Rockford

You've had a steep learning curve on this job but it looks brilliant from what I can see. I suppose it's the age of the kits and the scale of them that generates so many issues. You've got the skills to sort them though. Well done so far.

Love the old big white steering wheels. Should still be around today. Good job mate.

Built an exhaust manifold from sprue. I notched the length with a round file and added six pieces at right angles, the shaped it all down. Added a simple flange for the turbo. Then built a turbo from my old mate Chubby Sprue and some plastic tube. Just had to add the inlet and outlet for the respective turbines. I've drilled the centre sprue to accept oil lines. Also started piping up the coolant system with the lines to the oil cooler and the waterpump. Made a flywheel housing by cutting a length of plastic sheet and fitting it into a hole template. I just trimmed the end until they butted tightly. A piece of flat card was then glued on the top and all left to set. Pulled it out of the hole and trimmed it up, I'll fab some mounts next. You can see the trimmed piece in the background of the first shot.

Made a waterpump out of plastic card using a piece of sprue for the pulleys. I cut a strip of insulation tape and made a drive belt. Also made the auxiliary drive pulley for the front cover. The water rail presented a problem. I eventually turned a piece of 1mm square rod into round for the connections to the heads and found an exhaust pipe off a car kit that I could fashion into the water manifold. The thermostat housing is just two pieces of 2.5mm square rod. Just added rings of ali tube to simulate the connections between sections of the manifold. Turned an alternator out of sprue and made a quick bracket. I'm amazed at what I've done so far, and have had a great time doing it.

Looks like you're doing my favourite pin-up truck justice. My goal is to do one myself one day. Have you sorted colours yet?

Thanks for the nice comments gents. Very gracious of you. Had some time spare today so on with the Cummins!!!! Here it is next to the AMT W900 1/25 block to give you some idea of size. I finished the timing case and cover. Added bolt bosses around the edges and the bosses around the crank and auxiliary shafts. There's a little swarf in the cam thrust button in the middle. I'll sort that. I built a compressor from sprue and a fuel pump from 2.5mm square rod. I added the stop solenoid, the fuel quantity button and the throttle shaft from shrapnel. Shaping 2.5&3mm square rod I formed the charge air manifold. On the other side, the oil cooler with the return hose to the block. I know it's a bit rough and ready but it looks ok in the flesh. Waterpump, exhaust manifold and turbo next. Then bell housing and pulleys.

Made progress on my Cummins today. Laid 0.8mm square strip along the top of the block with little pieces in between to simulate the ribs on the block. Then rubbed them down to reduce how much they stuck out. Added the cam boxes to the side. Rounded off some 1mm square rod for them. Formed a timing case and cover, added the water pump mount in the front of the block. Built the crankcase out and tapered it in as it goes up to the cylinders. Bit rough on places and a bit one step forward two steps back, but overall, I'm pleased.

Right, first effort has already been scrapped. Realised I was working in the wrong axis for the rocker boxes, which are so distinctive on a 14litre. I needed to be able to get the shape right, not an anonymous box. Found a piece of scrap the right depth, cut three, 10mmx6mm pieces. Then glued them together with a minimum of cement and filed the shape I needed. Having the 3 together provided a uniform profile. They separated easily once finished. Then did the same with two layers of plastic sheet to form the rocker covers and then filed a taper on the top as per the original. After these were mounted I added more width to the block so I now have a ledge to fit the water rail to. Scored the cylinder head separation lines. Looks much better, let's see how things go from here.

I can tell you now... "poorly" ? I can only try, I don't know why I'm so desperate to do it, maybe because I used to work on them here in GB and they were just in a different league to the domestic product. The first truck to break 70mph capability in the UK was powered by a Cummins. We had them in ERFs,Atkinsons and later, Seddon Atkinsons and they were flying machines [before speed limiters came in].

Thanks a lot. Might have bitten off more than I can chew... We'll see.

You've also got plenty of room, that combo must be huge! Well done mate. A novel build.

Fiddled around a bit this afternoon. Made a power steering reservoir and a fuel filter for the driver's side and a canister type oil filter and water filter for the passenger side. I'm using Twinsticks Garage's W900 for reference where possible. Started building my Cummins, I'm not sure where it's going to go but it's just something I want to try. Put the start of the block together and separated the heads. My plan is to start at the narrowest point, which is the rocker boxes and build up layers as I work down the block to the crankcase. Might be a wasted effort but let's see.

Clever, clever stuff there mate. Where are you getting your dimensions from?

Thanks Graham, that's praise indeed coming from yourself with the work you do. I have the ideas but not the ability I'm afraid, my work is quite agricultural. Eyes, hands and finances all limit my projects. I dont think I'm going to be able to paint until June the way the weather is looking so far this year!

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.