highway

Thanks Jim, at least I'm glad I share Jamie Davis's taste in vintage iron, though for my wrecker fleet I have floating in my head it will be an active wrecker but not front line iron like that truck is for Jamie! ? It will be in the yard for backup for when my rotators are busy cleaning up a big wreck! I also agree on the Coke and everything in your statement because I know exactly what they say about opinions! I agree Mike, and also a kit version of the Holmes 750 that is in the AMT 1/43rd scale Peterbilt but has never been made in kit form in 1/25th scale except for in resin. As for the one in the recent Pete wrecker reissue, even though it is modeled after a real bed, that is one wrecker that has never and will never see my collection because just as a matter of personal taste, I don't care for the look of that unit. I ran heavy wrecker 20 years ago and ran trucks equipped with Century units, NRC units, and even an old school Holmes 750 so that is why my taste just doesn't appeal to that one in that AMT Pete. It must be also where I like the older iron because the NRC 40 ton was mounted on a 74 White Western Star and the Holmes 750 was on a 73 Mack R model. On the decals Mike, I wasn't talking about myself specifically because I have enough truck kits in my collection I could not only build a truck stop diorama and not have one rig look alike or have the same company markings, I was speaking more of an average builder who might more of just a hobbyist type seeing it at Hobby Lobby and not big into forum or Facebook groups and not also big in the aftermarket things available. Sure, these days you've more or less have to be living under a rock to not no about those things compared to the pre-internet days when I started building when I didn't know there was much else to building a model than paint and glue until I joined a local club and learned about all the goodies like photoetch and aftermarket decals, but there are still some that may just build a model here and there and not into it like those of us here and could be turned off by just having a Coke truck as a building option.

I've already had that idea also to build one similar to this one. Also, on a separate note, after seeing this one in the latest video, this is one I do have to complain about the overused Coke licensing decals for this reissue. While I do get the whole "they got it, they might as well use it" deal, this kit we haven't seen a reissue of since 1999, so a set of regular decals other than just for a Coca Cola rig would be nice to have offered with this reissue. All the other Coke reissue trucks and cars for that matter have had a normal version first, so why did this not? Also, before everyone starts jumping on my case either saying the worn out "It also appeals to Coke collectors" or "You just don't understand how licensing works" or anything else wanting to call me an idiot, I'm smarter than the average bear and do understand all that and have one of those 1999 issues on the shelf if I want to build a version that is a non Coke rig, but an average builder that may want to build a nice General but not as a Coke truck might be turned off not having any alternative markings for it. I think that since this has been the first this kit has seen the light of day this century without a normal version being reissued first, it might have been nice if in addition to the Coke decals Round2 would have added some other company markings and factory available stripes as some of the earlier issues had in them on either a separate decal sheet or an expanded sheet.

You hit on a few very good points there Chris, especially with the "rare" kits because there have been quite a few of the reissues in the past few years I have gotten because they have always held my interest but I just could not justify paying $100 or more for a Brat or a month's rent or more for a Super Boss and Papa Truck combo to build those kits. The extra parts and expanded decal sheets have also been a very nice added plus to many of those kits, and with some as with the upcoming release of the GMC General truck, it would be nice to see some normal decals included as well as the Coke decals because while I get the whole using the Coke licensing and using it deal, having the option of some other decals in that kit since this is the first reissue of it in about 12 years would be nice also. One thing that I sort of disagree with, and maybe disagree might not be the best term, is that it's doubtful Round2's market is people that already have multiple kits of a reissue because for some of the changes they have made to a few coming or current reissues even though I may have them on my shelves already they are on my radar again. One example is the current CHP Monaco, I have the DOH version and a TJ Hooker version at the least on my shelf, and just because of the new lightbar, wheels, and pushbar plus the CHP markings, it's on the "must have" list again! Another is the GMC Sonoma, I just recently sold one of the earlier issues to someone I seen looking for one because I seen it was coming out with the added snowboard and boots and even though having winter gear in a 2wd pickup seems a little crazy to me, those added goodies are still enough to get me to buy that issue and those goodies will look good in either my Ice Patrol Jeep Honcho or an original Ice Patrol kit that I have.

Sorry Sam, my sometimers kicked in yesterday but I did get it done for you. I guess the forum didn't like my scans but the screenshots I took of them it liked because the scans themselves wouldn't upload but the screenshot pics would.

Bill, without digging the kits out of the stash to check to be sure, but I'm almost certain that with the Freightliner the fifth wheel is movable as it is in almost any AMT kit. All you will have to do is glue the kingpin in place on the trailer as the instructions show and there should be a hole for it in the front plate in the trailer already, glue the fifth wheel plate in place on the truck frame, then take the slider and fifth wheel and place it on the plate and then line up the front edge of the trailer with your quarter fenders. Then just very carefully lift the trailer off the fifth wheel so you don't move it and either make a mental note where it is sitting or take a fine Sharpie or pencil to make a small mark to mark the location of the fifth wheel and glue it to "lock" it in place. That is what I do with mine and also did it on the 1:1s I used to drive, because not only did it give a nice, clean look to them but also in the case of the 1:1s, it also made it much easier to scale out the axle weights using just the sliding tandems on the trailers because as a few others already said, it basically centered the fifth wheel between the drive axles and made the weight there much more consistent.

I'll get you a scan of mine here this afternoon Sam. Do you need just that part of the sheet showing the suspension?

Parma Hobby was the one I was thinking of Rob, because I used to pass it on one run I made quite often because the Walmart stores in the Parma Mall and just down the main road (OH 17 if I remember correctly, it's been a while) from where Parma Hobby was located were on the same route.

I know from my time I spent delivering groceries in the area you live in before medical issues forced me into retirement Rob, there are a few but not many brick and mortar shops in that area, and one of the largest closed around 2016. The couple I had the chance to stop in while I had a little spare time on my runs really didn't impress me for being in a larger metropolitan area when a few in the Pittsburgh, PA area that is closer for me seem to be much better stocked and not quite as large of a metro area.

There is only one "no brainer" I'm seeing here, and it isn't that the C8 will sell like hotcakes in any scale just like any other Corvette hasn't. Anyone in the resale market will tell you that, I have a friend that has a live auction group on Facebook and he will not buy any Corvette kits as a part of any collection for one reason: THEY DO NOT SELL! Corvette kits are almost as bad as NASCAR kits, nobody wants them no matter what year they are!

Oh that is just great! ? Just don't forget to add some parts from a Ranger or maybe even swap the Mustang front clip onto a Ranger for the true methed up look! ??

I've got all the trucks on my wish list even though I have at least one of them all on the shelves already with the exception of these issues of the Malone trucks. I'm also hoping with the reissue of the General, maybe the Chevy Bison might be soon to follow again also.

OK, my first thing is CHP is saying it was "operating" at 75,000 LBS, not hauling 75,000 as that article is claiming, and not only driving for 18 years before medical issues ended my career I know gross on any federal highway is 80,000 LBS and also having spent many a mile in Cali CHP will nail you for anything so there is no way it was hauling 75,000 LBS! That scale in Truckee on Donner Pass will fine you if you offend their delicate nasal passages passing gas the wrong way! ? Anyway, it would be nice to know what the net weight of the cargo actually was compared to the gross and how it actually stacks up to a diesel powered rig, because the 600 mile range is quite impressive. The only short term problems I'm seeing is parking and charging, because parking is a problem now for diesel powered trucks and why many are forced to park illegally on on/off ramps to highways, in store parking lots where many of the businesses don't want the trucks to park, at shippers or receivers, or even pull off areas on the side of the road, and many times this is caused by the hours of services rules or shippers and receivers not allowing parking on their properties but taking their sweet time to load/unload regardless of knowing of the hours of service rules drivers have to follow. There just wouldn't be the option to park anywhere with these with a limited range and having to probably at least have a few hours like during the rest period to charge like as a diesel where you can just spend 15 minutes to fuel and go, so I'd see some industry changes not only to infrastructure but to how shippers and receivers deal with loading and unloading and just general treatment of drivers as well. Of course, one other thing I'd be interested in seeing is how driveable it is in winter conditions. At least from everything I've watched and read about electric cars, the torque is near instantaneous which I would think would make any of them a challenge to drive in snowy conditions.

I just happened to notice this thread in the "How To Use This Board" section of the General part of the forum and this should answer everything. It seems this "feature" has been in place since February by one comment, but with the new year and new community builds coming around, it seems no one has noticed it until now.

That is because Scalemates information is inputted by the users, so only as correct as what the user puts in and if one of them is one that thinks they know it all and they don't, the info becomes wrong for all. I have found some mistakes as well on there, and try to correct them when possible, as it is possible to do that when you do find the incorrect information or also add information or kits that are missing as well. As for issue dates, I'm not sure without checking the dates on the couple I have in my stash, but I thought too that there was also a reissue in the same box art as the 2010 issue around the same time as the 2015 issue of the day cab version also that is not showing in the Scalemates timeline.

Thanks and sorry to hear your step father had to deal with the same issues, and like him I have very little movement in mine either just after the to surgeries to repair the tear that has came back for a third time and the doctor said any other surgeries would be pointless because it would just keep getting worse. The only one so far that has mentioned a replacement has been my workers comp lawyer, but after these two surgeries I really don't know if I want to go for that or not. I even wonder if I should have had the two I already had, because in 2012 I fell down some steps and ended up with a compression fracture to my L1 vertebrae and because I didn't have insurance at the time, medical care on it was basically a brace and a few X-rays to see how it was healing and let it heal on its own and deal with it and I ended up returning to my normal life a little less than a year later including driving again and learning to live with the back pain. I had to play everything by the book and follow all the doctor's orders this time instead and it ended up ending my career of 18 years. Anyway, enough of that again and back to the build part of things, I figured the trailer would be out, but as the old saying goes it never hurts to ask. Once I do get life calmed down to try to spend time at the bench again, I'll probably still get this going again even though the trailer can't be a part of the build, because there are a few more that I had mentioned may be crossovers between this and the Cannonball going on here too that I'd also like to try to join into once life gets more on an even keel because for those builds I have to at least wait til I can get a friend to cast me a couple reefer units to put on the Fruehauf 40 footer because the only true Freuhauf reefer kit I have is reserved for the box stock box art build I have planned of it and the Watkins torsion bar Kenworth.

I could, but I'm afraid the amount of pics it would take would bring the whole interwebs to a crawl! ??

I've got a question so if I can join in the fun this year, as right now I don't want to fully commit because my life outside the model is insane to the point I'm almost literally insane dealing with it thanks to battling with not only workers comp but trying to get disability as well because of two failed rotator cuff surgeries on my right shoulder after I first tore the rotator cuff pulling the fifth wheel release on the real rig I drove almost three years ago now. The past few months just to cover bills I've been having to sell off some of my collection just to cover bills while the lawyers I have working on both cases are trying to get me some type of income again. Anyway, enough of that and back to the question I have. I attempted to complete a build for the 2016 BRBO and it never got finished thanks to the base kit I used for it being a 40 year old Papa Truck and brittle plastic breaking seemingly every time I breathed on it caused it to go into the failure of shame section of the model room and this was as far as it ever got. My question is this, since the trailer is also still not complete because even though from this pic it is hard to see but the suspension still needs finished and also all the lights on the other side of the trailer are not done, plus the tractor would be a completely new kit of a new Papa Truck (or if I get a settlement from workers comp or get my disability approved soon so I can afford a Hideout Truck) with the exception of the custom engine I have built for this truck, would the whole unit be eligible for the buildoff again or would it just have to be the tractor? If it would be just the tractor, not a problem, I have other ideas also that may be a crossover between this and the Cannonball build or just one for here, I just have to get things a little smoother in life in general before committing for sure so I can concentrate better on building.

I never knew that either and I was driving truck when the Aeromax was still on the road and being produced and don't even remember seeing these wheels on any. As the old saying goes, you learn something new everyday and this was my something new for today, I stand corrected!

Those are very nicely done and I've checked out that website and amazed by the craftsmanship I seen there. I must make one correction though, with the cutouts as they are, those would be for the FREIGHTLINER FLD 120, not a Ford Aeromax since the cutouts are in the shapes of the Freightliner emblem.

Thanks, I've been dealing with the shoulder for almost three years now since I first tore it pulling a fifth wheel release at my former profession as a truck driver, something I had done for 18 years of my life. I've been dealing with it in its current situation of nearly no mobility in it since the last surgery in October 2018 and it has a small tear yet again and the doctor said anymore surgeries will be pointless because it will just keep getting worse instead of better so I'm just learning to adjust with it. Anyway, back to the brighter side of things, even with your iteration packing something "xtra", I could always also bring this old Cannonball project back from the dead just to mess with you! ? Even though it doesn't qualify for this years rules in any way, I'm sure with a V12 twin turbo that is going under its hood it could keep up with that Ferrari wannabe and along with another custom rig I have in progress with a V16 twin turbo in it, they would make a large rolling roadblock for you! ? I could even put the original livestock trailer I was going to have on this truck back on it and fill it full of cows!? Or if that wannabe Ferrari just isn't fast enough or in KITT's way because he gets a late start, just push you out of the way so watch for this bumper in your rear view mirror! ??

Even though as I had said elsewhere in that previous comment life outside of the model world right now has me to where I can't really commit right now because between personal issues and two failed surgeries on a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder that has made even building a model difficult at times, I have to wait to make sure the personal issues are going to straighten out before jumping in the ring. Of course though, putting KITT in Super Pursuit Mode and waiting for you to finally make it in that slow Corvette made to look like a Ferrari might be just what I need, assuming Ferrari doesn't make you blow it up for being a fake first! ???

There is one true way of telling if that is a 10th anniversary car or not and unfortunately from the pic in the quote here or the other screenshot that was posted, they are not clear enough to see it. While I'm 100% sure if the 10th anniversary was the only one that was available with the platinum interior color but I do believe that is correct, one thing that was exclusive to the 10 anniversary interior was embroidered "thunder chickens" in the center of the rear seat and also in the door panels as found in AMT's/MPC's 1/16th scale 10th Anniversary edition kit and also the recently reissued 1/16th scale 79 Firebird that is just as it seems that Billy Madison car is, a 10th anniversary car in Trans Am paint. Even though I do have plenty of ideas that will fit the scales and also can't even commit right now because I have to wait until some things outside of the model world calm down for me to even be able to attempt to concentrate on starting a new project, there are also a few projects once my life does get smoothed out enough to build again that would qualify for this build except for being 1/16th scale. Don't tempt me, because I have a kit of KITT in Super Pursuit Mode! ? ?

Yes Mike, but unlike Casey's example of that Beetle which I have a couple of other issues also based on that issue in his picture that do have chrome parts, I believe the other releases of the Honcho kits also never had chrome in them also. That is because if I remember correctly, the real truck had an aluminum grille that wasn't chromed and I think the same also applies to the bumpers. An example to add though more recently, which kind of ties into my comment above about chrome in big rig kits more about correctness instead of possible cost savings, is the newest reissue of the Revell Sprint car. Revell eliminated all the chrome from what was a kit that had a fair amount of unneeded chrome in it because what was chromed in that kit was usually aluminum.

As for the example of the color of the plastic the ladder from the fire truck is molded in, if the cheapest color plastic to mold it in would be pink, it wouldn't matter to me as it shouldn't most any modeler because mold lines would have to be removed and any other production flaws taken care of so even being molded in color is a mute point because after the prep work it would need painted anyway. I also feel the same way about chrome, at least when it comes to the mentioned firetruck kits and also big rig kits. Those kits would actually be 100% correct without any chrome, because while some of the things like the exhaust stacks, air breathers, and some of the other shiny stuff on rigs are chromed, most everything AMT and others chromed on their kits would not be chrome but in fact polished aluminum. Sure, when most of these kits first saw the light of day in the 70s and there wasn't the high tech things like Molotow pens, BMF, Metalizer paints, or Alclad where modelers had easy ways to properly shade the metal tones of the chrome parts it was have them chrome in the box or silver paint, but now I would rather see less chrome in a kit.