LongRoofNut Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 So I finally made the plunge of building a big rig. Bought a hand full of cabs and trailers from the '70s era (I build factory stock cars from the same era). I don't know the first thing about these kits but went over the instructions and looked over a good amount of pictures on the web to get the idea what I wanted. This kit has been nothing short of a nightmare, from warped parts, alignment pins off, and various issues that show the toolings age. But in the end of the day the rig is still a good looking work truck and it's testing my skills as a modeler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbill Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 it's looking good so far. for future reference, cut the alignment pins off just about everything on these AMT kits, as nothing really lines up, lol. they can be built into good looking trucks, just need extra patience some times. she's looking good though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Welcome to the dark side. Alignment is always an issue. It might save you some headache to line the cab up with the hood where its gonna be on the frame. The gap between the cab can be fixed this way. Just dont mount the cab permanent till the gaps look right visually. This is a common thing on all these trucks with hoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilrathy10 Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Great looking build, so far....As the guys have stated, the AMT rigs can test anybody....Regardless of how many times you've built the same kit, there always seems to be something different in each one.....The Italeri and Moebius kits are much better models to work with, fit wise, but also more expensive.....But, most of the time, they're worth the extra coin.....I hope the end result will only leave craving for more.....Great job, Man.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Some real good advice guys for when I take the plunge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tesla Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 This is looking very nice...you're doing fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongRoofNut Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 Thanks guys! So far little by little its coming along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpeterbilt Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 That was the first kit I ever built as a kid. I currently have about 30 of them, about half are resin donors. This is a great kit, and I think youll be satisfied when your done. It doesnt have any major issues as some do. As was already said, I always trim off the locating pins to insure a good fit on all of the chassis components. It looks like your off to a good start. Good luck with the rest of your build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonye66 Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Still looks BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH good... I too recently stepped into the big-rig game. I have probably 200+ built and unbuilt cars and I hit a slump I was having trouble recovering from. On a whim, I picked up a Kenworth K123 on clearance at HL and Im totally back into the game. Ive since bought 5 more trucks to go along with this one and a few trailers are on order. Only real issue I ran into was the seriously warped frame rails on the Kenworth.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 As far as the AMT kits go, you picked a pretty good one to start with. This one's actually a pleasure to build compared to some of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackvision Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I wholeheartedly agree with the others,some of the "vintage" AMT truck kits can test your patience and resolve for sure! test fit,test fit,test fit! and you will be pleased with the end result. Good reference material is also a must,because AMT's instructions can be vague at best. The Diamond Reo is one of the better kits for fit,but a good many suffer from the dreaded warped frame rails! a good jig,some clamps to keep everything straight and you should be fine....................Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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