vincen47

Another one with a great finish on the dump body. I love the way that looks. Iirc, it’s a chrome spray?

Looks good. I really like the stuff Iconic Replicas is releasing lately. Really nice, unique items that fill a void. I recently picked up a 1/87 MCI MC-9 motorcoach. I’m impressed with the detail and quality.

Whatever color you go with, you should put “Familiarity Breeds Contempt” on the back of the sleeper for the name of the truck. I’ve seen some cool truck names out there, and that one would be interesting.

That’s good news. Thanks for posting.

I agree, it often takes a lot of time to find things you actually are looking for on Shapeways. I still do not understand why they can’t build a better way of searching for items. Ironic, in a way. They represent the latest in manufacturing technology. Yet, creating a way to simply find what you want to buy…escapes them. The best luck I’ve had is finding a somewhat related hobby item, and then visiting that designer’s Shapeways store, to see if they have other interesting items.

I was thinking the same thing on both points.

Looks very promising. Should be a great kit. The hydraulic lines and controls are a nice touch. Thanks Tim, for the preview.

Thanks for the backstory. Like the other posts, now I’m interested in getting one.

Exactly.

Ha, tagged. Good term for it. But, if it pays the bills, more power to ‘em. Whatever keeps the kits coming. Looks good in red, wouldn’t need the decals.

Really nice. It looks the part, for sure. You don’t see the stinger set-up modeled often (because of the modification and scratch-building required), but it’s so common on the road. Definitely nice to see, and makes for a great display.

No problem. I find this “research” very interesting and entertaining. It may have been offered concurrently - that much I haven’t been able to verify yet. I’ll need to search for specific model years of Transtars. The ATHS article just states that the 8-bar came out in late 1972, not mentioning if it entirely replaced the early grille, or if was just a premium option. Now, I’ve read elsewhere that the turn signals were lowered (and square rather than round) for ‘73 and later models, so this may be a clue. I’ve seen several photos of 4070a tractors with the early 5-bar grille and low turn signals. So, we can speculate that the 5-bar grille continued to be offered during the “transitional” period when the 4070b was coming into existence. It makes sense, as a very popular fleet truck, that some buyers wouldn’t want to pay for unnecessary upgrades. Either way, it’s nice to have an option to backdate or “downgrade” the build.

This type of grille, the 5-bar, was the style solely used on the 4070a from it’s introduction in 1968 (when it replaced the CO-4000) until 1972 when International brought out the “premium” 4070a with a new 8-bar grille. This upgrade is what the Ertl/Round 2 kit represents. The newer 4070a also had other things that found their way into the 4070b shortly there after. This is according to a great Transtar history article in the Sep/Oct 2021 Wheels Of Time (the ATHS magazine). I found a copy at the local Pilot truck stop. Couldn’t help but notice the beautiful Transtar on the cover staring at me from the rack next to the register. What I haven’t been able to find out is if the original 5-bar continued as a standard or fleet spec grille beyond 1972 on the 4070a. It was definitely gone when the 4070b came out. Regardless, this is a great way to backdate the 4070a and make a unique model. Thanks, Tom, for making this happen!

Please PM or post here when you have them ready. I’ll take one, thanks!

Excellent. I was just looking at the grille differences with some trucks on the paint scheme doc included in the kit.

Looks good. You don’t see these 1/32 trucks all that often, and when you do, they’re rarely properly detailed and fitted out like this one.

That’s the way it seems to work, right? Happened to me a few times before with some other kits. But, $60 isn’t too bad compared to what I’ve seen them go for. I’m sure we’ll see some good aftermarket parts come out. A tribute build of a service truck sounds like a good plan, I’d enjoy seeing it.

Sure glad I resisted putting down serious coin for the Bronco. Almost bid on one a month ago.

Nice weathering. Looks like it would get your hands dirty if you touched it. Like TruckerAl said, a Pete in that era would usually have the engine in white, regardless of manufacturer. The OEM color would be green in the Detroits, and some were installed in that color. That being said, when it comes to old workhorses like this one, it’s possible to make up a plausible story on how the shop that rebuilt the engine had leftover Cat yellow paint…

Awesome job, love the look.

Your photography, not to mention your models, is amazing.

Good point. And the open car carrier wouldn’t be the rolling billboard they’re after. But, yes, from a functionality standpoint, anything designed for auto transport would make much better sense.

Wow that’s a beauty. Love the weathering. Sometimes you can’t beat the look when using the real thing - in this case, with the concrete powder. The added details and modifications are great. The aftermarket tires make a big difference in realism, too. Fantastic!

I like the hardwood floor. I’ve seen some pretty classy show trucks with hardwood flooring and it looks nice.

That’s great. He has a style of his own, for sure. Nice work. We should have a forum category on here called Chuck Most.