Aaronw

I gave that a try and was happy with it even though I had to use a good quality Reynolds Wrap (the cheap stuuff is supposed to be better because it is thinner). I used Mona Lisa gold leaf adhesive I got from Micheals. In the demo that was posted they said to put it on the foil, but I had good luck painting it onto the model where I wanted the foil, then putting the foil on after waiting for the glue to set up properly.

Thanks, that cab really got around.

At least they talk to you. I had to move my geocities site over to Yahoo (Yahoo killed off Geocities), it has been a month that my site has been down and they still haven't answered any of my emails regarding the fact it hasn't transferred over like they said it would and their "customer service" only answers the phone 9-5 M-F.

Thanks, $5000 might be an option depending on what it can do. If it can work for a living doing real paying work (I don't know maybe plaques and such?) I might be able to swing something like that with a few years to plan ahead. I'm eligable for retirement in 2018, and just looking for things that might keep me busy and maybe even earn a little extra money. There are lots of things that pre-cut plastic would do as well or better than resin while keeping costs down. I have run across a few places that will do custom work and depending on the actual time required may be an option. The prices I've seen run around $10 / minute for plastic, if the machines are fast and could cut several sheets per minute that would be a pretty reasonable cost. That 3d printing looks like it has a lot of potential in the future. I've seen at least one model built that way. On another forum someone made a model of a fantasy airplane using that technique. It was about $100 for a 1/72 fighter sized model with minimal detail, a bit much for a model but it seems like it has real potential for mastering resin parts. I guess I'm just a tech geek, I love learnng how to play with all of this stuff (resin casting, decals, photo etch etc) even if I don't do a lot with it.

I'm rather fond of AMT's Ford C and Louisville. They are usually affordable, no major building headaches and the possibilities for them go on and on with different variations of the base truck and then tons of options for the "load", tankers, snow plows, fire apparatus, delivery trucks, ag trucks, special purpose etc etc. I wouldn't want to limit myself but if I had to I could probably build nothing but these two kits without getting bored or repeating myself as long as I had a well stocked parts box. I also really like Revell's 1929 and 1950 Ford trucks, and AMT's 1941, 1950 and 1960 Chevy trucks. Just pleasant kits with many options.

I've done some searching online and unfortunately it seem to be the trend to make people email for a price. I did run across a couple of small ones in the $1000-1500 range, but the working size is really to small to be of use for models 6x8" or so. I did find a place near my Dad's, that carries laser cutters I may hit them up next time I visit and see if they can recommend something that costs less than a new car, if such a thing exists.

Is there such thing as a hobby laser cutter for plastic? I seem to recall seeing kits in the past similar to what resin casters do, but with precut plastic parts and was wondering if there is a tool out there in the high end hobby tool range ($1000-2000)? I'm guessing that what I remember seeing was likely someone who used professional tools for their day job and did kits on the side, but thought I'd ask. If such a thing exists it must be on a few peoples wish list. Thanks

I'm honored to find I'm in your camp. I generally paint and foil the body before assembly because I don't have to worry about masking everything off. I usually do any foiling around the windows before assemble so I don't mess up the glass during the foiling process. I can't imagine doing major painting after assembly, I'd end up with a mess.

Detroit Diesel 8V71 Someone on this site put a list together of available kit engines a few years back. I don't seem to have the link anymore though, but I do think I have the list somewhere.

It is the Iconografix Autocar 1899-1950 photo archive, they also have one covering 1950-87 but it is out of print and I haven't found one at a reasonable price.

I have to say you know how to make an entrance. Great job on the old Autocar. I just bought a book on Autocars and it looks like that cab came out in the mid 1930s, so it was around before WW2 and stuck around for awhile after as the book has a photo of a pair of new trash trucks with that cab bought in 1947.

I guess its been awhile since I checked this thread. I did get more info on the FWD's using the Budd cab, and found out there was even one more user of the cab, Walter. First the FWD's, they were available with diesel or gas motors, the diesels were the Detroit Diesel 3-71, 4-71, and Cummins JT-6B. The gas motors came from IH and included the BD-264, RD-406, and RD-501. The truck came in a variety of weight classes from 20,000lbs to 36,000lbs GVW. Looking at the photos on the spec sheet vs photos of trucks in use I'm guessing there was quite a bit of customization. The basic truck looks like a lifted Ford with a different taller grill, and partially closed off wheel wells, while most of the photos of trucks I've seen end up with the headlights down by the bumper and either warning lights or blanking plates in place of the headlights. I also ran across some info that Walter used a highly modified version of the cab for some of their crash trucks. It appears FWD used a licensed Ford cab, while Mack and Walter only purchased partial cabs from Budd and completed them with their own components. So that brings the total number who used the Budd built cab up to 5, Ford, Mercury, FWD, Mack, and Walter.

I ran across this site while looking for photos of a Perkins diesel for the Dodge L600, and thought it could be a useful reference. This is a sales site for motors, but it has multiple views of partial and complete motors sitting outside of a truck. While it doesn't help much with the plumbing to the truck it offers nice clear views of the motor for detailing or converting a similar sized kit motor into something new. Some are for farm tractors, boats or generator sets but many are for trucks, and even those that are not are usually based off of a truck motor. http://www.jobbersinc.com/index.htm

There is a photo of the ISX on the Cummins site. http://www.everytime.cummins.com/sites/eve.../isx_heavy.page

I love the old C cabs and that tank is great. Did you just heat the plastic to form it around the baffles?

Spalding Trading & Shipping has a 1950 Ford F-8 with a sleeper cab, AITM has recently added an early Autocar conversion with a sleeper and a 1953 GMC 530, and of course a bunch of Macks that could fit. AITM is also hosting Illini Replica Conversions with some neat old Kenworths and IHs. RMR has quite a few 50s Chevy, Dodge and Ford cabovers. STS http://www.stsmodeltrucks.com/ AITM http://www.aitruckmodels.com/ RMR http://www.freewebs.com/rmrresin/nf125.htm You know looking at all this stuff I guess it shouldn't be a surprise I've been wanting to build an old semi.

RMR has several early cab overs, he has a '55 Chevy like that, or at least close to it. I can't post the link from here, but I'll post it when I get home.

Great job, this is a neat little tractor. One or two of those 28' doubles would probably look nice behind it. I have two of these, the one with the flat bed and the tractor alone. I've looked at them several times but hearing all the horror stories I always find something else to build.

Glad to see this generated some interest in the original post. It took a little while to find it, but foolishly I had not saved this info elsewhere so really wanted to get it. I know you could get old and new Cat yellow, I thought from Krylon but it could be Rustolium. I have noticed that some are now calling Cat yellow Equipment yellow, maybe to avoid trademark issues? As far as old vs new, old has more of a brownish tint, still yellow but more like fancy mustard yellow brown, new has more of a yellow tint but not orangish like "school bus yellow". As far as when they changed the best I could find was sometime after WW2 probably in the 1950s. Yep, Krylon still has old and new Cat yellow but it's not in the engine enamel series. http://www.kpg-industrial.com/products/tou...acrylic_enamel/ Just a warning if you use the duplicolor engine enamel, it is much thicker than regular paint. It works well though as long as you are careful not to get it on too thick. DD Alpine green is also a nice match for the pre 1970s US Forest Service green.

Art mentioned how awkward it used to be loading cars into trains which reminded me of this photo. A GMC "old look" bus being delivered, the end of the train car had to be removed and a loading ramp built.

This is turning out to be quite a project, the 4x4 is a nice addition. Tbe power company out here used to run some big 4x4 C cab boom trucks in the mountain areas.

Great pics, thanks. A few of those may be older than the 50s. I think the second from the top is a '39 GMC and the bottom one is a '41-47 Ford with a '42-47 Ford pickup on the trailer. As far as small trailers, I think it was fairly common to drive cars out to dealers too. My great grandfather and / or or great, great uncles (don't remember exactly, I was just a little guy when I heard the stories) came to California from Oklahoma during the dustbowl by driving cars out to dealerships in LA. Once they delivered the cars they just settled in the area.

I've never built one of the RoG trucks but have heard the named trucks (Australian, Alaskan etc) are not really accurate for the subject they claim to be.

I think so but not sure, someone over at FSM is building the kit and was asking if it shouldn't be Cat yellow. The instructions say silver which doesn't match the list here, but being an Australian truck I don't know if that makes a difference. The info posted here says factory or white depending on the year of the truck.

Thought I'd bump this instead of starting a new post. Apparently the Australian Kenworth kit says to paint the engine silver, any comment on the accuracy of this?