Rockford

Short update but very significant for this project. I know I'm relieved it worked out and I'm sure many others are too, though we should never have doubted. You've handled this step with the same care and precision as the rest. Do you anticipate any issues between the blue cab/white hood when it comes to paint?

Amazing work, axles look great. I still can't believe how quickly you work! Well done.

If you don't start it you're YELLOW, and if you do start it YELLOW is all you'll see for months.

Excellent stuff. USA car transporters have always fascinated me, they're so complex. This should look great.

Those tyres are called Super Singles in UK. This is going to be another amazing build. I think we can forgive you the sacrilege of an Aerodyne sleeper on a Mack! 😜 Looking forward to seeing this come together.

Could you possibly drill and pin the visor before paint? There's two bolts at each end looking at the prototype. Then you could paint and attach later. I've done it at 1/32 scale so 1/25 would look better.

I know I haven't posted anything for a week or so but I've been chipping away at little things. I made a gaiter for my shift lever from square rod. I built and installed front dampers and brackets, one inside the frame and one outside as I've seen on the real thing. I fabbed a steering box, drop arm, drag link etc... Particularly proud of the steering arm I carved out of 2mm square rod. Shame you can't see it now that it's fitted. Cut and fitted frame horns. Added rebound rubbers on the top of the front springs. I'm fed up with no bolts on things I'm added. Most are too small to be replicated but the big bolts in the frame I drilled 0.8mm holes, installed aluminium jewelling wire and filed it down to look like bolt heads. Looks better. I'm nearly done on the chassis, next will be the cab.

Your metalworking skills are impressive. I do like the torsion bar suspension too, we don't see enough of it.

It does look special in black, your bodywork looks straight too! Tidy piece of work.

Brilliant work here, it's going to look really impressive when complete. Excellent attention to detail on the pumping gear etc... Fire dept. equipment is just something else, so perfectly maintained.

I had to double check that photo of the axle to make sure it wasn't a reference photo. Honestly! Fantastic work.

This is amazing stuff. I can't believe the quality of builds like this. Brilliant.

Stop beating yourself up! This is a remarkable project. You've achieved impossible levels of detail on this job. You're always going to find slight discrepancies between the real thing and a model or, as this is, a replica. In your defence, looking at the radiator, it has rubber baffles down the side which make it look thicker, and I know from experience that I miss glaring mistakes I've made way too far into a build. This whole truck just looks perfect, you can be suitably proud of yourself.

Somehow lost touch with this job, much to my disadvantage because you're doing some great work here. The primer has made all the pieces you've worked on look whole, you can really See the improvement your labours have brought to the finished article. How much do you charge for therapy sessions? I'm suffering from de-snappifying compulsive disorder.

This is going to be a really sturdy looking truck. Marvellous work. Love the fifth wheel, don't know why but I'm drawn to a good Holland fifth wheel. I know, there's something wrong with me isn't there? On the gap in the visor, an awful lot of the real things had such gaps. If you think about the angle of sun they were worried about, it didn't matter if the sun was coming from behind or either side. As long as it worked like a slat in a venetian blind they weren't really bothered. I suppose also, if the gap is completely closed air will gather under it at speed and could tear it off. Just my thoughts.

You usual scrupulous attention to detail. The new grille looks fantastic. The engine looks good with the shading emphasising the detail. Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Although I used to be able to forget the clutch once rolling it was frowned upon amongst all drivers I knew. It was seen as being rough on the equipment, even though in principle the clutch should be redundant in a non-synchro constant mesh transmission. As long as you match engine revs and road speed (harder going down than up) you shouldn't notice. It has to be said that if you didn't match revs and road speed the clutch was of no assistance, which just confirms the theory.

This popped up on my YT this morning. I watched it and couldn't believe that this is what I used to work on. Non tilt cab in 1973/74, working through the hatch in the doghouse and trying to keep the cab clean for the poor driver. At least it has a Cummins/Fuller combination so it would make some progress, and not need constant repairs, but to think men spent their whole working week in something like this!? Unbelievable. Now you realise why I like American machinery. This has no connection to the build, just thought I'd try for some sympathy 😁.

Did extensive research on the shift tower for the 352, there's precious few images of it on the web. Cobbled together a design using varying images and made one up from card etc... Added a shift lever from a paperclip and formed a range change switch from aluminium wire. Very fiddly. Also added strip to the top and bottom of the axle beam to make it look like an "I" beam casting, also the stubaxle bosses for the kingpins. Turned some service brake chambers, brackets and slack adjusters. Shaped two brake backplates to mount them. Still got to build front dampers and a bumper mounting. It's all getting very tight under there.

Beyond belief, this stuff. I do find drawing stuff helps me to get things a bit closer to where they should be, but it's still trial and error a lot of the time. More error than trial actually.

Oh aye, 30 years ago wasn't 1979 was it!? What an idiot. I promise I'll learn how to count.

How did it feel to climb into the seat of your own, brand new Transtar? Must have been a great feeling. Tell us more of the story as you go through the build, that would be great. I built that kit over 30 years ago with the cab in that exact colour combo. I still remember how good that kit was, especially in comparison to the AMT ones I'd built.

Great combination, looks serious.

Really nice stuff. Well done!

It looks real in some of the photographs, it really is amazing quality.