Chuck Most

EJ Potter, in addition to building Chevy V8 powered exhibition drag bikes, was also known to stuff Allison V-12s into a wide array of vehicles.

I remember about fifteen years ago there was one of these running around in my area, and it had an '87-'97 style bed. Might go that route...

I guess you could call this part of that "Throwback Thursday" nonsense, as I actually built this back in 2006 or 2007, shortly after the Model King reissue. While rearranging stuff on the shelves recently, I decided to take some decent photos of it. Much of it is the base kit, with a comically tall body lift made from Plastruct strip, and some So Real Weld wheels/Irok tires that I bought specifically for this project. I built this in my typical style, just diving into it with all the subtlety of a bull rampaging through a china shop. This was before I really knew what I was doing, and it shows in a few places! Just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many things on this that I just would not let fly on anything I built today. One of these days I want to do a new and improved version.

Could be, but there are still fresh SSP Black Widows on the shelves at most of the shops I frequent.

The beltline trim looks correct for a '76 or earlier truck, but I've seen quite a few 1:1 '76 and earlier models with the thicker beltline trim... (this one was retrofitted with a '78/9 grille). It may have had something to do with trim level in the early years. The rocker trim changed for '77- a thin strip that ran above the fluted rockers and wheel openings- The AMT beltline trim is closer to this-

Discontinuation after a fairly short run.... still a selection in hobby shops....prices haven't jumped yet... ....I'm thinking maybe this kit isn't the hot seller they'd initially thought it would be?

Such things do happen-

Also... I wouldn't have to wait months on end for my Tesla to arrive, for lack of flat black hoods.

Best way to use it is to avoid it in the first place. Doesn't stick, easily scratched, and just looks like gloss black paint once applied.

The plastic parts have been approved for production- instruction sheet, decals, and box design are currently in development. If it's as good as the last test shot, it should be pretty good. Not that I'd know, or anything... ^Those are AMT parts pack tires, but other than that it's out of the box.

I don't recall exactly, but I think I used three- one continuous strip from the tops of the grille openings upward, another continuous strip along the bottom, and three horizontal strips- one on each end and one on the divider bar in the center.

Could be Brockway's revenge, with regards to Mack itself. There will come a day when a Mack is nothing more than a Volvo with a Bulldog ornament. Count on that.

If given a choice between the two... I'd still rather have the Tesla. Just gonna put that out there.

Joe Whitman (owner of TL Model Trucks) suggests one of the 1:24 Italeri kits, like the Freightliner or Western Star.

Wheelbase is now 133", and the glass and interior are back in.

A little Sunny...ha... I see what you did there. Can't wait to see more.

Here are some pics I took of one a few years ago- this one's a 700, but quite a bit is the same. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/?showtopic=76646 http://public.fotki.com/ChuckMost/truck-photos/dodge-grain-truck/

Here's the victim... I built this back in 2006 or 2007, shortly after Model King reissued it. It was one of the first weathered junker models I ever built, but I've never been happy with it. The more I learned about the 1:1 trucks and the kit itself, the less I liked it. So earlier today I pulled it off the shelf and took it apart for a "resto". It will be rebuilt into something a bit better than it is now, but still a beater. So far, I have removed the side trim, and I'll be using the '78 Custom (base model) grille from Morgan Automotive Detail. The hood will (probably) stay red, but will be weathered a bit. New cab color will be blue. I'm not sure what I'll do with the bed- change it to a 133" wheelbase version (obviously with the frame changed to match) or just stick a flatbed on it. Since I don't feel like tearing the chassis apart, the coil-sprung front axle is staying, so the wheelbase will probably be shortened. An engine/trans swap might be in the cards, as well. And since I have the decals for the dash gauges, I might redo the inside too.

Here's how one looks with some foil and paint-

*** NOTICE *** 1/24 Scale Autocar ACL B Conversion Kit Pattern work is complete and we are now accepting orders on a "Made to Order" basis only. Selling price is $95.00 per kit and includes the parts shown below. A 50% deposit ($47.50) is required with each order and is payable through PayPal. Delivery is approximately 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of deposit with Free Shipping in the USA. International buyers PM for shipping quote. Available exclusively from TL Model Trucks. (Pattern work by Dave Bish and castings by Mark Savage) Thank You. https://www.facebook.com/TLModelTruck