Deadliest Catch

in the turbulent Bering Sea, Northchill’s ‘Northwestern’ is an iconic Kenworth K104 2.9m Fatcab that’s said to be the last to roll off the production line.

However, its ‘Deadliest Catch’ reference could have taken on a whole new meaning when its owner Graham Redington introduced its ‘unexpected arrival’ to his wife.

The big K104 itself was first registered in NZ in 2005, by Steve Gutshlag from Palmerston North, but Redington got involved with it several years later, when in 2010 Southpac’s truck salesmen Steve Herring gave him a call.

“I had just bought an ex-Hall’s T404 Kenworth,” begins Redington, “But Herring said, `this truck’s coming on the market, it was the last one ever built, and did I want it?’

“I said yes. And this is where the story gets curly, because I never told my wife.”

Redington says that he had basically bought two trucks in one day, one was planned but evidently the K104 was not. He recalls that he got off the phone and thought how the f##k am I going to tell Michelle? And in fact, he didn’t for a while.

“Anyway, we had some friends come over from Aussie to stay and after a couple of wines over dinner I thought I’d just drop it into the conversation - that was the worst thing I ever did, and I’ll never do that again. To this day, [12 years later] this is still a raw subject.”

Despite the flack, Redington had little regret over his purchase, he says “You learn with your f##k ups, but it was too significant not to take it,” adding, “when people found out I got it I was offered $30k more than I paid for it.”

What makes this truck so desirable is both its size and scarcity. Nowadays the ‘big cab’ Kenworth’s are 2.8m and this one is 2.9m, so it’s a bigger truck cab with windows in the sleeper. What’s more, Redington believes that there are only nine in the country, making it very rare indeed.

Once the ‘introduction’ dust had settled, they sat on it for about four months, ‘as we didn’t know what we were going to do with it’, then they painted it white and green and got it to tow their chemical tankers.

According to Redington, despite the engine ‘sh##ing itself’ at the pink pig (SH27) one morning a couple of years after getting it, (meaning they had to drop in a brand new 14L Cummins signature 620) the Kenworth has worked well for over a decade, but earlier this year he decided it needed a full rebuild - and for that he turned to his workshop supervisor Mark Dodds.

“We did the full resto here in our workshop, we’ve got four mechanics here with Mark in charge of the whole rebuild. Mark is

Above: The colour on the K104 is called Toyota grey and painted by Fleet Image while Cliff Mannington at Truck Signs in Tauranga did the detailing. Below Left: Michelle and Graham Redington with their “grey” trucks used for tanker work and their Ontour Logistics division. Below Right: New stacks were part of an extensive restoration.

just a guru; he just gets me and knows how I like sh##. He dealt with the painters and just knew what I wanted.”

They stripped the Kenworth right back to bare metal, ‘chassis and everything’, wrapped all the fuel tanks, put in a remaned18speed Roadranger gearbox, added new diffs, and changed the ratios.

“We brought them back; they were too low. So, at 90kph it was doing 1,700rpm but it would do that going up a hill too.”

It’s got new mirrors, all new roof lights, new stacks, new bumper, new grille parts, the whole thing was made over, basically everything that needed to be replaced was, all bar the engine.

“It’s done 1.8million kays on the two engines, so we’ll either replace the engine or rebuild it. We haven’t done that yet because you can’t buy one right now. But if I can get a new one it will be done in March/April next year, if not then we’ll rebuild it here.”

Fleet Image in Hamilton were chosen to paint it, as “they are the best painters you can get,” says Redington.

“Dean (Big Gear), who runs the shop, has this eye for detail. He knows what we like and is super fussy. It was a big job, windows out and sanded back to bare metal, so there’s no original blue left on it at all.”

Redington explains how the choice of grey paintwork came about.

“I bought a K200 off a mate of mine in Aus for my 50th, and it came in Toyota grey. We decided to keep it that colour and paint our tanker business grey - it flowed on from there. We have our white and green for chill, yellow trucks for Foodstuffs and the grey is for tankers and concerts (Ontour Logistics division).”

He says that Cliff Mannington at Truck Signs in Tauranga did the detailing (including the ‘life’s too short to drive ugly trucks’ statement on the back of the cab) as they do all Northchill’s signwriting.

Above: Truck Signs provided the signage across the back of the cab. Right: Toby McLean is the man at the helm of the Northwestern recently. Below: Apart from a new seat the K104 interior was in excellent condition and hasn’t needed restoration.

“I just leave it to Cliff because he’s the best of the best, hands down.”

Aside from the engine, about the only thing that hasn’t been touched for the rebuild is the cabin interior and that’s because it didn’t need it.

“It’s had a new seat, but the inside is mint, there’s only really been three people in that truck, and they’ve all been really good to it.”

Overall, the rebuild took about three to four months to do and Redington says it was totally worth it.

“A few guys say that the grey is the elite fleet, but I’ve probably spent more on that truck because of its significance. And those colours will always make that truck stand out. Everyone knows the truck, it’s pretty significant. I’ve got guys in Aussie that want to buy the truck. But I’d never sell it now. It’s just a neat old truck.”

It may have had an extensive total rebuild but rest assured this iconic Kenworth is not going to be mothballed or put on a pedestal anytime soon.

“I own it, so it doesn’t have to run every day, but right now it’s doing a night run until a new guy starts, then we’re flat out with summer concerts through to April, so it’ll tow the concert trailers.”

Above: The 2005 K104 is the very last 2.9m “Fat Cab” example to be built.

Toby McLean is the man that’s been at the helm of the Northwestern of late and Redington reckons that he loves it.

“He’s a fantastic operator, he’s 25 with a 50-year-old head - he’s an old soul. He drives it and it’s normally gleaming. I could offer Toby a brand-new truck tomorrow and he wouldn’t take it, he’d stay on that.”

There’s no denying that the K104 Fatcab is a handsome truck, but the big question still remains, has his wife Michelle forgiven him yet? And the short answer (albeit with a wry smile) is No!

“It never rests, [that dinner conversation] always comes up. But I’m happy he’s happy.” she says.

Then there’s the cost of the Northwestern’s rebuild. Michelle was apparently told it was going to cost $25k, but just quietly, Redington says the final build is well north of that.

“We didn’t intend spending what we did on it, but you get into things and pass the point of no return,” he says in his defence.

We guess that’s a conversation for another day, maybe over dinner with wine and a few friends… T&D