10-4 Magazine November 2024

Over the years, it has had at least four different engines and three transmissions. One of the major modifications occured when Ken dropped a 6-speed Allison automatic transmission in the KW during the mid-1980s, which he kept in it until two years ago, when he installed an updated Allison 6-speed automatic in it. Why did he go with an automatic – especially when nobody was using them? Well, when he was a kid, at around ten years old, a man pulled into their yard with a brand-new 1957 gas-powered Chevy log truck. Powered with a Buick engine that had a whopping 185-hp, this truck also had an Allison 6-speed automatic. Later, Ken drove this Chevy log truck for his dad, and he liked the transmission, thinking, “There’s no reason this can’t be in a big log truck.” So, when he had the chance, he made the switch, and to this day, he still loves it and does not regret it, saying, “Some things just take time for people to accept and get used to.” And now, 40 years later, these automatic transmissions are just star ting to be popular and somewhat accepted. Some other things he has done to his log truck include installing a drop axle with a ver tical shock absorber, which makes it ride much better, installing a leveler-valve in his air seat, making it height controlled, back when that was not even a thing (they all have them now), and making his own “hands free” cell phone. When the first cell phones were introduced, the “bag phone” was a popular model from Motorola. Ken took his “bag phone” apar t and installed all the guts up in the overhead console where the music radio would normally be, then added a 40-watt amplifier, and then mounted an amplified external antenna. Back when reliable service was hard to find, Ken had service everywhere – except in tunnels! Later, when cell phones got small, he fashioned a holder with an external microphone and speaker that hangs above his head. After driving the Kenwor th for 25 years, the original aluminum frame rails were cracked and all the plumbing and wiring was rotten, so in 2000, he freshened it all up and completely rebuilt everything in his own shop. Replacing the aluminum frame rails with new steel versions, Ken also decided that he wanted to have a long hood, so he bought a new hood and made the switch. To accommodate that change, he had to move the cab back 12 inches, and he also modified the back of the fiberglass front fenders, extending them down fur ther, and then repainted the truck in the same colors and with the same scheme in Mercury Brown Metallic, School Bus Yellow, and Safety Orange, with that “signature” arrow on the sides of the hood. During the rebuild, he moved the engine back four inches, the radiator back two inches, installed a charge air cooler, added stainless air cleaners with lights, 11 new cab lights, a new drop visor, and made his factory rear window, which came with a hand crank, electric. He also made the side windows electric, installed electric wiper motors, added 11 ver tical grill bars, and installed a tilt/telescopic steering column out of a 1989 KW cabover. To help monitor his automatic transmission, he mounted a gauge to the top of his hood cowl, on the outside of the cab, which he can see through the lower left corner of his windshield. That gauge has a high pressure oil hose attached to it, and if it was mounted inside and failed, it would make a huge mess in his cab, so he mounted it outside. This guy is smar t. Today, the truck is powered by a Cummins N14 Celect Plus, and estimating conservatively, Ken thinks the KW might have at least 3.5 million miles on it. And almost every mile was put on by Ken himself, except for a shor t time around 1990, when things got tough, and Ken pulled the logging gear off the KW, mounted a fifth wheel, and let his cousin drive it, hauling wood chips for about a year. During that time, Ken got hired by a man to build race cars for him, and he loved it. With a racing background of his own, it was a fun year for Ken, but after that, he was ready to get back to tree trucking. In 2014 Ken installed a Pittsburgh Power Box, made by our friend and contributor (The Performance Zone) Bruce Mallinson. Ken loves the box, with its “dial up” horsepower and seven different levels, with each one adding about 25-30 horsepower, but he typically just runs on Power Level 3, unless he needs to pass someone. Like I said, Ken doesn’t like to keep anything stock – and that goes for his “toys” too. 10-4 Magazine / November 2024 11