10-4 Magazine October 2023

30 10-4 Magazine / October 2023 a Cummins NTA420 (uprated to 450-hp) was installed. The vintage Kenworth also received the addition of brand-new frame rails with a stretched wheelbase to 212 inches. A Kenworth 36-inch sleeper was also added, which was fitted with a custom diamond tuck upholstery made by Gusco of Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to the upgrades already mentioned, custom panels were made to allow better access to the big Cummins under the doghouse to help service the engine. If you’re not familiar with the Kenworth Bullnoses, these cabs were placed on a typical conventional frame and did not tilt. These Bullnose trucks were built during the days of overall length laws, and were the forerunner to the modern-day Kenworth K100 series cabovers with tilting cabs. As Marc was telling Duncan and I stories about the KWand his grandfather, he told us a great tale of when the current Cummins engine was installed. After Dale had rebuilt the truck in 1986, the mechanics at Cummins told him to bring the truck in for a check-up after 5,000 miles. So, a week later, Dale pulled into the Cummins shop in Indianapolis and a mechanic asked him what he needed. When Dale told him that he was there for his 5,000 mile check-up, the mechanic just looked at him in disbelief. In that week, Dale turned nearly 5,000 miles in the Bullnose, running from Indianapolis to Salt Lake City, then on to Boston and back to Indianapolis! Powered by its current Cummins NTA pushing 450-hp through a Fuller 10-speed transmission to 3.90 rear ends and riding on a 212-inch wheelbase, the vintage Kenworth also has torsion bar suspension and rides on 24.5 aluminum wheels wrapped in low-pro rubber. The famous 1955 Kenworth 523C Bullnose currently has over 4,500,000 miles on its odometer! That is just crazy!! Sadly, Dale Jessup passed away at the age of 90 on January 17, 2017. Even though he’s gone, his memory lives on in the truck he left to his grandson. Marc even told us that he has left several of his grandfather’s items inside the truck, including one of his ballcaps that he used to wear, which still hangs on a hook in the sleeper of the truck. While talking withMike Kale more recently, he told me that when Duncan and I were doing the photo shoot with the Bullnose, both Marc and he were a bit shocked at just how excited Duncan and I were to photograph the truck. For Mike and Marc, the Bullnose has been in the family their entire life and they’re used to being around it, whereas it’s a rare opportunity for folks like Duncan and me to get to spend time with such a unique and classic Kenworth you rarely ever get to see anymore. Just like his grandfather, Marc’s company, Jessup Logistics, is an all Kenworth fleet, providing refrigerated transportation services to his customers and operating in all 48 states. In addition to starting and owning his own outfit, Marc is a former successful Sprint Car driver who raced in the USAC National Sprint Car Series. Today, Marc resides in Mooresville, Indiana, with his wife Andrea and their son Cole. History and traditions are important, and this family heirloom, which can’t be displayed on the mantle, is very special. n