Blue Monday

That looks stunning. Great colours and standard of finish. I am not a huge fan of day cabs but that looks really good. I guess every collection of semis needs at least one day cab in there! BM.

This will be interesting. It’s a shame the sleeper shape is not accurate but even with that minor flaw, it still looks like a fine kit. I’m looking forward to seeing this being built. Enjoy it!👍 BM.

Looks really good outdoors. Unless you closely examine the truck, it appears at first glance to be a full sized K100. Another one to be proud of. BM.

I have been registered on this forum now since early November so I suppose I had better say hello. On a recent trip to Arizona, I woke one morning at the hotel I was staying at to find a Peterbilt Big Rig parked on the road outside (see picture below). This sighting reignited my casual interest in classic American Big Rigs. Being a young kid in the late seventies and early eighties my programming on TV consisted mainly of American TV shows and movies. Things like "Smokey and the Bandit" and "BJ and the Bear" were a big influence on my interest in Big Rigs. I can recall building a Lego Big Rig inspired by the K100 from "BJ and the Bear" when the show aired in the early eighties here in Ireland. While aviation, and helicopters in particular, have always been my main area of interest as an enthusiast and modeller, I randomly googled truck kits after my recent trip to the USA and came upon this forum. Reading the topics in WIP and Under Glass relating to trucks has really caught my attention and one particular niche area of truck modelling is proving very interesting - that of building the 1/32 snap together/snap-tite model kits of the late 70's and early 80's. I got into a modelling rut of starting models and not finishing them. I then lost access to a modelling work area when our little girl arrived two years ago (as good a reason as any to loose the modelling room!). I am going to have a new work area set up in the New Year and so I am keen to get back to model building again. The ambition this time is to finish a few kits! The snap together kits can be built from the box with no glue and even unpainted, look quite good. However, I have admired the work of Rockford and others on this forum who take these simplified kits and add some additional detail and fine paint jobs and are able to turn out some really good replicas of the classic Big Rigs. This appeals to me and it's something I would like to try. I hope that building this type of kit will prove to be a relaxing antidote to more complex and complicated aircraft kits. I have noticed that weathering is not necessarily a big part of truck modelling - some do, many don't. Finishing your truck model in a paint scheme and markings of your own design is also perfectly acceptable - something that is frowned upon in the aviation modelling world. That approach to finishing a model is quite refreshing and different and is a good thing, I reckon. I've enjoyed reading the various topics on trucks here so far and the generally positive and encouraging attitude adopted by many here with regard to the modelling work of others. I have a few kits on order and they should arrive in the post fairly soon. I've even ordered a 1/32 snap tite Pontiac Trans Am kit, my favourite American muscle car! Thanks for allowing me to sign up to this forum. Liam.

Lovely-looking K100. Possibly the most beautiful of all the Cabovers. Your model looks very sharp with the nice contrast between the dark cab and light blue trim and chassis. BM.

Congrats on a fine Cabover in miniature. The paint work is particularly impressive. BM.

Great to see another fine 1/32 scale classic semi being built and displayed. I'm looking forward to having a go at this kit in 2025. Hopefully turns out half as nice as this one! BM.

This Cabover is progressing nicely. Your knowledge of these trucks is plain to see with all the modifications you make to the original kit. BM.

I was curious about how exactly your working landing gear legs worked. Thanks for explaining it. I hope to try out that method in 2025! 👍 BM.

That’s a nice sharp and clean build of this brutish looking tractor. Looks great in the outdoor photos. BM.

It's great to see what can be achieved from the various 1/32 snap tite kits out there, with a bit of work. A fleet to be proud of. BM.

That is absolutely stunning. Well done. BM.

That looks stunning but boy does it look like it was a LOT of work. Was it your most challenging build to-date or have you put even greater effort into another build? The second trailer of the three looks just right behind this K100 (IMHO). BM.

This is one to be proud of. The hard work and attention to detail that went into this truck really shows. Keep 'em coming! BM.

Lovely Bison. I have ordered the recent reissue of this kit so hoping it turns out half as nicely as yours. BM.

That’s an impressive list and especially so for 1/32. Can I ask- is the GMC General and the Chevy Bison pretty much the same kit, with only minor differences in detail like the front bumper? BM.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I had noticed that you mentioned elsewhere that if given the choice, you would build in 1/25 scale. I wondered why but having done some digging into the 1/32 side of things, the kits appear to be pretty rare and consequently they appear to be going for crazy money on the usual retail website. I will take your advice and start off in 1/25 scale with a Revell 359 semi-snapper. I will try to add a bit of detail but primarily aim for a clean finish overall. It really is a pity that 1/32 doesn't have the same appeal and variety in available subjects as the 1/25 brigade enjoy because, as you say, it makes for a slightly more sensibly-sized collection. I find it amusing that so many marvel at your work in 1/32 scale, stating how small they feel 1/32 is! It is only fractionally smaller than 1/25. Try building 1/100 or 1/144 scale aircraft -now they are small scale! Your skill lies in building these 1/32 scale simplified kits and ending up with a result that looks just as good as most 1/25 scale semis. Cheers. BM.

Your work on 1/32 scale snappers is inspirational. That scale seems a little more manageable than 1/24 or 1/25. It seems odd that there are relatively few truck kits in this scale and most are snappers. I have yet to build a truck kit and I was leaning towards 1/25 Revell snappers but looking at your work, 1/32 kits look like an attractive alternative. Keep up the great work. BM.

Thank you for the reply. Great to know there is a kit of the truck out there. Applying the mural decal to a trailer looks daunting though! Is the AMT 40' Reefer trailer the best option for a Bandit trailer? It appears to be to me but just want to be sure. Thanks. BM.

That is a fabulous model. Can I ask what kit you used for the tractor? I am interested in doing a potential Bandit Kenworth in the future and would love to learn about the best route to building a 73 W900. Thanks. BM.

Zack, good luck with your build. I think these snap-together kits are a good starting point for truck novices, like me! Some that I have seen that have been cleanly built look quite good. I intend to clean up all the parts and seams along the way and hopefully do a good paint job. Fingers-crossed our first Big Rigs turn out OK! Hakan, thanks for the info on the various AMT kits. My current plan is to build one or two of the Revell (semi-) snap-together kits as starters with a solid effort going into eliminating any seams on the tanks and areas like that. I hope also to learn how to deal with the various chrome parts as regards de-chroming them where necessary. I will use aerosol cans for these builds as I don't have an airbrush. I'll also have a go at light weathering of the engine and cabin interior. Then, I'll try the International Transtar as my first AMT kit. Their range of cabovers look amazing so I'd love to build up the skills to be able to build them successfully. BM.

Thanks for the information, Dan. I am kind of leaning towards the Peterbilt 359, after having looked over the instructions on Scalemates. I do like the large "Stars and Stripes" decal on the rear of the cab too! Fittingly, the last truck I saw in the flesh was a Peterbilt although I am not sure what version it was. It appears to have a longer chassis overall compared to the Revell 359 and a longer hood too. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a Big Rig, hopefully early in 2025. BM.

I am returning to model building in the near future, after a lay off of a few years. One area of modelling I'd like to try is trucks, and in particular, the classic American "Big Rigs". I've done some googling on kits and AMT appear to have a really nice range of kits although they appear to require some expertise to get the best out of them. I am wondering if Revell Germany or Revell-Monogram kits might be a better starting point for a first truck build? One kit I am looking at is the Revell-Monogram Kenworth W900 Aerodyne - Kit 11507. I understand that the rear wheels cause problems with this particular kit but other than that, it is a reasonably well-fitting kit and builds up nicely. Would the experienced truck builders recommend this kit as a good starter, or is there a better kit in 1/25 scale to start with? Is there any after-market wheelset to rectify the issues with the rear wheels? Thanks for any advice anyone can offer. BM.