highway

Wow, David, you made me blush with your title and that you consider me a pro! Unfortunately, the best I can do is support what Ben said, it appears to be a straight eight because of the exhaust manifold, but that's the best I can do. Hopefully maybe the European guys from across the pond might be able to give you some better info.

It's been so long, I guess I forgot, too! As for the paint issue, it still has to find it's way to the Purple Pond or Lake Brake, mainly because it's a pain trying to find a container with a lid so it can swim and keep the kitties out of it! The paint was in fact Krylon Original Chrome, and thanks for the heads up on the DupliColor Chrome, because that was going to be the next paint it WAS going to get. It looks like I may just have to paint it a duller aluminum.

Been there, done that!! I've done it in Brooklyn, too, and both were with a Freightliner Classic XL.

Sorry, Dennis, but no update pics yet, but I didn't even realize it was since June since I worked on this. I got to get cranking because the community build it's entered in is due Dec 1! That, and I have to get the spray painting done before it gets cold! As for the motor, I can't reveil it yet, enquiring minds from the other site that are also here would love that info, but I will give a slight hint. When the engine is in it, this truck will be pushing almost 2,000 HP!!!! So leave the hammer lane open for me, and if not, that big bumper will move you out of my way!!

Very nice!! Now you just need a big dually and a trailer for it!

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Unfortunately, the Ford on the Largecar mag model page is not mine. Believe it or not, this is my first custom sleeper attempt and also my first streched frame! If you want to check out the build, here is a link to it, since it's buried on page 7 here in the truck section, since I've not done an update on it since I haven't updated it since the first part of June (WOW it's been that long!). http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28849 I guess I really have to get back to work on it!!!

I don't know for sure, but I think there is a way to resize the pic in photobucket, but don't take my word for it. You could also try posting the thumbnail of it if you use photobucket, but then it might be too small.

Very well said, Mark. I am 34 and will be turning 35 in February, and I have never worn glasses, and I have been using my Opti Visors for about 10 years now. Before that I used a lamp like Jon (or Joe, whatever his name is now ) ahd in his post, and had that almost since I started building at age 8.

Or more!!!! The 180" sleeper I built here took almost a month or more and a LOT of bodywork to get the look I wanted!

Jon, here are a couple I scanned that has white on them, mainly the license plates, and the scanner picked the white up just fine. The problem with white decals occur when you try to print them, as with metallic colors like gold or chrome. Unless you have one of the fancy ALPS printers, your standard home printer can't print these colors from what I've been told. The simple solution for the white, though, is when you buy the decal paper, make sure you by the white background decal paper, not the clear. That way, especially in copying the license plates in my scans, the colors will be printed and the white will be from the decal film itself.

Ok, so I'm not going goofy!! Well, that would be hard to do since I'm already there!! When I was looking at my email, I seen that the email notifications were now showing up like "Eddie replied to this thread" and "Joe replied to that thread" and so on. I must say one change I don't like is the new "Unread Notifications" for replies to PMs. I have one I already read and it's still telling me it's unread! I liked the old pop up that told me "Hey stupid, you have a new PM!" Is there a way you could just change that back, Gregg?

You won't get the "file to large" message if you use photobucket. The "file to large" message is from whatever the system is that the forum uses for photo uploads, and has nothing to due with photobucket.

I hope so too!

No, just get a Photobucket account, IT FREE!! There is a tutorial in the Tips section that walks you through how to post the pics, here's a link to it. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12248 Go to photobucket.com to sign up, and did I mention IT'S FREE!!!!

You're welcome, and I'll be waiting for the phone to ring!

I don't know, but I was getting the same thing! I was in the middle of a PM and went to post the PM reply and that popped up! Whatever the problem was, why couldn't they do it to SA's site, no one is ever really on there, anyway!!

Nice work! And here I thought you only built trucks!!

Well, let me see if I can help! First, one chain hanger for tire chains should be fine. Most of the over the road trucks I've seen only have one, I think, because there aren't that many chains on a noraml truck. I know when I was still driving over the road, the area with the most chains required to meet the chain laws was Donner Pass in California just west of Reno. The chain laws for the pass was enough to cover 8 tires, and the chains must be with the truck just to go over the pass, whether it was snowing or not. The configuration was, at that time, all 4 front axle drive tires, the outer 2 rear drive tires, and at least one outer tire on each of the trailer axles, placed on oppisite sides of the trailer. In the case of the front drive axles, chains called 3 railers, which would look like a regular set of chains with another section like in your picture added on, were required. The trailer rule was like this, if you had a chain on the driver side front axle outer tire, the other chain would be placed on the passenger side rear axle outer tire. As for the hydraulic tank, the size of the tank in your pic would be perfect, because they are typically smaller than the fuel tanks. A truck would have the hydraulic tank for either two reasons, if they haul a dump or other hydraulic trailer or just for the flexibility of trailers it could haul. I drove a truck for a towing company called a Landoll that was more or less a stepdeck style trailer, but it was a tractor trailer rollback wrecker. Here's a pic I found online of that type of trailer. The rear tandems were hydraulicly controlled, and as they slid forward like in the pic, the bed tilted. As they slid to the rear, the trailer leveled out. I would say that if you plan to have it as a heavy hauler or just even if you have no idea what trailer will be behind it yet, go with the hydraulic tank. That way if you decide to put a dump trailer behind it, you already have the tank in place. If you have any more questions or need any more advice, don't be afraid to ask!

Were you sleeping going through the plains states!?!? I remember seeing them in OK especially, and even NE, KS, and TX, I think.

HAHA, I got you there!!! Since my model room is half of my living room, my better half would have to paint the whole living room!!!

Thanks for the advice. I was planning on masking the canopy, but since the detail where the ribbing around the canopy is, well, nonexistant, that idea flew (haha, no pun intended ) out the window. I will definitely have to give the moist tissue a try.

That or the driver had to go to the hospital and have the seat surgically removed!!!

I'm not sure, Scott, but I thought I seen somewhere once it was a 350. As for reference pics, you might try here: http://www.jobbersinc.com/index.htm Just click on the brand you want and then it will tell you to click here for inventory, and that will take you to the pics. Just scroll down till you find what you're looking for.

You're quite welcome, Don, I'm happy I could help you. The small house is and advantage and disadvantage, like you said, and I also have no place for a paint booth. At least it sounds like you have a separate hobby room, my model room is half of my living room! Other than the necessary rooms, a small kitchen and an even smaller bathroom, all we have is the bedroom that is about 8 foot wide and 12 feet long and the largest room is the about 16 foot wide and 20 foot long living room. It's actually more like a four car garage that was converted to a house than a normal house, but it's enough for me and the better half and our four furry kids. The idea of buying in the summer and working in the winter is a great idea, too. Even though I don't have a gas bill to worry about, I did a similar thing while I was still driving truck until health issues helped put me out of work. I would work tons of overtime during the summer, and most of my overtime went to buying more models! I'd still buy in the winter, but not nearly as much as I did in the summer, but I had more build time in the winter.

Don, did you move in with me without me knowing!?!? Except for the difference of about being about 150 miles south of you, you could be describing my house, and I feel your pain. The entire 25+ years I've been modeling since the tender age of 8 I have faced this problem, and learned to live with it. The orange peel may or may not be temperature and humidity, I'm no where near a professional painter, but here is my method for dealing with wintertime and modeling, since I have no choice but to spray paint outside. I usually take a look through the collection and see if there is anything I might want or have plans for building through the winter. I'll do whatever prep work I have to do (sanding mold lines, filling sink marks, etc.) to the bodies and whatever else might be body color and spray them before winter comes. That way if I want to finish those kits before spring and better weather come back, I have the outside work already finished and all I have left is the things I can do inside like painting the engines or interiors and assembly. I'll put the painted bodies back in the box, usually wrapped in a soft cloth like an old t shirt or even a paper towel so the paint doesn't get ruined by the sprues in the box. I also do the same thing with kits I've been wanting from my "I want" list that I may get for Christmas or my birthday in February, just in the reverse order. I'll get the subassemblies built and painted during the winter and finish whatever body work needs done to the body, then as soon as the first warm day of spring arrives, I'm outside with spray can in hand! I hope this helps, Don, and also shows that, even though we don't have spray booths and have to contend with our climate, modeling does not have to come to a screaching halt when the cold and snow comes knocking at the door. It's just almost like making sure the 1:1 car is ready for the upcoming winter, preparation is very important.