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This custom sleeper semi tractor is a truck that won some awards over 10 years ago. Still a nice looking Peterbilt even compared to today’s most done up entries.
It was covered best at the 2004 32nd Annual North American Trucking Show (NATS) held April 29, 30 and May 1 and covered by Ten Four Magazine. Nothing was written about this truck by them, even though it took two awards at the show:
- 1st pace INTERIOR (AFTERMARKET SLEEPER)
- – 2nd place BOBTAIL (2002 & NEWER) Donald & Susan Pardue – 2002 Blue Peterbilt 379 (Bad to the Bone)
Guess that’s one of the things a nice custom sleeper can do for a show truck. Lets also take a good look at some of the details. There is a lot of chrome on this truck, set off from the blue but complimenting it — not too strikingly different that chrome and that shiny blue, and all harmonized by the black fading to grey and white detail work on the custom paint. Instead of the flat smooth chrome block bumper we see quite often nowadays on custom big rigs, they have the grated pattern on the lower half — the top has the licence and the middle has what the owners — the Purdue’s — called the truck: “Bad to the Bone.”
It’s a Pete 379 with a 150″ Legacy Custom sleeper conversion.
This truck and its custom details has a bit of a classic custom feel to me. The details are not all simplified and smoothed out like many moderns. Instead they are their own parts, and each asks for attention to its own detail rather than being part of the whole of the custom presentation.
The other piece of information found on this truck is from the ARI Legacy Sleeper website, where truckers who’ve had custom sleepers added to their vehicles post comments about them. It looks like the comment was from 10 years ago, too, but Donnie & Susan Pardue wrote, “We just wanted to say thanks for all your support for showing the sleeper at the shows. You make the best sleeper on the market and you should be proud of it! Thanks again!”
Donnie and Susan, how is your truck doing now? Send us some new photos, please.
