Walt Moss, owner of a trucking business, builds his wild creations just from a simple vision in his head. He started way back in 1978, when he spent most of his free time crafting some of the most unique diesel-powered hot rods you’ll ever see. Since then, he has proven that a little bit of therapy and a whole lot of diesel power can lead to incredible results without the help of computer-aided designs.

A Twin-Turbo Trike

One of Walt’s favorite builds is a three-wheeled machine that defies classification. “I was just trying to build something that had never been done,” he said. The trike is powered by a twin-turbo 3208 CAT diesel engine mated to a six-speed Allison transmission. With two passenger seats in the back covered by a canopy made from a semi-truck hood, it’s a guaranteed head-turner. “All of a sudden, now they’re driving 10 miles an hour faster than you to come and see what the heck that was that just went by,” he joked.

A 131-MPH Semi

Proving he’s not afraid of a big project, Walt also built a slammed custom semi-truck. With a 1,000-horsepower C15 CAT engine, a 13-speed transmission, and a full air-ride suspension, the truck is a true highway monster. It’s not just for show, either.

“I just wanted to try it out one time,” he said. “And, on GPS, not the speedometer, I had it up to 131 miles an hour on private track, of course.” Like all his builds, he drives it, having taken it on long trips to places like Clearwater Beach, Florida.

A Peterbilt-Faced School Bus

One of his most sentimental projects is a 1959 school bus he dragged out of a field where it had sat for more than 30 years. He grafted a Peterbilt front clip onto the old bus body and dropped in a 600-horsepower, 8.3-liter Cummins diesel.

The build also holds a special memory for him. “I took my daughter and 13 of her friends to the prom in this,” he recalled.

The Craftsman’s Code

From a hot rod built from the bones of an 81-year-old road grader to a custom motorcycle with a semi-truck tire on the back, Walt’s garage is a testament to his unique vision. He builds without drawings, driven by a clear picture of the final product in his mind.

“I don’t consider myself a high-end vehicle builder. I just built some stuff that I think is pretty cool and needs to be built,” he reflected. It’s this humble, hands-on approach that makes Walt Moss and his diesel hot rods truly one-of-a-kind.