ranma

Died June 26,2019 from Cancer.

Ertl Issued their first International Truck kits in 1973 The Transtar 4070 A , And the Transtar 4270 (4200). By 1977 The Both Transtar's were changed, And those became the Transtar II ( Transtar B ) then the Transtar 4300. The first issue of the Transtar II was issued with the air ride rear suspension from the Transtar 4070 A. The Transtar 4270 (4200) went on to become the Transtar 4300. It was suggested that the 4300 had a whole new frame when it came out, But that is not the case as the frame was reworked to have the walking beam suspension.While the Transtar II second Issue also got the walking beam suspension, as all the Paystar 5000 and the S-series kit's as well. To note that the Paystar 5000 was issued from the begging with the walking beam Suspension. In the photo's are the Transtar 4070 A, Transtar II both first and second issue. The Transtar 4270 with the Transtar 4300. The 4300 shares quite a bit with the 4270. frame, cab, fuel tanks, radiator , glass, interior, Most all chrome, Changes were the hood ,engine , headlights, walking beam suspension, and added sleeper. The first issues of the 4300 had a line on the under part of the hood, this was where the extra length was added to the old 4270 hood, Later reissues that line was smoothed down thus no longer visable.

Both Hard top's and these>>>

A '57 Chevy Chassis/frame after a few Ohio winter's The engine had it's oil changed recently!

The clear "glass" from a '70 Impala kit works as a replacement.

International Harvester head quarter's has been In Chicago, But until just a few years ago The research/design part of Now Navistar was still in Ft.Wayne Indiana. Ft/Wayne Not only had the Truck factory, they also had Internationals Enginerring, Internationals Test track, R &d, as well as the Scout factory. My late Farther started working at Harvester in Ft.Wayne in 1962 till the plant was closed in 1983. He knew alot of guy's who worked in R&D as well as the engeinering Dpt. In fact that is how Ihe got my first 4070 a model. Through the Factory in Ft.Wayne, and he also got me the Transtar 4270 in 1977, along with a Transtar II , and Transtar 4300. That's how he found out about what was and wasn't selling well for the truck kit's. It seem's that Ft.Wayne's plant had no interest in the "Springfield Special " S-Series kit as Ft.Waynes plant was for heavy Duty trucks (IE) Transtar II, Transtar 4200-4370, Paystar 5000, and the 9600 series of cab overs.

This is the thinner I've been using. It has not damaged any of the plastic kit's Ive had in it. Infact the '69 Impala convertible was in in for almost a week. as the orange paint didn't want to get off the body.

Regular paint thinner that I bought from wal-mart in a plastic quart container

Any word on the '76 Chevy stepside release date?

almost complete still needs a stock hood!

I bought it off Ebay with Buy it now. Body went into the paint stripper yesterday after it arrived. This is the body before and going in the paint remover, and after I washed it with soap and water this morning. I still have to find a stock hood for it though!

Just came in the mail today. I got it off ebay for the buy it now price of $56.00 ,and free shipping. I already have the body in paint remover which is making quick work of the old purple paint! I need to get a stock Hood, grill/headlights, stock front seat's and wheel's (chrome stock hub caps) . Then it will be complete for a repaint and build. Yet another MPC '69 Impala 427! Sorry If anyone here was among the 10 people watching this on ebay!

I have pulled out both the 4270(4200 and the 4300 , and placed them side by side. The frames are the same length and are quite Identical except for the engine , and rear Being they are different there. The 4300 has the updated walking beam as do the second Issue of the Transtar II , Paystar 5000, and S-series kit's. In 1:1 The all new Transtar series of conventional started in 1971, The cab design was also used on the Paystar series starting in 1973... The Transtar 4200-4370 cabs design remained untill 2000 when the cab got a new redesign

I stumbled on a rusty exhaust pipe idea while using embossing powder for interior carpeting. I first painted the exhaust pipes with testors rust paint, then used silver embossing powder (which actually looks gray) after that set I then repainted the rust paint over the embossing powder this giving the exhaust pipe a rough texture. The '68 Chevelle. is the second model that I used this idea on. The first car I did this on was my '64 Impala

I think Molotow liquid Chrome did a decent job on restoring the bumpers. I had to make the left rear tail lights as they were missing. The tail light came from a '76 Caprice model ,and was cut down to fit the '69 Impala

I just got a 1969 Impala promo, the passenger side windshield need repair, I'll us Molotow to rechrome the bumpers. Since it was a damaged copy I'm thinking of doing a little detail work such as the door handle's ,side trim,window trim, ss badges ect.

Arrived in the mail today, MPC 1969 Impala SS Promo, and need's a little repair/rechromed .Since it has to be repaired would it hurt to do a little detail work such as door handles, window trim, side trim.???

More than likely as the 4270 wasn't that great of a selling kit 1977 was the turn over to the redesign of the 4300 with the square pan headlight surround. The Paystar 5000 was big seller as their was : the single Tractor, The logger, cement mixer and dump truck. While the F2575 was a one shot like the 4070 a , and the F 2674 was made as two kit's single truck and the dump truck copy. Apparently Ertl felt that the S-Series didn't meet their sell's projections, and there for never reissued. Note that the Transtar 4300 came in two copies as well that being the truck with the sleeper and a non sleeper racing truck

O.K. Here it Goes! The Ertl International 4070 a kit was issued in 1973, The 4070 a was converted into the Transtar II in 1976 The first issues of the Transtar II used the same air ride rear as the 4070a kit which was changed in 1977-78 The 4270 aka 4200 was also issued in 1973 which lasted till it was changed over to the 4300 The cab/interior other than seats are the same for the 4270 and 4300. The walking beam rear was shared from the Transtar II second issue , and hence the change in wheels on the 4300 as well. The first issue of the transtar 4300 shows where the original 4270 hood was made longer as the seam shows up on the underside of the hood. I have the 4070 a, first issue Transtar II, Second Issue of the Transtar II, The Transtar F-4270 (4200) , and the first issue of the Transtar 4300 (molded in yellow) The latest 4300 was molded in all white. In the second photo are the first issue of the Transtar II along side the second issue of the Transtar II. Yes the first issue had the air ride rear when it was issued.

I've been working on my Revell '64 Impala, which I converted to a Convertible. I made the new gear shift for the steering column instead of having the floor shift. Carpet in the interior and trunk are embossing powder

I actually bought them yesterday. The '50 Chevy pickup was a factory sealed "promo type" model that was molded in a gaudy yellow Orange color . The Chevy Dually is also a "promo type kit" but was already built, while the Dodge dually in Black and red is a Promo. The Other Dodge dually is a "promo type" kit that was also already built. The Hummer was built , but was red, and I took it apart to do the Olive drab paint. while the 41 woody (pre painted ) is missing the center grill left side bottom grill, and front bumper. I paid $10 for the '50 Chevy Pickup, and $2.00 each for the other's.

Celina which is 24 miles south of were I live also was hit with a EF3 Tornado. 7 people hurt, and one dead when a car was tossed into his house. I used to live in the area where the Tornado struck back in 2005-2008.. My youngest sister lives in Celina, while my younger brother work's there. He was called into work just after it it happened. Police wasn't allowing anyone in or out. But they called the care center where he works , and they allowed him through to get there . Last year A tornado wiped out a dollar general store , and damaged a strip mall. A few years before that a Tornado destroyed an Audi's grocery store. Earlier this moth the city had bad flooding from the lake.

The hood being lengthed changed only the length behind the wheel well which pushed the cab back. The only other changes were the head lights,front bumper. new engine, added sleeper,and Hendriks walking beam rear. the frame was the same as issued used on the 4200 kit. Back dating a 4300 to the 4200 would require the air ride rear, shortening the hood and reshaping the headlight holes. Part's would have to come from either the 4070 a, First issued copy of the Transtar II, headlights from a paystar 5000 kit, and hood badges from a 4270 kit (4200).... The front axle was off on the 4270 (4200) as well , But that is a easy fix to make. If a person wanted to all that would need to be done to the 4300 would be shorten the hood, and find the 4200 badges Since the 1:1 looked the same as the 4300. One could also add a little more length to the 4300 hood and covert to a 4370.

Eventhough it's actually an Ertl kit, I'd say without a doubt the Transtar series of trucks are a good start. The 4300's are still easy to get, and not at bad prices. The instructions have check off boxes, and are very easy to follow.

Anyone know if he's still in Biz?