ABC Auto Industry

Yeah, I had a hunch that the model truck scene was real small. Up until a couple of years ago, I thought that only car & aircraft model kits existed. Then, I discovered Trumpeter's 1/35 scale Type 59 tank, which got me into model building. I got into truck model building upon seeing AMT's Chevy Titan, which also surprised me. Anyways, on the reissue subject: I'm still patiently waiting for that Autocar A64B to be released, though my patience is running a bit thin, and I'm pretty close to labeling it as the model kit equivalent of Duke Nukem Forever ("when it's done"). Of course, I'm used to the concept of a product arriving on a certain date, with few or no delays. As for the others, I knew about the Mack Cruiseliner, but not the RS688 or the Fruehauf flatbed. I also wonder: How many times are they going to reissue the Dodge L700? Is that the hottest thing on the truck model market or something? On the Mack RS688: Is there any difference between this & the other trucks in the Mack R-Series? It looks like a heavy-duty truck to me. One final note: I'd love to see a reissue of the Ertl International F-2674. Those are hard to find on Ebay, & command pretty high prices.

Wow! Nice job!

I saw a Peterbilt 353. Are we allowed to see big rigs?

Whoever won this auction must be in heaven: http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-CALIFORNIA-HAULER-...1QQcmdZViewItem

OK, I'm getting sick of waiting for this kit. I mean, I don't care about the exact date it's released, but I just hope it gets released soon. If they cancel it entirely, I'm going to be so mad. UPDATE: I recently found out that this kit is due next week. I'm so happy it's finally being released! The wait is over! I'm going to throw a ticker-tape parade!

Wow! That truck is awesome! Where'd you get the custom wheels?

Great job! Autocar always made the best construction trucks. It's a shame they've been reduced to making only garbage trucks nowadays. It's like they're on life support nowadays. Speaking of Autocar, has the A64B reissue been released yet? I know I said I didn't care about the exact release date because I pre-ordered it, but now I'm getting pretty sick of waiting.

This is the real thing. No doubt about it.

I also have another question: Are you planning on having a GMC Astro from the 70's or 80's? If you want an 80's Astro, use a grille from a GMC General kit (or from a Bison if you're working on a Chevy Titan).

As usual, groovy truck!

I knew it had to be a model! Those rear wheels gave it away. If it were a real car, they would've been polished.

Well, the good news is that Jim Botaitis is back, but the main page says he's having computer problems, so I expect this rig will be delayed for about a month. In the meantime, post any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

I believe it was a result of the TV show "Movin' On", starring Claude Akins & Frank Converse, which premiered in 1974. AMT released a "Movin' On" version of their Kenworth W-900 kit, and soon, they upgraded a number of their truck kits: GMC Astro/Chevy Titan, Peterbilt 359, White Road Boss, etc... These reissued kits included any of the following: CB radio, dragfoiler, new decals, new engine, etc... In the 359's case, it even got a new larger-window 1100 series cab + a larger bumper & new grille to bring the kit into the 70's. However, some of AMT's kits went on without these upgrades, such as the Peterbilt 352.

This is a tricky one. The rear wheels aren't chrome-shiny, but the rest of it looks real. So difficult...

The T501 issue introduced in the mid-70's has hood hinges. So do all subsequent issues of the Peterbilt 359.

Are Big Lots stores all across the country, or only in a certain region of the USA?

Cool! Where'd you get the wheels/tires for the smaller truck?

Great store! Only one question: Are there any engines for sale, and if so, which section are they located in?

OK, thanks for the information. It's a great thing that you're a member of this forum. I'm going to check truckpaper.com & see if I can find any 353s. In addition, I think the 387's fenders were twice as wide as the 353's. Also, based on my encounter with the black 353, I'd say it's about as big as an Autocar DC-64, which would make the 387 look giant in real life. Also, I think the 353 has a 119" BBC length & the 387 has a 127" BBC length. Is this true?

I've been working on this one for about a month. I'm not a professional model builder, and this is my first conventional, so please don't be too harsh on it. Anyways, this is a 1975 Peterbilt 359 painted in Baranski Freight Systems colors. It was built from the AMT T501 "California Hauler" kit. According to Jairus, you're supposed to have a back story to your truck's paint scheme, so here goes. Baranski Freight Systems Inc. is the freight hauling division of Dylan Baranski Industries Inc., a company I made up. You see, I have a penchant for painting my vehicles in the colors of organizations that I made up because I find it to be a more unique approach than painting them by the book. The truck this model is based on (or would be if Baranski Freight Systems were a real company) originally had a "Peterbilt White" Cummins NTC-350, but sometime in the early 90's, the engine was rebuilt & painted gray (special thanks to ultraliner13 for giving me this idea). Given the right maintenance, Baranski Freight Systems trucks can stay in service for many years, like this one. Also, Baranski Freight Systems trucks tend to be more gaudy than typical freight company trucks. Anyways, I chose green because it's my favorite color. It's a nice-looking truck, but there are a couple of problems. A crossmember wouldn't fit properly, so the frame is a bit crooked. Also, there are some paint issues that need touching up. Also, some of the chrome on the grille surround has faded, so that needs touching up. Other than that, I think it looks nice. Holes have been drilled in the roof for attaching roof accessories (air horns, lights, etc...) The sleeper has been built, but not attached. The middle windshield pillar was broken off from the cab when I got this kit, so I fashioned a new one & painted it white. Construction has been delayed because I want to get some "Winslow Stripe" decals from jbot.ca, but the shopping cart has been disabled even after he said it would be enabled in September, and I don't want to go any further with building it because I fear that the cab components will interfere with the decal placement. Here's some photos from my work desk: Notice the Peterbilt mudflaps. I took some inspiration from the 359 seen in the 1975 "Class of the Industry" brochure http://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thsca...rbilt_352__359/ The yellow springs & blue shocks are the result of a suspension change. Plus, I thought it looked nice. Behold! The Cummins NTC-350 turbodiesel! According to a GMC Astro brochure from 1972, this engine puts out 325 hp. If that's so, then shouldn't it be called an NTC-325? Other view of engine. View of interior. Also based on the interior seein in the 1975 "Class of the Industry" brochure. However, I didn't have a 4-spoke steering wheel, so I just painted the steering wheel with the most off-white color paint I had on hand. The (unfinished) hood. Notice that some of the chrome has faded away. The hood test-fitted to the truck. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

On my way to college today, I passed by a black 353 dump truck. It had a painted grille & radiator crown rather than the normal chromed one & quad headlights. I wonder, how common were/are the 353 & 387? It doesn't seem to me like too many were made. Also, I've seen two other heavy-duty Peterbilts: the 381 & 383. All I know is that they're narrow-nose rigs, possibly the predecessors to the 387. Do you know anything else about those trucks?

Yeah, I often find myself thinking about what models I'm going to build in the future & how I'm going to build them. So, I guess it's pretty common among model builders.

OK. Did you install the engine or exhaust first? If you installed the exhaust first, that's probably the source of your problem.

Wow! That looks heavy-duty!

Thanks! That's just the rationale I needed for my choice of gray paint on the Cummins NTC-350 in my 359! Why didn't I think of that reason before? I'll try to post pics of the truck later on.