1/24 Italeri Mack Superliner II Australian road train hauler

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all

  I posted some of this in another post but didn't get much response so I decided to give it it's own post.

I bought a 1/24 Italeri Mack Superliner kit and the 1/24 truck accessories kit. The Aussie parts from the 1/24 Italeri Western Star (that I already have) will be going on this.

this is the basic kit, there will be alot of changes made to it to make it into a Aussie road train hauler!

this view shows the truck accessories kit. I purchased this to get the rear Mack 6 spoke wheels for the Mack Superliner, I had to customize them to make them work.

this view shows the Mack E9 that I'm adding to the Mack. I I bought a bunch of stuff from Auslowe model trucks, shh!!!...don't tell the wife, I don't want to be the next Bobbet!...lol I also got a 13/18 speed Mack transmission to go with it.

This is the mural I'm going to be hand painting on the back of the sleeper. I'm not sure about the name, I have to think about it.

this is the 1/24 Italeri kit I'm getting all of the Australian parts from.

this view shows the front 385/65 R22.5 tires that I got from the 1/24 Italeri European wheels and tyres kit. I modified the Mack wheels from the Australian truck kit. I had to widen them to get the tires to fit.

this view shows the wheels and tires (315/70 R22.5) from the 1/24 European wheels and tyres kit. I had to add a extra inner wheel half ring to the outside of the Mack rear wheel to widen it and get these tires to fit.

Ron G 

Edited March 28, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all

  I did some work on the Mack Superliner cab interior. I took the left hand drive dash from the Western Star and cut it up to fit in the Mack. Yeah I  know it's not prototypical but it's what I had to work with. It's not as wide and way deeper then the original dash for the Mack, but after some plastic magic...lol it fits great.

this view shows the Mack interior with the driver figure that I kit bashed together. I also removed the arm rests from the two seats snd added them to the driver's seat in the down position, the passenger will not have them. This was not easily done, I had to cut the boots off of one set of legs in order to add them to the seated set of legs, after I removed the feet with the sandals off of those. I put the torso with the cowboy hat onto these, then I added the arms from the seated figure to the final figure. After this I had to use a soldering iron to heat the arms and legs to bend them into position...wheh!

this view shows the driver figure in the driving position.

closer view of the driver. He actually looks a little like me...lol

this view shows that his hands are on the steering wheel. Since I took this picture I've switched out the steering wheel for a smaller diameter two spoke one.

this view shows that he just barely fits in the cab. I had to lower the seat mechanism and make a depression in the roof interior panel to make this work.

this view from the rear shows that his foot sits on the clutch pedal.

this view shows that his right foot sits on the brake snd fuel pedals.

I got this kit to use for modifying the Superliner II's frame into a correct Mack frame. As most of you know the Italeri Mack Superliner kit isn't really a Mack, almost, it does resemble one but it is not accurate.

 First the frame, suspension, interior peices and even the engine (Cummins NTC-400), although you could get a Cummins in a Mack are from there Freightliner kits. This causes the cab to be out of proportions, to wide, in order to fit there Freightliner interior floor dimensions. 

 I'm not going to narrow my cab, like a few others on here have done. Since I'm making mine a Australian truck it will have the large external air cleaners with the raised snorkels, common to Australian trucks. I believe that this will mask the fact that the cab is to wide, to a degree.

this top view shows the frame and suspension from the AMT Mack DM800 kit. I cut it just a little rear of were the frame narrows at the rear behind the cab and spliced in a section from the Superliners kit frame to give me a 230.0" W.B.

this view of the bottom of the frame shows the front and rear suspensions.

this view shows the rear Camelback suspension pivot bracket and the rods that attach to the front and rear drive axles.

this view shows the front suspension. I had to kind of narrow this to fit the front axle that I made from part of the Superliner front axle and from the DM800 front axle.

this view shows the front axle that I kit bashed into a Mack front axle I widened it a scale 4". I think it came out ok.

this view shows the DM800 kits ENDT-865 Maxidyne engine. It's just in there for a representation of the Mack E9 that will be going in this build.

top view of the Maxidyne engine sitting in the frame. I plane on using the moter/trans mounts from this on the E9.

top view of the rear camelback suspension installed in the frame.

view of the rear suspension from the side.

this view shows what the truck will eventually look like all together.

this view shows the cab/hood sitting on the frame. I still have to make the pivot points for tge hood, and the bumper/bullbar mount (Roo bar to you Aussie's)

this view shows the modifications I made to the hood to fit the large Aussie air cleaners.

this view is of the Mack ENDT-865.

Ron G 

Edited March 28, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[Kromolly]

That's coming along nicely.  Is the engine coming from the MPC DM800 kit?

[ShakyCraftsman]

26 minutes ago, Kromolly said:

That's coming along nicely.  Is the engine coming from the MPC DM800 kit?

Hey Kromolly

 No actually its just in there to represent the E9 that will be going in it. I will be getting the engine from the 1/24 Italeri Renault 360 kit, they came with Mack engines. Makes sense since they owned Mack at the time. 

Ron G 

Edited March 28, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all 

 I purchased this kit from Italeri and I'm waiting for it to get here from Italy, it takes for ever because of Covid.

this is the kit I'm using to get the engine from.

this view shows the sprue with the engine parts on it, yupp it's a E9 Mack!

closer view of the engine parts. I'll have to fix the oil pan, the Superliner II had the oil pan sump in the rear.

this view shows the frame and suspension parts.

closer view of the suspension parts they are a kind of Camelback suspension.

this view shows the shock absorbers that I added to the front axle to help with rebound. I also had to modify the rear axles in order to get the Italeri wheels to fit. I had to narrow them some too.

top view of the shock absorber and how it mounts. Well that's it for now be back with more updates soon. Please let me know what you think.

Ron G 

Edited March 29, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[gotnitro?]

Very nice looking updates 

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all 

  I kinda redid the mural for the back of the sleeper. What do you think?

I tried to make him look a little more like "UnderDog", except as a bulldog.

 I did some work on the sleeper. I made a close closet with a lower drawer out of some 0.04 plastic sheet. I also made a lower support for the bed.

this view shows the bed and the closet.

 

this top down view shows the bed and the closet. There will be a refrigerator and cabinet on the opposite side.

view looking through the sleeper at the closet and bed.

Ron G 

Edited March 29, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all 

 Small update. I have the hood pivots mounted to the frame. I also temporarily mounted the bull bar (Roo bar).

here's a overall of the truck.

this view shows the Roo bar temporarily mounted to the bumper.

closer view from the front of the Roo bar.

this view shows the hood in the up position.

I think this is my final version of the mural for the back of the sleeper.

 Please, leave comments so I know what you guys think.

Ron G 

Edited April 1, 2021 by ShakyCraftsman

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey guys 

 Did some more work on the Superliner II. I started doing all the plumbing, air lines, power steering lines, fuel lines, etc. This is a real pain in the a$$!  It's almost getting to the point I can't see this small detail, even with readers and opti-visor! But I'm plugging along...lol

this view shows the rear brake chambers.

this view shows the diagram I'm using to plumb the Mack.

this view shows the front brake chambers.

this view shows the air lines running along the frame rails. Little hard to see.

closer view of the air lines at the rear.

this view shows the air lines at the front and the LH primary air tank. I scratch built the rear area of the tank, it came as a open hole in the kit..dahh!

this view shows the air lines running along the other frame rail.

this view shows some of the scratch built air fittings and lines.

this view shows the air lines and the small wire looms I made.

this view shows the wire/line looms I made from a piece of 4 wire insulation cut to size.

this view shows the front brake chambers and air lines. Also the power steering lines.

this view shows the radiator braces I scratch built from plasti rod. Well that's it for now be back with more updates soon.

Come on guys, leave some comments. I would really like to know what you guys think.

Ron G 

[Vettegasser]

This is really coming along nice   Like the tip for hooking air lines to frame 

[ShakyCraftsman]

2 hours ago, Vettegasser said:

This is really coming along nice   Like the tip for hooking air lines to frame 

Hey Vettegasser

 Thanks, I  believe the grey sleeve is from an old phone cord. I just stripped it back a little then pulled the wires out, then you take razer blade and slice off as many as you need. I have enough to last me 2 life times...lol

Ron G 

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey guys 

 I did some more work on the Superliner II. I added a third air tank (supply tank). I think I have all of the air lines, at least for the rear done. I still need to plumb the front brakes.

this view shows the whole thing temporarily together.

same view, but with the hood closed. I think I'm going to remake all of the fuel tanks,  these are to small of diameter there like 20", yuckk! Going to make them 25.0" diameter, out of some PVC pipe.

this view shows the air lines running from the supply tank to the air dryer then to the air compressor. Also the yellow line is for the rear end air shifters. This will eventually go to the floor and up to the shifter.

this view shows the supply tank and lines.

this view shows the air dryer and lines.

this view shows some of the air lines and primary air tank. You can see the bottom of the  air dryer by the fuel tank.

this view shows the secondary air tank and air lines. To the left is the supply tank.

this view shows the air shift lines to the two rear axles.

I also added some bolts to the radiator supports. I also added a line from the power steering reservoir to the power steering pump on the engine. Well that's it for now be back with more updates soon.

 Don't forget to leave some comments, please.

Ron G 

[53gmc]

Its coming along great! The last rendition of the rear mural looks pretty cool too

[ShakyCraftsman]

Thanks 53gmc

[The Brush]

Hi, Your making a great job of this, nice detailing.

Graham

[ShakyCraftsman]

Thanks Graham

[Force]

Nice progress.
One thing tho', I don't think your routing of the brake lines for the rear brakes is so good going under the axles, above and behind yes but not under where they could easily snag on something, I would let them go inside the frame rail and go down to the brake chambers from there.

[ShakyCraftsman]

5 hours ago, Force said:

Nice progress.
One thing tho', I don't think your routing of the brake lines for the rear brakes is so good going under the axles, above and behind yes but not under where they could easily snag on something, I would let them go inside the frame rail and go down to the brake chambers from there.

Hey Force

  I thought of that right after I finished them, I will look into rerouting them.

Ron G 

[gotnitro?]

nice details throughout !  looks ready to roll with all the air lines too, really like the wire looms tip

[ShakyCraftsman]

Thanks nitro

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey all 

  I did a little more work on the Superliner.

I got the frame primed with flat black.

this view shows the front air lines.

hey Force, this view shows the air line guards I made to protect the lines runnig along the rear ends. This was the best I could come up with.

this view shows the refrigerator and two drawers I added opposite of the closet.

another view of the refrigerator cabinet.

view from the top.

I added reinforcements to the hood.

this view shows the hood that I copied.

Ron G l

[gotnitro?]

Really nice work adding the hood stiffeners , something not often seen 

[ShakyCraftsman]

Thanks Nitro 

[Mopar - D]

Lots of awesome details Ron. What colors are you going with?

[ShakyCraftsman]

Dark orange frame, wheel centers. Gray/blue engine and gunmetal/black transmission. Orange with black stripes.

Ron G