A lot of blokes refer to them as a ‘cab-under’ as opposed to a ‘cabover!’ But I thought it was just a unique truck to have.”
When most people think of a Kenworth its usually a towering K200 or big-bonnet T909 that springs to mind. But for Geoffrey McDonnell, his ‘cab-under’ 1985 model L700 ticks all his boxes.
In the 1980s, the L700 Kenworth was developed as a low tare weight forward-control truck aimed at applications such as fuel haulage and waste applications, and with its low-profile cab the L700 also found a suitable vocation in car-carrying.
Back when Holden cars were a mainstay of Australian manufacturing in both Melbourne and Adelaide, Wagga Wagga based McCoullough Brothers placed an order for 26 L700s to add to their fleet which was kept busy hauling cars from the Holden plants to Sydney and Brisbane and throughout regional Australia.
All of the Kenworths were the first to be powered by the higher output Cummins L10 rated at 270 horsepower and, with the lower tare weight in mind, were fitted with a 10-speed Spicer gearbox.
Of the 26 Kenworths put into service, 14 were prime movers and 12 were rigids with dog trailers, with a carrying capacity of 7 cars including one riding out front on the overhead cab-frame.
The McCoullough’s car-carrying business was acquired by the Finemores group in the 1980s which then itself became part of the Toll Group in 2001.
Throughout this time the L700s were phased out in favour of larger car-carrying units such as Ford Lousivilles and International S-Lines, with a few of the Kenworths re-deployed on shorter-haul meat distribution work.
Geoffrey’s L700, with its Fleet number 1802, was by this stage painted white and was sold through a Toll disposal auction to Neil MacLean of Wagga, with the truck returning to its original home town.
A couple of years ago, and on the lookout for something a bit unusual to go with his Mercedes 1418 cabover, Geoffrey made an approach and did a deal to take possession of the Kenworth.
“I’m just into trucks that are a bit different. I have got the Benz cabover, which not many people have. I was looking for a single drive – didn’t want a bogie. I knew he had it and I got him at a weak moment – I thought would be an interesting truck to have,” he explained.
Clocking up 40 years of age in October, the Kenworth has stood the test of time and today is pretty much how it rolled off the Bayswater assembly line, still with the original motor, gearbox and rear diff.
Since buying it Geoffrey has given the chassis a bit of an overhaul with some fresh paint and the fitment of a toolbox behind the cab and a sun visor on the roof with some further work planned. He has not touched anything under the cab with the Cummins still proving to be a reliable performer.
“The L10 is all mechanical not electronic – the later L10s they fitted to T400s, and so forth, were electronic – and it works well with the Spicer.
“It runs a cable gearshift on the Spicer and not many came out with the 10 speed – they put that in to make them light, and it also has low-profile Bridgestone 305/70R tyres, which is what Finnemore’s used to run,” he said.
To some older drivers the L700 cab is reminiscent of the old Atkinson ‘half-cab’ sleeper trucks from the 1970s with the lower profile cab not lending itself to a great deal of room when compared to the cab-overs of today.
“There were a lot of slim-line cabs on garbage trucks and so forth, these ones were the only L700’s to come out of the factory with the sleeper cab option.
“When I got this the sleeper only had the carpet in it which had got a bit grotty, so I have replaced it with button trim. It is similar in size to that on an International T-Line.
Adds Geoffrey with a smile: “I reckon its more of a parcel shelf than a sleeper – I couldn’t imagine having to spend a 24-hour fatigue break in it.”
The L700 is wheeled out of Geoffrey’s shed at Uranquinty fairly regularly and hooked on to either a bogie float or single-axle drop deck trailer.
As a member of the Riverina Trekkers, he loads up his Deutz tractor and hauls it to shows and rallies in an area between Corowa, Berrigan, up to Cootamundra and across to Gundagai.
“I’m not pulling a big weight with it, only around 5-6 tonne with the tractor and gear but she goes well. I’m not doing big miles in it, but she will poke along all day at around 90 k’s and get to where we have to go,” he said.
Given the truck is virtually back in its original backyard with its close proximity to Wagga, he is toying with the idea of restoring the paint back to the original red and white McCoullough’s/Finemores lines and signwriting.
“A few blokes have asked me that. In a few places the red is starting to come back through where the white was over sprayed, but it wouldn’t take much to get it back to how it was originally.
“We might do that and look at getting it up to Clarendon for the Kenworth Klassic one year.”
While the Kenworth will not be at Clarendon in 2025, it will be on display across the weekend of October 18-19 at the annual Urana Vintage Machinery Rally and Truck Show.
Having had an involvement with the show for a number of years, Geoffrey will again be overseeing the truck show and shine, and with Mercedes, Volvo and International all getting a guernsey in past years, it will be Kenworth’s turn as the feature brand in 2025.
Located pretty much in the middle of the Riverina, the Urana event will run across two days including a vintage tractor pull, displays and trade stalls and free activities for kids.
As in past years, a number of judging categories will feature as part of the truck show and shine including Truck of the Show.
Free camping and showers are onsite available for those wishing to make a weekend of it and entry for Sunday is a very reasonable $10.
For further information, check out the Urana Vintage Machinery Club page on Facebook, or contact Geoffrey McDonnell on 0429 095 296.