Destined to Be Cool: Steve Martignago’s Kenworth T909

Words by Ian Lee. Photography by Ian Lee and Steve Martignago.

Destiny. It is the shining light in the distance that calls to you. Some people are destined to become doctors some are destined to become lawyers, and some are destined to row through the gears, blow the doors off company trucks on hills and endure RSI from constantly polishing stainless.

Steve Martignago definitely falls into the last category. Born into a family with a strong trucking pedigree, Steve was always destined to end up behind the wheel of a big rig.

Based in the western outskirts of Sydney, Steve and his family (both immediate and extended) are all experienced transport operators.

From slinging oversize excavator tyres at the docks to running portable housing across the Nullarbor, the Martignago outfit has the truck and driver for the job.

One notable factor is that although being hard working, this does not mean the trucks look like they have been worked hard. The newest truck to the fleet, Steve’s Kenworth T909, shows you can have a truck that can haul a load during the week and pick up trophies on the weekend.

Having spent a lifetime surrounded by heavy haulage equipment Steve had a good idea of what he wanted when it came time to order a new truck.

However, the whole process took over a year from start to finish, and time at three different workshops to produce the truck you see on these pages. This is due to Steve knowing what he wanted, and was willing to wait to get it.

Once the big rig rolled off the Kenworth factory floor, it hauled ass straight to Klos Custom trucks at Bacchus Marsh. Klos are well known for their customising skills, and no expense was spared on the first part of the build.

Exhaust stacks, custom bonnet grille and wrapped fuel tanks make up the bright work on this build, enough to be noticed but not too much so that it is over the top.

While the truck was stripped of its shiny bits, Klos took advantage of the fact the factory paintjob was lacking a certain something, and brought the paint to life using their extensive experience.

In a move which definitely sets this rig apart from other T909 trucks, the bonnet side vents were removed, the holes being filled in and painted over.

From the tip of the headlight covers to the rear light bar and tow hitch setup, there aren’t many visual components Klos hasn’t laid a spanner on during the first part of the build.

The cabin lighting is a custom fit arrangement, with many modifications going on in the electrical system. On the roof sit American style beacons, forward of these sit LED torpedo style units in place of the factory cab markers. There is rear facing work lamps aplenty, with a set mounted in the rear sleeper skin to complement the set mounted to the modified mirror arms. At chassis level, Klos fitted the rear guards and mounted the Icepack unit. To go with the traditional theme Steve was aiming for he supplied Klos with a set of W model side steps, with bracketry to suit.

Most people at this point would be happy enough to let the truck loose on the road. However, Steve Martignago isn’t most people. He had plans, plans which involved more work. A whole lot more work. The truck found its new home at LA Truck Works, situated in Southwest Sydney. A small operation, LA Truck Works is known for carrying out large in-depth work on its customers’ trucks. With the outfit being a stickler for neatness in a build, LA Trucks aims for a factory finish. This, for example, can be shown in the fact OEM bracketry is used to mount any additional airlines or harnesses that are fitted.

Once the truck was safely in the shop LA got to work fitting additional belly bars, driveshaft covers and chassis plates, the latter two were made from scratch.

The quality and thought put into the work carried out is best exemplified by the custom air connection fitted to the back of the cab. Built from scratch, with Steve’s approval, there is no chance of you pulling up in a truck stop and seeing another one similar.

To keep up the ‘traditional’ theme, the cab and toolbox door skins have been swapped out. This is so the truck can be fitted with the earlier fully metal door handles, as opposed to the plastic chrome type the T909 left the factory with. Whilst the truck was parked up at LA Truck Works, Steve removed the Isri 6860 seats and took them to be re-trimmed in vinyl.

One area that was looking for improvement is that of cab cooling. Working a variety of hours the truck needed to be comfortable enough to sleep in, no matter what the temperature outside.

In order to facilitate this, a cab sleeper aircon system was devised, utilizing the Klos mounted Icepack unit. After plumbing the Icepack into the trucks fuel lines, the interior sleeper trim was removed in order to measure up what was required for ducting. A lack of OEM sleeper vent options meant a set of LA custom vents were fabricated to fulfill the task of keeping the cabin cool. During this time the factory condenser was relocated, using custom bracketry.

In order to finish the air conditioning fitment, the truck again had a change of scenery. This time it ended up at Enzo’s Auto Electrical at Eastern Creek. With rags covering the truck’s bright work, the boys at Enzo’s hooked in. Into the T909 went a TV, microwave, premium sound system and completion of the air conditioning arrangement. Finally, due to the fact that Steve isn’t known to work a 9am to 5pm day, a full HID headlight system has been fitted to aid visibility at night.

A trip back to LA truck works, and the truck was ready for the final touches before being unleashed on the road. Factory transmission mounts were bolted to the chassis, and a 4 speed joey box fitted. All plumbing and wiring was done in-house at LA Truck Works, with an additional gauge being fitted in order to keep an eye on the temp of the auxiliary transmission.

Final aesthetic touches include the replacement of the factory fitted square bonnet indicators with a pair to match the cab marker lamps. A little extra stainless was added as well in the form of toolbox door wearplates and steer wheel arch flares. A rosewood gear tower adds a touch of classy to the cab. Finally, an electronic weight gauge has been fitted to the cab, to make sure Steve has no trouble with any of the many weighbridges he encounters in his travels.

As you can see, it’s been no small journey for this T909 to obtain the look it has today. Although it hasn’t spent the whole time on the road since leaving the factory, the odometer may read lower than expected but the labour this truck has been involved in could be counted in man hours. It’s the amount of thought, knowing the right people for the job, and a desire to just own a damn nice truck, that has gotten this custom Kenworth on these pages. Following your destiny can pay off sometimes, and this rolling work of art is definitely a mighty fine example. No you’re not seeing double. The co star in today’s photo shoot is from the latest range of Kenworth Licensed models from Drake Trailers Australia. Based on current heavy haulage operators operating in Australia, the latest offering is based on the custom T909 from the P & S Haul’em fleet. Scaled at 1:50, the amount of detail put into these models is quite amazing, with a lot of the components from a full size T909 being included in the model.

Sitting at 175mm long, the prime mover and float combination make for an impressive desk display for any heavy transport operator’s office. You can pivot the bullbar and throw over the bonnet to check out the detail put into the engine bay. Buyers aren’t stuck for colour schemes either, with a few different options according to your preference. On top of this, trailer’s details haven’t been neglected during the design process. With fully functioning ramps and hydraulic levers, the trailer can blow out to take any model to suit your haulage business.

With prices starting at $175 for just a T909 prime mover, the Drake model range is a must have accessory for the desk of any transport operator, or big kid at heart. You can check out the full range at www.thedrakeshop.com/