57 replies to this topic

[SpreadAxle]

I had a lot of starts and stops, but I was able to get the hard part of detailing this engine done. The 6 fuel injector lines are made from K and S .025" music wire that I bent and shaped to the best of my ability using 2 pairs of needlenose pliers. This is the first time I've ever tried detailing the 3406. I still have to add the rest of the lines, which I hope to do tomorrow night.

Here's a quick mock up in the frame

[Jim B]

Injector lines look nice.

[Old Albion]

Ray,

Looks good! I was just thinking that you got the colour of the engine perfect then noticed the rattle can in the background! Did you get that direct from Clatterpillar?

Oh by the way I like both the short frome and the long frame. The long frame reminds me of the Alaskan KW Tim has just built. The truck looks good in the grey primer and the black frame. Gives it that sort of aged weathered look.

Dave

[Johnny]

I'm pretty sure that both the W900 & K100 Aerodynes in 1976 had the tandem torsion bar suspension as an option. So, on that note, both of my Bicentennial Kenworths will have the tandem torsion bar suspension. Have to make a matched set, ya know.

We had a 76 W900 with torsion bar suspension at the sod farm! They had added a wet kit and was using it to also pull a dump trailer, not really a great idea at all! So first winter I worked there I changed it over to an air ride system taken from a wrecked 77 (twisted frame from tipping over a load of frozen roadmix) they had sitting there in the truck barn!
Sure made for a less kidney busting ride!

[Old Albion]

Check out this beast for sale on Truckpaper.com

1979 W900 with Aluminum Frame, Cummins KTA600 and Torsion Bar Suspension.

http://www.truckpape...px?OHID=2512091

Dave

[SpreadAxle]

Thanks everyone. The paint came from a CAT dealership. If you want to get a can for yourself, just be aware it's not cheap. $8 a can.

[SpreadAxle]

Today was mostly a day of sanding. I sanded the cab, hood, and sleeper and lightly primed it again with some more DupliColor Primer. The cab plug I made had given the cab slight "humpback look" that I was able to correct.

My main mod 2day was to the hood. I have a photoetch detail set that was meant for the Revell AG W900, but I kept thinking it would look good on this kit. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it just kept nagging at me. So, with the knowledge that I have a spare hood and grille at home, I went ahead and opened up the hood and grille. After the cuts were made, I did some more test fitting and found the new grille fits real nice. I'll show that when it's mounted.

[SpreadAxle]

I completed the dash last weekend. I just couldn't get my camera to grab a decent pic until 2day when I put it on my trailer deck. I added a few things. The defroster vents were cut from an AMT K100 Aerodyne dash. Under the dash are the heater controls and what-not from the AMT W 925 dash. I added turn signal and highbeam indicators to the instrument panel. Still needs a bit of a touch up.

[mackinac359]

Do you have any Future Floor Finish? If you do (or a similar clear acrylic), pour some in a bowl, dip a tiny brush in and apply a dab of Future or clear to the faces of the dials on the dash. Let it cure. The clear will make the dials 'pop' with a look of having a glass face.

Tim

[SpreadAxle]

Thanks Tim, I'll have to try that. Sounds like a simple trick.

[Aaronw]

Seeing this inspired me to have a look at the kit, I am much more interested in building it as a daycab, but the built in high top sleeper made that seem unlikely. I've changed my mind seeing yours, not a simple conversion but very do-able.

However it also made me realize why no one has made a resin day cab for this kit, the rest of the conversion would be almost as much work, cutting down the interior tub and sleeper base molded to the frame. Anyone willing to take that on can probably do the cab as well. Then there is the cost even a modestly priced cab would double the price of the kit.

I have one favor to ask, could you tell me the measurements of the back window and how far above the bottom of the cab the bottom of the window is?

Thanks

[Jim B]

Aaron, so you know, all of Gary Wallace's Kenworth kits are based on this cab.

[Aaronw]

I'm not saying anything bad about the kit, just that after really looking at it I realized making it into a day cab involves a lot more than just cutting off the sleeper and adding a back wall. Having looked at it though and seeing what is being done here, I am now even more positive I want to make it into a daycab.

[Jim B]

Oh, I'm not knocking the kit. It's a really nice kit, and I like how it fits together. You could also make it a Aerodyne II sleeper by replacing the square sleeper doors with the round sleeper doors from the AMT T600 kit.

[SpreadAxle]

You could also make it a Aerodyne II sleeper by replacing the square sleeper doors with the round sleeper doors from the AMT T600 kit.

Hmmmm....IDEA!!!!

[SpreadAxle]

Aaron, here are the measurements you asked for. I took my 1/25 Scale Card and measured, so these are in scale inches. Bottom of window to bottom of cab, 33". Top of window to bottom of window, 18". Window side to side, 29".

[Jim B]

Ray, if you did that, would you have to switch the hood to make it a W900B? I'm thinking that you'd have to.

[Aaronw]

Aaron, here are the measurements you asked for. I took my 1/25 Scale Card and measured, so these are in scale inches. Bottom of window to bottom of cab, 33". Top of window to bottom of window, 18". Window side to side, 29".

Thanks, that will help. Thanks for the inspiration too, I finally have an idea for this kit.

[SpreadAxle]

Ray, if you did that, would you have to switch the hood to make it a W900B? I'm thinking that you'd have to.

Yes, it would be a W900B. I was going to use the Aerodyne roof from this project on a T600 sleeper for a later year Aerodyne. Your idea sounds cool, too. It would be for a W900B. The earliest W900B's had the square corner doors on the sleeper like the Snap kit. The round corner doors started appearing around '85 or so. I have a Gary Wallace W900B kit that I plan on using with a Snap kit to model an early W900B.

[SpreadAxle]

It's been awhile since I updated this thing, but it's still going. Here's a mockup now that she's been painted and striped. The color is DupliColor Classic White. The stripes are made by Special Appearance Decals available through STS. These are the Movin' On kit stripes redone in red and black.

As for the mods, I used the fuel tanks from a Revell AG Kenworth W900 kit. They were the perfect size for my shortened frame. The Visor came from an AMT W925. To install it, I notched the corners of the cab and thinned the visor. I got the idea from the Revell AG kit, since the cab in that kit is notched where the visor goes.

Since this is the 1991 re-issue of this kit with the "self stripping chrome", I went ahead and painted the bumper, wheels, and battery boxes with Model Master Aluminum Plate buffing laquer. They still need another coat, I just wanted to see how it looked.





Thanks for looking.