PORTLAND, Ore. (Feb. 5) — A year ago, Freightliner president Jim Hebe outlined what seemed to some observers like an outlandish plan: to create FLS-112 day-cab conventionals out of used International cabover tractors. He’s now building two a day at the company’s plant in Mt. Holly, N.C. And he says the factory will produce 600 to 800 of the remanufactured conventionals — called the “Legacy Class” — in 1999.

“This works,” Hebe told trucking industry journalists at a meeting this week in Portland, Ore. “This absolutely works.”

The project began with a surplus of 1992 and 1993 ex-J.B. Hunt and ex-Schneider National cabovers in Freightliner’s used truck inventory. They were not easy to sell. Day-cab Freightliner conventionals, on the other hand, had a market.

The cabovers are disassembled and their Detroit Diesel 11.1-litre Series 60 engines (350 horsepower at 2100 rpm) are remanufactured and upgraded to current specs by DDC; their Eaton Fuller RTF-13609A 9-speed transmissions are rebuilt by Eaton; and a DDC subsidiary rebuilds the 40,000-pound Eaton DS402 rear axles. They’re then mated to a new Freightliner chassis and FLS-112 steel cab.

Other specs: air suspension; 12,000-pound Meritor front axle; aluminum hubs; Michelin XZE tires, and Meritor WABCO anti-lock brakes. A 365-horse Detroit engine and 13-speed Eaton Fuller box are options. The remanufactured trucks carry a comprehensive warranty: one year/100,000 miles on the whole truck; two years/200,000 miles on the powertrain; three years/300,000 miles on cab structure and hood; and six years/750,000 miles on the frame rails.

Legacy Class trucks are available now at Freightliner’s SelecTrucks used truck superstores (four of them are soon to open in Canada) and at participating Freightliner dealers.