Jim B

Another thing to look ut for is there is a 3/16" gap between the back of the cab & the front of th van. This is for the optional chome exhaust stacks that run up the back of the cab. If you don't use the stacks (like me), you'll have a big gap between the back of the cab & front of the van, so you might want to play with the positionng of the mounting rails & the van body. Yes, the engine should be Ford blue & the transmission should be aluminum.

Rumor Control has it that the Frank Gortsema Marmon COE & conventional molds are now owned by Dave Natale / AITM. Will he ever produce one? Who can say for certian. You could always ask. http://www.aitruckmodels.com/ He currently does not have one listed on his site.

As far as references go, least we forget: http://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thsca...brochures/ford/ Lot's of good stuff there. Oh, and Dan's Model Truck World makes the logos for the side of the hood if your drybrushing skills are as bad as mine (or they get totally obliterated by the body paint job, like mine did).

Tim, That white 359 is looking great. You never cease to amaze me with your skill. A true artist. In your first photo, what is the white & red tractor?

You can check with Dan Poulin over at Dan's Model Truck World. He does custom decals, and he might be able to help. You can also check with Jim Botaitis over at www.jbot.com. He does cursom work to. Both guys do top notch work. Good luck & truck on!

I was watchng a show on the History Channel about the Mackinac Bridge. Very inpressive. Isn't that near there some place? Not that familiar with Michigan. Is St Ignace on the "main land" or the UP?

Thanks for all the comments! I appreciate it. Actually I had thought about 2-hole Budd rims, and I still might swap some in (white?). The only problem I have is removng the fromt wheels from the axle as it is cemented in place and I don't know how much force that steer axle can take. Hate to brake it, if you catch my drift! An aluminum roof on the box? Hmm, hadn't thought about that. Thought it was supposed to be either yellow or white. The current plan is to paint the sides & ends yellow, the bottom semi-gloss black, and the top either yellow or white. I'm going to trim it in matt aluminum BMF & use Testors steel on the side door hinges and all of the latches. Well, that's the plan anyway. The engine does look pretty good blue, doesn't it. I detailed it using Ken Smith's September 1991 Car Modeler article as a guide. You know, bulding the new fuel pump wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Here are some work in progress of my infamous Ford LN8000 Ryder truck. Enjoy! LN8000 Mock Up Cab Close Up Interior (sorry it's a little blurry) Passenger Side Engine & Front Axle Detail Driver Side Engine & Front Axle Detail The Ryder decals are from Dan's Model Truck World.

Kurt, Thanks for the info. Might have to give it a try one of these days.

That big Cat under the hood looks fantastic! How did you make the Cat decals for the filters & other labels?

Craig, Check with Dan Poulin over at http://www.danmodeltruckworld.com/ He does custom decal work for trucks, and I've used his decals in the past. He might be able to help you. Jim

Scott, Looks very nice. I like the colors, too.

That's the one I'm doing. Looks like one goes on the rear door, too. I'm using the Tamiya Yellow. That's pretty bright yellow. Makes your eyes hurt!

Really? That's what those are for? I was wondering the same thing; just never thought to ask. Where exactly do they go? I'm building the Short Hauler as a Ryder truck. Do I need those parts? What color should they be?

A map? Well, that makes sense! Is it a "real" map, or something to look like a map? How did you make it?

Looking good, Chris. What's that thing in the interior bucket that looks like a Birch log?

Sorry. ROG = Revell of Germany.

Nice Petes! And the Ford looks pretty cool, too! Aren't those snap Petes great? Is the grey & red one the ROG kit?

Ray, There was a guy out of Australia at www.modeltrucks.com.au who had Caterpillar C16 engines in resin. You could get them as a kit or already built & detailed. Funny thing is though, his site worked last week, but I couldn't get it to work today. Strange. Maybe it will work tomorrow. Maybe he's out of business. The engines looked nice though. He had the C16, DD Series 60, DD 8V92, DD 8V71, & Cummins N14; and he said that more were going to be offered. Also, on the oter board, there was a discussion about someone offering the Cummins Signature engine. I think this was the predesessor to the ISX, so one should be able to convert it. But knowing your track record with the ISX, you probably don't want a model of one!

I like what you've done. The weathering is superb. Makes it look like a real work-a-day truck that works hard for a living.

Great KW! The detailing is fantastic. And that dashboard is beautifully done. Great job.

Very nice! I like the detailing you did.

I like your interior. Actually, I like the entire concept. hould look very nice when it's all said & done. Cool stearing wheel.

Ken, Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. I think I'll try and center it between the two seats. Seems to make sense. When I build this kit again, I'm planning on making it a LNT-8000 tractor. Any suggestions on a doner transmission or aftermarket transmission?

Tim, I'm appear to be a little slow on the uptake here, but a very nice build. Or rebuild as the case may be! Question: your AC hoses, what gauge wire did you use? What about the cover? I'm planning on putting an AC unit on top of my Ford LN8000, and I like this detail and I'd like to add it. Thanks in advance.