truckabilly

Nice collection! This would make me happy too. It looks even better under those guitars.

Thank you guys. I´ve got a little bit of progress again. I attached the anti slip layer on the fenders made of sand paper. The problem with the sand paper is that it collects the dust. So I brushed it with a layer of Sidolux - something like Future Wax. As it appeared too glossy I had to add yet another layer of matt varnish. Still it was too black so I used white oil color to fade it. It´s a bit complicated but I hope it works fine. Yeah, the fifth wheel is its place too. It took a while to install it because the the holes for pivots were not aligned very well. These are the real anti slip "carpets" as photographed by Jeff Lakaszcyck. I also attached the exhaust piping under the frame. I chipped the silver gunze off the rusty base color using the AK Interactive chipping effect. And the view on the real thing. I just hope that my piping will meet the smoke stacks behind the cab without any serious problem. All for now.

GMC Astro of AMT comes with 8V Detroit. I know some were gas turbine powered. I wonder what other engines could be placed in the Astro. I´ve seen a brochure with Cummins in it. I need the 8V Detroit for another project. But what engine can I use for the Astro instead? Would twin turboed Cummins of RoG work? Converted to a single turbo maybe? Thanks for any info.

Terrific! Just like real.

That´s awesome work so far. I like the details you put in your build. The trans cases do look great! It´s true that they won´t be visible too much once mounted in the model but I like your approach. Can´t wait to seeing more.

Excellent! Just excellent. I mean..... WOW!

Thanks a lot, guys. I added some wiring to trailer chassis as well. It´s not according to the real lines and valves. It´s just a few lines around the frame so that the space would not seem to be empty. I also added the steering mechanism to Peterbilt frame. This is few more details of the the trans case linkage. It probably won´t be visible at all, but you know.... it´s just for the feeling. The fuel tanks stripes are PE items of CTM. That´s it for now. Thanks for looking.

I´ve always liked this COE. It looks good in red - white combo.

Nice build. You have done a fabulous job. Nice and clean.

Nice rig! Looks good in the shop.

Some nice work was put in this re-build. It looks good for a saver.

Thank you all for your appreciation. I finally painted the chassis of both the tractor and trailer. I mixed two shades of gunze colours to get the buleish grey tone I was after. It turned out a bit dark for my taste. So, I applied fading technique using only white oil color. It helped a lot I think. Then I added some rusty and grimy spots. The weathering is not finished yet. I stretched some wiring through Peterbilt chassis too. I am not satisfied with the photos quality but this is how it turned out. Unfortunately, I found some geometry problems that I have to deal with. Some more cutting is inevitable I´m afraid. More to come, stay tuned.

Hi guys, I need a little help or advise on the old KW Bullnose COE. I´d like to build a work horse Bullnose coupled to a low boy. I guess tandem drives would be the best option. But what suspension I should use? I´d like to have torsion bars on it but is that a good choice for a truck with a low boy? What do you suggest?

I tried to limit myself to only one project even though I have ideas for lots of others. But the truth is that I have three trucks "in the making". The AMT 359 California Hauler standing still for problems with the paint job and 1/35 scale Diamond waiting for a paint job to be done. Recently I fully concentrate on my NASA Pete project. I didn´t take pictures yet but the chassis of both Peterbilt and trailer are wired, painted and partly weathered. I also broke the ban that I put on buying another kit. My newest kit is Italeri´s Peterbilt 378 day cab.

Very nice work on the engine Robert. The pulleys and belts are perfect. Nice to look at something like that.

Nice looking rig. Can´t wait to see more. Will you mask the holes in the fuel tank some way?

Licensing is the most decisive factor, I think. At least they should have said what is feasible in that point of view. I´m sorry to say so but I have zero expectations as far as Italeri truck kits are concerned.

Thank you all for positive feedback. I tried to find out if someone makes electric motors in 1-25, 1-24 scale but had no luck. So, I had to make them myself. It took a few weeks but finally I can present something again. I started with two smaller motors and pumps. Then there was the big Reliance motor which was quite challanging. The most of the material I used comes from Evergreen stock. Besides that, the sparkling pills packs provided me with the tubes I needed. Here is the real electric motor and pump on the Paul recharger trailer. Photos were taken by Jeff Lakaszcyck. And this is my plastic version. There is yet another small electric motor on the trailer with a pump, I guess. Jeff´s photo is not showing the detail very clear. Anyway, this is the one. I have yet to complete the pump. For the big Reliance motor I used two pills packs of different sizes, the Evergreen stock and Milliput putty. The motor main body is a smaller tube-like pack cut to length. The rear cover is made of the bigger pack including the bottom. I clamped this part to a hand drill and reshaped the tight corner so that the radius was closer to a real thing. The Milliput helped me with the rest of the shape. The mesh is cut out off the grill mesh for Peterbilt by Italeri, I guess. The front lid of the motor was made with a great help of Milliput again. The cooling ribs are made of Evergreen channel cut to length. I glued them onto the thin plastic stripes which I wrapped around the motor main body. Hexagonal rods of various sizes were used for bolts around the front lid and the rear mesh rim. All the other details are just Evergreen tubes and squares. The real thing: My attempt: And here is a complete trio of the electric motors: And now what? The paint job? Finally? I hope so.

First, congratulation to your beautiful daughter. Make sure you keep all the modelling stuff out of her reach. Your work bench might be a great attraction for her. But Dan is right - they grow up fast. Your project is very interesting. I cannot remember ever seeing a mixer with the belt conveyor. But they are over here in Europe too. Though. the concrete pump is more common, I guess. This work body sitting on a Mack chassis is a perfect combination. I cannot wait to see more but I respect your Jennie´s right of way.

I like the IRT show even though I agree with the BS part. But apart from the blockbuster greedy narration and fabricated scenario, the video shots are cool. Nice trucks, severe conditions, exotic working enviroment... no reason to complaint for me. They could give more info on some work details there rather than the soap opera intrique acts. But it´s their money (TV channel´s) and hopefully they know what they are doing. I prefer facts from plots but more people probably want something else.

Very nice build.

And if the hair spray doesn´t work, there are two kinds of fluids by AK Interactive. One for worn effects and the other for heavy chipping. Tried that, works great.

I very much like these tri-drive kits. But do they represent something from the real world? I mean...... I´ve seen the tri-drives of this era only as day cabs, usually as tankers or dump trucks. I know that later Peterbilt or Kenworth model lines are bulit with set up like this. But I haven´t seen the 359 (or 353) tri-drive having a sleeper cab. As for the KW COE, I´ve seen just one pic of a real truck like this. So, I just wonder if those kits were inspired by something you could have seen on the road back then or of they are just great looking model trucks. Does anyone know?

I agree with the idea that model building should be fun and relax. But fun and relax may be different things for each one of us. A model truck ( or car, or train, an aircraft... whatever ) is a scale representation of something real. I always try to make a model that corresponds with reality. For instance, if Bill Signs kit have a short hood and in-line 6 Cummins underneath it, while the real truck has extended hood and 8V CAT, I wouldn´t be able to sleep sound if I hadn´t changed those components. I don´t remember me counting rivets but if I find some inaccuracy in the kit, I try to repair it by modifying or replacing the kit part with something more realistic. I scratch build a lot of things, do a research for my projects, listen to those who know better and obey the basic modeling rules. I can´t stand visible seams where there should be none, I hate wobbling wheels and childish murals of some Italeri kits. I am a slow builder, I take a break if things go wrong. But I am also stubborn and keep trying till I get what meets my idea of a satisfactory part or subassembly. I like the challenges that come with this hobby. I learn a lot of things about big rigs and hopefully improve my model building skills.

I always wondered the same thing, do the straight pipes have muffler somewhere on the way? And is it legal to go without a muffler at all? Bill Signs model has also sort of straight pipes even though the lower part is bent. But there´s a little tubing section of slightly bigger diameter under the frame, which I considered to be a silencer. That might be just another possibility for the straight pipes.