Rockford

Chassis looks great, the piping makes all the difference.

Thanks guys, as for the painting? This is a snap fit kit, I only have to bang on the table and everything pops off like the old Buckaroo toy, in fact I'm sick of picking pieces up every time I move it. I am a slave to the mock-up.

Did a little today. I got some ali tube to sleeve the mufflers on a couple of trucks. I'll use a decal later to simulate the perforations. Smoothed the quarter fenders, cut off the plastic top flap and replaced it with electrical tape. Also trimmed the rear axles I made from brass tube so that the drive axle hubs I made will sit properly in the wheel dishes. Made shocks for the front axle as I did with the K100 but here I added a triangular bracket on the rail. In the eyes of shockers I used 0.5mm wire with the insulation left on to simulate the bushings. Adds visual interest. I could sit doing this all day. Weather is horrendous here at the moment so none of the six projects awaiting paint are going anywhere.

You're talking my language mate, well done.

This is some second project mate! Beautiful work.

Impressive work.

Thanks for your positive comments gents. Managed to find some time to work on the K100. Did some mundane things like true the rear wheels up as they were all over the place. Chamfered the chassis edges. Reskimmed the cab roof and will leave that for a week before I rub it down. It seems to shrink. Dechromed the fuel tanks. Added filler caps and fuel pipes. Built some front shock absorbers from plastic aluminium tube. I'd like to think about paint but the weather still isn't playing ball, too cold. I now have several projects awaiting paint. Very frustrating.

That's a great looking rig. Well executed. That's the kind of unsung hero I love to see. It's amazing the amount of work it takes to de-bling a truck but you did it well.

"Tinkering"? You can hardly call work of this quality tinkering! Amazing stuff, so clean.

For a first attempt that's a fantastic job! Looking at the finish you are obviously very experienced in another field of the hobby. Looking forward to seeing your next project.

You're right, if you build this box stock it comes out a Picasso, but I'm trying to make it a Norman Rockwell. If only I were that good.

Decided the little quarter light windows on the cab lacked detail so I clamped a piece of aluminium against the inside to act as a backing piece and then fed a length of .75mm square strip into the front and bottom of the aperture. Looks better, I can silver this to give the frame of the window. Then I decided to build a steering box and drop link to the axle. I used two pieces of sprue for the box, with some 2.5mm square on the top for the valve body. I added 0.9mm copper wire for the lower column with a little brass UJ made of 3/16 tube. I used 2.3mm plastic tube and slices of insulation off the wire to fab the rest. Looks ok.

The casting doesn't look rough anymore! What a great looking rig. Well done.

Thanks gents, I'm not happy with the lights I made, I need something smaller I think. These are too crude and too big. I'm on the lookout for a suitable piece of plastic shrapnel to utilise.

I was just about to do the same, post a link. Well done Jim. I love Steve Magnante's videos, he's so informative and the information just flows out of him. His models are great too. I love the way he builds many without a hint of paint, then others are so detailed! I still remember the original article series about the Wilshire Shaker in Car Craft, so sad that the full magazine disappeared.

Rapid progress! Well done. Looks great.

Cleaned the fuel tanks up today. Added my wire & sprue indicator lights rather than accept the rubbish ones on the mirror brackets. Look great. They're dead easy to do. You 1/25 guys would love them.

Had a go today. Piped up my brake chambers and added top rails to the chassis. Tried making the "motorcycle lamps" for the front fenders but I don't think they turned out so well. Jammed one behind a headlamp bezel and I'm not sure at all. They're a bit too big and clumsy looking. I need something more demure.

They were a handsome truck, the RC2 and are all but forgotten. They even sold them here in UK for a while in the 80s.

Going to look good. Don't see many of these around.

Sonny Pruitt's truck is my favourite truck of all time. The proportions, the colours, the chrome, it's just the archetypal 70s truck. I can't wait to see it coming together.

I've reached a bit of a hiatus with this project because I don't know where I'm going to go next. I'm thinking of building a Cummins for it and making the hood tilt but I'm worried I might ruin it. I threw the air filters together and fiddled with the bumper mounting. Also bent up a half fender out of aluminium but I'm not sure if I want to use it. What do you lads think?

My usual slow progress on this one. Had to cut down the Aerodyne interior to a single sleeper. I cut it just behind the seats and fitted a new bulkhead. In the cab, I glued a pelmet just in front of my bulkhead. Then I glued two partition pieces behind the seat backs and added the closed curtains from the interior. The pelmet hides the top of the partition. Looks ok. Piped up the brake chambers. Look ok when the fifth wheel is in place. Also added the side bars in the windshield. They're moulded into the windshield piece but it looks better as part of the frame.

Great scratchbuilding on the trailer! Your General is a brute.

Nice Merc, good and clean. Shame you struggled with the plumbing.