highway

Dave, welcome to the forum, and you've come to the right place for your questions, there are many here ready to help. Unfortunately, I can't help with the Chevelle, the only year Chevelles I really pay attention to are 69 and 70 model years, but I can help with the Toyota trucks. I'm not really aware of the 83 you mentioned, but I know there are quite a few 90s body styles out there. Lindberg did a 90s truck in 1/20 scale, and there were at least 3 different versions available. The first was a stock 4x4, and was later reissued with "Baywatch" markings and some added lifeguard gear. The other version was a phantom dually, which I think was also a 4x4, as it was more or less the stock truck kit with the added dually fenders and two extra tires. All of these versions had a stock Toyota V6 in them. If you more interested in 1/25 scales, Aoshima made some as well, and if I remember correctly, at least three different versions as well. They made the Hilux European/Japanese 4 door type with a short bed, think something like a Ford Explorer Sport Trac or any of those other SUV wannabes with the little 4 foot bed. They also made a lowrider and a hi roller style, and the hi roller is the one I can give you the best info on, since it's in my collection. It comes with a lifted suspension and very nice Super Swamper mud tires, but it can be built as the stock truck as well. It includes all the needed pieces to build a stock truck except for tires, you'll have to find some stock sized tires. The only downfall compared to the larger 1/20 scale Lindberg kits is there is no engine, but otherwise very nicely detailed. As for Tacomas, there are none that I know of, but it would be nice if someone would.

Johnny, it's not grounds for the D word if you buy a little something for her, too! That's worked for me many times! My better half likes anything John Deere, and as long as I bought her something with a little green tractor, she didn't care if I spent a couple hundred dollars on kits. As for the NASCAR models, I've probably got almost 2 cases (not all bought at the same time) of Dale Earnhardt Sr models, many of them just to build various versions of his cars. Since I also drove tow trucks at one time, I also have 3 complete Revell Midnight Cowboy Wreckers to either build custom wreckers from, or just to use the bed for other wreckers. I've also got parts from at least 3 other Cowboy kits for various builds.

Thanks G, I really needed a good laugh today!

I just went through a couple of posts I've made recently and one topic I started in March 2010, the recent posts have a button at the bottom of the post that says "Delete", where the older topic I started does not have that option. I would guess it may have to do with the age of the topic or post, but if you see a "Delete" button at the bottom of the post in with the buttons to quote a post etc., you should be able to delete that post. If you're not seeing the "Delete" button, I'd say get in touch with Gregg or Harry and have them delete it.

I don't know Rodney, but I just looked at one on "that one site" and it didn't look too awful bad. I might just have to pick one up myself! Oh by the way, I don't know if it was the same listing as the one you bought, but it had some nice pics of what you'd get.

When I built the Ford cab in my pic, used Amroid ProWeld (very similar to Tenax7), but I also use Testors Model Master Liquid Cement (the black squarish bottle) quite often. That way, I can sort of "tack weld" the cab pieces to make sure them align properly without accidently gluing the floor in place, but with the capillary action the liquids have, I can reinforce the joints after the "tacks" set up. Also, I usually start with gluing one side and back wall to the roof first, then adding the other side and finishing with the windshield frame. This combined with using the floor as a square should give you a nice straight cab.

Harry is exactly right, and since this sounds as if it is your first Italeri truck kit, all the Italeri trucks are this way. I have been working on this Italeri Ford, it's cab is also five pieces, and I assembled it prior to painting. If you want to check out the whole build so far, check it out here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28849 One suggestion I use to make sure the cab is built properly and not out of shape, use the interior floor like a "square". While the glue is still workable, slide the floor in position to make sure the parts are in proper alignment, just be careful not to get any glue on the floor while doing this, though, you'll accidentally glue the floor in place before you want it in!

I have done the same, with the same kit, and 4 of the 5 I have were purchased at the same time. It was not because I like the car, I just have to have the Hemis and Mickey Thompson tires from those kits, and all were bought at the same hobby shop. I bought one while my arms were full of other kits, there were two on the shelf at that time, and one came home. After payday the next week, I went with full intentions of buying the second one on the shelf, someone beat me to it, but I asked the owner if he had more, and when he came back with the 4 completing the case, he about hit the floor when I said "All of them" when he asked how many of them I wanted. Since I have a very good relationship with the owners of all the local shops in my area, the same owner of the shop I bought the Super Bees at was not surprised to hear I want a case of the Moebius Lonestar truck when it comes out. I won't be able to buy all at the same time, but I'm there so much I have a shelf in his office with my name on it to put kits back on when I do have the money to buy more expensive kits!

What's so special about that? I have a brand new 1987 GNX too, and mine has no miles on the odometer! Of course, though, it just so happens to be the original Monogram kit issue though!

Nice pics Tim, but it does have me wondering one thing. I prefer to set my trucks up so the nose of the trailer line up with the front quarter fenders like this, I started doing this mainly because I did this one the 1:1s not only for a cleaner look, but made scaling heavier loads easier as well. I've found through the years AMT trucks are much easier to do this with thanks to the "sliding" fifth wheel than the "fixed" fifth wheel in Italeri kits, where I usually have to adjust the entire mounting plate. How does the fifth wheel mount in the Lonestar? Is it more like an AMT where it can be positioned anywhere or more like the Italeri with a "fixed" mount on the mounting plate?

You must have been a very good boy, Santa was good to you!

You too!? Whenever someone asks me if I'm in shape, I say "Sure, round is a shape, right!?!?".

Art, I also believe I read elsewhere here on the forum that Heller also released some of the older 1/43 scale AMT truck kits like this one. This is one I picked up just about 3 years ago, and sure does look like the old AMT kit from years ago. As for being a "scale snob", I'm far from that. I don't care what scale it is, if it is a subject that interests me, I build it. I have everything from 1/8 scale down to some 1/700 aircraft made for aircraft carriers.

The "Gearjammer Lee" is looking nice Clay.

Yeah, you'd think a truck driver would have a trailer load of truck kits, but I don't! As it stands right now, I only have about 12 trucks and about 8 trailers, and a resin body for a Freightliner Classic XL condo. Thanks to the reissues AMT has been and is planning to release, that number is slowly growing!

Rob, this is just a suggestion, but any chance maybe moving the Cannonball over here? I had a lot of fun with this years, even though I didn't get the Ford big rig done like I'd hoped, but honestly the Cannonball was the only thing keeping me going back to the other forum. Either way, I have a build reserved!

...or maybe even a pic of a real car claiming it to be a model?

I'm not trying to start anything here, but it just surprises me how it always seems you are always the one who seems to have negative comments when everyone is praising a subject. First off, AMT and Revell snap kits may be crude to you, but you're comparing apples to oranges here. There is probably at least 10 years difference in technology between the 70s molds of most AMT kits and the Revell snap kits compared to most of the late 80s technology of most of the Italeri kits, and of course the over 30 years difference to the new Lonestar. Second, I think the frame is fine on the Lonestar. I, for one, have always liked space in bteween the sleeper and trailer, both in scale and on my 1:1 rigs. I always set, both again in scale an 1:1, the fifth wheel so the front of the trailer and the front quarter fenders line up or the top of the quarter fenders are just under the nose of the trailer, not only for tighter turns when I might have needed it, but just personal preference as well. It also made the 1:1s easier to scale even with the heaviest of loads. As for scales, I seem to remember another thread where you complained about the very slight difference between scales and the photographic proof I posted that proves it doesn't matter! If a couple 32s of an inch matter to you, so be it, keep building your 1/24 scale trucks, it will leave more Lonestars for the rest of us. I have to say the biggest thing you said that offends me the most is the comment I quoted. I just happen to enjoy large custom sleepers, and I'm far from a casual truck modeler! I'm also a driver with over 12 years on the road and more than 1,000,000 SAFE miles in the seat, and I build trucks to reprsent their 1:1 counterparts as well. I do not see how you concider oversized sleepers a fanatsy truck, I see quite a few on the road and in truck stops every day! Same goes for multiaxle rigs, I seem to remember one Tim built a while back, with pics of the original if I remember correctly. Are you daring say that build is "freakishly unreal"? They are quite real, especially in Tim's home state of Michigan! Just because things don't meet your obviously superhigh standards, it doesn't mean the rest of us have to live to your standards! If you don't like truck kits so much, why not just stop building them since they don't meet your standards. It will leave more for us "amateurs"!!!

Believe me Justin, it's getting harder and harder, since my "model room" is half of my living room! My better half and I live in a very small house, and I often hear her say that she feels like she lives in a hobby shop! Here's a couple pics of my little slice of heaven. The three shelf bookcase on top of the other two underneath it I just put in here (and filled in 10 minutes ) this week. Behind the doors of the hutch and the old TV stand I converted as half of my desk are also packed full of kits. As you can see, too, some of the inventory are trucks, but most are cars, and I have some ships, planes, and military vehicles too.

DW, since you said earlier the decals in yours aren't in the greatest shape, if you want me to scan mine and email them to you, send me a PM. I just checked mine and they look almost brand new. I think all I have is the truck, though, I'm not sure if the car's decals are on the same sheet or not, since the car was long gone when I got this one. Oh, and this one was affordable, too. My friend gave this one to me, but of course that was after he kept the bed and found one of the frame rails was broken in half, and he discovered there isn't an engine in it!

By the way, you forgot all the modifying I have to do to the dually to make it look like my 1:1! I have to shorten the cab to a regular cab, build the front and rear springs not only for the 4x4, but the massive rear springs I have for the rar axle. Plus I have to shorten the frame just enough to make up for the loss of the extended cab, but still long enough to replicate the gap between the bed and cab since it's slightly larger being a chassis cab frame. Then after all this, I have to figure out how to make a diesel out of the kit's gas engine! Oh, and hacking the frame on a brand new Lonestar for the third rear axle! Oh, and did I mention I might convert the lowboys to a detachable front neck, too?

Sure thing, Ben. As for wiring, here's a pick that I took over the summer while measuring heights for the model, the wires just come out the bottom of the tube and I think are held out of the way by the pole mounts. I'll get a couple better pics tomorrow, it's a little dark outside right now.

Well, with an inventory of almost 450 unbuilt kits, I have almost as many kits as all three of my local hobby shops COMBINED!! Sometimes it takes a while before I come across a kit not here, but there are a few.

Sounds good DW, there is no limit to how many kits anyone choses to build, the more the merrier! The Ford you are decribing is just like this one, and I believe they are LN 8000s, it's more or less also the Louisville and the snow plow kits.

Alright, since there's a couple of you close to finishing and I haven't even made up my mind, I figure it's time I made it up! This is the plan I've had since I started the build, and I finally decided to make it more than the plan. I'm entering two heavy haulers, and here is just the start of the kits I'll be using. Two AMT Lowboys Pulling this as a load! As for tractors, I'm 99.9% sure both will be new Moebius Lonestars! After seeing Tim's built test shot, there is no question they will look awesome pulling the train. One will be converted to a tri axle, since I think it would look more natural with the main engine part of the train, and the other will be just a tandem like the new kit pulling the tender. Oh, by the way, it will still be legal even with a train, through research I found the real train is just slightly over 50,000 pounds. Since heavy hauls need escorts, I plan on these being part of the escort crew. I have plans for one more escort vehicle and a police escort for the convoy, since the train is a museum piece, but have not decided what those will be yet. I'm also going to use the dually not only as an escort vehicle, but as an excuse to build something I have wanted to build for many years, my 1:1! It will be slightly different, because I will add the stacks I've wanted for years, and will be appropriately marked as an oversized vehicle escort. Also, since I haven't heard any complaints otherwise, if you guys don't mind, I'll finish this one up, too!