Chuck Most

Believe it or not, that is a fully functional vehicle- you drive it lying down.

The truck is sold, but the pics are still up! To update to 1984 specs the AMT kit would need the Ford lettering and "Gear and Lightning Bolt" emblem removed, the latter replaced by a Blue Oval. Widen the wheel openings slightly, and find a different powerplant- the 534 had been out of production for a couple of years by the time this one was built. The CAT V8 from the AMT Louisville would be a good choice- this one does have a 3208. I believe 1984 was the first year the C Series used the Blue Oval on the nose... feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there. http://www.purplewave.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?100429A/5476

I still think it's a logical enough idea- what you're proposing could be done for way less than tooling an all new kit, and since the aluminum wheels would already have been in the original version of the kit, they could just throw those in as an option. I'm sure some people would feel miffed if they only suggested cutting the kit frame rails rather than providing shorter ones, but who here hasn't shortened or lengthened a frame? If the idea is to appeal to the dedicated truck modelers that would be a small concession, since they're probably familiar with the ins and outs of modifying a kit frame.

That would be a great stand-in for the AWOL ram head on my '40 Dodge.

One in every crowd, right? Sure there's all sorts of aftermarket stuff- resin, PE, decals, what have you, and it is fun finding and buying stuff like that. Waiting 4 to 8 weeks for it to arrive? Not so much. And since you're on this whole affordability shtick, consider how much any of that would add to the total price of the project. A kit, a set of resin Budds, a day cab panel... you might have a hundred bucks tied up in a project with just those three purchases. I know. I've done it. Let's face the facts- the days of buying a kit with the money you saved mowing lawns Saturday mornings are long gone, unless you own a successful groundskeeping business. I did screw up the pic, but my point remains, you can build an eye-catching semi tractor without resorting to shiny stuff and wild paint. And come on, Mitchell... doesn't the idea of a kit that includes a set of Budds appeal to your "no-bling" sensibilities? Even a little bit? They wouldn't need to offer many options beyond that, if any at all- just a kit that could serve as a base for something less flashy than your typical lux owner/operator rig. Less is more!

I certainly don't object to that idea- a few choices never hurt anybody. If it could be done in a cost effective manner an optional feature or two would be nice.

Bling and top-end equipment might sell models, but I do think it's about time the other end of the spectrum got a little more attention. Besides, you don't need to have a bunch of fancy polished parts and wild graphics to make something that's an attention-grabber (if that's your thing). Even a bare-bones fleet tractor can look pretty good with the right paint scheme. May I present Exhibit A- Nothing even remotely "blingy" about an Estes ProStar, but it sure does stand out in a sea of refrigerator-white examples, does it not? (And not that it's anybody's business but mine, yes, I do intend to build a Moebius LoneStar as an Estes day cab. Got a problem with that? ) While it's true I do like custom trucks, and when it comes to car models I'd gladly have a Shelby GT500 instead of a base model V6 Mustang, when it comes to Class 8 trucks and tractors my expectations are a bit different- I'd really like to see some more workaday subjects. I'd love to see a kit that comes with two-hole Budds and less chrome than a Model T. I like seeing realistic looking (if fictitious) markings, not the tacky graphics you find on many kit decal sheets that look like something out of a '70's van customizer's drug-addled nightmares. Not that all graphics are bad (the yellow Italeri DAF XF 105 comes to mind ), but I'd rather just see duplicates of factory stripe graphics, when applicable. I'm more of a "casual" heavy commercial modeler, I only started building them about five years back, but even I can see the appeal of offering something that wouldn't exactly be Large Car Magazine material if built out of box. And it looks like the "hardcore" guys agree. Give us something basic... we can handle it from there. Even if they did a "decontented" modified reissue of the ProStar like some have suggested, I think even something like that would be a great start.

Dude, wrong forum. I think it goes here- http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/forum.php

It's the kit Cummins, and the paint is Cummins Beige by DupliColor. I think I got it at O'Reilly.

Yep, that's mine. So far the thing has done nothing but amaze me. After sitting dormant for so long I was stunned by how little work was needed to get it back up to operating condition. Take a brand new backhoe and leave it out in the elements for a year, and the electronics will have been chewed up by mice and the engine will be seized. Not so on an old girl like this one.

Thanks again guys!

I'm pleased by the fact that this old backhoe is not only up and running, but all of the attachments work just fine... all this after the thing sat outside for over thirty years. And only a couple hundred bucks have been sunk into the thing at this point- mostly on hydraulic hoses. It'll need tires fairly soon, but overally, quite happy now. In case you're wondering, it's a 1949 Minneapolis-Moline RTI with a Lull loader and Sherman backhoe.

Here's a KW from yesterday-

I'd loved to have seen the look on the guy's face when you dropped that bombshell.

I like it already.

Jeez... awfully particular about lamps aren't we? I have to ask... what is there to review about a lamp, other than "It lights up the room"?

Not a pickup if it doesn't have a box. I suppose I should clarify... Ford didn't make a dually pickup (with a box ) in the modern era until 1980- you could order dual rear wheels on the heavier-duty Ford pickups in the '30's, but they were pretty rare and Ford didn't offer the option for very long.

*Blows dust off the topic* *Jiggles the switch* *Topic lets out a hum* IT WORKS!!!

It does have a salt spreader. I'm not sure if it was ever a highway truck- the red paint on the cab and hood looks like it might be factory, and I've never seen any red plow trucks in use by any of the local municipalities, but I suppose that can't be ruled out. It is set up like a lot of the old municipal plow trucks. I do want to build something like that F700- rust, planks, chain, and all.

THANK YOU! The other thing I've noticed, something that came to my attention when I was working in the auto parts business, it that sometimes it seems like the descriptions are not only vague and uninformative, but written in such a way to be confusing to the customer. For instance, something like a rear driveshaft U-joint for a pickup truck may be listed as being for "long wheelbase models only". Huh? Does that mean a long bed? Or an extended or crew cab? "Long wheelbase" covers a bit too much ground. Rather than listing the actual wheelbases- or if the driveshaft was single or two-piece, they'd have something idiotic like that in the description. Somtimes a part might differ depending on GVWR rating... and the description didn't say which one the part was meant for, meaning a person wanting to order that part online might have a 50/50 shot at getting the proper one. I can't tell you how many times I answered phone calls from customers who'd tried to order what they wanted off the site, only to throw up their hands in frustration and call in. Sometimes they'd read through every possible description and piece together enough to figure out what they needed, but yes, a lot of those onlne descriptions leave more than a little to be desired when it comes to clarity.

For a while, I thought the Sears/Kmart merger would work out. They'd never top Walmart, of course, but the two companies best-sellers complemented each other- for the tools and appliances, Sears had the Craftsman line, and Kmart was doing fairly well with its "softline" stuff, like the Martha Stewart Living products, which were exclusive to Kmart for a time. Sears never did well with softline products... remember those "Come see the softer side of Sears" ads from the '90's? But the Craftsman stuff seemed to do pretty well when Kmart started selling it, at least at the Kmarts in my area. Same story with the Kenmore appliances. Trouble is they've fallen into the same lockstep every other major retailer has been following- run the store on a skeleton crew of mini-wage part timers, squeak by on the bare minimum with store upkeep, and cut selection. That, and they want to hold the hands of those minimum-wage part timers constantly, making it so they can't even take a leak without permission from a supervisor, but on the other hand, they don't want to train them in any way with regards to performing their job, or about the products they sell. I guess that second point is just as well, considering the rather high turnover rate in most places like this... why spend the time enabling your employees to do things like return an unwanted purchase from a customer without manager supervision or teaching the employees about the products they sell when they likely won't stick around long enough for it to matter? Modern retailers don't want "lifers" anymore. Quality has been suffering too- I have no idea if the modern Craftsman tools or outdoor equipment are any good. All the Craftsman tools I have are '70's vintage hand-me-downs, and they all work and look just like new (so what's that tell you about the quality of the old Craftsman stuff?), but the Kenmore appliances aren't something I can vouch for. When my mom's old (early '80's) Magic Chef washing machine finally crapped out, she replaced it with a new Kenmore, after hearing so much over the years about how well-made the Kenmore products were. My mother went through two of the Kenmore wasing machines in as many years- the second time she didn't even bother trying to get it repaired or replaced. The Rent-A-Center-sourced Whirlpool she has now has been functioning perfectly for several years now. The old Kenmore stuff was pretty good, but the stuff I've been hearing about the Kenmore products they're selling now aren't as favorable. Take into account that the appliances are a big part of the "niche" market Sears has managed to grab onto, and the current sorry state of big-box retailers and the way they are run... and I can't say I'm shocked.