Total rebuild: Owner-op’s ’81 Pete 359

Dec 26, 2014

Russell Riano says he has “totally rebuilt” this 1981 Peterbilt 359 upon his 2005 purchase of the rig. When business got slow in 2005, he says, “I found this old 359 and went to town.” He replaced the factory sleeper with a 63-inch flat-top, stretched it to 292 inches and swapped out the old engine for a 2000 550-hp Caterpillar. He hauls produce with the truck, he says.

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Kenny Ziglar II's 2007 Peterbilt 379, 'Scrapin' By,' capped off a big year last year with a win in Overdrive's 2025 Pride & Polish, picking up top honors in Working Bobtail.

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The rig underwent a near complete overhaul between the first time Overdrive featured it in late 2024 and the time it began making the rounds on the 2025 truck show circuit. That work paid off with big wins in numerous shows, including Overdrive's Pride & Polish.

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