Force

Very nice, you captured the right look indeed.

Yes it's an Italeri kit so it's not accurate in all aspects, Italeri is known to take shortcuts when they do model their truck kits and use the same old stuff for kits that shouldn't have it. The engine is an old Cummins NTC but it's made up to look more like a N14 as they tooled up a air to air intercooler setup instead of the water to air aftercooler it originally had and thought that would do...but nooo that's not right, the head and valve cover area on a N14 definately don't look like it does on the NTC. Italeri did tool up a new correct rear suspension for the FLD tho' as it has the later FAS II Airliner suspension instead of the older FAS Airliner used on the FLC kit the FLD is based on, the old Airliner is the same suspension as the Western Unit Stabilaire that Peterbilt used in the late 60's and that suspension is in the AMT Peterbilt 359 California Hauler and 352 COE and Freightliner took over it after Peterbilt stopped using it...but the FLD has the later FAS II Airliner.

Of course, you can do whatever you like, it doesn't bother me. Ford did name one of the Fairlane models Sports Coupe, not all of them and it's equally wrong to call all 1964 Fairlanes Thunderbolt just because one of them was called that. I just wanted to give out the correct information so people who don't know this will in the future.

Nice build of Bob's car.

You're absoultely right, the Sports Coupe was just a more expensive 500 Hard Top with a bit more "bling". The 65 Modified Stocker is a lot easier to find and a lot cheaper than the old 63-64 annual kits and It's for sure possible to change out the roof on the Revell kit and replace it with the AMT 65 Modified Stocker roof to do a B-pillar less Hard Top, the chrome trim on the C-pillar is different on the 65 but the roof line is right. Then you have the interior to fix if you want to do a correct 500 Sports Coupe as it had bucket seats, center console (same console as the 62-64 500XL Galaxies) and de luxe crushed vinyl upholstery, the regular 500 had a front bench seat or bucket seats (no center console in the 500 Hard Top) with less luxurious vinyl upholstery and the cheaper models had bench seats with vinyl and fabric upholstery.

Well you do as you like, it's your model. I used to own a 500 Sports Coupe myself for 12 years as I said so I know all the differences and they are quite visible if you see a 2d Post Sedan and a Hard Top/Sports Coupe side by side. The Hard Top/Sports Coupe roof is both lower and shorter than the 2d Post Sedan roof, the wind shield is slightly more slanted backwards and has more chrome around it than the Sedan, the Sports Coupe also has more chrome overall as it was the "top of the line" model of the Fairlane. Here are a few pictures, the blue car is a 2d Post Sedan and the white car is a 2d Hard Top Sports Coupe. The rear window on the 2d Sedan Rear window on Hard Top and Sports Coupe 2d Sedan side view Side view of the Sports Coupe, notice the wider trim after the side intake behind the door and the more slanted A-pillar and wind shield with more chrome trim and the side windows are also different. The rear part of the roof on the 2d Sedan, look at the panel between the rear window and the trunk lid...it's quite short and the the rear window/C-pillar is straight. The panel between the trunk lid and rear window is much wider on the Hard Top/Sports Coupe and the upper part of the C-pillar is curved at the top, the trim on the bottom of the C-pillar is also much wider. The regular hood for all models except Sports Coupe Hood with a fake chrome intake...Sports Coupe only.

Interesting. But you can't do a Sports Coupe with the Revell kit wich originally was a Thunderbolt (thus the 427 Hi-Riser, Bostrom front seats and slicks). The Sports Coupe is a Hard Top and this kit is a Post Sedan, the roof line and rear window are completely different between the two and the Sports Coupe has bucket seats and a center console wich the Sedan didn't have, the Sports Coupe also has more chrome trim as it was "top of the line". AMT did a 1964 Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe as an "annual" back in 1964 and it's the only kit out there. I used to own a 1964 Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe wich I bought back in 2004, I sold it about 4 years ago when I got the 1963½ Galaxie 500XL Fastback I have now.

A polishing kit can save lots of flaws in paint jobs...believe me, I have saved lots over the years since I got mine...but it can't knock down a sharp paint edge and get it level without sanding off the overlaying paint at the edge completely, that's why you need to use clear coats so you will have more paint to work with, after that sand it down to a flat surface. If you sand with a sanding block before the clear coats and get the paint level and get out "orange peel" dust specks and other imperfections the result will be even better and you can use the polishing kit for that, the grit on the abrasive cloths in the kit goes from 1800 grit in 8 stages up to 12000 grit...at least they do in my LMG Enterprises kit...1800 is quite coarse and the 12000 feels almost like the paper newspapers are printed on to the touch. If the paint is decent I usually start somewhere in the middle and go up the grit stages and finish with 12000...and you use them wet.

Looks good. From back in the day when Pro Stock cars looked like a meaner version of the street going counterparts, not like the cars they use in Pro Stock today.

Looks nice. You learn something every day and this forum helps a lot.

I've seen that before and saved all the pictures for references. It's unfortunate Revell didn't do the kit like the original truck was, because it's quite a difference between a Peterbilt 359 and a 379, a Cat 3406 and a Cummins NTC475, so they took quite a shortcut when they did the kit as they based it on the 359 they allready had, the wrecker body looks to be right tho'. On that site there are more photos of other trucks Revell did. Bill Signs Trucking Clydes II Peterbilt 359 http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989e1510fe103.html Kenworth W900 Wrecker http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/kenworthw900wreckeroriginalfotos.html And the Beall Tanker http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989d831212610.html They also have photos of trucks they haven't done kits of like Bill Signs Papa Clyde Peterbilt 379 http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989f560b54a03.html and a couple more wreckers. A Peterbilt 359 with Holmes 750 http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989e520f58710.html A Peterbilt 379 with an All-Pro 70 ton rotator http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989e580c35722.html And a Ford LTL 9000 with Vulcan 940 http://www.truckin24.de/03c1989d840f69e01/03c1989e530c5a213.html

Are you sure about that?? I have two "Can-Do" kits issued 1993 and one "Will-Do" kit from 2013 and I just checked, after what I can see the light bars look exactly the same. On he box art they are different tho', the "Can-Do" shows amber light bars and the "Will-Do" shows clear light bars, but they are in clear plastic in all kits. I might get one more if they re-issue it again.

Very nice.

Yes they are too large, a friend of mine have a real "Bathtub" intake manifold and I think they are 1/2 inch bolt heads/nuts. The oil pan looks good tho'

Unfortunately the carbs in most kits are bad and don't look like the carb they are supposed to be, they work if they are covered by an air cleaner but most of them look terrible open with a few exceptions, the last kits AMT developed before the Racing Champions take over had decent carbs like the 1960 Starliner, the 1962 T-bird, the 1971 Plymouth Duster and a couple more. I don't like Holley 4500 Dominators Revell had in their Pro Stock kits that many use on their builds, they are very poor versions of what they are supposed to be and they missed the mark by far, and if you have been around the real ones as I have they definately don't make the cut, the Dominators in their Pro Sportsman kits are a bit better. But the best Holley 4150 and 4160, Rochester and Carter carbs available are the ones Joseph at Fireball offers, and the best Holley 4500 Dominator carb I have found so far are the one Futurattraction does. Expensive...maybe, but if you want the right look...you might have to bite the bullet.

You do as they do on real cars. You can't get the edge completely flat just by sanding directly on the paint, the edge is only paint buildup and if you do you will sand the overlaying paint away before it gets flat. So lay several coats of clear on top of the paint, sand it down with fine wet paper and then polish.

Superb build.

I thought the Torsion Bar went out when the AG100 came, well you learn something every day, I have also read somewhere that a well maintained Torsion Bar rode at least as good as the early AG100. I know Tyrone Malone had the old KW 4-bag on the Boss Truck Of America wich was a 1971 model and on the 1970 Mama Truck transporter as well. The 1976 Papa Truck Transporter had the Torsion Bar and the 1978 Hideout Truck Transporter had the AG100 wich appearantly was new for that year, the 1974 Super Boss and 1978 Bandag Bandit Racing Trucks both had Torsion Bar single drive. Peterbilt's first air ride, the Western Unit Stabilaire, was as I hear quite rough too like the old KW 4-bag, but the later Air Leaf was much better, the Stabilaire was taken over by Freightliner and was called Airliner.

I was going through the MTDG Facebook group just now and noticed a thing regarding the Malone trucks in a thread where Ben Wicker shows the correct style 5-hole Truck Mate wheels he has done the master for and sold by Jamie at Mo'luminum, I'm not a member on Facebook so I give out the information I have here. Someone there said the Hideout Truck had Alcoa 10-hole wheels at one time when Malone had it and they were covered up with Truck Mate stainless steel wheel covers...that's not really the case, Malone was sponsored by Truck Mate (wich is still around) and the Hideout Truck had the stainless steel wheel covers at one time, but under these wheel covers it still has the Truck Mate chromed 5-hole wheels with the same tube tires as before, even the Bandag Bandit had the same wheel covers on the rear wheels at that time...the wheels on most of the Malone trucks was later changed to chromed 2-hole wheels and 24.5" size tubeless tires. I don't think Truck Mate had any 10-hole aluminum wheels at that time and the only pictures I have seen where the Hideout Truck has had 10-hole Alcoas are from after Malone himself had passed and the truck was sold and when the truck was found again not that many years ago. Bridgestone who now owns the Bandag Brand was approached and offered to buy the truck so they could pair it up with the Bandag Bandit they allready have again (sits at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop Museum), a representative from Bridgestone came to California where the truck was and looked at it, they considered to do it but they changed their mind and finally declined...Gary Ries from Hastings MN has since bought the Hideout Truck and is going to restore it like he did with the Papa Truck Transporter he had bought earlier, he also owns the Super Boss, the Whale Truck and trailer, the Hurricane, the Defiance wheel stander Freightliner and the Smokey Bear Corvette from the Malone stable...Gary also tried to buy the Boss Truck Of America some time ago, the truck sits in Texas somewhere but that deal didn't go through, it's in pieces and the owner wants too much for it. Here are some pictures to show what wheels the Hideout Truck has had over the years. First the early Bandag version from approximately 1979-80 with the chromed Truck Mate wheels and tube tires, the first Thermo King version from 1978 did also have these wheels and I have posted a picture of that version earlier in this thread. A version with the Stainless Wheel Covers some years later, around 1981 or so, note that the Bandag Bandit has the same wheel covers on the rear wheels and that truck hasn't had anything else than tube style tires under it's life and it still has. An even later version some years later 1988-89 where Malone had changed to 2-hole chromed wheels with tubeless tires and a different paint job. This picture shows an even later version with the 2-hole wheels and the paint job is changed slightly again, more texts and the outlines of the white yellow and blue stripes on the cab are white instead of gold. Finally the version when the truck was found again in 2009 before Gary Reis bought it, the paint job is still nearly the same as in the picture above but now it has 10-hole Alcoa wheels.

Wasn't the torsion bar suspension obsolete in 1979, I mean Kenworth came with the 8-bag Airglide 100 the year before in 1978. But I have read the Peterbilt Air Leaf offered a smoother ride that the Kenworth AG100 and I have seen lots of pictures of Kenworth's with Peterbilt suspensions.

The Revell AG truck kits are the most expensive truck kits on ebay and the "Can-Do, "Will-Do" and the Bill Signs "Clydes II" kits tops the list and has done for a long time. There are two 1992 issues of the "Can-Do" there right now with asking prices of $575.00 and $720.00, and two 1993 issues of the same kit with asking prices of $460.00 and $475.00. There are also two of the "Will-Do" reissue from 2013 on ebay now wich is the same kit as the "Can-Do" except for the decals, and they have asking prices of $430.00 and $450.00. There are two 1994 issues of the Bill Signs kit there right now too and asking price for them is $350.00 and $500.00, I also saw one 2010 issue of the same kit and asking price for that is $325.00. So they are not cheap...but these are asking prices and if they will sell for that is questionable. What a realistic price is for the first issue of the "Can-Do" I don't really know, it depends on what the buyers are prepaired to pay for the kit and how desirable it is...and they are for sure desirable. I have two of the "Can Do" kits and one "Will Do" kit and I can say I didn't pay nearly as much when I bought them...for the prices they ask now on ebay I'll pass.

Very nice. Where do you get your slicks, they look just right with the wrinkles?

Yes it's not an uncommon thing, kits has come and gone all the time since they started doing them. The tooling is still there but when they don't have anymore in stock of the last batch of a certain kit it's discontinued until they some years later decide to do another batch of said kit, and it will come back again.

Great model indeed.

Very nice build of a difficult model, good work there.