Peterbilt 359 Restoration Project Ep1 Rescued From The Grave

#littlebylittle359 #twinsticks #twinstickgarage

Just a good ol' boy born and raised in Alberta, Canada, I’m the proud owner of this 1979 Peterbilt 359 rescued after it was left for dead in a farmer’s field.
Originally used for hauling heavy equipment in the Alberta oil fields, my Pete later ended up pulling a gravel belly dump b-train until it was eventually “retired” to haul the occasional hay bale load for local farmers before being parked in a field near the owner’s home near Mundare.
In the late 90’s I learned the art of trucking from my cousin driving an almost identical 359. I went on to become a mechanical engineer working for a large international corporation but all the while never losing my love for classic trucks and always had my sights set on a twin stick 359.
After placing an ad on Kijiji looking for one, I was contacted almost immediately by the owner of a Pete with a 6x4 Spicer who was very surprised that anyone would want a two-stick transmission. I went out to see the truck that weekend and ended up buying it “as is/where is” (see Season 1 episode 1). I ended up mounting new tires and wheels on the front and had it towed home.
Powered by a Caterpillar 3406A, it has a deep reduction plus Spicer 6x4 double overdrive transmission. The tractor is all original but unfortunately suffered from generations of mice growing up in the interior while it was idle.
I’m currently in the process of restoring this Pete and plan to use it primarily for personal use when finished. I’m looking forward to driving it to shows or the lake with my 5th wheel camper in tow.
I’m not planning a “full classic resto,” but rather a “make it as nice as possible” and as close to original as I can. Planned upgrades include a drop visor, 8-inch straight pipe miter stacks w/pickett elbows, new Bostrom low rider seats, upgraded sleeper, new interior, Texas Blade front bumper, chrome air cleaners, polished tanks and wheels, lots of lights, train horns, classic dual round headlights, and a new paint job in Peterbilt Sovereign Blue with Seminole stripes.
My backyard DIY outdoor restoration of this classic truck in the sun, rain, snow and wind is currently being fully V-logged on Youtube … checkout “359Twinsticks” to see them all www.youtube.com/channel/UC4hWrVWKF9aPZcxoSUz8CNw