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AMT White Freightliner COE-Updates-04/30


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With the end of my "Demon II" build in sight and a slight lull in it due to waiting on parts I've decided to put my next build on the work bench. This one is another "Blast from the Past". I built this kit as a kid and although it was a terrible build looking back, I had a lot of fun with it. After a tumble on the shelf shortly after I built it she was put out of her misery. The Pactra Star Blue paint had been brushed on and it was the ugly duckling of all of my builds even in that day. Flashing forward some 35 years later here I go to give this beauty another shot. As some of you know, I've been wanting to build a rig for some time now and this just seemed like the perfect one to build.

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The Pactra paint line has ended so I'll be on the search for a close, if not perfect, match to the original Star Blue as possible. I also need to do a lot of research on White Freightliners as to get a lot of the details right and the paints as close as possible. Decals are shot so I'll be outsourcing those to get a fresh set. I've also managed to round up an upgraded set of wheels and tires for this bad boy so I turned to Moebius for those.

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I've also ordered an upgraded resin  engine to use with this kit. The OOB one isn't bad but it just doesn't have the details that I want. So I'll be posting pictures of that when it comes in.

With that............let's get started...............

Edited by mustang1989
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If has the 3 part cab it will give you a fit. Use a sanding block or a plywood,400 grit paper and Sandown the the edges a bit. If there is a gap between the back wall that fits inside the cab you may want to use a thin sheet of plastic to fill the gap. Cut it 1MM wide,fit it smooth to the inside so the out side can be sanded with 400 to 600 grit. Test fit test fit test fit then test fit again. Decals try modektruckn.com  (I think).

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4 hours ago, towman1271 said:

 Great project.. If you have any truck questions ask away.. The guys on the truck side know there stuff & all are willing to give advice & help you along!

Thanks Dave!! I'll be sure to keep that in mind because I don't have just a whole lot of big truck experience. LOTS of light truck but none on the heavy side.

3 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Please post the paint that you find as a match for the "Pabst blue" --  I've got the same kit sitting partially built and that is one of the things blocking mine (among others).

Thanks!

 

I'll surely do that if / when I find the match Jeff

27 minutes ago, clayton said:

If has the 3 part cab it will give you a fit. Use a sanding block or a plywood,400 grit paper and Sandown the the edges a bit. If there is a gap between the back wall that fits inside the cab you may want to use a thin sheet of plastic to fill the gap. Cut it 1MM wide,fit it smooth to the inside so the out side can be sanded with 400 to 600 grit. Test fit test fit test fit then test fit again. Decals try modektruckn.com  (I think).

THANK YOU for that heads up on both parts Clayton.

Is there a PE set for these kits?

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Looking forward to your build! I always enjoy looking at your work! Just a heads up, the directions show the cab latch handles upside down.

These trucks were made in a variety of ways so you have plenty of options.

Just out of curiosity, what engine are you going with?

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3 hours ago, clayton said:

Thanks Clayton!

54 minutes ago, tbill said:

Grab a seat fellas, this is going to be a fantastic build....., totally looking forward to this seeing this evolve?

'Preciate the vote of confidence and great to see you again Tom. I've been scarce until the last couple of months. Had to take a break from the bench for a while.

48 minutes ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

Looking forward to your build! I always enjoy looking at your work! Just a heads up, the directions show the cab latch handles upside down.

These trucks were made in a variety of ways so you have plenty of options.

Just out of curiosity, what engine are you going with?

Thanks for the encouragement Brian. I'll be going with a resin NHC-250 Cummins.

s-l1600.jpg

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2 minutes ago, mustang1989 said:

Thanks Clayton!

'Preciate the vote of confidence and great to see you again Tom. I've been scarce until the last couple of months. Had to take a break from the bench for a while.

Thanks for the encouragement Brian. I'll be going with a resin NHC-250 Cummins.

s-l1600.jpg

That is a very nice engine from Dan. If it is the same one that I used on my Highbinder it is actually an NHRS Iron lung Cummins (blower on the passenger side). That engine could have been possibly placed in a glider kit, but I think that it would have been too old to be a factory engine for this particular Freightliner especially with that style pump. You could also back date the cab some.

However, it is your build , so what ever you go with will be great. Besides, I put a 12v-71 in a H-Model Mack.:D

Looking forward to seeing more!

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13 minutes ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

That is a very nice engine from Dan. If it is the same one that I used on my Highbinder it is actually an NHRS Iron lung Cummins (blower on the passenger side). That engine could have been possibly placed in a glider kit, but I think that it would have been too old to be a factory engine for this particular Freightliner especially with that style pump. You could also back date the cab some.

However, it is your build , so what ever you go with will be great. Besides, I put a 12v-71 in a H-Model Mack.:D

Looking forward to seeing more!

You bring up an interesting point Brian. I merely looked on the side of the box and it displayed an NHC-250 engine so that's what I started looking for. Now ya got me thinkin'...................

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26 minutes ago, mustang1989 said:

You bring up an interesting point Brian. I merely looked on the side of the box and it displayed an NHC-250 engine so that's what I started looking for. Now ya got me thinkin'...................

The kit engine has its short-comings, but if you use reference pictures to add detail it will look pretty good, especially if you use the kit air filter system. The kit engine has internal injectors. The resin one has external injectors (at least the connections). Dan may offer that engine with or without the blower, I'm not sure, and I'm definitely not an expert, but from what I've read, the "hey-day" for that engine (with the blower) was the 50's although they were used in the 60's some as well. As I said, if you want to use that engine, there is the possibility that one was installed in a glider.

Please don't think that I'm trying to be critical, but I though you might want to know that the two engines were actually different engines and that the resin one was based on an early design. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I think the kit engine is 855 C.I.D. and the resin one is 743 C.I.D.

Edited by DRIPTROIT 71
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32 minutes ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

The kit engine has its short-comings, but if you use reference pictures to add detail it will look pretty good, especially if you use the kit air filter system. The kit engine has internal injectors. The resin one has external injectors (at least the connections). Dan may offer that engine with or without the blower, I'm not sure, and I'm definitely not an expert, but from what I've read, the "hey-day" for that engine (with the blower) was the 50's although they were used in the 60's some as well. As I said, if you want to use that engine, there is the possibility that one was installed in a glider.

Please don't think that I'm trying to be critical, but I though you might want to know that the two engines were actually different engines and that the resin one was based on an early design. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I think the kit engine is 855 C.I.D. and the resin one is 743 C.I.D.

Man it's all good Brian and no I don't think you're being too critical. I can definitely tell that you're offering constructive criticism and THAT..................is always welcome.:D When it comes to WWII Luftwaffe aircraft, I have a huge experience in their history as well as reference base to draw from and the same goes for the light truck/ car lineup except I've got 20+ years of hands on experience with that but THIS area......is definitely uncharted waters for me. sorry%20bout%20dat_zps1nny96hw.gif

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7 minutes ago, mustang1989 said:

Man it's all good Brian and no I don't think you're being too critical. I can definitely tell that you're offering constructive criticism and THAT..................is always welcome.:D When it comes to WWII Luftwaffe aircraft, I have a huge experience in their history as well as reference base to draw from and the same goes for the light truck/ car lineup except I've got 20+ years of hands on experience with that but THIS area......is definitely uncharted waters for me. sorry%20bout%20dat_zps1nny96hw.gif

Looking forward to seeing more!! Your work is always awesome!!!

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11 minutes ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

Looking forward to seeing more!! Your work is always awesome!!!

Thanks Brian................................stay close will ya...............I'll need some help with the finer details on rigs in general and on this specifically. Good God.......what have I got myself into........ORSAY9

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3 minutes ago, DrKerry said:

I’ll be watching this one come together!!!

Just be patient with me when I don't know what tha hell I'm talkin' about. ;) I'll try my best to do some research before spouting something that sounds like I know what I'm talking about..................but you know how that goes. face%20in%20palm_zpsmit8xdak.gif

Thanks for droppin' in Kerry. Almost through with my "Demon II" F-100 build ( which took dang near a lifetime for me to finish) and I'll be able to devote 100% of my efforts here.

Edited by mustang1989
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43 minutes ago, mustang1989 said:

Just be patient with me when I don't know what tha hell I'm talkin' about. ;) I'll try my best to do some research before spouting something that sounds like I know what I'm talking about..................but you know how that goes. face%20in%20palm_zpsmit8xdak.gif

Thanks for droppin' in Kerry. Almost through with my "Demon II" F-100 build ( which took dang near a lifetime for me to finish) and I'll be able to devote 100% of my efforts here.

No worries on knowing what you’re talking about! I don't either!!

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As others have said, the cab on this kit and the SD version is a pain in the rear. Be ready to devote some time to getting it right. Some of the details in these kits are disappointing when compared to other kits like Italari and Tamiya. Still a fun kit to do. 

And I am one of those that loves trucks, but am not expert on the details, you could tell me almost anything and I would believe it. I figure as long as I call it a Phantom or Fantasy build, I can do what ever I want. Now, get me on a VW and I can tell you if you used the wrong bolts for that year. 

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From what I heard about this kit, that front axle wider (or narrover) then it should be. Before gluing try on the cab and front axle with wheels. Also head lights sitting higher then they must.

Good luck with the build, Joe!

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Despite all the criticisms this is a good kit , it takes a little more work than others but in the end it’s a great build. I would save the resin engine myself for another build and detail the kit engine. Lots of references on the internet. As for the too wide front axel, by eliminating the front brakes ( seldom run in the timeframe this truck is from ) it’s easy to fix the width issue, plus you are using the wheel and tire set from Moebius. As has been said the multi piece cab will need a little attention, 220 sandpaper sheet on a perfectly flat surface (I build on an old glass cabinet door) and plane both halves of the shell until there are no gaps , thin styrene strips on the back wall and then simple prep . If you are going for more accuracy then you will need to drop the headlight pockets down on the front of the cab as well. Good luck Rick

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22 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

10-4.   The kit axle is waaaaaaayyy too wide (if built per instructions).  It looks like some kind of off-road vehicle with the front wheels out past the cab.

 

Thanks everybody for the help and comments. It's appreciated more than you know.

 

Jeff: What is it with AMT and their axles?? I built the AMT Der Beetle Bus last year and this is where the kit supplied axle kicked the front tires out at:

photo 001_zpswihqblyz.jpg

Some modifications later I put it back in the right place.

photo 001_zpsdtg5vdpw.jpg

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That first pic looks pretty much exactly how the Freightliner front wheels look if the kit is built per the instructions  ;-)  

I sectioned the front axle as many others have done on this site so that I got the wheels tucked back where they should be.

The other issue [which parked my build on the bench] is getting the interior tub to fit right inside the cab shell.  Mine currently has a big gap between the sides of the interior tub and the side of the cab.  I'm also not sure if the front of the tub is supposed to fit behind the grill or not.  I'll post photos of mine and since we now have a "active" Freightliner being built again.  I'm sure lots of questions will be answered during your build !

Thanks 

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