Hello all.

[Tennessee Tom 7]

The ol'Trucker's Rig looked something like this drawing.  The stove pipe came out of the right front of the roof.
I'm not sure but I don't remember his roof coming to a point as in the drawing.  Seems like it was more blunt.

Now imagine it in a primer brown like this.

When I asked him how he came to choose the customization of his drive train and choice of the Perkins,
he explained that he used to deliver in New Orleans and at this one place he could walk over and watch the
fishing boats come in each evening.  I guess all of his life being a trucker the life of Boat-Men piqued his
curiosity.  He explained that he noticed the "young buck's" were always coming in fast each evening and the
more senior fishermen putted along in slower steady rigs.  Probably noticed a similarity there with some of the young truckers.

So he went on to explain that he went on the dock when they were unloaded and cleaning up  to prep for the next day and explained himself and asked if they would tell him about their engines & transmissions etc.  He told me that they had water cooled transmissions but what impressed him was their choice of the Perkins Diesel from the UK.   These old seasoned fellows explained to him that the young guys liked speed but paid for it in down time every couple of years or so with complete tear down's and overhauls.   Said they liked the big V8's and although they were powerful, they didn't hold up.   Their Perkins 6's lasted and lasted and lasted.
They weren't as fast on the water but but they had staying power in their durability.  But Perkins wants to
examine each installation he said as they are all custom applications.  When the install is complete a Perkins rep
shows up to inspect everything before giving it his warranty blessing.    He went on to say it was the same with his old Pickup. 

When the Perkins rep showed up and saw what he had done he didn't quite know what to think but realized
that although it wasn't too conventional,  when he was told about his Big Rig driving experience that he understood he knew and understood Diesels.  The Rep pondered so much work on an older truck where the new engine was possibly four times more valuable than the vehicle. 

His set up was basically this. (engine and trans may have sit lower but this is just a rough sketch)
He never said much about his choice of transmission.  It may have been something other than the
original.

That guy was pretty smart. I had some set backs when getting my car worked on found a few extra issues and have now had to put my departure date up to November. One of the cooling fans were getting weak so I went ahead and had him put a new one on while it was there in the shop.