mackinac359

I'm just gettin' started !!! (Can you tell I LOVE 352's?) Tim

Classic interior that the kit has - seen here in Oxblood red with the metal parts painted red. Seat bases would be black along with the top of the instrument panel against the glass.

Look closely at this 352 inside the Madison Plant (taken from an Overdrive article). The 8v71 has dual aircleaners - running through cab! I've always liked this configuration.

This 352 is awfully close to the box-art - change the colors, move the air horns back (incorrectly..), make the bumper the deep taper style and install the exhaust (laying flat for transport from the factory).

I snapped this pic inside a fresh 352 at the old Madison, TN plant in '76. Note the brown padding and you can barely see the bronze/gold metal around the door. Much nicer looking than the blue/green.

Here's what I was saying about the painted surfaces - if you didn't spec a color - you got the standard Peterbilt green (looks blue in the pic). This is the color AMT depics in the artwork on the kit box. Ick !

From The Class of '74 brochure. Note the Air Leaf suspension pictured. If you take the Air Leaf off an AMT T501 Pete 359 you can mount it on the 352's from with some modifications to both frame rails and suspension parts. The Revell of Germany would fit too, but you'd have more work with the spring mounts getting removed from the RoG frame rails. You gotta love the two Class Ad calender/poster shots with the Class Women and the classic cars!

Here's the same engine that is in the kit, the Detroit Diesel 8v71. This one even has the chrome plated valve covers that the kit has. Note the "Eiffel Tower" exhaust mounts. The engineer who designed this retired from Peterbilt in '06. You've seen a lot of his designs and group projects over the years.. everything from the 1100 cab, round-door sleepers, Dash of Class, Unibilt sleepers, etc..

Here's a nice dashboard pic. Note the color of the metal on the painted surfaces above the dog house. "Peterbilt green" was standard. Available was bronze brown/gold, black, red, medium green and blue painted surfaces with matching padding available on the dash above the dog house.

This 63" 282 (single drive 352) was spec'd for Milne (green and red). Chassis mounted exhaust and air cleaner. Look at the curved pipe of the top of the air cleaner - it looks a lot like the under cab pipe used to connect the air cleaner to the bottom of the cab in the kit. An in-line engine (in white).

Here's a fleet-spec 352 for the old Spector (see Jerry at ModelTruckin for decals) company. Note the stacked slender Farr dry cell air cleaner, the 2 hole wheels, 73" BBC cab (no baggage door), the space saver thin battery box, since chassis mounted exhaust and the rear windows.

If you look at the 352 in my photo - the air cleaner is more like the size of the one used in the Kenworth K123 kit. AMT shared parts with the 359 kit, that is also why the roof intake is so small. The Revell or even the Ertl metal framed 359 kit air cleaner cap (Eric at P&P has this cast) is more appropriate in size). The truck in the pic was used at the MATS truck show that year ('73). It had the first tubular style chassis exhaust mounts (available in wide or narrow spread, painted or chromed). Tim

The official year was '70. Unilite 352 was built through 1969 - but that doesn't mean that some '70 titled units weren't built in '69. Change the headlamp buckets for the external lip and rivets: '71+ Move the sleeper vents rearward: '70+ Remove the sleeper window indents: '70+ (short lived rear panel). Actual windows were larger. Larger front nameplate: '73 and newer Rounded top battery box with 2 air tanks under it: '75+ Larger grab handles: '75+ "Easy Entry" (backwards S) grab handle: '75 newer (first seen in '74 ads with original concept in '73 - I'm seen hanging on the truck with the "Easy Entry" steps in the attached photo) Lower door handles: '76+ Interior changes: Base interior with Classic padding identical to kit - available through all years. A third defroster vent was added in '73. Curved rather than flat. Classic II interior in '75 (think Revell of Germany 359 interior). Cab sizes: 54, 63, 76, 86, 110 (110" debut late '71 for '72). Pretty much anything was available exhaust and air cleaner configuration wise. Tim

As with any old-technology kit, there are some issues with flash and mold parting seams to clean up. The kit represents a very early "Pacemaker" cab 352 - the cab evolved over its life with the headlamp buckets changing, roof air conditioners changing 3 times, sleeper vents moving rearward and the rear window indents being omitted. Mostly costmetic stuff for modelers. The kit has some design flaws, more like artistic liberties that the guys 1225 Troy Street took back in '70. The cab tilt hinges are spread too far apart, then should be close to the radiator. The type of exhaust used was an early cab mounted style, but they got the muffler to cab mounts all wrong. The kit has the air horns mounted center on the roof - this was never a factory horn location. The kit also is missing the weatherstrip at the corner of the windshields. This is an easy fix with a piece of plastic painted to match the kit weather stripping. Tim

Now isn't that just a nice looking rig ! Well done. Tim

Isn't that a cool build ! Tim

Cool Kw! Tim

Cool project! Tim

Nice. Tim

When AMT made the K100 Aerodyne, the kit was originally a Tyrone Malone hauler - the tractor came later - with a slightly shorter wheelbase and a frame with no bolt detail. Tim

I've done it - fits 1/25 nicely, just a hair small on 1/24th. You're on the right track. Tim

Nice work. Tim

Awesome !! Tim

Revell kit has out of scale headlamps. AMT kit has a better shaped bumper but both aren't tall enough. Tim

Nice build of a challenging kit. Tim