Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/293070
CUSTOM RIGS 54 | Overdrive | April 2014 A fter Richie Acosta put together his now-infamous Project 350 custom Peterbilt, his childhood friend, Anthony Fischkelta, was determined to make his own Kenworth project "one better," so to speak. He spec'd it straight from the OEM, working with Tri-State Diesel, and his working relationship there came in handy because Fischkelta was quite specific about the specs he needed for the '09 W900. Chief among them was an odd wheelbase measurement: 351 inches, one inch longer than his buddy's cus- tom working rig. Fischkelta in subsequent years spent a lot of time fabricating, personalizing and customizing his truck to make it stand out while keeping it functional. The drop air suspension slams the bumper within an inch of the ground, and other custom touches inside and out make this rolling office a real head-turner. After all the work, "Project 351" was something of a sen- sation among fellow full-time haulers and custom rig enthu- siasts who lit up Fischkelta's Facebook page with commen- dations, questions and pictures from the road. Since we first wrote about it, Fischkelta's sold the truck and, at press time, was very near completion of a new project 2013 Kenworth. Search "custom KW under way" on OverdriveOnline.com for some in-progress pictures! By Todd Dills Project 351: A game of one-inch-upsmanship Most interior paneling in Project 351 is stainless steel, painted on the doors and elsewhere. "The all-stainless floor came out great," says build- er Anthony Fischkelta. "It's one of my favorite features on the interior, though the hardest to maintain." The Project 351 W900's front bumper can slam so it sits on the ground. The air sus- pension is a combina- tion of 12Ga Customs' drop kit and modifica- tions Fischkelta did to the springs when he installed the kit. Photos by Bruce W. Smith CR_LEAD_0414.indd 54 4/1/14 5:49 PM