BigBad

I see this Mack has been treated well! The turn out is pretty darned good. I like the spoked wheels, they fit this truck better than the aluminum discs. Looks just right. I built one R600 some years back with the kit's aluminum rims and it didn't look right, too much bling this side of a Kenworth! Good lookin' dog!

Welcome to the blog Big Jon! You will finf a lot of useful references, great answers to questions and inspiration for new builds. The guys here are just so nice. Some of them know some stuff, some are really knowledgeable and some just seem to know everything! Old or new, technical or trivial, there is an accurate answer to it. So if you plan to build any kind of heavy duty truck model, you're at the right place! In all, it's a fun and addictive blog. Welcome!

That is the question! North American, Australian or European? Straight body or tractor trailer? Single drive, dual drive or All wheel drive? 2,3,4 or more axles? COE or Conventional? Sleeper cab or day cab? Lift axle? Single or dual exhaust? Old school or Aero body? Cummins, Detroit or Caterpillar? inline 6, V6, V8 or V12... V16? Turbo or supercharged? Big sleeper or small? Heavy duty Off-road or King of the road? Regular run of the mill AMT, Revell or Italeri cabs or a Resin cast cab? Possibilities are endless! So, what's the length of that frame? Is there something you did NOT see here in this blog? Do you want to replicate some truck you saw? Did you imagine something interesting? What do YOU like? That might help you a bit. Questions, questions huh! Go with your feeling, have fun doing it! Oh, and let us know and see what you decide... Good luck!

All I can say is... WOW! That is a great scratch built lowboy. The Pete in front of it is far from a slouch too! This is what I'm talking about when I say we need updated trailers and trucks. I am not up there with the scratchbuilders quite just yet. So that would be a trailer I'd buy in a second if some plastic model company would dare to make one. Just like I did with the Moebius Lonestar. Let's have 53 foot flatbeds, spread axle step decks, lowboys, reefers, food grade tankers, Nascar type racing transport trailers, 3 and 4 axle oil tankers, chemical tankers, dumpers,2 axle dollies. There is no shortage of subjects! How about it boys? Moebius, a Prostar maybe? Round 2? Revell?(Oh by the way, let's have them with the 2 and/or 5 hole budd wheels please...)Please, please, please! I'm not kidding!

Yeah, real nice clean build, clean paint cut lines, nice detailing, Scott. Inspiring.

The more, the merrier, or something like it. Be careful though, this blog is almost addictive! Welcome...

A Louisville Ford with a screaming Jimmy! Alright! Now we're talking. I have to agree with the others, excellent detail work on that frame and front axle. Since you're adding detail to the engine, keep us posted with those details, I'm interested to see what you're doing to it. Keep it up!

Nice rig! I like the spread axle setup on that trailer. Nice spare tire rack also. I see the fuel tanks and possibly the front grab handles from a GMC Astro on the Mack, real good work on the transformation from the Kenworth.

Yes, I remember those Tyrone Malone kits. But apparently AITM has some Detroit V12's. I think I'm going to give them a try. Thanks for the interest guys! I'll let you know what happens with this.

Me again, I was wondering if anybody delt with Sourkraut's lately. It seems most of the interesting stuff in their listing is sold-out... 2 hole Budd wheels, rear fenders, air intake joints, tool boxes, engines, super single wheels and tires. You name it. Anyway, I had two options for the Detroit V12. One was buying the one from Sourkraut or cut two V8's from the AMT Chevy Titan or ALF firetruck kits. Does anyone know where else I could get a 12V-71? I might try contacting Sourkraut's for one or two. I'm a Detroit 2 stroke maniac, I'd put them everywhere! Love that sound...

Ok guys, my turn now.

By the way Mr. Modeltruckbuilder, you have a nice white and red IH 4300 Transtar for an avatar, have you ever shown it in detail here? Why don't you?

Nice Mack, Mac! Great build! I like the way those huge wheels fill out the front fenderwell. This one looks real tuff! The de-chroming does help a lot for realism too.This one is built just right.

I'd see a nice chromed milk tanker behind a snow-white cab like this one, blue lettering... Wouldn't that be something? I believe I will need a day cab myself! Great job!

I was waiting for this particular one ever since you started and saw the pictures of the real thing. Man, that is SPOT-ON! Love the pin stripes, I don't excatly know what you did to the wheels but they look so real, especially the rear ones. This is a nice fleet truck and the model gets the feel of it. Very nice indeed.

I know it's real expensive to make new tooling for these kits, Dave Metzner gave us real good insight on this subject. All we can hope is that the other big manufacturers are looking at how this Moebius kit is doing in the market. They should get it with this example. They keep making the new cars, Corvettes, Challengers, Mustangs... Etc. They must be easier and less expensive to tool up because of the kit size. But... Maybe these companies should remember what they used to do before: Try something new, dare! Would it be much of a gamble tooling up for a new Kenny W900L, Pete 389, Freight Classic XL or any of the classic designs of any of the manufacturers for that matter? At least we would get updated frames and current cabs, fuel tanks, tool boxes and work with those... Just like the Lonestar! Personally, I think Round 2 is probing this market with their truck reissues. There is this Russian guy who came up with a great looking 1:24 scale Freightliner Argosy. This guy contacted some major model manufacturers and offered his master for them to use, these guys were just not interested. Another thing about this, is that the manufacturers want royalties for their designs, which I undertand, but they are apparently asking way much, so it's impossible for this guy to even make his own mold and sell a resin kit of it. That is what he says anyway. This is for a model kit guys, let's be realistic! It's free advertising for the real truck manufacturers. Kids are building these kids too! They just might want to actually drive the real trucks later on. So, it comes down to this, Big Boys, show us that you still can!Come out with at least ONE new subject and see if that works! Then see if it's worth the effort. Just watch the Moebius Buzz...

Alright, thanks for the info Sherman! I did that kit last summer, I liked it but it didn`t come out as nice as this. Your`s really stands out. Maybe I should try my hand at another one! Did you have to shorten the front axle to make it fit better under that cab? Mine sticks out too much for my taste. Unless I install some 'rubber' mudgards on the cab wheel openings. Also, does your cab tilt properly with that front license plate support? If I make another one, this item will not be on there for sure. Again, great rendition of an old favorite!

Very nice! I like the colors and the choice of stripe colors, just like on the real truck of the I see you updated the truck a little with newer style door handles, fuel tank steps, boxed cab step and behind the cab air intake. I can`t see the cab seam aft of the door, you did a real nice job there! Anything else that we don't see? Is it the old non-turbo Cummins in there? By the way, what did you use for the door handles?

YEEEEEEESSSSSS! Please, someone make a 53 foot Utility or Great Dane 3 axle box or reefer trailer, a same length Manac flatbed or spread axle step deck, oh man, a tri-axle fuel tanker with a lift axle! Any one or all of them! Face it, 40 foot Fruehauf won't look as cool behind that fabulous Lonestar... A Nice new Prostar would be pretty cool too! Alright now, breathe in, breathe out... I'm ok!

Hmmmm, turned out pretty awesome! Great finish on the paint, looks real good, nice well defined and crisp stripe. I see these CN trucks going down the 132 near Montreal all the time, gotta love that paint scheme. Anyway, you got the look just right! I often see them with container trailers, by the way... I just got my two Lonestars, man I can't get over the definition and the quality of the castings. What about those instructions! All color, good pictures, well detailed. Kudos to Moebius!I even got an extra memo for the correct installation of the fuel tanks! Can't wait to start mine... Oups, got to finish that engineless Volvo VN first.

So we have a winner here! Let's have proof you did finish it now!

Alright! I was wondering when you were going to continue on this one. It's going to be a looker for sure. I didn't know stripes this thin could be manipulated! I always check up on your projects. This tanker is one heck of a nice truck. Just keep us posted as you always do!

Ahhhh MAN! This is lookin' real good! I was thinking of doing the CN paint scheme on an Italeri Western Star. Now I know I'll do it! Wow this looks real good on your Loner. Keep it up and keep us posted!

Tower Hobbies is now in process of sending their Lonestar kits. Got my E-mail notice today. Got 2 of them in transit, can't wait!So one is going to be all black and chrome... The other one two tone grey? No, make that orange and dark gray... Ohhh let's just start with a black one. Anyway, let you know when I get them!