圖資來源：TrucksPlanet

如果要舉一個將卡車改裝到連那輛卡車他媽都認不出他來的代表案例，這輛由澳洲司機John Horswell改裝的1979 Ford Louisville LNT9000絕對名列世界排名前幾名....而且我敢保證，在買錯車後亡羊補牢的案例中，他也會是超級經典的代表，這位與卡車公司Aztec簽約的靠行澳洲老兄，因為買了臺沒有臥鋪，且車屋嚴重鏽蝕的1979 Ford Louisville LNT9000（有臥鋪的版本為LTL）準備開始他的卡車人生，卻突然發現自己車頭後面少了很多東西，在不換車、不花錢買新車廂（因為買了LTL車廂，LNT底盤依然裝不下）的前提下....他徵求了當地監理機關同意（車體結構強度、車內乘坐空間安全設計與各種燈號須符合Louisville LNT9000車型的出廠標準），並找了車體廠替自己設計一個獨一無二的全新車廂（不但有臥鋪，還有淋浴間跟廁所...但這樣真的有比較省？），而隨著這種白天工作、晚上打造新車屋日子度過，John手邊這輛配備了老Cummins Big Cam 1 引擎以及大部份為短程運輸車用15速Eaton Fuller變速箱的長途運輸用新車體完工了！

Ford Louisville LNT9000原本的樣貌

神奇的是，為了讓這輛短軸距的卡車能在合法配重平衡的狀態下安裝臥鋪，又能進行拖曳，John替他的Louisville LNT9000打造了一個有著詭異斜鼻子的特殊車體，除了讓引擎整個掛在前懸吊上之外，也利用駕駛座的重量達到轉向軸所需的平衡重量，這樣的設計不但具備了COE平頭車寬大的短前懸視野，斜出的車頭更可直接掀起，替引擎進行檢修，完美兼容了長鼻子與平頭卡車的優點，而為了讓John隨時瞭解車子的健康狀況，原本最入門版的LNT9000也被換上了全新的儀表系統，藉由多出了油壓、氣壓、差速器溫度等儀表，讓有技師背景的John能隨時監控車輛的運轉狀況。

更酷的還不只這樣，因為短軸距與短鼻子，車身由許多其他品牌卡車零件湊成的Ford Louisville LNT9000 Custom，除了擁有比當時最輕盈的Kenworth W900 Aerodyne少一半左右的車重之外，還可另外裝下六十公升的熱水桶（用引擎廢熱氣加溫）與馬桶的盥洗設備，在漫長的Outback旅程中，John每天都可以享受舒服的熱水澡，對卡車司機來說，幾乎是五星級的最高級享受。

不過....從目前能找到的資料得知，這輛醜到沒人要接手、引擎里程數破百萬翻修後又破百萬的卡車，最後進入了廢車場....只留下幾張雜誌採訪過的照片，至於有沒有人願意接手，目前還沒有更近一步的消息，對這輛醜到沒人愛的老傢伙，我們也只能幫ＱＱ了....

 

TrucksPlanet介紹原文如下：
When John Horswell's Apparition was first sighted on the highways of New South Wales, it probably caused more commotion than if a UFO had landed on the Sydney Opera House and aliens had stolen the roof tiles.

Underneath this smart new mutant lies a Ford Louisville LNT9000 conventional, built in ’79, which John bought in '86. He’d signed on as a subbie with Aztec, to haul bulk cement powder, and though the truck had the best part of a million kms on the clock, was fine for starting out on the job to see if he could make ends meet. With the contract going well, but missing a sleeper for nights showing signs of serious tin worm, John had to make an important decision. For most owner-drivers the choice would have boiled down to a pair of options: either fit a new cab or buy a new truck. In John’s case buying a new truck was out of the question. Getting a new cab was also expensive, besides which replacing the LNT cab wouldn’t have given him a sleeper, as there was no room to squeeze a Ford LTL sleeper cab onto the chassis. John then considered a pretty unique third option: building a new cab himself, to his own design and specification.

 

Not wanting to fall foul of the red tape bureaucrats, John talked his ideas over with his state department of transport. All they required was that John’s new cab should match the ADR compliance of his old ’79 Louisville. To check the design was up to scratch technically, he had the drawing gone over by engineering consultant Bob Buckley. Meanwhile, by day, John continued hauling for Aztec. By night and at weekends his new cab gradually began to take shape in the workshop. The frame was MIG-welded into one rigid piece from 0.75 in x 0.75 in tubular steel. Cross braces were made from 0.5 in accept all the wiring, John began cladding the shell with 18 gauge Zincaneal panel sheeting. In spite of the solid construction of the cab, it’s by no means overweight, as one might expect of a home-brewed wagon. The rig tares off at 8.94 tonnes, or half a tonne lighter than a W900 Kenworth Aerodyne.

 

The tilting hood, which gives access to the radiator and batteries, was made from fiberglass and mounted on a steel frame. John fabricated the doors, fitted with International locks, handles and hinges. Glass is laminated throughout, for better safety and, since it's all flat, is easily and cheaply replaced for just around £50 a pane. Surprisingly, working out how to get the wipers to wipe properly took a huge amount of work.

 

In June '87, John took the ageing Louisville off the road to begin the long and complicated process of marrying the cab shell to the chassis. Considerable attention was paid to getting the weight distribution just right. John wanted a 5.5 tonne loading on the steer axle all the time, 16.5 tonnes on the drivers and 20 tonnes on the tri-axle trailer.
The Cummins Big Cam 1 motor that sits under the cab was sent off to Newtons Diesel for a rebuild. So were the Fuller 15-speed Roadranger and diffs. John wanted to do the job properly and not have his new truck sidelined by mechanical problems after going to all the trouble with the cab. However, he has also ensured that Cat, Detroit or newer Cummins motors will slot in under the new superstructure for the day when a new powerplant is necessary.

 

John didn’t stint on the necessities or luxuries a driver both needs and wants. The driving position offers excellent vision, both from its high viewpoint and the positioning of the screen pillars. With his mechanical background John likes to know exactly what's going on in the engine room and mechanicals department of his truck. It’s also important to him to know how the changed airflow is affecting his truck, too, and to this end there are VDO instruments worth about £1500 plumbed in to the dash.
These include temperature gauges for both diffs, the gearbox and engine as well as the exhaust, fuel and ambient air temperature. Other dials include boost, volts and a Murphy gauge. He's also fitted a VDO cruise control and fuel consumption meter, as well as a VDO engine protection pack.

 

At the end of a long day the sleeper comes close to offering the luxury of a five-star hotel. The bed’s huge, and there’s enough height in the Aerodyne-styled roof to let one stand up to dress and undress. What's more, John has even installed a shower with a 60 litre hot water tank, warmed by waste engine heat!
To ensure that the cab doesn’t succumb to rust as badly as its forerunner, John rustproofed the shell with Tectrol and the exterior has been finished off in Berger two-pack Permacron. The interior upholstery, in blue fabric, was handled by Tony Kerr, of Kdumba Upholstery.

 

John got his creation on the road in February ’88. The Apparition met for the most part with a mixture of admiration, envy and awe. Naturally there were a few detractors and pessimists, who predicted that the thing would shake itself to pieces over Australia's rough roads. But one year later, and with well over 100,000kms under the crank, John’s Apparition has been a constant sighting on the highways of New South Wales and the critics have had to eat their words.