We visited their yard in November 2013, some smart trucks parked up
in the rain!
robert1952:
Interesting stuff; thanks for posting. You can tell where Truck magazine got its writing style from.
It says the ride of the vehicle was excellent, in contrast to most US truck posts on here, which say that they were boneshakers!
Have you got the rest of the article?
Jelliot:
Any idea what # the Kenworth is, as it’s tractor unit I’m assuming its not 100 which was Daniel Fremonts. Most of the Friderici KW’s were Detriot powered usually up about the 425 hp and could shift them selves along quite well. #98 was the regular drive for Claude Rey Mermet AKA the adventurer. One of the guys I was on Trans Mondo with was a cousin of Jacky who used to do a regular run with Claude to Lahore.That oversize load was part of a thermal power station which as being built at Tabriz, the section on the truck was about 103 tons and built at Brescia, the driver at the start of the job was Jean Daniel Favre who was Ferderici’s top heavy haul guy at the time. The whole job was went pear shape from the start and got worse as it progresses. All up from loading the truck to getting unloaded at the other end took 6 months. It sat on the Iranian side of the border for 4 1/2 months waiting for authorisation from the Iranian, as well as the road being upgraded enough to take the weight of the load. Paul Ferderici went in person to try and get things sorted out, and just as they did the Shah was deposed.
The other shadow on the job was that the Iranian state transport wanted to do the whole job from start to finish, but it went to Ferderici, which the Iranians didn’t like, and it was believed that the Iranians threw as much trouble about as they could.That’s the very short version of a very long involved tale.
Jeff…
Hi Jeff,
You seem to have spent much time with them in their days or you would not have known which unit le Baroudeur had. I did have a chat a while ago with another former driver of theirs, Michel Leuba, but did not capture which vehicle he had in them days. I seem to remember he did drive a K100 for a while, but he only stayed with Friderici for a handful of years then went on to do other things.
Your questions surpass my limited knowledge - I only have impressions but no factual answers, so I have emailed Clément. No news so far but then he is fully involved in the firm now and I know they are kept very busy so he might take some time to answer.
Cheers
David
[zb]
anorak:robert1952:
Interesting stuff; thanks for posting. You can tell where Truck magazine got its writing style from.
It says the ride of the vehicle was excellent, in contrast to most US truck posts on here, which say that they were boneshakers!
Have you got the rest of the article?
The article appears to be from Overdrivemagazine, not TRUCKmagazine. I can’t find the rest online. Robert
The only known locally-preserved ex-Friderici Kenworth is this one.
Pleasingly, these photos were taken in May of this year. This motor is still about.
NB: no idea why some of the photos are on their side when on my pc they are as they should be. Oh well…
[zb]
anorak:robert1952:
Interesting stuff; thanks for posting. You can tell where Truck magazine got its writing style from.
It says the ride of the vehicle was excellent, in contrast to most US truck posts on here, which say that they were boneshakers!
Have you got the rest of the article?
Evening all…ahhh the KW Aerodyne…I had a long love affair with Aerodynes…
Think that it started around the time that I used to drive across Irving Boulevard , Dallas, from the Mack Factory Branch at 3611, …functional, no frills, and bleak… a bit like the Macks themselves, (and no fault in that, for reliability, and cost effective packages were true “East Coast” values),…to the “glitzy, show business”, KW operation on the opposite side. Boy, the parts department was laid out like some chromium plated supermarket emporium full of ultra desirable bits…like ■■■■■■■ overhaul kits, clutches, brake linings, chrome pedals, steering columns, all lit with bright spotlights, and soft music playing…that was how to sell your “bits”!..and individual trolleys to collect your bits on, before proceeding to the cash till!!! And outside rows of W900s, flat top, and coffin cab, K100s, but standing tall, above its bretherin, the skyscraper outline of the Aerodynes, function creating an elegant form, totally American.
But my first drive of an Aerodyne was along a winding rural road outside of Little Rock, twin fans turning the “muggy” cab air into a chilled tornado, the V8 Detroit screaming each individual horses power, and Mr Eatons 13 speeds conducting the musical calcophoney with unremitting precision! A 786 Mack was never the same again…the sheer “open space” of the Aerodyne cab , to Saviems European eyes just out of this world…as was the unremitting spine breaking ride…that cab must have been strong just to absorb the shocks from the chassis and suspension…thank goodness my ride back to base would be in a French built Midliner…no wonder the Yanks were buying them in droves!!!..must have reduced Hemeroid operations by at least 70%!
Years later, free from the corporate world, and the pressures of running our own business I began to import the “odd” US bit of iron. Sourced from friends that I had made over the years I was in the US, and of course the Aerodyne was a favourite. A favourite because the specs were so wide, and not just engine, gearbox, axles alone, but that the basic Aerodyne cab could be acquired in so many versions, short, bit longer, longer, and enormous!
From memory the longest one we imported was 160 inches, you could walk behind the seats with ease, ex a Montana “Bull hauler”, the cab “dripped” blood red Naugahyde button backed trim, sitting over a KTA ■■■■■■■■ and 15 speed double overdrive Fuller, to Rockwell SQHD axles mounted on that bone hard 8 bag air suspension…and the Italian client loved her to bits!
We sourced with care, and unlike so many who began to import US trucks, we made them totally UK legal…yet sold the bulk into Europe. Some were “cheap and cheerfull”, 290 small cam ■■■■■■■■ 9 speed Fuller, Reyco spring suspension, and a mix of Budd, and Trilex wheels, others, like the ex Montana vehicle quite exotic, and some of the trim options were, (to European eyes), quite spectacular…but never boring…which is what I will become if I carry on with my memories!!!
Anorak, if you get the opportunity seek out some copies of Overdrive Magazine…“the voice of the Independent Trucker”…in its day ground breaking…not only for its pin ups…modest by todays standards, but its articles were revolutionary in direct journalism, the only US Trucking magazines prior to Overdrive were aimed at the large carriers, and the small man was ignored. Yes, when Fource Four Publishing was created by Andrew Frankl, and Pat Kennet, and our Truck magazine was born, Overdrive was a loose profile that was followed…But the main divergence was that in the UK Pat was always independent of manufacturers influences…totally at odds with Overdrive , who would print “your” words without alteration…(now I wonder how I know that)?..smooth ride on a Georgia road…come on…whose leg are they pulling!!!
Wonderful if that iconic Swiss KW gets restored…but I would not wish to drive it…
Has my love affair stopped?..could be my Arthritis
Cheerio for now.
Brilliant stuff SAVIEM.
Saviem:
…But the main divergence was that in the UK Pat was always independent of manufacturers influences…totally at odds with Overdrive , who would print “your” words without alteration…(now I wonder how I know that)?..smooth ride on a Georgia road…come on…whose leg are they pulling!!!Wonderful if that iconic Swiss KW gets restored…but I would not wish to drive it…
Has my love affair stopped?..could be my Arthritis
Cheerio for now.
Hahaha! That explains it. Nowt to do with different spring rates or Europe/US expectations- just plain old editorial lies. Your comment regarding the strength of the cab rings true, if the things did not suffer from the fretting/fatigue problems I alluded to earlier.
Regarding editorial licence in technical articles, have you seen the Truck roadtest that Robert put on the LHD Sed Ak thread? I detect a shard of anti-Volvo sentiment running through that. Given its publication date (1978), I guess you may be familiar with it?
Edit- PS some Euro-spec. KWs had a set-back front axle (including some of those Friderici vehicles)- did these have longer front springs, and a decent ride as a result?
Jelliot:
I’m surprised they didn’t use a shot blaster on the chassis parts.
I’ve done a fair bit of Kenworth restoration in my time and I haven’t seen on as bad as that. Even a 50’s cab over I worked on in eastern USA wasn’t any where as bad as that.Jeff…
I would have sourced new rails, too easy.
But perhaps that goes against the philosophy of their restoration?
cargo:
Jelliot:
I’m surprised they didn’t use a shot blaster on the chassis parts.
I’ve done a fair bit of Kenworth restoration in my time and I haven’t seen on as bad as that. Even a 50’s cab over I worked on in eastern USA wasn’t any where as bad as that.Jeff…
I would have sourced new rails, too easy.
But perhaps that goes against the philosophy of their restoration?
I didn’t mean shot blaster as such, there is a hose of media blasters out there, from coconut husks to prilled cryogenic particals that they use to strip the paint from passenger jets. All designed to strip paint and rust and not harm the stuff under it. I regularly have plastic bike parts stripped using media blasting. It’s certainly a lot better than 9 inch grinder and banging it with a chipping hammer.
Jeff…
Kenworths have always come back to haunt me, I remember as a boy not yet at high school seeing Sonny Priutt and his side kick pilot their green Kenworth across the US of A every Thursday evening, usually having a bit of friendly rivalry with Moose and Bennie, on the program “Movin On”
Kenworhts never really held much interest for me I was more into Volvo, and working on a diesel apprenticeship on Bedford’s, Fords, Commers, Atki Dodge, and Leylands certainly didn’t sway me in their direction.
The first truck I bought was an F7 drag outfit. Miles ahead of anything British at the time. and for drivability… arm chair on wheels…@ 60 miles an hour… That was followed by my beloved F12 Globbie draw bar… Still my favourite truck to date…
I was involve in the early days of truck racing… probably a bit more than would have been wise. My dearly departed mate Terry Crosslands had his ERF and on the other side of the country Richard Walker went to America land and brought home a Kenworth… probably a W 900… I cant recall… It had a garden shed bolted to the front of it and the engine was under that. Having said that it could shift it’s self along quite rapidly,it made lost of black smoke and was noisy, so it ticked most of the boxes.
After roaming the globe for a while driving a ■■■■■■■ powered Ford Louisville road train across the great burnt land of Australia, I went to try my hand at America. First up was driving a fleet truck which was a very underpowered Freight Liner for the pumpkin patch out of Memphis.
At that time there had been a mass exodus form the truck driving ranks as, big holes were being shot into the Teamsters, and a lot of the old school’d had enough. Many trucks displayed signs on the back doors of fridge and dry freight vans… " If you want to drive this truck phone this number now"
I was peddling into a head wind on the way back from Fort Worth one day and big new shinny K 100 aerodyne shot past at the speed of light, it had the sign on the back of it but it was to fast to write it down, luckily 10 miles up the road there was a truck stop where both of us stopped. so I got talking to the driver… By Wednesday of the following week I was heading west from Arora, in a Santini Bros 110 inch K100 Aerodyne, pulling a stainless steel Great Dane Fridge full of salad to Burbank CA for… 70 MPH was the speed limit, and they gave you 10% lee way in most states at the time, and in the dark of night there was always bit more scope for “getting along even better”…
Compared to the Volvo it was rough as guts, because of the year of manufacture by law it had to have front brake fitted from the factory, but the mechanic said he could wind them right off. Inside it was Ox blood, deep studded leather, every where, it didn’t smell like leather, and I’m sure today it might even be called “Vegetarian leather”. No aftermarket stuff, there was factory everything, everything you could imagine could be ordered and installed on the factory line… gauges for everything, including a gauge for the gauges. Telly, 4 foot wide bed, wardrobe, sink, cupboards, more storage space… Detroit got it going with 425 hp, Fuller had there hand in it as well…but not as much as Shell and Amoco… For getting across the USA on interstate free ways at a rapid rate of knots it was good, and fairly quite. …It was only 6 months old when I got it so it didn’t have time to develop it own quirks and squeaks yet…
I once had the misfortune of driving an Atki Borderer, well the K100 wasn’t as bad as that, but it wasn’t as good as the Volvos and other European stuff I’d driven… The Alaska Highway wasn’t seeled all the way to Anchorage, and even though it couldn’t really be considered as off roading, it wasn’t the M6 either.
Back in Europe M/E Russia and China I saw the occasional Friderici getting about, I even saw an old K123 in Swiss on day. Even at that time I had a fair idea about their history, and parts of the world that they’d been where at the time European Christians were unable to enter…One of the guys that I was on Trans Mondo with had a cousin that used to drive K123 for Friderici, he brought in a load of photo, most of them were out of focus, and the rest were crap with half the truck missing… But they were of course proper photos, done at the chemist… 35 mill and all that stuff… none of the modern instant phone stuff… Fantastic to look at…I tried to get Ferdy to put some contacts out of him, but like a lot of ex International truck driver he seems to be untraceable ■■?
Currently I’m on a K109 hauling timber on B Double jinker in Southern Tasmania. If you put the K 100 Aerodyne next to the K109 you wound be hard pushed to find anything other then a few cosmetic changes, the basic truck hasn’t changed since the 70’s. You can’t get Cat in them any more, if you want a Cat then you have to buy a Cat truck, ■■■■■■■ of various sizes and Detriot as well… We have an older one that has 1.3 million hours on it … It has a Cat in it, but the exhaust brake is next to useless on it… think LS Merc from the 60’s… Everyone goes for the big ■■■■■■■ as their first choice… Cab suspension… big rubber block bolted the chassis front and rear of the cab, you have still have to climb the external steps with the aid of the hand rails and swing into the door opening… The steering wheel has one position, it comes straight out of the floor at a bad angle , you have to lean forward to grab it… everything inside is still covered in Veggie leather…but it’s still a functional truck and it still gets 22 hours of productive work done… 3 loads a shift, 6 days a week at 57 tons each load. 70% of the time it works on dirt roads…
When I start it up at 2 AM Monday morning, I know it won’t get shut down until 2PM Satrurday. We’re meant to dip the oil, and do the water at the pre start check at the beginning of the shift change…As long as I have 34 wheels with as many good tyres, and I can get it in gear then I’m off…
Jeff…
Highly illuminating stuff! I must say, I have some sympathy with Anorak’s suspicion that it must have been awfully difficult to remain 100% impartial when testing trucks. Keep it coming chaps, this is a good thread! Robert 
Had this one for a couple of months, flash truck, silly hours, crap pay.
Thanks to the ever efficient service of UPS I don’t have any photos of my time in the land of the free, but here’s one I made earlier…
That’s me on the other side of the road take photos during lunch time… Yes I did actually stop sometimes…
One of our other ones coming the other way Pure Fresh Thinking !!! Kind of hard to do when you expected to do 18 hour shifts 6 days a week…
Took this one this morning…
Was on this one last week…
Jeff…
Brussels being the centre of many US-exports, we at Mack did a lot of efforts to sell to Friderici,
which was difficult as they had strong desires/background to apply the Kenworth and later Foden.
From my archives some French documents, with even a Friderici-spec. With all/utmost respect,
I very often wondered why they wanted Cat’s installed…
Alex, enjoying a West-Vleteren 10
Actually I now post documents but do not know if the restored KW was an Aerodyne of normal K100?
Here the #88 with DD and Fuller 13
Jelliot:
I didn’t mean shot blaster as such, there is a hose of media blasters out there, from coconut husks to prilled cryogenic particals that they use to strip the paint from passenger jets. All designed to strip paint and rust and not harm the stuff under it. I regularly have plastic bike parts stripped using media blasting. It’s certainly a lot better than 9 inch grinder and banging it with a chipping hammer.Jeff…
Hi Jeff. I’ve seen small blasters advertised for less than £200. The “sand” converstion is an add-on, at about £25, IIRC. Are these any good? I’m considering one for de-rusting and keying hard-to-reach bits of vehicle bodywork and fabricated parts. Can you adapt them to use cheap media, like building sand, or do you have to use the “bought” media?
PS Your write-up on the K100 was a better read than that magazine nonsense.
robert1952:
Highly illuminating stuff! I must say, I have some sympathy with Anorak’s suspicion that it must have been awfully difficult to remain 100% impartial when testing trucks. Keep it coming chaps, this is a good thread! Robert
Evening all, well this thread, and your assembled comments lead my old brain away from the main core and along various sidings…so forgive me if I take the scenic route, but the Kenworth product will not be forgotten…
I fully understand Anoraks enquiring mind questioning the late Pat Kennetts published comments regarding various vehicle types in testing. And Robert I can see your sympathies towards his suspicions, and perhaps also many of you who have not voiced your opinions.
I personally have two distinct experiences of Pat, as a true friend, with shared interests, and enjoyment of the commercial vehicle industry, with many very happy relaxed times spent together, and as a very professional, (and I do not use the word in its adulterated 21st century trite meaning), engineer and objective journalist. In the latter role one person who in a few short years changed forever the way competitive marques of vehicle were reviewed and tested against each other, and the results presented to the public across Europe and the US. In short he changed the face of vehicle, (both car, and lorry), magazine presentation.
In his endeavour to be objective, and truly evaluate the product, and present the result to the reader, Pat was single minded. So much so that he “raised the backs”, of many in the corridors of power of vehicle manufacturers. If a vehicle was not available for test from the “factory”, then he would seek one out, test it, evaluate it…and b… the consequences…(often causing his publisher a problem, for advertising revenue, so easily withdrawn at the whim of an offended party), is the life blood of any publishing house.
The early Truck Test Matches, were one man operations, Pat, stopwatch, battered portable typewriter, notebook, and “real” driving skill, savvy, and dedication. He would listen, take advice as to how best drive/evaluate the product, and do it!..and if he thought that he was not being treated fairly, (in terms of information, or presentation of the vehicle…was it a “special” one), then that battered portable would spew out a “red ribbon” note straight to the number 1 in that offending manufacturer…and believe me they were taken note of…and how!!!
But not only Factory people could be upset by his test results…for marque afficianadoes could become quite emotional regarding hi findings. Each product was evaluated along the same route, with equal criteria, only the weather could vary. The test result was designed to be comparable against previous, and future tests A true evaluation of the individual vehicle, but not an indicative example of how each vehicle would perform in various applications.
For those of you fortunate to have copies of his Truck tests, read his words carefully, for there is more to be gained by “reading between the words”, than what is actually written particularly in his concluding comments to each test…and I refer here to Pats awareness of the failing strategy of the UK builders in the domestic, and European market place, and his vain attempts to draw managerial attention to the negative strategies that they were engaged in, despite the potential quality of their products.
Pat was a lorry man, he had worked worldwide as a field trouble shooter, and understood both the factory, and operators side. And unlike so many he could drive a lorry…and how! and he enjoyed it immensely.
I wrote earlier of how he based his magazine , (HGV was Pats preferred title), but it became Truck, on Mike Parkhursts , Van Nuys, California based Overdrive, “the voice of the Independent Trucker”, Magazine. Founded in 1961, Parkhouses Trans America Press published magazine found a whole new market place within the ranks of the small, and owner operator, and contract haulier sector
Far more overtly Political in its stance than the UKs Truck would ever become, Overdrive rocked, and even capsized some fairly big boats! Crushing the “rip off” tactics of some freight forwarders, and their contract haulier operations such as Bray Lines, Cushing, Oklahoma, and the waste operator, Anchor Motor Freight, of Torry Town New York, back in the late 70s.
Overdrive tore chunks out of the circulation of the established big US journal, Mc Graw-Hills Fleet Owner Title. Yet struggled to obtain major advertising revenue from the Lorry builders, who continued to spend big bucks with Mc Graw Hill. But Pat saw the lesson of Overdrive, and managed to keep the advertising flowing into Truck…despite his “red ribbon” notes!
But if any of you have the chance to obtain an early copy of Overdrive, then you are, (providing that you can mentally travel back in time to the Ford/Carter era in the USA), in for a treat…even if the pin ups are well…quite modest…and you can enjoy yje battle between Peterbuilt, and Volvo, (Freightliner Corporation), with their “Classy” well dressed lady advertisments…and they are a joy to behold…but sadly mine are long gone!
Jeff reminds me of some of the “jumbo” instrument packs in Aerodynes, (and flat tops), that I imported, 19/22 separate dials…if you did not have anxiety before you drove away, then ten miles later you sure would have, as the needles bobbed away! That button backed pleated “artificial leather” trim was Du Ponts “Naugahyde”…and I`ve had it in both the “Class”, and “VIT” trim, (Very important Truck). From massacre Ox Blood, to effluent “golden peach sand”, by way of regal Green, and Oxford Blue…never a boring moment in an aerodyne…
Particularly in the one, (and only one), example I imported with a seven speed Spicer Transmission…a gearbox from the dark side…like a knock through range box, only on the left there were four, but on the right there were three…and with a Detroits copious lack of torque…and reverse sharing the natural fourth gear spot…well you can imagine…the percussion section of London Symphony orchestra had nothing on it for noise!!!
I had some good friends at La Grange , Illinois, Bekins Van Lines, so was able to source some rather nice, big mileage, but light use KWs, both flat top and Aerodynes…including some 5 speed Allison, Detroit monsters, with 108inch VIT cabs on 180inch wb air ride 4.33 SQHP rears…you really needed boots of lead to press the throttle down to get the monkeys to go…and boy did they go…but Orrible to drive…Italy again purchased them!
Old friend, Gary Horn, at Rebel Red,Reids Trucking, Cloverdale Virginia, yielded up a really nice Aerodyne 3406B CAT, 12509 Fuller, on air ride, 8 bag, (ouch…ouch), but I really could not get on with that Cat engine… but 3.7 rears made her fly!
Then there was a 200inch wb monster, with a KTA , RTO12515, to SQHP rears on 8 bag air, with a 108in VIT Aerodyne, and a 42in “dromedary” box behind that…but really all that space was badly utilised… but my French client loved her…as did I…which set me off on a different track, creating real, “living space” cabs…
Alex, En-Tour-Age, you are quite correct, Friderci would have done far better with Mack. As I was told on my first morning at Allentown…“Macks market is Planet Earth”! And so many staff with over 40 years service to Mack! And no Cat was ever the equal of a Maxi Dyne! And an Interstator, and the later Cruiseliner, (“control tower visibility”), rode with far more comfort than any Aerodyne Kenworth…
But those KW Aerodynes sure do have some" road presence"…
Oh I still love them…Arthritis permitting…
Cheerio for now.
