The Hide Hauler - Texas Long Horn Cattle Crate

 

The Long Horn "Hide Hauler" Texas GT...

Year: 1971        Make: White         Model: Western Star

This is something I started last year, actually the year before that, seeing we're in a new year, again.

I bought a small stockpile of these kits, before the "life-changing pandemic". An online store, had them on "clearance sale" (weird because they made more of these kits again since.)

They were something like $19 each.

I had to think of different ways to build all these Whites. I made one almost stock, but not box stock; I used the cab-over White Freightliner for all the flashy chrome parts, like the "dual" big chrome exhaust stacks, and rear wheels etc...

Then an idea came to me for another one, a lower-rider! And I'd build it as low as I could, and stretch the frame longer than I've ever done. The hood is long on these trucks so I figured it would be a good candidate. I chopped the top, (lowered the roof) for an even sleeker look.

I used the same dual chrome stacks from the White cabover on this one to, but because of the Long-Horn cattle truck theme, I wanted the tips to bend outwards and angled at the end, so they formed a point; sorta like Long-Horn cattle.

This is before I cut the roof off... Preparing for cutting a section out of the middle.

Here it is after I cut all the posts. (Before filing & sanding)

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To get the hood to sit lower on the frame, I had to raise the fenders.

(to match the cab that'll sit right on the frame, no space).

To do that I cut the fenders off the hood, and glued them back on, in the correct hight to match the front tires.

I also opened up the wheel opening lip, to better fit the high-floatation tires I wanted to use.

This is a basic mock-up pose...

Here's one side of the  Wilson "extended" cattle trailer. Two trailer kits are needed to make this.

Pretty cool huh partner?