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Yep. Some more info: A bunch of the AMT kits were upgraded with CB radios & other accoutrements, so some of them changed years. For example, the original GMC Astro/Chevy Titan kits represented '69-'73 trucks, with: cab-mounted mirrors, square fuel tanks, slanted grab handles, low-mounted blinkers, & battery box steps. The upgraded kits resemble '74-'79 trucks, with: door-mounted mirrors, optional round fuel tanks, S-shaped grab handles that extend over the doors, high-mounted blinkers, & metal tube steps. They are also available with CB radios & roof-mounted dragfoilers. The current GMC Astro kit is the same, but curiously, there's no Chevy Titan to accompany it. Also, didn't AMT release a BJ & the Bear Kenworth K-100 kit as well? One other note: AMT was planning a Ford C-Series garbage truck, and though the box design was completed, the truck was unreleased.

Correction: The answer NEXT YEAR!!! Anyways, I think it's a model because the photo is totally fake and because I don' thing there are rims like that.

Thanks once again! You know a lot about these old rigs. Where'd you learn all of this? Anyways, I never knew about there being 2 Royales. I also think the Royale 2's cab bears some similarity to the Mack Cruise-Liner's cab and that the AMT Cruise-Liner's cab could be modified a little to make a Royale 2. One other question: Is there any difference between the C-116 and the Apollo-116? Boy, Diamond-Reo has an interesting history. I can't believe they're still making trucks today (albeit under a new name). I wonder why I haven't seen any on the road.

Yeah, I think you're right. More Diamond-Reo questions: 1. I believe the AMT Diamond-Reo kit is an Apollo-116. Am I right? 2. I've seen some Diamond-Reo Royales with a cab that looks like a Kenworth K-100 rather than a Mack Cruise-Liner. Was the Royale available with different cabs or something?

Why were the GMC versions (Astro, General, etc...) more common than the Chevy versions (Titan, Bison, etc...)? I think it's because Chevy manufactured both cars & trucks, whereas GMC was exclusively a truck manufacturer.

OK, so Diamond-Reo was a part of White. Thanks for clearing that up, Tim. Nowadays, Sterling is a division of Ford Motor Company, I believe.

According to what ZIL 111V told me, the AMT Autocar A64B tractor & Autocar DC-64 dump truck both share parts with the White Road Boss, White Western Star, and Diamond-Reo 116 kits. I can understand the White & Western Star kits because Autocar & White were part of The Big 4, a group of truck manufacturers that included Autocar, Freightliner (known as White-Freightliner until the mid-70's), Western Star, & White. However, Diamond-Reo has never been a part of that group as far as I know, so why does the Diamond-Reo kit from AMT have the same components? Were the components for the real trucks built by some other company? Was there some connection between Diamond-Reo & White that I didn't know about? Or was it simply an inaccuracy on AMT's part? On another Diamond-Reo note, I've been looking at pictures of Diamond-Reo trucks, & I've noticed some similarities between the Diamond-Reo Royale's cab & the Mack Cruise-Liner's cab. I wonder if it would be possible to convert the Mack Cruise-Liner kit from AMT into a Diamond-Reo Royale with any modifications.

Nice job so far.

I got an AMT/Ertl Chevy Bison kit. I also gave my dad an AMT-Ertl '97 Ford F-150 and an AMT-Ertl Chevy S-10.

It's a model because it has no door handles and because I can't see any lug nuts on the wheels.

Not bad! I read somewhere that the L-700 was a modification of the Dodge A-100 van.

This is the real car. I can tell by the reflection and also by the darkened background.

Another question: What makes this kit easier to assemble than the other AMT big rig kits? The box claims that there's over 250 parts, about the same as all other AMT big rig kits, yet assembly seems to be easier than the other kits. Why?

OK, I'll check that out. I assume the rear cab mount is responsible? Well, Autocar, Freightliner (known as White-Freightliner 'till the mid-70's), White, & Western Star were part of this group called "The Big 4", so it's not surprising that they use the same components. As for the Diamond Reo, I don't know what's the deal with that. On another note, the Diamond Reo kit doesn't say what model designation the truck is. I think it's an Apollo 116 or C-116 (they could be the same, for all I know).

Indeed I am! This kit seems to be a bit easier to assemble than the other AMT big rig kits. Probably because I'm getting better at it, or because I'm being less sloppy this time.

I bought this the day before Thanksgiving, but didn't start working on it until the next week. Also, I haven't had much time to work on it because I'm trying to finish up my college work. Anyways, this is how far I've come: Cummins NTC-350. Though the instruction sheet says that the NTC-350 parts are "Not To Be Used" (I probably made the instruction sheet angry), I figured that since I'm building a heavy-duty construction truck, it should have an engine with more punch than an NHC-250. I painted it gold because it more closely matches the Cummins Beige color that people have been talking about. The completed wheels. I painted the center hubs of the front wheels to match the picture on the box. Strangely enough, the tires are slightly larger than the Chevy Titan or Peterbilt 359. I wonder why. Unpainted chassis. I'm going to paint it black because I'm too lazy to pick any other color. Strangely enough, the chassis is as long as the Peterbilt 359's. It looked shorter on the package. My plans for this rig are to paint it in Baranski Construction Company (another division of the fictional group Dylan Baranski Industries, Inc.) colors, which are dark red with green-over-blue stripes. Eventually, I plan to get a Loadcraft Lowboy trailer + a Caterpillar D8H bulldozer to go with it. I also plan to get an Autocar DC-64 dump truck & paint it in the same colors. Does anyone know what model year this kit represents? I think it's a 60's-early 70's A64B. Also, what's the difference between the A64B & the other A64s? Anyways, I commend AMT for reissuing this kit! It was something out of left field! I figured I'd get it because the original was hard to find on Ebay in good, unbuilt condition. I'm also going to get the Mack Cruise-Liner when it arrives and build it as a gift for my dad.

Nice job! I've never seen a '65 Chevy truck with front fenders like that. Is that some sort of custom modification?

OK, if it's such a large scale, then I think you could get a camera in like that. I knew it had to be a model.

Yes, the DC-64 dump truck uses most of the same parts as the A64B, except for the bumper, 5-hole aluminum front wheels, and fenders. It also has parts for the dump truck body as well, in addition to 6-spoke front wheels.

Tim has built an A64B model, long before the reissue came about. Now that you mention it, I think he used the rims from the Diamond Reo kit (I think the Diamond Reo in that kit is an Apollo 116, I'm not sure).

You could get some from a Chevy Titan or GMC Astro kit, but you said you don't have any parts kits, so here's a link to a site that has 5-spoke rims for sale: http://www.danmodeltruckworld.com/shop/ind...th=106_95_34_37 However, the Autocar A64B has slightly larger tires & rims than other AMT ruck kits for some reason, so 1/25 scale rims might be a bit small for the tires.

If you're referring to the rear wheels, then the chrome 5-spoke rear wheels are also available on the Kenworth Challenge cement mixer kit. If you're referring to the front wheels, then this is the only AMT kit that has those. About the turbine option: Are you saying that they got rid of the mold for the turbine parts, or that they simply were not included in succeeding issues of the kit & the mold was stored somewhere? If the mold has been destroyed, then I'll have to damage my bank if I want that Turbine edition Astro 95. Another comment on the whole Astro 95 Turbine topic: Though the real GMC Astro was more common than the real Chevy Titan, for some reason the model version of the Chevy Titan was more common than the model version of the GMC Astro (well, the first issue was, anyways). Then again, it seems that AMT has been known for quirks like this, but I'm not sure, because I don't know everything about AMT. Does anyone have a good source about AMT? I found this real good source on AMT's history, but it's in Russian, and translating it using Babelfish results in gibberish. If anyone can find a good source on AMT, then I've got this really good source on the GMC Astro Turbine edition: http://gmtblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to...as-turbine.html Ah, the mysteries of the world.

The engine supplied with the kit is a Cummins NHC-250, but it includes parts for the NTC-350, which I used (despite the instruction sheet placing those parts under the section "Parts Not To Be Used", I think the instruction sheet is angry at me). I'm glad that kit finally came out. I just finished the engine, and I started work on the chassis, so I'll try to post pics later. My plans are to paint this rig in Baranski Construction Company colors: dark red with green-over-blue stripe. Eventually, I plan to get a Loadcraft Lowboy trailer and a Caterpillar D8H bulldozer to go with it. I also plan to get an Autocar DC-64 dump truck kit & paint it with the same paint job. One thing I noticed was that the 5-spoke rear wheels are chromed, which is odd to me considering that the Chevy Titan had white 5-spoke rear wheels. Then again, it seems that each of AMT's truck kits has their own little quirks. Anyways, I'd like to give a big thanks to AMT & Stevens International for re-issuing this kit! It was a huge surprise to see a hard to find kit like that reissued! I can't wait for the Mack Cruise-Liner kit in April. Also, it would be neat if they reissued the gas turbine option for the GMC Astro.

It's pretty hard to squeeze a camera in to get an interior shot, but the gauges look pretty flat to me, so it's a toss-up.

Up until 1984, Peterbilt engines were white, with a few exceptions. Of course, if the engine were rebuilt, it might be painted a new color.