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Popular Mods For Rookies..


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Thanks Clayton,  I've found out there's a couple of kits I'll stay away from, the ones you mentioned first just now are my current faves. The White COE too, I can't find the KW123.  For now I'd like to start with day cabs.

Another thing I don't understand is why the longer wheelbase mods?  Bigger sleeper, or is it a driving/handling thing?  Some guys are doing really long, stretched out chassis....why?

Most do it for the look. It is a West coast thing. Long trucks are hard to get around tight cities with, which is why they are less common on the East coast, as the roads on the East coast tend to be tighter and harder to get around in.

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Thanks guys, another thing learned.

So, I think I've made my choices finally for which two kits I'd like to start with, both are from the past.  It seems like AMT gets the win, I'll probably even skip the Peterbilt for now.  I like the White COE and the Diamond Reo.  The former just hits it in my opinion and will take customizing well.  I like the Diamond Reo because it seems like a real workhorse with not many frills and it will look good as a clean powerful looking model.  As KJ suggested, modeling a truck using reference pics is a good way to go, I agree.  My last two scratch builds were done using real cars.  I like this, from Pinterest;

White_COE_1.thumb.jpg.3554707c9f5d85f759

So lets see what I've learned from this topic.  Here a couple of the mods done;

1. Chrome visor and side wind deflectors

2. Chromed large bumper with lights

3. Chrome rear fenders

4. Lug nuts from a chariot in a gladiator movie....lol

5. Stainless (?) fuel tanks, large type

6. Chromed rims, front and rear

7. Aluminum custom boxes (for whatever?)

8. Slightly lowered and probably stretched too

9. Custom paintjob  (love the color ion this truck!)

10. Tinted glass

Good huh?  Anything else?

 

Edited by 10thumbs
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Most do it for the look. It is a West coast thing. Long trucks are hard to get around tight cities with, which is why they are less common on the East coast, as the roads on the East coast tend to be tighter and harder to get around in.

 

 

 

Tell that to Ritchie Acosta in his project 350 Pete out there on the East Coast. He pulls a reefer with that 350 inch wheelbase east coast truck. Now that was done for looks. In my opinion it's too long. Out here, we have overall length laws, but the long wheel base allows us to carry the long 65 to 75 foot beams and rebar on a 48 foot trailer with no permits. Granted, there are some that are done for looks. It is a West Coast, long and low thing.

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Thanks guys, another thing learned.

So, I think I've made my choices finally for which two kits I'd like to start with, both are from the past.  It seems like AMT gets the win, I'll probably even skip the Peterbilt for now.  I like the White COE and the Diamond Reo.  The former just hits it in my opinion and will take customizing well.  I like the Diamond Reo because it seems like a real workhorse with not many frills and it will look good as a clean powerful looking model.  As KJ suggested, modeling a truck using reference pics is a good way to go, I agree.  My last two scratch builds were done using real cars.  I like this, from Pinterest;

White_COE_1.thumb.jpg.3554707c9f5d85f759

So lets see what I've learned from this topic.  Here a couple of the mods done;

1. Chrome visor and side wind deflectors

2. Chromed large bumper with lights

3. Chrome rear fenders

4. Lug nuts from a chariot in a gladiator movie....lol

5. Stainless (?) fuel tanks, large type

6. Chromed rims, front and rear

7. Aluminum custom boxes (for whatever?)

8. Slightly lowered and probably stretched too

9. Custom paintjob  (love the color ion this truck!)

10. Tinted glass

Good huh?  Anything else?

 

 

 

The fuel tanks are mostly aluminum, some are steel. Stainless is heavy and a bit pricey, so it's rarely used. The boxes are mainly used as battery and storage. Some look like boxes, but are just steps to hide the DPF. 

You posted a really nice truck. Different from the kit, but it can be built. The steps can be gotten from P&P Resin, if they have them in stock. The headlights are bit tougher to do, but I'm sure you can do it. The rear fenders are bitchin on there, I like the long gangster lowrider style that those are. 

I'm really lookin forward to seeing what you build Micheal. I'm sure it will be just as detailed and we'll done as your drag cars. I'm almost shakin, waitin.

Edited by Petetrucker07
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Thanks Clayton.

So....you probably knew it was coming.  DPF is what exactly? 

The 5th wheel looks like it's far back, I don't think the perspective cheats here, the frame must be stretched.  I've downloaded a bunch of these trucks, the ones that just kill me are a single tone paint scheme.  I have them in different turquoise shades too that look real good in my eyes.  Being from South Florida, I like the color.  This blue does rock though.  I have an idea too, I've been experimenting with H of K colors and I've mixed one that I call Mallard Blue, like the named duck.  Like the pic above, just with some dark green in there, and on a silver base, this makes for a really stunning dark and cool temperatured custom color.  I like it on this truck.

The lowered White Freightliner has become one of my personal faves.  Looks like maybe he has chrome trim around the front fenders too. 

QUESTION:  I got info from UTube on the 5th wheel.  The blocks for the trailer wheels while sitting, plus the ones used for the truck when the driver gets out to check things, where are they stored while pulling the trailer?  Somewhere on the trailer frame itself, or on the tractor somewhere?

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Thanks Clayton.

So....you probably knew it was coming.  DPF is what exactly? 

The 5th wheel looks like it's far back, I don't think the perspective cheats here, the frame must be stretched.  I've downloaded a bunch of these trucks, the ones that just kill me are a single tone paint scheme.  I have them in different turquoise shades too that look real good in my eyes.  Being from South Florida, I like the color.  This blue does rock though.  I have an idea too, I've been experimenting with H of K colors and I've mixed one that I call Mallard Blue, like the named duck.  Like the pic above, just with some dark green in there, and on a silver base, this makes for a really stunning dark and cool temperatured custom color.  I like it on this truck.

The lowered White Freightliner has become one of my personal faves.  Looks like maybe he has chrome trim around the front fenders too. 

QUESTION:  I got info from UTube on the 5th wheel.  The blocks for the trailer wheels while sitting, plus the ones used for the truck when the driver gets out to check things, where are they stored while pulling the trailer?  Somewhere on the trailer frame itself, or on the tractor somewhere?

 

To answer your questions...

A DPF, diesel particulate filter, it's used to filter the soot out of the exhaust. It's just big filter that's it. And it also acts a as muffler too.

The wheel chalks are sometimes stored on the truck either in a box, rack or anywhere the fit. They can be on the trailer too, as mine are on my work truck since I'm constantly unhook in the trailer to unload. Go on UTube and search transfer dump truck and you'll understand why I'm constantly unhooking. But for the dry van and refer guys, the wheel chalks are usually on site, in the docking area, same with the trailer jack stands when required to unhook while unloading.

The truck you posted, it does have aftermarket wheel well trim, usually it's black rubber.

Edited by Petetrucker07
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Tell that to Ritchie Acosta in his project 350 Pete out there on the East Coast. He pulls a reefer with that 350 inch wheelbase east coast truck. Now that was done for looks. In my opinion it's too long. Out here, we have overall length laws, but the long wheel base allows us to carry the long 65 to 75 foot beams and rebar on a 48 foot trailer with no permits. Granted, there are some that are done for looks. It is a West Coast, long and low thing.

Yeah, there are some on the east coast, but they are definitely less common, especially in the north east where the roads are a lot tighter and twistier. I know a guy that got a really stretched Pete up here, but he got rid of it after only a few months because he couldn't get into a lot of the places he needed to. Some of them do look cool though!

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KJ, I think you wrote on one of my other topics about the NE being a little different concerning the way trucks are ordered, maybe this stretched frame deal fits in there too.

About the tight roads, reminds me of how German small towns here during 1st Armored Division maneuvers get their old houses at intersections constantly chipped away because the boys in those big ole trucks can't quite make the tight turns in the old villages.   The trailers with Abrams heavy metal on them kind of take their toll.  Some roads are so tight here I can hardly get around a small car at a light when I'm zipping around on my little (but quick) Vespa, which is about the only way anymore to get anywhere in European towns.

Big trucks aren't even allowed in the cities for the most part.

By the way, no trucks Sunday either, period.  No trucks on the Autobahn on Sundays.

 

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Looking at a map of population density kind of helps make sense of the east / west style thing. The Mississippi river more or less follows the state lines down from Minneapolis, past St Louis and Memphis exiting into the gulf near New Orleans. You can see the population density is much higher east of the Mississippi until you reach California, Oregon and Washington. 

East Coast / West Coast as a descriptive term more or less = east or west of the Mississippi River. Geography plays a part as well with larger engines being common once you hit the Rocky Mountains and go west from there (more mountains so more power). You see some brand favoritism as well, Peterbilt, Kenworth and Freightliner being based in the west and designed for that market are more common in the western states. Mack is based in Pennsylvania and has a stronger market share in the eastern states. 

 

Population Density map

http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-65679/Population-density-of-the-United-States

 

 

Edited by Aaronw
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Matthew, now that's an altered wheelbase you're showing there!  The cabin can't be called a cabin, more like an apartment.  Whatcha got there in the back anyway?

 

Thank you. There is nothing inside, it was my first attempt of a custom sleeper so I didn't consider an interior. I'm tinting the windows on the top of it black to hide the lack of detail. :lol:

It depends on which kit. The Ca Hauler, Diamond Reo, White Road Boss, Western Star, are able to be day cabs. It gets a bit more involved with say a Revell snap KW or Pete. Those cabs and sleepers are molded as one piece.

Another couple to add to the list are the Chevy Bison/GMC General and the old KW W925 (Movin On) and it's (poorly done) cousin T-600 from AMT. They all have the little window pass through to the sleeper. 

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question about engines does the amt white western star have a CAT

 

Nope. It's either a cummins or a 8V71. The Revell trucks are only ones with CATs.

 

 

According to the box art photo I found on Model Roundup's page for the kit, it has the Cummins NTD 350.

http://www.modelroundup.com/product-p/amt-r2-724.htm

 

thanks for the info

There is no engine from Cummins called NTD and AMT miss spelled it on the box art, so it's most likely a NTC 350 and the same engine as in the Peterbilt 359 1100 cab kits, the recent California Hauler Peterbilt 359 Unilite "small window" cab kits has Detroit Diesel 8V-71.

The engines in the AMT truck kits are Cummins NHC 250, NTA 370, NTC 350, Detroit Diesel 8V-71, 12V-71T 16V-71, 8V-92 and 8V-92T, Cat 1160, Mack ENDT-673, 865 (MPC/Ertl), ENDT-675 and 676 Tip Turbine (AMT) and they had one optional Turbine engine a couple of years in the GMC Astro.
The other Ertl trucks Mack's excluded had Cummins V 903, International V-800, and Detroit Diesel 8V-71.
The Revell US Snap truck kit engines are Cat 3406 and in the 1:16 kits Cat 3406 and 3408.
The Revell AG engines are Cummins NTC 475 Twin Turbo and Cat 3408 for the US trucks (not the Italeri and Moebius based trucks)
Italeri has Cummins NTC 400 (some are meant to look like N14 but are not correct) and Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines in most of their US Trucks.
Moebius truck kits has International Maxxforce 15.
 

Edited by Force
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