Isaiah McLellan (13) shows off a miniature Kenworth 904
built by his father, Alex (centre). The rig was on show at
the Otago Truck Show 'n' Shine in Mosgiel, organised by
David Kinch (left). Photo by Jane Dawber.
A Balclutha man has the flashest ride-on lawn mower in
the country after he turned his old Husqvarna into a miniature
Kenworth rig.
McLellan Freight owner Alex McLellan said that when it came
time to replace the family's old ride-on lawn mower, his son
Isaiah suggested that it would be a good publicity tool to
turn it into a miniature of his favourite rig - a Kenworth
904. So he and some mates set to, first taking the mowing
deck off, then cutting the chassis in half and adding another
metre in the middle.
Then an extra axle was added to the rear, and a Kenworth cab
was added to the extended chassis, he said.
More than 650 hours of work later, the miniature rig has two
articulated trailers hooked on behind and a top speed of
about 10kmh, generated by an 8hp engine with a four-speed
gearbox.
Mr McLellan said it certainly looked the part, but it was far
from the 18-speed, 600hp engine of the truck it was based on.
Despite that, the miniature was a crowd pleaser when it was
given its first public outing at the inaugural Otago Truck
Show 'n' Shine event, held at the Taieri A&P Showgrounds
on Saturday.
''It was quite incredible. People really gravitated towards
it because it was so unusual.''
The best thing about the miniature rig was that the mowing
deck could be reattached and it could be used for mowing
lawns, Mr McLellan said.
''It would be the best-looking lawn mower in the country and
you could carry an awful lot of grass clippings on the
back.''
Details such as mirrors, fuel tanks and air cleaners still
had to be attached, he said.
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