DRIPTROIT 71

Nice added details! The heater hoses and A/C lines are nice additions! Nice work on opening all the doors! Looks great!!

x2

Very nice!! It looks just perfect!! Great work!!

Excellent! The doors do look better!

Nice project! I'll be watching!!

Very nice!!

Nice! I had the Bobcat kit years ago, but sold it. Looking forward to seeing this one!

When I built mine recently, I used KW frame rails from Gary Wallace and cross members and suspension components from the AMT Freightliner. This was mainly because of the long wrecker bed. Given your subject has a single axle with a box van, you may consider using a Louisville kit with a different engine and transmission. The one that I built was from a another caster that is no longer in business and not A.I.T.M.. The one from A.I.T.M. is much better quality in my opinion.

On the chassis, the rear is completely changed for the single axle, the front springs were modified (several leaves removed) to closer resemble the U model, but I did however keep the beefier frame rails just because it made things a little simpler. I don't think that it will be that noticeable when finished though.

Thanks Richard! The difference in the BBC is in the bumper on the DM as compared to the U. The bumper sticks out farther causing the Bumper to Back of Cab measurement to be longer on the DM than it is on the U model. The MPC cab appears to be 90.6" in scale so it's all good. Although Mack introduced rounded cab around 73 the flat back cab was still offered for some time. The 78 that I'm depicting had the straight back cab. I have seen at least two 78 models with straight back cabs. This one will have the newer dash from the AMT kit too. IMG_8579 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

Both the U and the DM 600 fiberglass hood have the same line. The DM 800 and DM 600 steel hood have a filler that creates the notch. I've been told that the original release of the DM 600 was cut right, but had gotten changed with the release of the DM 800. Whether that is true or not, I do not know. It looks like it would have been easier for MPC just to add a filler panel than change the whole cab.

Pat, the kit hood is notched and should go straight down on the drivers side, so I cut the cab straight and added the piece to the hood. Here's one I built 20 years ago out of the box where you can see the notch. 100_0829 by Brian Smith, on Flickr Here's how t is supposed to look. Mine's not perfect, but I thought that I would try to correct this one.

Looks pretty awesome to me!

Those are from the manufacturing process. You may want to remove them, but they will hardly be seen once together. Here's the underside of mine looking through the case, and I didn't sand them off. Of course you can see them on the inner portion of my frame rails though.

This one will be based on the DM 600 kit with a few donations from the Mack R Model kit. Decals from modeltruckin.com. Here is the inspiration truck: IMG_8544 by Brian Smith, on Flickr The first order of business is to correct the hood and cab: IMG_2382 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_2463 by Brian Smith, on Flickr Shorten the frame: IMG_2380 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_2468 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_2465 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

Praying for your family! Glad to see this project back!

Very nice work!!

Nice fabrication work!

This very truck is planned for one of my future builds. Look what is under the hood. IMG_6118 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_6107 by Brian Smith, on Flickr 3408 Cat!

Thanks Pat! That was a year and a half ago. His interest in models has definitely decreased, but I'm still encouraging him. His older brother takes a spell where he decides to build a model now and then, but when it gets slightly difficult he quits. Still trying to encourage them both.

Very nice combination! Beautiful work on both!! I like the finish on the trailer! I may have asked this before, but how does this powder system work? I know that regular powder coating has to be heated. Is this powder sprayed?

Very nice!! I like it!!

Looks great! The weathering is perfect!

I'm pretty sure that I've seen them polished as well as painted. I don't get to see the roof too much.

True craftsmanship!