Biggu

The tube brace on the back side of the plow is usually the adjustment and the lower bolts on the push frame are usually part of the trip mechanism ….. also the lift chains have to be adjusted so that the toe of the blade ( the front corner bit ) has to lift first, then the heel of the blade ( discharge chute end ) lifts last. The chains should be as tight as possible , so as when plowing and coming to an obstruction you can lift the blade immediately and not wait for the lift ram to take the slack out of the lift chain thus hitting the obstruction causing damage to the plow and or truck ….. also the optimum mounting height on the truck is 15 inches from ground level to mounting pins. There actually is some science to this.

Adjust the cutting edge to 47 degrees for optimal cutting of compact and cleaning down to the black top............. we actually had a metal gauge back in the day

Call me anything you want just not ‘late for dinner’ 🤣🤣

That’s a huge milestone Brian. You’re getting close to the finish line !!

The rubber flap looks great. They worked well for keeping snow and slush from coming over top of the plow at speed and covering the windshield or all over the hood and into the grille and plugging air intakes mostly on the single axles. Although if one exceeded plow speeds it didn’t matter. The flap would flip back and the truck got covered …… an old tried and true Highways design.

Thanks Brian , yeah the primer really does make things, good and bad show up. I never used to use it but I am finding it is a great help, I think I’m moving along with this build then look closely … oh man there is a long way to go here. ….. thats ok and was expected but still ……….

Well, that was a marathon I hadn’t budgeted for ………some guy , the LAST guy to use my airbrush neglected to do a thorough cleaning on it and left it with some hidden guck deep inside the workings and what a P.I.A. To get it cleaned out and working properly, 4 complete tear downs with digging and scratching , thinking it was clean then fill color cup give it a go and🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 tear it down all over again , so what was to be a quick half hour job start to finish took 2 1/2 HOURS !! If I ever catch ‘that guy’ , he and I are going to have a serious discussion about using tools and keeping them CLEAN …… or else !🙄😉🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Annnny way , the deal was to het some primer on the frame, engine and some other bits to see what kind of mess I made of them before paint …… wanted to make sure I don’t have any mould seams or glue seams that shouldn’t be there. So far so good, even some of my ‘ bolt action’ is showing.

My dad bought me this kit when it was first issued Waaaaay back, and it was Prestige Auto Movers , and it included the tractor, a Pete 359 all decked out, the trailer and a 3rd gen Camaro and a 3rd gen Firebird …. I still have remnants of the trailer somewhere and the Pete is on my shelf. A very cool kit and can be a bit of a challenge to keep everything aligned but makes a really great model. I will be watching with interest for sure.

"That's ALL"????? Randy................. I have NO words, that can come close to what I am witnessing....... you have taken this to a whole new dimension............ you and Brian are in a class all unto yourselves, this is some of the MOST spectacular scratch building I have ever seen..... incredible.... mind blowing , buddy.... just fantastic ! you leave me thirsty for MORE ..

Don't you just hate when that happens??

I snagged some automotive spot putty yesterday.... the 'small' tube will be several life times of supply ..... I think if I use it sparingly , it won't melt any plastic.... I hear other guys use it, maybe more like the green putty I used to get back in the 'old' days before the 'experts' were concerned about me being 'safe'.....

Absolutely perfect, she looks like she just came off a pour and is heading back to the batch plant for another 8 yard load of 25 mpa concrete with a 3” slump! Awesome build ! Perfect weathering. Beautiful build

Are you serious?? Scratch build a Cat? Talk about raising the bar ! You scratch building guys are taking your kits to another level ! This is exciting to watch come together. You guys have incredible talents and thanks for sharing your incredible talents. Looking forward to your next post Steve.

A bit of a p.i.t.a. !

Sure could be, Ron, but like some one once said......" Instructions are just some one else's opinion" ................ so to me it is either way, especially if it is like that in the real world, I've changed oil on both, so who really knows if there is a hard and fast rule..... I like Scott's term of 'artistic license', that leaves the door WIDE open for interpretation.... which is ALL good...it would be ultra boring if everything was the same.... if it were, wouldn't even be having this conversation... and that's a bonus !

You hit the nail on the head , Scott, artistic license is always something to fall back on for sure. A little wire here and there and the odd fitting helps too , I hope to make this look fairly ‘busy’ …. All suggestions I will happily take. ….

Yeah , you're probably right, but on the 3d engine the heavy mounting channels had the sump forward so I went with that as I didn’t want to mess it up. But even the instructions on the Pete 378 shows the sump forward …..🤔🤔🤔 so there was some evidence as that was the direction BUT I have seen them both ways so no harm no foul

Still on the bench …. Decided I didn’t like the cross member connections. So took a few minutes and filled them with some AK modelling putty. Not sure about this water based stuff. I’m old school and still love Squadron Green putty. A little sniff of toluene never hurt any modeller, never hurt any modeller, modeller🤭😋🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Good catch Lee. !! I would have missed that detail !

Success ….

Ok…… so when I built the last Pete, I changed out the kit engine for a fabulous 3d version I got from Spain. As the engine on that build was the same engine a Detroit 60 series BUT much more detailed than the kit 60 Series, it made for an interesting build. So not wanting to throw anything away, I kept the kit engine for an other engine exchange. I have built SO many Cummins engines over the years, and the Western Star comes with a Cummins, I thought it was a good swap for a change….. so this truck will have a Detroit 60 instead of the Cummins…… seems as though it will drop right in and look ok. A pic of a slight mock up just for initial inspection…. So I will try a little extra detailing as I think the Italeri engines are painfully lacking details and the molded on bits makes me shake my head. But never the less its what I have and I’m not keen on spending another $110 on another 3d Detroit. But some of this hobby does come down to economics and it is modelling not assembling. 😉 Thats my story and the general plan for now, just trying to change things up a little bit ….. there is one mod I’m going to do and that is cut the oil pan and turn it around so the sump is at the back and that would give more clearance for the f/a. As Ron mentioned when I was building my Pete. Didn't do it on that one, but will on this one. ……

I bet someone with a printer will pick that ball up. Can you imagine the details that could be possible ?

Another old school heavy duty stout Mack build. The guys who drove these trucks were as tough as the trucks themselves, no springs on the frame, seats bolted to the floor, no padding on the seats, no seat belts to help hold the driver in place on rough roads, no windshield, no heater, arm strong steering, straight cut gears, mechanical brakes,( if there was any brakes at all 😳), rattly chain drive and most likely toss in some unmuffled exhaust ……. Where do I apply? 🤭 BUT these trucks look so cool with the big wheels and tires. Love the build Lee ….

Lookin good so far, Dan. And I thought I was ambitious, what a very cool long term project. I will quietly sit in the front row watching with great interest and hope to pick up a tip or two. This will be a top drawer build and display ……. I’m looking forward to your updates …..