What do you do when you want the benefits of a new truck, with the look of an old one?
Ask Barry Hunt from New South Wales operation GRS Towing, who has transformed his Limited Edition 2024 Kenworth SAR Legend into the retro rig of his dreams.
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news and classifieds from Australia’s transport industry.
- Don’t miss a second and subscribe to our monthly Deals on Wheels magazine.
- Sell your truck with Australia’s #1 truck classifieds
Kenworth’s iconic W900SAR was built and sold in Australia from 1975 to 1987. The first Kenworth model that was designed, engineered and manufactured specifically for the conditions Down Under, it built up quite a following amongst truckies.
Decades after the W900SAR stopped production, it made a special edition comeback to celebrate 50 years of Kenworth manufacturing in Australia.
Orders for the new SAR Legend were open for just one day — July 8, 2021 — and during those 24 hours, over 700 units were sold.
Barry’s rig was one of those units, and now it’s finally in his hands after a long wait.
“It was originally going to be a replacement tow truck, and we were looking at an 18-month wait,” he says.
“It was going to be delivered around March 2023, then that got pushed to October 2023, and we eventually got it in January 2024.
“That backlog in deliveries after Covid was crazy — it’s not so bad now.
“We weren’t in a hurry earlier on, but by the time it got to mid-2023, work had picked up and we really needed that truck!”
Despite the urgency to get the truck on the road, Barry wasn’t giving up on his vision for it — so a few more changes needed to be made after it was delivered.
“We wanted the truck to maintain an old-school feel,” he says.
“I really like that classic look — it reminds me of when I was a kid, looking at the trucks going around.
“I didn’t want the truck to be like all the others on the road.
“In New South Wales, there’s no Legends as a tow truck, and particularly none that have that old-school look.”
Towing transformation
Before getting to the aesthetics of the rig, it needed to be transformed into a tow truck.
The equipment — a detachable heavy underlift towing unit — was ordered from the US, making it the fourth detachable tow truck the company has built.
“We have other units that are permanently mounted, but we’ve always maintained one or two of these detachable units because of their versatility,” Barry explains.
“The truck could still be used as a prime mover or a loaded trailer, or it can be used for towing broken-down vehicles.
“When you order a $850k truck, it’s got to be able to do a few things or you’re sweating on it on a quiet day!”
Behind the sleeper, there’s a side recovery unit, which helps to make the truck scale weight-wise.
“The big salvage legs are right behind the sleeper, whereas on the larger, longer trucks, your hydraulic legs that might anchor you in the ground while you’re winching are located right at the tail board.
“That means the truck isn’t as well-balanced with its weights, because you’re trying to lift something heavy at the back — the towed vehicle — but you’ve also got this huge steel structure right at the back.
“Having the side recovery unit behind the sleeper puts more weight at the front, which allows the truck to be shorter but do the same job as a longer truck.”
The truck’s shorter length means it can easily get around city streets and other areas where long trucks can struggle.
“It’s handy on back streets and getting in and out of auction lots,” Barry adds.
When GRS Towing were deciding on the specs of the build, they needed to maximise the weight on the front end.
“We ensured that the front end was rated to over 7.5 tonnes, so it’s got a 9-tonne front axle,” he says.
“It’s got eight-tonne front springs and an 8.2 tonne steering box in it.
“With all that equipment and the tyres — 385s on the steer — in New South Wales we are allowed to 7.5 tonnes on the steer axle because it’s a tow truck.
“It’s a bit of a pocket rocket!”
Old school cool
Although Barry’s truck is brand new, he didn’t want it to look that way.
“Building the SAR Legend was all about keeping the nostalgia of that model,” he says.
“We wanted to retain some of its heritage.”
Barry likes the convenience of the cabin’s modern features, like cup holders and air suspension seats.
On the other hand, Kenworth has kept it old school by only offering manual transmission, with no electric windows or central locking.
To add to the vintage look, Barry has put a restored bull bar from a 90s Kenworth on the front.
“They don’t build bull bars in that way anymore,” he explains.
“Sometimes when people see the truck, they think the whole thing is restored because of the bull bar.”
Barry also wanted to hark back to the days before LED lights.
“We wanted lights on the truck that were period correct, and we came across some new stock of Narva Bull halogen lights.
“We fitted them in the bull bar as well.”
Gaining traction
Barry says the truck has attracted a lot of attention on the road and on the GRS Towing Facebook page.
“When we took the truck off the red carpet, we made a 25-second video of it coming off and put some music to it.
“Within about four days, we had 65,000 views on the video!”
The truck has built up quite a following already — because of its unusual build, but also because people just like shiny new gear.
“It’s the journey,” he says.
“For a lot of people, trucking is not just driving a truck, it’s a lifestyle.
“It’s the story — from where we’ve come from to where we are today.”
Plans for the truck
The driver of the new truck previously owned his own mechanical workshop, but has decided to get out of the game.
“He started off with some other trucks and he’s pretty good, so I told him he was in the running for this new one.
“I’ve basically given him the go-ahead to buy whatever he wants to give the truck its final fit-out, to get it the way he needs it to be.”
The truck will be based in Western Sydney, doing about 120,000 kilometres a year.
When Deals spoke to Barry, the truck had only been out on two jobs, but he was very happy with its performance so far.
“So far it’s proven very valuable,” he says. “We’re excited about this one.”
Read more:
- Changing the stigma on truckies one colourful rig at a time
- Restored Kenworths praise 90s rap legends and fight for change
- STA Trucking’s Kenworth T909 won hearts and took home titles
- Rigs roll in from far and wide for Sunnyvale Vintage Day
- The Young Show Society’s 150th celebration went off with a bang
Check out the Deals on Wheels Facebook here.