SWEET & NEAT PETE

THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE

This month’s “creation” was built for Brett Langley of Sidney, Nebraska.  Brett (41) grew up in a trucking and farming family, but he also grew up surrounded by girls.  Brett not only has three sisters, but he also has two daughters of his own, as well as seven nieces.  There are very few men in the family, but all of them are into trucking.

Brett’s grandfather Dale bought his first truck in 1949 (which was a 1947 Diamond T) and then began custom harvesting for the local growers.  Brett started driving trucks in the fields with his grandpa when he was about eight years old.  His grandpa had to teach him how to start the truck in gear because he was too short to reach the clutch pedal.  Brett’s dad Larry began trucking in 1972 with a new GMC conventional with a 427 gas-burning engine.

Larry drove that GMC for awhile, but got tired of sleeping in the seat, so he added a small flat-top sleeper.  He took the kids out whenever possible, but the girls were not that interested.  But Brett got the fever - and he got it bad!  Later, his dad graduated to a cabover Peterbilt with a 1693 engine.  Brett can remember sleeping on the dog house and waking up covered with red spots (like mosquito bites) from the hot bolts.

After Brett graduated from high school, he went to work at a local Cabela’s store, stocking shelves, but he only lasted about six months.  From there, Brett went to work driving for his dad, running in an old Freightliner.  Eventually, he got to drive better trucks, as his dad had about six nice ones at the time.  Since then, Larry has downsized to just one truck, a 2005 Peterbilt Ext. Hood with a flat-top sleeper, which he still drives, but he plans on retiring sometime soon.

In 1997, Larry had the opportunity to get a good deal on a new Peterbilt, but, at the time, he didn’t want a new rig.  Brett suggested to his dad that maybe it was time for him to get a new ride.  Brett’s first new truck was a 1997 Peterbilt 379 Ext. Hood with a flat-top sleeper and a 272-inch wheelbase, a 550 Cat and jet black paint.  He ran that truck for a few years and then ordered a 2000 Pete, painted white with purple fenders, and a 300-inch wheelbase.  Stepping up once more, in 2003 he got another new Pete, similar to the last, except with a 600 hp C-16 Cat.

Brett ran that 2003 Peterbilt until it was stolen on July 4th, 2004.  After the insurance got squared away, he ordered a new 2005 Peterbilt with the new-style mirrors (mounted on the cab instead of the doors).  Back then, Clint made one of the only cool visors that worked with this new setup, so Brett called him and bought one.  That is what brought these two men together.

When it was time to order a new truck, Brett called Clint.  His girls told him, “Enough with the white and purple!  Why don’t you paint your truck turquoise like your old Chevy.”  So he did.  The 2010 Peterbilt 389 was ordered in turquoise with a matching frame, a 63-inch flat-top, a 600 hp ISX Cummins, an 18-speed trans, a factory “weed burner” exhaust (the 7-inch stacks are dummies), and a car-hauler front axle.

When the truck arrived, Clint’s crew added the white stripes and then installed WTI fenders, body drop panels, nine cab lights with clear LEDs, Double JJ brackets with double rounds, smooth and flush deck plating, and breather lights.  Inside the cab, they painted the dash and wood panels to match the exterior paint scheme and slid the seats back five inches for more leg room.

With a little help from his girls, Karson (13) and Paige (9), along with his wife Kimberly, the truck turned out sweet, and the girls think its neat.  To which Clint poetically added, “I know he will enjoy his time in the seat.”  Brett currently runs his beautiful new truck all throughout the Midwest, hauling various agricultural products in all sorts of trailers - and he loves it.  Brett said, “If it wasn’t for my dad, I’d still be stocking shelves!”  And although we hope Cabela’s found an able replacement to fill those shelves, were glad Brett chose to go trucking and grace the highways with this sweet and neat Peterbilt.

~ If you would like Clint Moore to order and/or build you a new custom truck, contact him at Kansas City Peterbilt via e-mail at clintmoore@kcpete.com or call him at (913) 484-7768.  You can also visit his website at www.custombuiltfor.com and check out pictures of other custom trucks he has built.