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That will be sharp.

Looking good. Thanks for the tip!

Very good looking!

I really like this little thing. Must be the season for "dinky's" as there is another thread of a Mack DM getting similar treatment. Nice job!

Really looking good. Air start is a customer spec (very expensive) and could be applied to most any engine back then.Lots of pros and cons to it. If you put air start, the starter motor itself is considerablly different in appearance and there will need to be a third very large air resevoir somewhere. Some of the big fleets have had an on again off again affair with them but I have not seen many of them in recent years. With the advent of electronics, starting is a lot easier than it used to be...atleast as long as the electronics work. If you use air start on your kit, then TYPICALLY you only have pure 12V system and one or sometimes two batteries tops. No need for massive battery power so one battery box will be the norm. Most non air start trucks back then were 24V with (4) 12v batteries. I have seen a few with 12V, 36V, and 48V starters and of course more batteries. Again, variations exist but the rest of the truck USUALLY remains 12V. You can get all into series and parallel circuits to figure out how that works. Keep in mind I am dating myself and been out of the game for many years. Senility is possible so someone feel free to pipe in. Air starts are fun in real life. They are going to spin that engine no matter what and are quite noisy. Very unique noise. Check one out on Youtube. Air start is great just as long as there is not water or fuel on top of a piston (it will bend a rod in a second) and there is air in the tank. If you want to do some research on them Ingersol is one of the more common builders of these starters. Really neat truck. .

Likely this kit. Certainly a good one.

Thanks for sharing. Dare I call this a cute little puppy dog? Nice job on the 5th wheel. About to start working on mine myself and needing some help. Thanks again.

Darn nice job! Hope things will settle in quickly in the new environent. Thanks for sharing and welcome!

Really nice!

This thing is going to be slick John. Good luck. You stumped me on the KW one that would open. One of these days, must try an Aero Astro.....yuck...... CRST had a wad of them and it was like they were beaten with an ugly stick in that dull gold, the fairing shreading and flapping going down the highway and just covered in road grime. Like the maligned Swift, Schneider and JB Hunt drivers and their tired trucks a generation ago I suppose.....LOL Will be neat to see how this one comes out.

Great idea on the wide front axle! Saw your comments about sparkly steering wheels on another thread and yes, remember those well...inlcuding the ever so popular "Putt Putt" orange sparkly. Wow. I remember we traded for one with it (in orange of course) and I was foolishly entrusted to the clean up/repaint of it. Bright orange frame, black cab and some wild red, orange, and yellow stripes. Oh it looked hot for the day...but was still nothing more than a womped out freightshaker with a 290 Cummins and 9 speed. Wound up on some farm I think. Also, I like your roof top air deflector. Any details how you made it? Struggling with a w900 single bunk sleeper roof and wondering how you did the curvature. One more for amnesia lane. Remember the "varishield" by KW and Pete that you could raise and lower going down the road? Would like to see more of the little "junker" single axle too. Nice looking; both of them.

Incredible work! Notes being taken! What did you use for the "fresh" grease? I'm trying to "grubby up" a fifth wheel on my KW Gold Nugget and have not been able to get the perfect effect you created. Salutes, bows, and praises and all that kind of stuff for a truly impressive job!

Thanks for the validation that is was American Graphics. 30 some years later, finally found it. Gotta put that one the next build list.... Thanks again.

Ah the memories this thread has brought back. Now anyone remember the posters (American Graphics I think) that had all the different dressed out semi's on them? Seems AMT threw a flyer for them in some of their kits back then and I just HAD to have them. Always loved "Stagecoach". A yellow long hood single bunk Pete with gold and brown striping. The lighting in the photo was incredible. Have not been able to find a pic of it on the net but remember Lonestar Pete in Dallas, had a full sized wall mural of that very picture in their lobby. It was so cool. Funny too about circling all the reader reply cards. Wow. The reams of stuff I got to the disdain of my parents.. And Overdrive magazine? Wow. True eye candy for a young guy. Had to hide that one from the folks yet sneak it to school and show my buddies secretly in the boyrs room.. Good times.

Lookin good!

VERY clever! Good luck.

Funny and off topic but I worked briefly at Lonestar Peterbilt in Dallas and remember they had in their spec books for paint, a line drawing of the rig with measured "dots" and you could do anything and pricing was just based on color breaks. Just mail it in with the rest of the specs. Back when salepeople and customers had to really think things through. And John, you are so right. Paint. Good quality REAL paint that had depth and brilliance without clearcoat. . Ah, the days when you could get a truck truly custom built..if you had the $. That was the one thing that slapped me hardest in the face in the move over to GMC's. Despite years of us dealers and sales guys begging/screaming with the then GM Truck and Bus general manager, we never got a regular production double bunk Astro or General to sell. (Smokey and the Bandit 2/the Generals Quarters was a "teaser" and little more.) Man, I am feeling old.....Time to go watch Lawrence Welk and take some Geritol.

Incredible job! Reminds me of their old ads in the late 70's/early 80's for those of my vintage and older.... Anyone remember "the wave" paint scheme? Nice trip down memory lane. Very nice job. Look forward to seeing progress and paint.

Neat job. Those freightliner COE's are a long time peave of mine with the multipiece cab.

Looks great. Just my opinion....save the Freightliner Cabover to last. Getting the cab right is a real challenge. Airbrush? Go dirt cheap and get the basic skills down. Use a water based paint on paper to get the flow/pattern. When you can shoot water soluable paint on notebook paper and it not run, then you are getting the hang of it. Plus it is easy to clean up. As skills improve then work your way up. Then try cheap enamel based on junk plastic toys and the like. There is always ebay to get rid of cheap ones and help fund the next step up. Good luck, welcome to the forum and above all else, have fun. Most everybody here has been very helpful and encouraging. .

Wow do you have some shine on that one! Really sharp!

I really like your workmanship and learning from your handywork. Keep it up.

Very nice. There used to be a couple like these owned by Thurston eeons ago that were hacked into mobile home toters locally here in the southeast. Only recently did they become razor blades. Always seemed like they would fall on their faces if the front brakes locked while running bobtail. http://hankstruckpictures.com/df_thurston.htm Really neat.

I like!

I smell a Harley Davidson black and orange rig coming based on your recent trip and findings at Whataburger that you posted....LOL. Have fun!