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Mack Superliner Rebuild


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I bought this one a little while ago and started redoing it last month. The original build wasn't the greatest, so this is what I've gotten done so far. I still plan on going back through with some thinned out black to weather a little more on top of the chalk dust I already applied. I still need to finish building the windshield screen and patch the missing pieces from the sleeper. Wish I could have saved the rivets, but with the paint scheme I am planning on doing. I think it will be good. I plan to mimic the original decals for the sleeper but have the paint wrap over the top and the back of the sleeper. Luckily I was able to find replacement decals online. I am also looking to use some black felt covered with aluminum foil to simulate an insulation/sound dampener for the front of the firewall, and under the cab and sleeper. One other thing I would like to try is to use some vinyl I have and make some tank covers for the fuel tanks, I'll have to see how that goes.

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Mack Engine Back Right.jpg

Mack Engine Left.jpg

Mack Frame Left.jpg

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If you want to replicate the rivets check out Micro-Mark.  They make a sheet of decal rivets for HO and O scale trains.  I've used them to represent riveted cabs and bodies.  They slide on just like regular decals.  I put them on after priming so that they don't get completely lost in the color coat.

 

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Here is a couple of pics with the hood, cab, and the sleeper mocked up still waiting to be worked on. You can also see my attempt to making a frame for a new windshield screen, I still need to cut the lower portion and solder in the center post. I am still looking into fabricating air cleaner mounts for the sides of the cab since I am having issues registering with Auslowe to order their brackets. Maybe some brackets from the snap Kenworth kit might work, now to see if I have a couple.

Edited by Conway1979
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Here is some work I have done for the air cleaner brackets, the snap Kenworth brackets worked out pretty good I think after a couple alterations. A few more adjustments and they should sit pretty straight once finally mounted. I know the tape kinda takes away from it a little.

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Thanks for the compliments guys. So I did some painting on the cab today, it was going well until I started on the upper portion of the cab. After I laid down the first coat from the top, I noticed on the cowl and the top part of the tunnel to head to the sleeper, the paint started to wrinkle. Of course I got impatient. Good thing is, it was just those two spots. So a question for you all, I'm not a truck driver, so I don't really know the answer. I just always liked trucks and wanted to get pretty close to a real one. The section between the cab and the sleeper, is that a solid piece, or is it a rubber donut gasket? I have some heat shrink I was going to cut and wrap the outside of the tunnel to the sleeper so it can mimic a rubber look, if it is supposed to be rubber. Another question is, for the cowl. I was thinking of making a non skid type of paste out of talcum powder and black paint, to place on the cowl. My thinking was if for some reason the marker lights on the top of the cab or something up there needed to be attended to, the driver wont slip and fall on his/her butt. Another thought is to paint the cowl and the top of the hood a satin black. Opinions would be appreciated, I'm going to give the paint a few days to cure so I don't mess up the good portions of it. I already did a mall amount of wet sanding to it, and kind of started to get the mentioned ideas.

Cab1.jpg

Cab2.jpg

Edited by Conway1979
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Thanks for the info Rich, showing a few more things I've done on the truck. I think the soundproofing came out pretty decent on this, I'm still going to use some aluminum tape to cover the seam line up between the bottom of the cab and the firewall. I did realize when I did my flocking, I should have done the detail work first, then flocked. Make sure to do that next time. The dash cap is going to be painted red, and I still need to add the gauges to the dash. I used some rubber tape to simulate the rubber gasket between the cab and the sleeper, needs a little trim so the cab and sleeper line up better. I think this will work fine for that portion. Just some testing on the fuel tank to try and make tank covers, I dipped it in some liquid rubber electrical tape. I'm going to try some flex seal next time to see if I can avoid the air bubbles that this one got, at least it can be peeled off and redo it.

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Looks like the sleeper boot turned out good, if you google truck sleeper boot it will pull up a bunch of different styles for future use. Looks like your flocking turned out really nice to bad you have the repair to do now. The liquid electrical tape is something I would have never thought of great idea, was actually trying to figure out how to con my wife into making me some for my 1/16 Pete, this appears to be much easier.

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Thanks Rich, after I put the picture up here. I started messing with the fuel tank, the liquid tape will make the plastic soft, as it eats into it a little from the solvents. Just something to be aware of. But this could also be the type of tape I was using, hopefully the flex seal is not as harsh.

 

Edited by Conway1979
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  • 3 months later...

It has been a little bit, but I have a little more completed on the truck. Decals were a pain, but that just might be from them being so old. I think they will blend in a little better after I brush some thinned out paint or chalk and water on it to dirty it up a little. I'm also going to brush on some dry chalk to dirty inside the cab too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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