Mafia Secrets – Advice from the Boss Man
Sometimes it isn’t what truck you buy, but rather what you do to the truck that makes the biggest impact. Take this truck here for example. It wasn’t much to write home about when The Barons Inc. co-owner J.R. Schleuger from Britt, Iowa, bought it back in June 2014. It was a local rig out of Iowa, but with a little vision, a ton of time and a bunch of deniro this W900A is not only road-ready but show-ready as well.
J.R. and his father co-own The Barons Inc. as well as Lifetime Nut Covers. J.R. has been happily married to his wife Chelcee for more than four years. Together, they have two daughters, Gracee and Caliee. Like so many of us, J.R. is a third generation truck driver and has been driving since he was a young man.
Tell me more about the truck, you say? Here ya go. She was purchased as a daycab with a crawl-through hole that was boarded up with rotten plywood. She had a pretty rough past, including the jackknife that damaged the sleeper so much it had to be removed and scrapped.
J.R. has a picture of what the truck looked like when it was purchased to show people the magnitude of the work that went into the truck. No one can believe it is the same KW. It is a 1980 Kenworth W900A and had a Cummins KT 450 under the hood, which is rare in the first place. But what about now? They re-did everything except the block, cam and crank to turn it into a KTA 600.
It has 3:36 rears and a sleek 295-inch wheelbase. J.R. had found an “era correct” 1980 coffin bunk sleeper out of Indianapolis that matched the truck and the interior perfectly. The white paint was replaced with Mercedes white, then with IROC Camaro blue and gunmetal gray stripes. Does the blue look familiar? This is the same color as the blue 2003 W900 “The Blue Baron” that J.R. used to drive. The original torsion bar suspension was replaced with a 2005 four-bag suspension. The truck sports Monster stacks, a 22-inch Valley Chrome bumper, RLK sun visor and Hogebuilt Low-Rider half fenders.
Think the outside looks awesome? Well, the inside is equally as impressive. Interior was redesigned by Two Bees Upholstery and accessories on the inside including nut covers, axle covers, steer-axle oil hubs, step pads, door-to-floor plates, fuel cap covers, foot pedals, shifter knob, gauge bezels, tractor-trailer knobs and the custom accessories built for the dash were all from none other than their very own company, Lifetime Nut Covers. Let me assure you that Lifetime Nut covers has been offering top quality, USA-made products for decades.
Keep your eyes peeled for this good-lookin’ ride running all over the central Midwest pulling a 2016 Darkwing trailer leased on with IMT Transport out of Garner, Iowa – unless it is harvest season. During that season, you’ll find her hooked to a 2014 Timpte Super Hopper.
Occasionally the truck will venture out of the Midwest but not very often. With the curtain side trailer, it is normally hauling utility trucks, underground gas motors and service bodies.
Despite the fact that the KT Cummins is fairly hard to find repair parts and service for, this truck wasn’t just built for show. This working KW earns her keep every week in the greatest show in the world – the open road.
Hammer down. LL