Force

That Mercedes-Benz Actros called "Highway Hero" is from Finland owned by Mika Auvinen, and it won the Nordic Trophy this year 2014 at a large truck show held here in Sweden every year......I think it's painted by Terje Aspmo Based on the paint job and the way he styled the grille I think Mika rather would have had an American truck than a German Mercedes as there are 4 different US trucks on there, except for the Lonestar on the trailer tank there is a Peterbilt on the other side, a Freightliner and a Western Star are painted on the sides of the trucks tank. Mika Auvinen has more trucks in his fleet, another Actros called "Xtar", a Scania called "Gunfighter", a Scania called "White V8", another Scania called "Shogun" yet another Scania called "Aces High", two other Mercedeses called "Gladiator" and "Gladiator II" and finally another Mercedes called "Outlaw"...all are bulk trucks for cement or animal feed or whatever he hauls...here is his website with more on his trucks http://www.kuljetusauvinen.fi/index.php I personally think these trucks are "too much" and I prefer a simpler cleaner paintjob on a truck and not so much clutter as it usually is on the Nordic Trophy contenders nowadays.

Yes of course...I found them now...I looked at the wheel sets at the bottom on that page but they were not the right style as they were steel budds...and they have been out of stock for a long time...the ones I'm looking for were in the section above. The truck in the picture in my first post was only for illustration, but I have allready bought the Mercury Sleeper when I bought the 281/351 conversion kit from him some weeks ago...now I have to place an order for the wheels. I haven't decided how I will build the "small Window" Unilite cab truck yet, as a 359 or as a 351...but I want to use these wheels as I think they look cool on an old truck. Thanks guys!

I'm looking for a set of aluminum style split rims for semi trucks for a Peterbilt 359 "small window" project, both front and rear. I know Ben Wicker has them in turned aluminum and they look really good, but they are too expensive for my budget, so I would like to find a set or two in resin. Here is a picture of the wheel type I'm looking for.

Yeah I've noticed...but they are hard to take good pictures of "on the run" so to speak, partly to the speed and the fact that they are moving, and partly to the obstacles that can get in the way in the shot...like the road barrier in the last picture. Here are the pics I uploaded before that vanished when the forum was reset and a couple that I havent posted yet. Outside the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. DSR Racings Semis for Antron Brown at "The Strip" in Las Vegas. Another truck we passed on I 15 between San Bernadino and Cajun Junction CA going up to Las Vegas. And lastly a truck we passed on US Hwy 95 going to Boulder City NV

A Peterbilt spotted on I 15 between Baker and Barstow CA in the beginning of November.

Yes the Mercury Comet is based on the Falcon chassis as the Mustang, the 62-65 Ford Fairlane are slightly larger and only shares chassis with the 62-63 Mercury Meteor.

This one I'm really looking forward to.

Here is a picture I took a couple of years ago at a vintage show about 20 miles from where I live. I for sure looks like a challenging drive as the track width of an old SAAB isn't that wide.

Yes he does. You can buy directly from him or from Slixx as they carry everything froom him.

The purple stuff is hard on metal, it eats away model chrome in a jiffy...so fast that the chrome plating dissappears before your eyes...and as the plating is a thin coat of vapourized aluminum one can imagine it's not that good to use for removing paint on most soft metals. It also takes away the underlaying clear coat , it just takes a bit longer than the actual plating, so it's perfect for removing chrome plating from model parts.

Most of the model kit manufacturers have had their ups and downs and the early kits aren't as good as the more recent kits. I AMT's case they haven't released many all new tooling kits the last 10-12 years but the last things they did from the late 90's and early 2000's are quite good.

Have you checked Competition Resins, he has some slicks.

Congratulations, and to a fairly reasonable price too. I found a couple of these old MPC Stock Car kits myself a some years ago for reasonable money, the Richard Petty Charger and Buddy Baker Charger.

Apperantly he passed this past weekend after a very short period of illness... unfortunate and sudden. I bought an engine from him directy for a Sox & Martin Superbird project a couple of years ago and when I told him what it was for he sent some additional stuff I would have needed anyway for free...so in my book he was a good guy. A period correct transmission for a Gasser would be a B & M Hydrostick...that's a modified version of the GM Hydramatic by B & M...I don't know where you can get one i resin but they are available in some Revell Gasser kits.

Well that timeline for the 1965 Galaxie kit and some more I have seen from them are useless as they are not accurate at all, the 1965 kit could not have been a new tool 1961 as the car itself didn't come until the fall of 1964, another thing is that the 65 doesn't share anything with the older siblings, except for the drive train everything was new for that year, the chassis, suspension, body and so on. The first kit in the timeline is a 1961 Galaxie, the second is the 1965 Galaxie original issue,not a rebox, the third is the 1961 Galaxie reissued, the fourth is a 1970 Galaxie and the fifth is the same 1965 Galaxie as the second one reissued last year...there has been some more reissues of the 65 Galaxie kit but they are missing. On newer kits you can find a © date on either the box or the instructions...or both...and that can give you a clue on when the kits are made, but on many older kits there are no dates at all so you might have to look in some old catalogs to find out when they are made and what issue it is.

Finding these kit for reasonable prices...well that can be a challenge...they are expensive wherever you find them as they has been OOP for a long time.

Very nice Chris!

Very nice Chris, looks great. I have been to the Goodguys event in Scottsdale 2 times, 2011 and 2012, and yeah it's a great event and I like to go there.

I couldn't agree more, When I start up an engine wich has been appart or if the distributor has been out I usually turn the engine to about 10 degrees before TDC or something like that, take the number 1 wire and put in a loose sparkplug and hold it against something so you get ground, turn on the ignition and turn the distributor until you get a spark and fasten it there, put the number 1 wire back on the spark plug in the cylinder head and when you start the engine it will run smoothly the first time...it works every time without spluttering or backfires...if you have the firing order correct that is. After that I adjust the timing properly with the light.

Actually the #1 on the cap isn't that important as long as you get near, it depends on how you get the distributor down when you mount it so if its one terminal to either side of the theoretical 1 is close enough, When you put down the distributor on a V8 you try go get clearance for the vacuum advance so you can adjust the timing as much as possible and it's not allways you get it as it should be according to these diagrams, as long as you can get the spark lead you want it will work.

The engine looks like it could be a Caterpillar 3406B or C with Air To Air After Cooler in the real Can-Do, the kit engine is a Cummins NTC 475 Dual Turbo. You can maybe convert the 3406 from the Revell snap Peterbilt 359 or Kenworth W900 Aerodyne kits.

Here are a couple of photos I took of the Futureliner at the SEMA Show a couple of weeks ago.

No my visit over there was purely a vacation...or may I say recreation because that's what it is, the Vegas race was good and so was the SEMA Show, we did also go up to El Mirage for the speed trials and as Bonneville rained out earlier there were lots of competitors there, I have not seen so many there this time of year. I have been to the NHRA Finals at Pomona 4 times before so I've been there, last time was 2012, I could have gone this year too but I have to save some paid vacation days until next year when I plan to come over again, and the Finals may be one thing to plan in and maybe the Goodguys Southwest Nationals event in Scottsdale...we have not decided yet.

It all depends on what type of suspension it is so there isn't a "rule of thumb" here. You can pretty much say that you go at it as on a real car, what works there works on a car model, things like lowering blocks, shorter springs, repositioned spindles and so forth.

I saw that car at the SEMA Show the week before last. The photo is taken by me on location in Las Vegas.