainless guards replaced the originals. Black Betty also received custom made deck plates with red and black pin striping.

She also received the “Deluxe Bling” package with wing lights, and tank skirts.

The stacks are fat Monster 8" exhaust stacks.

Walk plates were fitted to rear tanks for access to the trailer hook up point and a custom made trailer hook up point was placed at the rear of cab.

The paint work was done in black with clear coat with the Peterbilt emblems in the fore.

Setting off Black Betty is a Chris Barron Peterbilt custom made bullbar with a Light Force spotlight package.

Clayton said It was a great build as everything was kept mostly original with a bit of a tickle up.

“Barry was stoked with the outcome and Jamie the driver can't keep the smile off his face,” he tells Australian Custom Trucks.

ACT asked Barry how his dream machine drives and he confessed. He doesn’t drive much these days but he is happy to go out when there is a truck and no driver.

“It is driven by Jamie Muir, and he says it drives really well,” says Barry.

“You would not believe me when I say I haven’t driven it yet!”

Rear Vision: where are they now?

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