Force

Yes of course an alternative is to lace your own wire wheels...but I'm too lazy for that.

Yes I got that decal set...but the earlier ALPS printed set with real gold and there are two gold bug grille emblems there. As I have mentioned earlier, 1973 was Kenworth's 50th anniversary and all trucks from that model year had gold bug grille emblems to recongize that instead of the regular red, and the main truck in the movie was a 1973.

I got my C15's today from Jamie and I can only agree, top quality and highly recommended.

I would like to have them too.

Go to Competition Resins, they have them. http://www.compresins.com/site/751597/product/CRC-062

A "crate motor" is a complete engine with heads also called long block, or a block complete with rotating assembly and no heads also called short block, from the aftermarket delivered in a crate, either it's from the original manufacturer GM, Ford or Mopar, or from Edelbrock or any of the other aftermarket manufacturers who sells engines. So the "crate motor" term is a bit strange to use when we talk models.

Several of the recent Chevy kits with big block has nice engines. You can take whatever Chevrolet Generation 2 big block 396-427-454 you like, they all look the same on the outside as they are based on the same design, all differences are internal (bore and stroke).

Good job Angel...but you forgot to paint the grille KW "bug" emblem gold as it was on the main truck in the movie, yours is the usual red. The Revell/Monogram snap trucks are not bad but the things I like the least are the wheels, the rear ones are much too shallow and the tires...well they are not to my liking, fortunately there are much nicer replacements on the aftermarket.

Great work Jürgen. I have a couple of E-Types and I would like to find a set of photoetched correct wire wheels for them as they look a lot better than the plastic wheels.

Yes AMT did two versions of the Super Boss, one with Thermo King Diesel Racing Team markings on the doors and no map outlines on the hood sides from 1978ish and one version with Bandag Diesel Racing Team markings on the doors and the map outlines on the hood sides from 1980-81, the other three trucks became available around the same time as the second version of the Super Boss, after the racing trucks were done as model kits by AMT Malone added "Super Boss AMT Hobby Kit" and "Bandag Bandit AMT Hobby Kit" to the side plates of the rear wings. The map outlines on the hood sides on the Bandag version of the Super Boss were starting from the cab, Europe, Central America and Australia and it was the parts of the world the Super Boss had been to outside of the US, Malones first European Tour was in 1981 and he came to Sweden that time, unfortunately I was too young and had no drivers license (you have to be 18 to get a drivers license here in Sweden and I was only 17 at the time) and it was too far to go there from where I live but I've got a couple of Swedish magazine articles from the events. Malone did another European Tour in 1989 but Sweden was not on the visiting list that time, the Super Boss had been repainted with a new slightly different paintjob at that tour with five parts of the World painted in blue on the hood sides (USA, Canada, Australia, Alaska and Europe) and a yellow and chrome metal Bandag badge riveted to the doors (it was decals or painted on before), different lettering and less other sponsor decals, and the "Super Boss AMT Hobby Kit" on the wing sides was gone. The transport trucks also got new slightly different paintjobs and tubeless two hole chrome rims instead of the Truck Mate five hole split rims they had before, they together with the other trucks also had the same Bandag badges riveted to the doors as the Super Boss.

I'm not a facebook member and I will never be as I don't need any more time thiefs...and I don't like the facebook concept, so I only look at a couple of open to public facebook sites from time to time...but I prefer forums before facebook any day, mostly because its easier to follow and I learn a lot more from the forums than on the "unsocial medias"...yes I call them unsocial as most of the people I know who use them does it on their coffee and lunch breaks at work and doesn't talk to their colleagues at all. Time spent...well it depends...some days it can be a couple of hours and other days nothing at all.

The Bandag Bandit was in the fire, in fact it was inside the shop when it burned as you can see in this picture (click on the link). http://public.fotki.com/superboss1/tyrone_malone/fire-at-the-shop-15.html The Boss Truck of America truck and Old No 8 truck was also damaged in this fire together with some more of Malones vehicles and trailers. http://public.fotki.com/superboss1/tyrone_malone/fire-at-the-shop-17.html Many of the surviving Tyrone Malone trucks are now owned by Gary Ries and his Stage Coach Diesel Racing Museum in Minnesota, as far as I know Gary owns the Super Boss, the Papa Truck, the Hurricane, the Defiance and the Smokey Bear Corvette, he also bought the Hideout Truck, the Boss Truck Of America, the Old Blue whale truck and a couple of the trailers...but he does not own the Bandag Bandit, that truck is owned by Bridgestone who owns Bandag Retreading and it's on display at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop Museum. All this according to what I have found out on Ken Harris Tyrone Malone Bandag Diesel Racing Team facebook site https://www.facebook.com/Tyrone-Malone-and-the-Bandag-diesel-racing-team-189062841121878/timeline/ Check it out if you haven't, you will find lots of pictures and interesting stories there as well as on his fotki albums http://public.fotki.com/superboss1/ Ken worked for Malone and drove the Papa Truck transporter at the European Tour in 1989.and I have been in contact with him a couple of times in my research on the subject. Yes Jerry has decals for all four trucks...I have bought all of them, but he only has the earlier Thermo King version from the late 70's with the Thermo King Diesel Racing Team on the doors for the Super Boss, not the later early 80's Bandag version, the other three are the early 80's Bandag versions with Bandag Diesel Racing Team on the doors...he even has two decal versions for the Hideout Truck.

Yes there was a fire in the Malone shop in Bakersfield, CA and most of the trucks were more or less damaged, the Bandit was inside the building at the time and might have needed another cab after the fire and they used an older one than it had from the beginning. The Boss Truck Of America were started to be rebuilt but was never finished and most of them got new paintjobs after the fire; Gary Reis from Minnesota now owns most of the surviving Malone trucks except for the Bandit wich is owned by Bridgestone who now owns Bandag and is on display at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop Museum. Well the future will tell, I think they they most likely will do a kit with a decal sheet to do both of Malone's transporters, I would be surprised if they did a double kit with two complete trucks. There are most likely as much hassle with the licenses to be able to do the Papa Truck and Hideout Truck as for the Super Boss and Bandag Bandit, if the transporters are correct mostly all brand names are used on these as well as on them and if they didn't get all licenses the trucks will not be right. I also don't think the transporters will sell as good as if the race trucks also were reissued so lets hope they will do them too.

Nice save Ben. Tom: Both race trucks were built from W 900 Glider Kits. The Super Boss race truck is a 1974 KW W900, the hood and grille is mostly stock above the bumper but instead of a bumper it has an airfoil/spoiler, it has a wing on top and winglets on the sides above the fenders and a scoop on top. The Bandag Bandit race truck is a 1978 KW 900, the grille is stock but it had square headlights that looks to be from a 1977 Buick Regal, the same type spoiler instead of a bumper as the Super Boss and scoops on top and on the sides. It looks like the cab has been changed to a much earlier cab sometime on the Bandit because on the earlier pictures it has the low mounted paddle latch type door handles that came in 1972 and a white, blue and yellow interior and on later pictures it has the older high mounted door handles and a black interior Both trucks had the same style rear body except for the rear panel/tail lights and a large rear wing. The most challenging would be to replicate the small front wheels if you want to do a correct model in 1:16

Ben: That's a shame, it looks to be a nice paint and decal job, well you might be able to find another rear body somewhere as I have seen some on ebay from time to time (it's the same for both the Super Boss and the Bandag Bandit except for the rear panel), but the decals are harder as no replacement decals has been done for the later Bandag version, the ones I have found are for the earlier Thermo King version (Modeltruckin' and Gooche has them). Cary: Yes, if it's the ramp truck it's either the Papa Truck or the Hideout Truck K100 Aerodyne transporters, it seems a bit strange that they are going to do one of the transporters first and not the race trucks.

Chevrolet bored out the 396 to 402 for 1970 but it was still called 396 in Chevelles due to the same reasons as for the Buick. But the displacement isn't that important, if it's a Ford 332, 352, 361, 390, 391, 406, 410, 427 or 428, if they are FE or FT or even Cobra or Cobra Jet they are all from the same engine family and looks basically the same on the outside with very small differences, the most differences between them are internal. In our hobby you can take wich FE engine you like and call it what you want as those outside differences are too small to notice when the engine is in the engine bay of the model, the main thing is to have the correct accessories for the time like valve covers, induction system and air cleaner to do the version you want it to be...and the same goes for many other makes if the engines are from the same family. Ford came with the 427 late 1963 as a replacement for the 406 and even tho' it was 425 cu in they called it 427 because it's close to 7 litres and it sounded cooler than 425, 7 litres was also the engine displacement limit in some racing classes like LeMans and some others, so Ford had the 427 in 1966 (in the GT40 Mk II) and 67 (in the Mk IV) at the LeMans wins, for 1968 they lowered the displacement to 5 litres and the small block engines were used instead in 1968 and 69 wins (in the Gulf GT 40 Mk I). The American Trans Am series also had a 5 litre displacement limit and that's why they used the 302 and 303 engines in that series. The 427 "Side Oiler" didn't come until 1965 and was a short lived engine as the FE 427 was too expensive and difficult to build with it's short stroke and large bore, so they redid the concept and came with the 428 in 1966 wich had longer stroke and smaller bore than the 427. By the way, all 427 and the late 406 FE blocks has cross bolts for the 3 middle main bearing caps, no other factory engine had those. Chevrolet had the Z11 409 based 427 in 1963 and also came with the "mystery engine" wich also was a 427 the same year, it looks more like the later Mk IV 396, 427, 454 engine but was more related to the 409 than the later engine.

I have read some things between the lines pointing in this direction on Ken Harris "Tyrone Malone And The Bandag Diesel Racing Team" facebook site a while ago so it could for sure be true. Even tho' I have the original releases of the Tyrone Malone trucks, two Super Boss race trucks (one Thermo King version from 1978-80 and one Bandag version from 1981-82) , two Papa Truck transporters (from 1981-82), two Bandag Bandit race trucks (from 1981-82) and two Hideout Truck transporters (from 1981-82)...it would be great to have them back and I will probably get at least one more each when and if they come out.

Nice work Chuck!! By the V12 I believe you mean the Detroit Diesel 12V-71 (852 cu in, slightly under 14 litres) wich was for trucks, marine and stationary applications often called Buzzin' Dozen, not the Allison V-1710 V12 (1710 cu in, 28 litres)) wich is an gasoline airplane engine.

Me too!!!...Please!!

The AMT Kenworth W925 has a cabin fan on the chrome sprue, one are also included in the AMT Kenworth K123 and the T600A kits. It would be a nice thing to have these fans in photo etch, the ones included in the kits are not that good looking.

Nice work!!

I have been hoping for a good styrene kit of the Cobra Daytona for a long time and are a bit surprised that no one has done it yet.

I got a couple of wheel sets from Jamie last week and I've ordered a couple of C15's from him immediately after when I saw he had them.

Italeri has been known to take shortcuts when they do their kits and many of their kits are not accurate replicas of what they are supposed to be, I would think the reason is that they don't want to spend the money to do it right so therefore they take shorcuts here and there to make it cheaper. I'm sure they have all the requried licenses for the makes they do kits of, otherwise they couldn't stay in business for long. I personally think it's a shame that they doesn't bother to do it right when they do new kits or revised older kits, they are more fun to build if they are accurate replicas of what they are supposed to be and have all the right components.

I would go with black myself, I have never seen the color Coffee Brown up close so I can't say how it looks, but I have seen the Smokie end the Bandit movie a gazillion times and the Snowman truck looks black to me from every angle it's shown in the movie...even on the close ups and with sunshine directly on it. I don't even know where the Coffee Brown statement comes from and how reliable it is, I believe I found it mentioned on the IMCDB website when I did research on the movie truck where someone said it was painted Coffee Brown, I don't know if everyone else has read it there as it shows on more places on Internet...but with no proof and no color code, just the name. But as the real movie truck(s) is gone no one will ever know for sure except for the people who painted it. So when I will build mine I will for sure go with black and it will have a gold KW bug emblem on the grille wich all 1973 KW's had to celebrate the KW 50th anniversary.