The Long Express: Bill Long’s Kenworth T900
Rear Vision
Words by Matt Raudonikis. Photography by Warren Aaitken, as credited in ACT Issue 2.
Bill Long had always liked Kenworth T900s and T950s. When Ray Marshall offered him a 1995 T900 tall-cab, Bill took the opportunity. It was burgundy and white, had about 1.4 million kilometres showing when he bought it in 2007, and soon returned to work hauling refrigerated B-doubles between Brisbane and Sydney.
A working T900 first
The truck was not bought as a show project. Bill initially concentrated on the things that mattered to the job, including stainless details and drivetrain changes better suited to double work.
By the middle of 2013, though, the T900 was ready for a much larger refresh. Truckin’ Stainless stripped it back, dealt with rust, changed the colour and refitted the brightwork.
Black Current
The new paint came from West Henderson of Coastline Spraypaint. The colour, known as Black Current, looked dark at first glance but revealed purple in the sunlight.
The refit included a one-piece drop visor, stainless-wrapped tanks and steps, recessed deck plates, chrome guards, eight-inch exhausts, Vortex air cleaners and a deep AJ’s bumper. Robbie Marshall retrimmed the cab.
The Reckoning
The sleeper artwork had a more personal reason for being there. Stu at Custom Airbrushing painted a cigar-smoking skull and the words The Reckoning. Bill said the design came from his late mate Scorcher, making the finished artwork a tribute rather than simply decoration.
Underneath sat a 550 hp C15 Caterpillar and a double-overdrive Road Ranger, replacing an earlier Spicer gearbox. Revised gearing in the Meritor axles helped the T900 handle its B-double work.
Still a work truck
Bill described it as a work rig rather than a show truck, even though it won Best Truck Overall at a local SRV show. That contradiction was part of its charm: a dream T900 rebuilt to a high visual standard but still expected to earn its keep.
ACT archive note: This feature records the truck and Bill’s operation as published in 2013. Later ownership and specifications require fresh verification.
From the ACT archive
Originally published in Australian Custom Trucks, Issue 2, Summer 2013. This online edition has been edited for grammar, clarity and digital reading while preserving the interviews, technical detail and character of the original feature.
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Rear Vision — where is The Reckoning now?
Do you know where Bill’s T900 is today, or remember seeing it on the road? Tell ACT what happened next.