LOBBS

In any case, I need to get my Nova done so that I've got something to take to the Heartland show next weekend and then get cracking on this kit.

That makes sense. Here in Missouri, I've never seen a truck's grille completely buttoned up in the winter. I do know that they keep them running or plug them in or they're not going anywhere for awhile the next morning.

The main reason I asked was that I see alot of the custom trucks with a solid front bumper even if the stock version originally had holes. I saw a picture of a truck awhile back that had a huge pair of running/fog lights centered in the bumper. I was throwing around the idea of something similiar with the Lonestar (see my post in the Wanted section, the Revell 1/12th Chopper lenses were the biggest lights I could think of). I was looking to fill the center vent and stock fog lights and mount some big ole driving lights in the bumper.

Ok, so it is functional. Breathing through the bumper is one of my biggest pet peeves in modern vehicles. I understand it's a necessity and there are some examples where it's incorporated well into the overall design. Most the time though, it looks like the car was halfway through development and engineering came back and told them to just cut a hole in the front so it could breathe right. If I decide to rework the bumper a bit, I'll just have to remember to allow for airflow.

Thanks guys for all the information. I'm not a rivet counter by any means. I just don't want to a mistake that'd stick out like a sore thumb with truckers but not be obvious to the average "car" guy.

Yep, those are the fenders I'm looking at. BTW, some one parked a house on the frame of that blue truck there. Just thought you should know.

Ok, found the fenders on P & P.

I've never heard of the dipping method, just airbrushing it on.

I'm thinking about doing some customizing touches to the Lonestar and I've got a few questions again. First, do the openings in the bumper play a functional role on rigs? I know on most modern cars and trucks, the openings are actually designed to draw air in for cooling purposes so they're not just cosmetic. I'd like to change things up a bit on the Lonestar but don't want to get called out for something that would impair the function if it were 1:1. I'm also looking to give the truck a standard shave and hair cut. Below the door of the cab, there are two large amber lights and a row of smaller "chicken" lights between them. There are more lights along the aero skirts and lower edge of the front bumper. I know the "chicken" lights are an option from building a Lonestar on the International site but is there a DOT minimum for marker lights on rigs? I'm not a huge fan of a lot of chrome so I'm looking at body color bumpers and aero skirts and redoing most of the chrome with a brushed aluminum look. I've also seen some pics with filler panels in the aero skirts that cover up the fuel tanks which really shouldn't be all that difficult to do. I've seen some trucks with rear fenders covering the drive wheels. Are these available in resin? I particularly like the ones that are flat across the top instead of dipping down between the drive wheels. Alright, I'll quit bugging you guys for now but I'm sure I'll have more questions later on.

Thanks all, back to the store for me today.

Thanks Matthew, that was the one I was leaning towards but didn't buy until I checked it out first.

Was at the store after work and needed to pick up a new bottle of Future. Saw that it's now Pledge(?) with Future shine. To further complicate things there was a wood floor and also a tile and vinyl formula. What's the right stuff for clearcoating called nowadays?

The links as promised: Take a Tour of a Featherlite Race Car Transporter Pt1 Take a Tour of a Featherlite Race Car Transporter Pt2

Got my Lonestar in the mail today and I've been ogling it all night at work. All I can say is wow! It's not just the amazing detail of the new tooling but also the little things like the full-color instructions and the protective slips in the chrome bags. This kit is a without-a-doubt home run. I'm almost ashamed that a ham-fisted ape like me is going to have a chance to build one.

Awesome pics Matthew. I've got a few links to post from Youtube that Featherlite posted once I get back to my computer. It's a two part walk-through one of their racing truck haulers. I got my Lonestar today and have been ogling it all night at work.

There are a bunch of pictures of the contents posted in the Trucks section.

Mine was shipped Monday, can't wait to get a look at this beast. And throw my vote in for some more modern trailers.

Very cool builds, this truck thing may be growing on me.

I've seen the Italeri race trailers and some similiar trailers (race and show) from Revell of Germany. Are these perhaps the same tooling or are they completely different animals?

I've never seen a "naked" picture of these trailers. I've only seen them as a finished product that has been fully skinned. In the Featherlites (and I'm sure some of the other brands), the upper deck is where the cars are stored while the lower deck is workspace with cabinetry and benches for the teams. The walls of the trailer become the supporting members for the upper deck and I'm very curious as to how they are buttressed without impeding greatly into working space of the lower deck.

Is this the Italeri trailer you posted about in my other thread? If so, this may definitely be the quickest route to get where I'm looking to be. I've seen the Italeri trailers and similiar ones from Revell of Germany. Are these kits related in any way?

Yep, once I get the frame of the trailer worked out it should be fairly simple to get the rest to come together.

Thanks Matthew, this is all new ground for me. I greatly appreciate you taking those pictures for me. Counting the ribs on the underside of the trailer it would appear they are somewhere around a 15" or 18" spacing. This is looking more and more like something I'll have to completely scratchbuild. I could knock those ribs out pretty quickly at work on a Bridgeport. For some reason, I had it in my mind that all the trailers had some kind of "spine" running from the kingpin along the full length and that the rest of the trailer was built off that. This is more like a space frame that I'm used to in the aerospace work that I do.

I have seen the various versions of the European trailers so that may be a possibility if its easier to "Americanize" them rather than going another route.

So the rails do not extend the full length of the trailer, only slightly more than where the suspension mounts? The perimeter of the box and the floor are then the main load bearing members of the trailer? I haven't been able to find underneath shots of the car haulers and the frames themselves are obscured by the storage boxes and/or sides of the trailer. Is there any way you could post of pic of the underside of the 1/32nd hauler so that I can get an idea of what the bottom looks like?