Muncie

Oh so cool! Nice work! I have one of those kits that does the same thing - out of the box every five years and right back in. It really can be saved.

Totally blown away! (again) Thank you for taking the time to share your great photographs - always enjoy your posts. Watching Speed at Bonneville is one of the big things for me, so this set of photographs hits close to home. You always get a good image and interesting photography so I knew it would be a treat. This time, you got some of the feel of being there with multiple images of several cars that makes me feel not so bad about missing speed week. Overall, it sounds like you had a great road trip. I'm still recovering from the salt pictures, but I'll go back and catch the museums as well.

I saw the real truck at Freightliner in the Daimler Truck lobby a couple of months ago. Certain things I wouldn't worry about on this build, it's looking good. The AMT Freightliner COE is a kit that goes back to the early 1970's and has its problems. The truck that you are building is based on a Freightliner COE from the 1990's so there are some differences (like the doors and fewer rivets) just in the basic cab. People won't be looking at the details on the cab, probably best to remove the emblem and marker light on the cab skirt, smooth as many rivets as you want and make the seams disappear. The cool part will be all of the Transformer/Optimus Prime pieces that you build on the chassis. Looking forward to this one!

Well, I hate to be negative about a kit I want, but Salvino's has a game and they are doing it again. It's not my primary interest or scale but I was hoping to get one. But, not without both speedway and road course aero packages and wet tires and slicks. If they are consistent with their past, it looks like this will be a starter kit and those features and detail will come later. i was hoping everything would be there from the get-go. Hopefully it's just premature thinking on my part.

no, the thinner in the lacquer softened the enamel and lifted it near the hood vents. try it on a spoon. one question, how long did you wait between color and clear? I'm going with what some of the other people have said - no clear with the Testor's enamel looks like the best plan.

yes, lacquer over enamel will cause both.

Old School enamel, which I believe is what Testor's enamel is, dries by evaporation of the thinner as the first stage and oxidation of the binder in the second stage (reference 1976 Ditzler manual). It may take 6 months or longer for an enamel to completely dry. If the enamel is not completely cured, the thinner in lacquer thinners are hot enough to lift the enamel color coat. That looks like what you have here. That's old school but it applies to the paints Testor's enamel color and Tamiya lacquer clear that you are using. There is a lot of newer technology in most of the available paints and those need a little testing to ensure compatibility. There is a learning curve here., yeah, i did this... we've all had some experiences...

for that reason alone, they should be 1/20. As Monogram did with their batch of Indy cars, these kits also need both road course and speedway aero packages as well as slicks and rain tires.

Wow! it's been a while since I have checked in and the progress is amazing. Love the incredible detail on the fuel system. Fascinating. I've been spending some time in a friend's shop. this summer where he has been tutoring me on some of the parts and how they work, including some lessons on the flow bench. His fuel injection parts come from a box with some work. You are making all of your parts... in scale.

some differences, but the kit will definitely give you the big American truck feel. The blue truck is an FLD132 Classic (132" from bumper to the back of cab) with a 60" integral sleeper. A kit is not available with the 132" cab and integral sleeper. The kt is an earlier FLC120 (120" BBC) with a 40" sleeper box and a corresponding shorter wheelbase. The difference in the BBC dimension is the length of the hood aft of the front axle.

Thinking out loud... it may have been dry, However, the temperature of the water you used, or the temperature of the blow dryer may have changed the temperature of the model - there may have been too much difference between the model and temperature of the air or the temperature of the paint. It may take more time letting things sit between washing and painting to let everything get to the same temperature.

Bill - Post-it, good idea. I like it. I'm usually doing this in full scale and that is where I saw it first. In that world I'm working with regular masking tape and post-its didn't even come to mind.

One tip - before removing the backing, hold the sticker where you want it, take a small piece of tape and tape one edge of the sticker to the model. (preferably a low tack and not very sticky tape) Using the tape as a hinge, lift the unstuck sticker, peel off the backing and set the sticker down in perfect location. Remove the tape. This trick works so well, there is probably a secret society guarding the secret.

Always enjoy your annual photo report. Thank you for posting the pics..

Well done, love the idea that this is going in a Paymaster. I believe there is one in the truck museum south of here.

Fuel lines generally don't fail by wearing out, they age out. At '37 years old, it is well beyond the normal service life for a flexible fuel line and age is what caused the leaks. Any used line, especially if it's an original production part will be the same age and have the same problem. Only safe repair is a new fuel line assembly. Based on the likelihood that a used replacement fuel line will also leak, a responsible vendor would not sell one. Customer safety, customer satisfaction and these days, product liability is a real concern. It's definitely not worth risking your GTI for a used fuel line.

The stretch turned out very good, nicely done and way cool!

Hi Claude, There is a lot of creativity and excellent craftsmanship on the salt - you've taken it to another level. I like it ... a lot! Thanks my friend for the shout out and the gentle shove. I guess I need to put some of that knowledge to use and finish something, I have an AMT Studebaker and I know how to use it.

lots of great pics of very cool cars, thank you for posting

for true, I've had thin layers of sprue goo soften plastic and shrink for 12 months after I used it for a filler. It's the fillers that you named for me now.

ignition points and condenser - replace at what? 15,000 miles? shock absorbers that are past worn out at 25,000 miles. manual steering, bias ply tires, could be a long list...

Missed this one, lots of great music already posted. Ramble Tamble, Creedence Clearwater Probably showing my age - there have been others since like Chevrolet by Neil Young, but it has always been Ramble Tamble from Creedence Clearwater for me. The first on my list and the best. It was too long to get any radio play, a hidden Rock and Roll gem. Some good memories and here's maybe the closest shot at no speed limit. At the Bonneville salt flats, in the morning at the end of the road waiting for them to open up the salt for the five mile trip to the pits in a year when the salt was particularly great - no soft spots so no 20 mph speed limit, no one lane path. My son was with me on that trip, we're just spectating. They turn us loose and it is cars and haulers for a group almost a half mile wide at 70-85 mph (what are you going to prove with the hauler in that crowd...) Ramble Tamble at max volume. I keep hoping that happens again but unlikely with what has been happening to the salt.

A couple of random thoughts - Western Star may also be very similar to Freightliner underneath - they are part of the same corporate family... DTNA is more vertically integrated now with their own components (engines, transmissions, axles) under the Detroit brand. - I think it would take some money up front from the truck manufacturer to get a new kit, but I don't think it is in their marketing plans. It wouldn't surprise me if Navistar did that to get the new kits. Navistar was solidly into market share then but that was different times.

Thank you for the response - good to know. In real life, the Turbo 400 is about 4" longer than a Muncie. The transmission c/m is different or moved back with a turbo 400.

It sounds like the engine is too far forward. A small block should be a good fit. The engine location at the rear of the block is the same for both the big bock and small block. The transmission mount/crossmember location would be a good reference - but the one thing that could throw you off there is the Turbo 400 trans on the big block is longer. - I'm not sure what transmissions were used on the small block. (I had a big block 1967 Caprice back in a past life).