Muncie

good ideas already in this thread - thinking out loud... small block Chevy - the current kit, even the Rat Roaster, requires quite a bit of work to fit a small block Chev with a hood and inside exhaust. The engine mounts on the frame are in the wrong place and interfere with the exhaust manifolds. A couple of intake manifold choices to make things more interesting, maybe choice of 4-speed or automatic transmission.... (friendly engine mounts for engine swaps would be an alternative) - if this one gets a small bock Chevy, Revell will be thinking ahead with something else for the next one... rear leaf spring with a quick change, a more modern tubular or traditional hot rod X center crossmember, bench seat interior, dropped beam front axle Revell has some great tires in their new kits like the '29 - so would like to see another wheel choice A brake master cylinder - edit - clarification... chassis mounted - edit again - found it on the chassis in the highboy roadster and the five window coupe, no master cylinder in the rat roaster - guess I've been working on too many AMT '32 fords... Continue with excellent parts interchangeability with the current kits as much as possible - I have favorite parts from from each of Revell's '32 kits and like to pick and choose. Going with an old traditional style, an update to current hot rod style, or a different level of kit detail would differentiate the new kit form what Revell already has already available

Even with the internet, this is not as easy as it looks - and I kind of thought I knew what to look and spent a half an hour with no luck. Your best bet may be to find an online library of truck brochures if something like that exists. for Freightliner COE it would be "frontal air intake with Farr Dyna-cell" and other search variations - If you have another brand of truck in mind or a cylindrical air cleaner, that will change.

you might want to check for Time Machine resin here - If Ebay and PayPal have some protections for the buyer it may be a better way to go.

haven't read every post or opinion... (but will probably wish I had...) The seller who parts out a kit (hopefully one already started or missing parts, but if not that's OK) makes five people happy, that's five projects that can be finished - the seller who sells the kit only makes one person happy. Price is what a buyer and seller agree - so no blame

Seee, I told you life was good, I got a box today with an Olds body, some tuck n roll, some cool seats and more wheels than I could count Great stuff, excellent service, and thanks for the tip on mounting the interior trim parts

good information already here's a couple of soldering tips - I've used a 40 watt soldering iron for some slot car chassis - with practice it's easier than it looks and you can amaze your friends A paste type flux may be easier to use than a liquid - it will stay where you put it. Apply the flux where you want the solder. Heat the metal that you are soldering. Melt the solder on the metal, not the soldering iron. The metal needs to be hot for the solder to flow into the joint and stick. The solder flows toward heat and will flow onto/into the joint. I tend to not fishmouth (trim the ends to match the next part) so there is some space for the solder. A close fit doesn't have much strength. Experience is the best guide for how tight the parts need to fit. Some connections my need to be drilled and pinned for alignment during soldering. Some fluxes come off with a bit of hot water and a stiff brush or steel wool - no drama There are some good articles on soldering in the new Slot Cars Magazine - three issue are out there now. The usual cautions about acid, burning acid holes in clothing (or skin), heat, hot metal, being careful not to burn flesh and that sort of thing apply.

stock '55 Chevy sedan (post) roof is two inches taller than the hardtop... but the Monogram Street Machine Roof is something else I also recommend the AMT, best to glue the hood in, reinforce the seam, and let it set before cutting the fenders loose yeah, I want to see this project! The skinny and wide American racing 200S wheels used to be easy, both Replica and Modelhaus sold them but I didn't see them in their current catalogs.

that's interesting - which is another way of saying that I have no idea... is this on a North American truck? what year? The size of the ram leads me to believe that it is air assist and not hydraulic - but still need a control valve unless it is integral with the ram

If you're into that sort of thing, more detail really adds to the look of nearly any model - adding detail takes experience - trailer air and electrical lines are obvious if they are missing and easy to add - chassis and engine detail can come later The Bendix air brake Handbook is an excellent reference for the air brake chassis plumbing - http://truckpartsetc.com/sales/PDFs/Bendix/extra/Bendix_AirBrakeHandbook.pdf I may edit this post if I can find an older revision of the Handbook with the correct, pre-1975 single air brake system for most AMT truck kits...

good plan - AMT kit with KJ's wheels, you'll have a great truck model - hope you show your work here

Good looking Satellite This is one that I'm going to have to watch! thanks Greg

Spoke wheels are appropriate for most of the AMT kits because they are based on trucks manufactured in the early 1970's - really just came down to fleet preference. Six spoke wheels are used for the heavier weight ratings and heavier duty vocational applications. You've probably noticed from the pictures that the spoke section of the wheel assembly is actually the hub with the wheel bearings and that the brake drum bolts to the inboard side of the hub. Back in the way back machine, disc wheels were also kind of the same thing with the drum mounted inside of the flange on the hub. In the late 70's, truck manufacturer's started offering optional "outboard mounted" drums - available only with disc wheels. The drum is mounted outboard of the flange on the hub. It pretty quickly became the popular wheel end system because the drum could be removed without touching the hub and bearings to change brake linings. Disc wheels now are limited to applications where they are absolutely required (can't think of one) or where the owner prefers them.

second those opinions - great guy to deal with and excellent parts more here on Ed's Drastic Plastic Fotki site - http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/member_dealer_directory/drag-city-casting-/ use the email address in the first post to contact him.

kinda hated to dump an 18 minute video on you guys, but I couldn't figure out how to describe it either - I'm glad the video helped

wow! - lots of fuel system information everything from linkage parts and fittings to complete systems - great deference, thanks

arrrgh, Messed up and wrong link for the beadlock wheels - try this - http://dragrace.academy/beadlock-wheel-mounting-and-tire-selection/ with all this information I fell like I could change tires for John Force's crew... well, maybe not

that looks great - I enjoy seeing the Nascars that you've been buiding - obvioulsy you've done a lot of work here and this is not the Polar Lights kit. Please tell us more

good questions....I was also curious about beadlocks - I talked to a guy at a car show a couple of years ago who had beadlocks on his prostreet Camaro - he said he mounted the slicks in his living room - after watching this video, it is doable. more here - Prior to beadlock wheels in drag racing, the funny car and top fuel classes used an inner liner to secure the slick to the rim and prevent the wheel from turning in the tire. Goodyear even had a trick single valve - turn it one way to inflate the inner liner, turn it the other way to fill the tire more on current inner liner here -http://dragrace.academy/how-to-mount-a-liner-tire/

was working on a reply and I'm going the same direction as Bill - the clear coat was applied too heavy (especially for one coat) and softened the silver - then the metallic started to drift and went crazy. For clear, but colors as well - best to start out with a mist coat, very light so it can tack up a bit - the first coat doesn't even need to cover the paint underneath - then follow with wet coats (but not drowning) that will flow out as it dries. Most good paint jobs came after some experience - for me, luck can still be a big factor.

thanks Russ - good to have it clarified for the topic at hand - I've spent some time on Fords, too - good to know

correct, the size regulations for the interstates and designated highways regulate the length of the trailer and do not include the cab. There are still some roads off the national network where the state overall length rules for the combination still apply - but the state rules see limited enforcement so the national regulations basically apply there also... of course we're talking regulations here so it's more complicated, but that's the basics. Under the cab, there isn't much difference between a COE and a conventional - same engines, same chassis, same suspensions, same electrical, same brake system... different steering and shifter, longer wheelbase of course. Some of the higher horsepower engines, especially with later emissions engines, are not be available in a COE because available space under the cab isn't big enough to handle the cooling systems. Current demand for high horsepower and lack of space for an adequate cooling system basically put an end to the production of COE's about 5 years ago in class 8 (over 33,00 pounds) heavy duty trucks. COE's still have some applications in the smaller medium duty classes.

Bill, I like your schematics - that's usually more detail than I put in a model Let's add a couple more parts. Ford has the solenoid ("relay" in this diagram) for the starting system remotely mounted - usually on the fenderwell - The positive battery cable goes from the battery to the solenoid, then to the starter. Missing in this diagram is the cable from the other side of the solenoid to the starter. I'm also used to seeing a ballast resistor (or resistor wire) in the wire from the ignition switch to the coil with a bypass wire from the solenoid to the coil for starting with full 12 volts - Chevy guy so not sure where Ford puts the ballast resistor (maybe in the coil?) More internet image searches for the OP - Ford engine wiring schematic, ford starter wiring schematic, ford ignition wiring schematic... or the basic how to fix your Ford book available inexpensively at most used book stores - or - How to Wire Your Street Rod From Start to Finish by Jack Sweeden, at Speedway Motors about $12 which covers most electrical systems Hope this helps

I'm hoping Revell adds an extra set of wheels in the Foose FD100 and EldoRod kits. Those kits will have unique tires so the wheel choices that fit will be limited to what's in the box. Good for Revell and Chip because it makes the kit a two-in-one - either as a replica or something special for the builder. It would make the wheels and tires useful for other projects as well.

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 changed the whole heavy trucking industry from cab-over to to conventional. It replaced state regulations that limited overall length with national requirements for the length of the trailer on interstate and designated highways. When things were limited by overall length, the cab-over equation was shorter cab equals more trailer, more trailer equals more revenue. When the DOT dropped the cab from the equation, the industry changed over to conventional cabs - most drivers preferred the conventionals.

The transmission color on a new truck will depend on several things but mostly it is how the trucks were assembled on the line... which depends on manufacturer, build location, and when it was built. If you can find some brochures on the internet with chassis pictures, that would be good reference The Cleveland Truck plant has always painted the chassis before the engine and transmission are installed - the transmission would be painted by the transmission manufacturer, which varied by manufacturer and transmission model. In the 70's, Freightliner installed the engine before chassis paint. The engine and radiator was masked off (not too neatly around the edges) but the transmission was painted chassis color. Black became the standard chassis color in the mid-80's but the chassis could be any solid color up until the mid-90's when the optional colors were discontinued. By the mid-90's, with new plants and production line changes, the chassis were painted before engine drop and the air lines were installed.