purepmd

Hey Sean, Very interesting build so far. Great work on the steering. I, too, am in the turned wheel fan club. Poseable front wheels really drive up the 'cool' factor. Well done.

Hey Guys, As a former trucker, who has had to buy more than a few tires, you learn more than you ever wanted to know abount those things. While 11x24.5 tires are still available, and still have some of the highest single and dual load ratings, the most popular modern tires are the 285/75R22.5. Most large fleets use thes almost exclusively. They are cheaper and still have acceptable load ratings. However, they wear much faster due to the smaller circumference, More rotations per mile and all. 11x24.5 tires are measured, and named, by their section width, 11 inches, and wheel size, while metric radial sized tires, are named for the actual tread width, 285 milimeters. While 11x24.5s have a diameter of approximately 43 to 44 inches, 285/75R24.5s are about 41 to 42 inches tall. This is mounted on standard, 8.25 x 24.5 Alcoa or Budd wheels. The tires in the AMT kits are correct for the late 1960s and early 1970s when these models were tooled, and split rims ruled. By the late '70s, when length and weight laws went up bigger, more load carrying rubber was needed. These advancements, coupled with, the tubeless, one piece wheels rendered 10x20s and 11x22s obsolete.

Hey Jeff, I am really liking this build. Very eye catching paint job. Great job on the engine and suspension swap. Much needed upgrades. Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Mark.

I think someone needs to explain the difference between 'can' and 'should' to this gentleman. Sad...that would have been a cool driver had it been left right side up.

Thanks, guys, for the compliments. Brian, I made those, all of those, one at a time. I have a leather punch, that, unlike a paper punch, leaves a useable, small disc. The lenses are punched from orange and red medicine and vitamin bottles. The surrounds are aluminum tubing I cut on a small tubing cutter with a homemade depth gauge, filled to a uniform height in a jig I made out of aluminum tubing. The reflective backing is the foil lining from a cigarette pack, also cut with the same size cutter on the leather punch. The foil has an incredibly small grid pattern that resembles the LED diode pattern in the real bulbs. All assembled with clear nail polish.

Hey Guys, It has been a while since I have had anything to post. 2014 was a very tough year, but I have made some progress of late and I would like to share some pictures with you all. I have to finish the exhaust, intake piping, air lines, and driveshaft and I am calling it quits on this one. Here is the photobucket links;

Outstanding! I am very much aligned with JT, I like fancy working trucks, but this workhorse is work of art. Superbly done. I really like when great vision and skill come together.

Hey JT, I tell you what, you never disappoint. Really liking this build. A big rig that does not have a fifth wheel, opens up a truckload of possibilities. The either or stake bed idea is inspired. Way to go!

Hey Guys, Thank you for all the kind words. Doug, I wanted a unique trailer to go with this tractor, so I threw together a, 51', 3 axle, livestock trailer, with full interior bulkheads and upper deck, and the rear door relocated to the left side of the rear wall. I will post pics of the pair soon.

Hey Pavel, awesome build, well on your way to another masterpiece. I am always amazed at your weathering, such a masterful touch. Looking great. Can't wait to see what you will come up with next. Very well done.

Very clean build! To me, it has a 'purpose built work truck', (heay haul, chemical or crude tanker, etc.), look, right out of the early '70s. Weii done!

I agree. washed more than my share of mud off my trucks, and you got the pattern of splatters down.

I agree, when done to this level, they are every bit as impressive as a big truck. Well done.

Hey Clayton, Thanks for the compliments. As to the Alclad base, these parts were covered with the Alclad black base. I have done some tests with Gloss and Flat white, and gloss gray, acrylic and enamel black. I believe that, because of the extremely light coats I apply, it will stick to about anything. The big concern is that it be smooth. The gray baseworks the best for the Alclad Airframe Aluminum, while flat white gives a finish almost exactly like the JetHot coating on exhaust headers. A very cool effect. The Alclad black base is very easy to spray and covers very well in just a couple of thin coats. When they say to let it dry overnight, they are not kidding. I was in a hurry once, and tried to recoat it after only about 3 hours, and it looked like Testors silver. It would not get shiny. I also use a food dehydrator on all my paint jobs now, even Spaz Stix and Alclad. It makes a great difference in how smooth the paint flows out, and how hard it gets. With a little practice, I think you will like the results. Good luck. Mark.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. Doug, I did make a custom, stainless visor for it. The decals are from Slixx. It is one of the graphic sheets they sell. Jeff, the trick to the alclad, or spaz stix, is very low pressure; 8-10 psi, and such light coats that you cannot even see the mist. You have to watch the part very closely to see the shine to appear. Then lots of coats, about 25 to 30 got this level of reflectivity. After a few hours in a food dehydrator, polish gently with a dry Q-tip. Takes lots of time. I created a Photobucket account, and you can see it in the background.

Hey Guys, As you all know, during summer it is hard to get all the bench time you want, but I have managed to slap some paint, decals, clear and Alclad on to this thing. The orange is Tamiya X-6, and the black is X-1. I have polished it out using Mcquire's cleaning wax, but just have not photographed it yet. The wheels are modified,and stripped Italeri outers mated to Revell snap inners, covered with Alclad Chrome. Thanks for looking.

Hey Jeff, GREAT looking model. Very good use of that kit. The green looked good as well, but the gold just flat works. Very well done.

Excellent work! The trailer is stunning, and the excavator is as far from toy like as you can get. Well done.

J.T., I think this subject was MADE for you. You certainly are doing it justice. Looking real good.

Way too cool! Very well done build. It just has the right "look".

Nice conversion! That's thinking outside the (model) box. Good work.

Great color combination, looks really good on that 'Shaker. Well done.

VERY SHARP! Congrats on outsmarting the Docs again.

Great save! Color choice is outstanding. Makes for a real eye catching model. Well done.

Super sharp build! Very well done. Ingenious solution to a stainless sided trailer! I am burning rubber over to Auto Zone after posting this. LOL.