DRIPTROIT 71

I really like this one! Great work!!

Thanks Ben! You've done some awesome work on that truck!

Looks Great so far!! As far as the engine color goes, I used to maintain a firetruck that had a 534 in it and it was red from the factory.

Ben what do you use for the roll and pleat pattern on the interior?

Looking great so far!!!

I really like how you've started!! Looking forward to seeing more!!

Very cool project!!! I like the engine!!

Now that would be something of interest to me as well. I had considered trying to scratch build one. I personally have never seen one in scale.

Looks great! Very cool project!!

Something has to pull the Coca Cola Bulldozer.

I had never heard of it either. The regulation change may or may not be true, it was a thread on the ATHS forum.

Here is a couple of better pictures in a couple of Freightliners. I've found blue valves in my reference pictures in Macks as late as 89. The 83s that my dad drove and maintained did not have blue valves. Interior White Freightliner 1 by Brian Smith, on Flickr Interior White Freightliner 1976 4 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

The blue valve on most trucks were for tractor only parking. There is a similar discussion on another forum on this blue valve. It states that regulations changed that required trailer brakes to be applied when tractor brakes were applied eliminating the blue valve on newer models. I'm not sure when this happened. I've seen 80 models with the blue valve and I know that 83 model Freightliners did not have one. I did find pictures of 84 KWs with blue valves. This thread also speaks of a green valve that applies enough air to get you off of the road as Chris has mentioned. I'm sure that this other valve may possibly been blue in some trucks. Here is a picture of a blue valve. You can make out that it says tractor parking, pull to apply. IMG_7359 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

Looks Great!!!

Great work!! Great weathering!! The fogging around the windows is a nice touch!! Looks Awesome!!

Cool project!!! Great work!! I like the stacks!!

Looks Flawless to me! Beautiful work!!

This 83 Freightliner came with a full size bumper. It was replaced with this short bumper to save weight. The wheels were also changed from steel to aluminum and a shorter stack (after this picture) was installed to save weight. So, I know that weight was a factor sometimes. IMG_2168 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

Looking good!!

I'm sorry to hear about the set back. I thought that those type of things only happened to me. I'm sure that you'll get it to looking great. I like this project!! Stay warm! Brian

Very Nice!!

Looks Awesome!!

Thanks! The paint is Duplicolor Flame Red

I like this project!! Great start!!

I'm the strange one. I like AMT truck kits. Yes they do have fit issues, warping issues, and often terrible and even wrong directions, but I rarely build one box stock anyway, and they're easier than working with resin that often has no instructions. I do hate those 10 hole split rims that seem to be on most everything though. Maybe it's the nostalgia of them for me as I built most of them as a kid, but the only kits that I like better are the old Ertl truck kits. Yes, maybe I'm living in the past. I generally try to research several photos of the 1:1 before building, and often refer back to the photos during the build, and make some modifications.