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Ford Aeromax


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Here's the  latest project,  yet another 1/32 Snap-Tite job. This is  probably the bridge  between the old school of the Peterbilt 359, the KW 925 etc... and the modern class 8 aerodynamic tractor. It's got the Louisville cab [they were gorgeous trucks] but encased in spoilers and aerodynamic peripherals. Naturally,  being a "snapper" it will need some help to be a proper  model. 

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First problem, the sideskirts include the quarterfenders yet they're miles away from the second axle because the chassis is the generic conventional version in these kits. I cut 10mm out of the chassis and things are much better. Looks like it was designed!

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Edited by Rockford
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The chassis has a closing type crossmember at the rear so I cut that out and made myself a more accurate rear crossmember to go further in. 

Then I had to start on the tandems. I made a profile of the differential out of plastic card which slotted into the axles and gave me something to work to. Then I used decreasing widths of sliced card to build a rounded upper casing. Once dry I used putty to shape them into the rear diff and the power divider. It's not up to workshop manual standard but from a distance it looks 'diffy'! 

Next, more chassis detail I think. 

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5 hours ago, Jim B said:

Nice modifications.  I like your progress so far.  Any plans for the wheels & tires?

I'm possibly going to turn the rears into white two hole discs and just tidy the tyres up. I desperately want to find something that looks like hubs in the rear wheels. I know the wheels and tyres are one of the main let downs on these kits but I don't see any alternative. The AMT1/32 pieces were better but they're unobtainable now. I'll have to work with what I've got.

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Another main let down on these "snappers" is the chassis rails. They're just moulded square when we all know pressed steel chassis rails are a 'C' section. 

To remedy this I cut 3mm strips of plastic from stock card and laid it on the top and bottom of the main chassis rails. I filled the edges and sanded a round profile on the edges to mimic the pressed 'C' section. I'd already added a couple of fillets to the end of the centre crossmember. 

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I found a piece of thick sprue and put in the chuck of my "lathe" (drill). Using a hand file I turned four spring brake chambers. 

I also fabbed a quick release valve from a piece of square rod and drilled it for the hoses (it's impossible to make these things to scale, a QR valve is only a little thing).

This can then take the hoses to the brake chambers and the feed from the air reservoir. The valve would normally be mounted on the axle so I let the wire hoses position it for me. 

 

 

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I was going to leave it there but then I had an urge to add the pushrod from the chamber, the slack adjuster and the 'S' cam into the drum. 

I rummged through my box of bits for something to use. I found this piece of sprue and had an idea. 

I cut the tab down and rounded the edge off. Then I cut the end off. I then cut 4 small slices from the section and hey presto - 4 little slack adjusters. I drilled two holes in each for the pushrod yoke and added a piece of round bar for the 'S' cam up to the backplate of the brakes. 

It's not perfect but it looks ok and no one will ever see it but I've proven to myself that I'm not as stupid as I look! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wanted to do something with the wheels on this truck. They're the usual generic ten hole alloys but I'd love some two hole white discs. I had no option but to do it myself. 

I first enlarged two of the existing holes with a little rotary file, then roughed the others up and sealed them with a blob of cement. Once that was set, I levelled them off with putty (I didn't get a picture of that stage but they looked awful)

Using my motor tool and a stone I ground them down but they were rough. So I got one of the felt buffers that come with the motor tool and fitted into the dish snugly. I glued a piece of 800 wet and dry to it. Dipped the wheel in water and give it a rub down! Turned out ok. Quick coat of paint and they look fine.

I also wanted some hubs on these wheels. I made them out of chunky bits of sprue, hollowing them out with a drill so they can sit over the end of the axles. I coloured them blue with a Sharpie to give some contrast. I'll be painting the chassis metallic blue. It's so much better to see the hubs sticking out in a 3/4 view. 

Quick mock up and they look ok! 

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  • 2 months later...

This is more to show everyone (including myself) that this is not a stalled build. 

The weather has finally broken and spring has landed. Temperatures have been reaching double digits on some days and the big shiny thing in the sky has returned. So I can finally get some paint on the Aeromax. 

Chose a two tone scheme. Was going to do the top cap of the cab in the darker colour but then thought against it. That's why I left it loose, otherwise I'd have cemented it on before painting, never mind. 

The turquoise went on beautifully but the light blue seems a bit more porridgy and didn't settle as well, however, I'm sure it will polish up ok. Really happy with the duals, they look like proper axles now, from above and below. Can't help mocking it up but have to be careful because the paint is still a little soft.

Leave it to cure now. Then a polish and final touches. Thinking of a white stripe on the cab. 

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Thanks for the kind comments lads. I'm quite happy with it. The chassis colour didn't need any polishing at all. I'm looking at finishing it this weekend. 

Was watching the Kenworth W900 and the Freightliner cabover on eBay this week but the prices were too much for me. They were original issues but built and still went to ridiculous (in my eyes) prices. I have my two dry vans to finish after this. 

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4 hours ago, kilrathy10 said:

You gotta be kiddin' me, Man... This is an awesome project... Man, this looks good... Great job on all the mods... I see some really excellent ideas, here, I would have never thought to do... Very nice work...

Thank you sir, very kind. I have to say, I am fairly pleased with it myself.  

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