BigBad

So the real thing does exist. Still, there's nothing like a big ol' 127 inch BBC 379... or 389 for that matter!

Peterbuilder... Hmmm, I wonder what you like to build! You should have a look at www.timstrucks.com... Well, anyway you are here because you read some comments, saw pictures of what the guys can do here and it's a pretty nice community. Yes there are some that have a lot of talent and some have less. But what is cool though is that everybody is willing to share their experience and help. Whatever the topic... That has to do with trucks, that is! Honestly, I restarted getting interested in the hobby again by looking at what these guys do. I am really impressed with the quality of models here. So welcome and have fun!

Whoa! This is going to be N-I-C-E! I'm ok with your engine choice. I'll do the Detroit version! Oh man, I just wish Moebius or Revell or even Italeri made the W900L... Is somebody reading this?

I like what I see up to now, Jim B. I know Peterbilt had white engines. I think they look good in this color. This CAT is no exception. Good choice for the fuel tanks as well, sometimes just a little chrome is all it takes. What is the cab color going to be? Is it going to be owner-operator style or fancy fleet? I'm starting to think me wants to get this truck kit... How's the kit itself?

To me, it seems Round 2 is deploying the old AMT kits in a similar fashion as AMT themselves did in the 70's, though not in the same order. The fact that these truck kits are re-issued is great for us. I have to agree that Round 2 is doing a great job of the old casting tools. I don't know how much work it is to adjust these tools but the kits I bought up to now have next to no flash, warp is at a minimum, the "glass", colored glass and chrome parts are all wrapped individually, the chrome on parts is very good and the decals are of good quality now. These kits are better than they originally were! So, if the Alaskan Hauler comes out, I better get one. This is one popular choice!

Well, it's a start. If the picture was clearer we could could make it out a bit more and see if it is really messed up or if it could just use a little clean-up. If it's real bad, you could always put it aside and come back to it in a couple months or years. Do not scrap anything, EVER! You will regret it in later years. I know I do...

The Alaskan Hauler is another great kit. Lots of stuff could be used for kitbash as well. What would be good about a re-issued Kanepa Kenworth is the updated cab and sleeper, with a little fiddling it would make a real nice base for a W900L with the correct hood and front suspension.

Or just do what I did. Photograph the truck you want to model for locations of the logos. Take pictures up close of the stickers, logos, warnings, instructions, license plates, transport licenses, whatever you need for a nicely detailed model. Download them to your computer, scale them so they look right, refering the truck pictures. Then print them on a plain sheet of paper. Cut them up and tack them to your model with the blue gum tacky thing. If they look right print them on a decal sheet such as BareMetal or Testors white or tranparent material. Always remember, you need the transparent sheets for the model paint to show through, duh. If you need white color or pale colors, a printer does not print white, obviously, so mind that and print on those on white sheets. Once printed, leave them to dry thoroughly (if you don't the ink will run) and coat the decal sheet with decal coating so the ink does not come off when put in water. Metallic colors such as silver, gold and copper can be copied but won't be perfect or metallic. It worked for me!

Good catch Justin! The Wilson trailer, and that Caterpillar dozer would be great candidates, the dozer WITH the original Cat decals please... The refuse truck? Why not! Let it be known these kits are wanted. There were a bunch of smaller scale trucks too, good addition.

Oops I forgot 2 of them: Kenworth T600A Kenworth T600 Kanepa. So these would be my next 5: GMC General Kenworth T600 Kanepa Peterbilt 352 Autocar Dumper 3 axle Lowboy trailer

Hey hey hey... So now Jim B. tells us that Round 2 is re-issuing the original Diamond Reo kit. Round 2 has been re-releasing the old AMT trucks pretty steadily since 2008. 2011 is seeing 5 of them. What does 2012 hold for us? Mind you, this question might have been asked already elsewhere on the forum... So anyway, which kit do you think should or would be re-issued next? Pick your top 5. I'm sure I missed some, so feel free to add what's missing! Let's see, what's left? Autocar A64B Autocar Dump truck Chevrolet Bison/GMC General GMC Astro with turbine engine!! Ford Louisville single drive straight truck with box van International Transtar 4070 International Transtar 4200 International Transtar II International S-series tractor International S-series Dump truck International Paystar tractor International Paystar cement mixer International Paystar Dump truck Kenworth W925 (Watkins or Movin'on) Kenworth K100 Aerodyne Kenworth Tyrone Malone Racers Kenworth Tyrone Malone Race Haulers Kenworth cement mixer Mack R600 Mack DM600 Mack DM800 Mack Cruiseliner Mack DM800 cement mixer Peterbilt 352 Peterbilt Turnpiker Peterbilt 359 California Hauler with DD 8V-71 Peterbilt 359 Tow truck Peterbilt 359 with 1100 series cab with Cummins 350 Peterbilt 359 with 1100 series cab with Cummins 350 tow truck White Western Star White Freightliner single drive daycab Trailers? Fruehauf reefer (Watkins) 3 axle Dumper 3 axle lowboy Fruehauf exterior post van twin pup box vans with dolly

Chuck, this is one heck of a nice Freightliner. I like the paint scheme. I like the look that the 2 hole budd wheels give it also. They give it a real "fleet" look. Did you add the clamps on the hoses in the engine compartment? Those look real good too. That kit was one I was trying to get since last year, but these are quite rare nowadays... That's another 5 star build up! One of my favorite "aero" trucks. Like them better than the Columbia, the Century or the Cascadia for that matter. Though they would make nice 1:24 or 1:25 scale subjects... Or why not just re-issue this kit? Anybody from Italeri listening?

Waddya mean I beat you to it? You wanted to build one like this? Go ahead!! Tim beat ME to it with his LNG Peterbilt! Not only that, one other guy beat me to another idea I had with his CN Lonestar! Anyway, for the Robert Volvo, I've got some pictures if you ever need any, I've also scaled down some pictures for the decals if need be. By the way, I like that Freightliner FLD in your avatar... That's one good lookin' truck! Keep on truckin' Chuck!

Thanks Tim! It kinda is it's sibling actually! I watched the whole story of the LNG 367, when I saw the color you painted it, I thought it looked like one of Robert's trucks, then it hit me when you put some scaled down documents with the big "R" on the helper's seat. That is one neat truck! That was some intricate exhaust system! The aero treatment was well executed, cab extension, the extra tanks... I really am learning thru the many instructions you put down on your site when you are building the "truck sculptures" that you do. Thanks!

Nice! You're back and safe! Now get on with that IH 4300!

Thanks for the nice comments, guys! This is fun stuff... This actually came out better than I originally thought. It's a gutless wonder, I know, but I have more kits with engines. I'm just warming up... I get inspired from all YOUR models guys, it's nice to see other people's work. I'll finish the rest of it and try to build a decent trailer for it.

Wow! All I can say is I'M BLOWN AWAY! This weathering and realism does not get much better than this here. Paul, there is so much detail in there, it's like looking at the real thing. Your trailers are up to the quality of this truck as well. It takes some guts to modify a model as rare as this Transtar II! Great job. Inspiration for me, I tell ya! By the way thanks for the compliments on the yellow and black Robert Volvo!

Hi guys, this is my Italeri-Revell Volvo VN670. I painted it in Robert Transport colors (obviously!). This company is based in Rougemont and has a depot in Boucherville Quebec, near Montreal and an other depot in Toronto, Ontario. It actually owns 1100 Trucks and 3000 trailers. A lot of these trucks are Volvo 630, 670 and some are 780's. I see these trucks all the time on the roads near where I live. I started painting this truck in february and left it to dry for months until 2 weeks ago. The color is Tamiya Camel Yellow shot with an airbrush. The frame is Tamiya flat black shot with it's rattle can. The decals are made from photographs I shot from real trucks and transfered on Testors white decal material for the ones that need white colors, and on clear material for black only lettering. Even the Volvo crest in the grill is from a photograph since I ripped the original kit decal. I put on some bare metal foil on the body side moldings instead of flat black for a customized look and add some luster instead of the flat black. The seats and interior in primer grey with flat black trim. This is still in progress, I need to make the panels in the bumper for the fog-driving lights, the hoses and electrical connections and the communications equipment, such as the antennae and GPS locator. I like the outcome. Some of you must have seen one of the 1:1 on the road, they're all over North America. Besides... My name's on all their trucks!! Enjoy the pics.

Sergey! Where are you? I hope you ahven't given up on Paulie! Your Mack was going so well! Also Sergey, how come people from Russia, such as you, are so interested in north american trucks? I see a lot of beautiful, well built models on different forums built by people from your country. That is so cool! Anyway, Give us news soon, that Mack truck is too good not to finish.

Hey Highway, you're probably right, I get your point. Being relatively new to the forum, I didn't know you already started something similar to this. So yeah, I will register to build something soon. I have some new kits waiting to be built , including that Transtar I was talking about.

Hi guys, I was wondering if this blog would benefit from a little common themed build off. Let's say we take a basic low cost kit, such as an AMT/Round 2 International Transtar with an AMT Fruehauf 40 foot flatbed, give everybody a week or so to find their stuff and put a "reasonable" time limit, let's say 2 months,to build it. And just watch how that is going to end up? Other than the time limit would be a budget limit as well, let's say 100$ including the kits, paint and additional equipment, such as a material handler or an additional truck or trailer kit required for the build. The truck configuration may change from box stock to a cummins 350 driven, single axle tractor with a 53 foot spread axle step deck trailer. Parts box may be used but is limited to 1 item such as a set of wheels or an engine-transmission combo, front bumper or half fenders. The only limit is our imagination. No winners, no losers, just pictures taken and fun in the process. Open to anybody who wants to participate, including the expert Tim... No already built up kits, no cheating, that would take out the kick from this little event. How's that sound? Just to make this blog even more addictive, if it can be!

I'll second that. Plus, with that snowplow kit, you get a Cat 3208 diesel. Just the right size engine for that truck. Or you could go one better and fit a Detroit Diesel 8V-71 from the Chevrolet Titan kit. I don't remember where I saw this but in this blog or another one, I saw a modified model of the C600 dressed with a refuse body with this engine. I just looked like the original 1:1 truck had come out of the shop this way.

I'm blown away! This is high quality stuff right here, it does look like it's still wet! Torque Thrusts would look just right on this now! Beautiful choice of colors for that paint job. Looks just like it goes, it goes like stink that little skunk!

Well, BigJon, as a matter of fact, there is aluminum tubing you could use for the exhaust stacks. What's nice about this is that there is no weld to them so they make a pretty convincing exhaust system. You usually can find these at serious hobby shops, ones that sell model trucks and RC planes and cars should carry these. I just don't remember who does them. I did exactly that with my own Freightliner last year and I am going to do this for most of my next builds. For a 1:25 scale 6" pipe you'll need a .24" tube. A .25" tube will do a nice job. Have fun with your Freightliner, show us how you go about this project!

I remember seeing the build of that Nomad on Overhaulin'. I loved the the actual car turned out. Now you do this replica, beautiful copy, I have to say! Your '55 is great lookin' too, that paint combo is just so realistic. I'm not a huge Chrysler fan but that Christine sure is purty... Nice clean builds, just like those 69 Camaros.