fractalign

I like the idea but without a matching chassis/floor pan it seems like a hard sell. Wheels, tyres and engines can be sourced easily enough but adapting a chassis is tricky at the best of times. You should really consider the chassis option, in fact several versions would really increase your sales. Longer wheelbase for the twin cab, maybe even a pro street version. There is nothing people like more than a resin kit that they can complete from spare parts without the need to fork out for a whole other donor kit. Also stock and custom versions increase the build options.

When I was kid, one of our dogs chewed through a couple of my model plane kits, I had forgotten how destructive they are.

I have experimented with various resins and an Australian company called Barnes Products does the best stuff by a long shot ! As for casting tyres I will be experimenting with something different altogether, I will upload some photos of the results next month.

Hey Guys ! I have been snowed under with another project. A line up of resin based pre 49 truck and pickups that I am trying to get released early in the new year. Everything else is on hold including this one unfortunately. I would like to recommence it sometime in the new year time permitting. There won't be any changes to the style of the build, but don't hold your breath for any new updates in the near future. Sorry guys !

The 40 Ford below has a similar set up only with a bogie drive. The version I have constructed looks more like the one below minus the twin wheel arches. In the previous post I mentioned I would be releasing the wheels and tyres before tooling up for the complete kit. I am hoping the lag time between the wheels and tyres and the complete kit is shortened now that I have ironed out all the bugs. Sorry for the lack of progress photos, trouble with my uploader it seems. Once that is sorted out I can post of up photos of the car hauler body and fingers crossed actually have a full kit completed in the next couple of months. Anyway let me know what you think of the car hauler idea or if you have any suggestions for any other configurations, Cheers ! th Anyway

Hey Guys ! Thanks for all the encouragement, I thought I should update you on the progress of the trucks. I mentioned in the previous post that the first trucks to be released would be the 35-37 Fords and Dearborn C.O.E. That is still the plan but I decided to add something else into the mix. Originally The full size trucks were going to be cab chassis, with bodies to be created later on but I have been toying with a idea. The image below is of a 48 to 52 Chev C.O.E converted into a single car hauler. I know these types of trucks did not really start appearing until the late fifties, early sixties. I also know this type of rig was popular with racing enthusiasts. Sprint Cars, drag cars, stock cars in particular were often transported on the back of these. Last year I purchased a sheet of checker plate styrene to make the floor of a rollback that I want to create. I soon realised there was enough checker plate to do the roll back tray and to create one of these versions as well. This was a relatively easy build. Two days in and its three quarters finished already. My intention is to offer this option with the first Dearborn I release. I have also redesigned the chassis so that the wheel base is adjustable. The chassis will be extended to the standard 157 inch Wheel base. However the leaf springs will be able to moved back to allow a longer wheel base should the builder decide he or she wants to create a car hauler similar to the one below. http://

That looks very cool and not far from completion either. Can't wait to see it finished.

The new spring is a modified version of the AMT 33 Willys rear leaf spring. The ends have been cut off and the ends from the AMT 34 Ford Corvette Rear end are being added. The was a corvette IRS so it is less bowed on the ends, which is perfect. The axle above is the one I will be using. I have bet it down and rather than widen it at the centre like the old one below, I simply shaved the stub axle mounts which have become part of the axle. The new stub axles will simply be grafted on from the old axle below. The other thing I have been working on is the chassis. The rear rails behind the cab have been raised to meet the bottom of the cab edge. The rails are deeper and more truck like as result. I have been moulding the cross members from the old chassis to add to this one, rather than trying to scratch build them, that will save time. As for the wheels and tyres I was un happy with the tyres I was using so I have scratch built my own that I hope to mould tomorrow. This will be very different to anything else out there. The centre section was machined from resin with the tread carved in. I am not sure when I will get photos of the finished wheels and tyres, the photo uploader o my computer is giving me trouble. When I do get it sorted out I will have photos of the finished wheels ad hopefully the chassis as well.

Hey Guys. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been somewhat preoccupied. I found a new FB group that is all about 28 to 38 AA ad BB trucks. It has been a wealth of information. Scrolling down though the images I saw one of a 1935 Dump Truck. I could tell straight away that the front end on the truck was much heavier duty than mine. The spring has less of an arch and the axle is less bowed. As a result I have begun to rework mine to look like the one in the image.

Hey Craig. I just noticed your post and yes I am interested in the idea and I had a similar idea myself. I am lucky enough to own an AMT Model A Roadster kit which has the stock fenders. I will be getting the new Revell version soon so I can compare the two. The problem with the Revell version is the enlarged rear wheel arches. My advice would be to remove the rear fenders and graft on a set of larger 32 Fenders preferably from a 1:24 version such as the Monogram 32 Roadster or 3 window Coupe. Another thing you should look into is offering a full hood with the chassis/fenders that way the builder can have a full body kit. As for casting experience, I have done various two part moulds for bodies, chassis and recently I started doing them for wheels. The image below is of a 32 pickup I am working on. PM me and I will see if I can help you out. Cheers !

Hey Greg. I wish I could pencil in a date for the trucks, all I can say at this stage is that the first components to be released will be the wheels and suspension. If I could get either the Dearborn C.O.E or 36 Ford Truck finished and cast by Christmas then I will be doing well. Cheers !

Another major change I have undertaken is to include pickups in the range. These will not overlap in anyway with the existing factory based versions from Revell Monogram. I was originally going to focus on medium to heavy trucks, but I realised I could do some pickup versions as well that corresponded with the oddball years that the majors had ignored in their light commercial range. Unlike the trucks, the pickups will be rod based versions, featuring their own updated chassis, suspension and interiors. The image above is of the 35/36 Ford Pickup. The 36 will feature the same cab and hood as the truck, but the 35 version will feature a smoothed hood and chopped cab. There will also be several 35-37 Dearborn C.O.E versions well including some car carrier versions. All the pickups will be pro street versions designed to adapt to the running gear from the Revell 41 Willys Street Rod kit. The Car carrier versions will use standard truck chassis with upgraded wheels and suspension options.

Here is the master for the conventional Ford truck. The chassis for this one and the Dearborn C.O.E above it will be based on the 131 inch version. The fenders, wheels and tyres in this image are the resin versions. I have cast up various wheels and I am undercoating the wheels for a build I am doing to test out the quality of the components. The first release will actually be the wheels themselves along with the brakes, differential and rear leaf springs. These were similar from the BB Ford right through to the 1937 Fords. The wheels them selves will feature separate lugs, hubs and caps. This is to allow the separate parts to be painted in the appropriate colours with out the need to mask parts. http://

http:// Hey Guys ! It has been months since I have posted anything, but I have a major announcement. I can confirm the first official releases will be a range of mid thirties Ford and Dearborn based trucks. Dearborn specialised in converting conventional trucks into cab overs and did various between 1935 and 1937. The one on the left is the 37 version, the one on the right is the master I have been working on for almost 18 months of the 35/36 version. These were true cab over trucks unlike the factory Ford versions that followed. The Dearborn C.O.E actually had more in common with later cab overs in that they sat higher up over the engine allowing more cabin space with a flat floor. The reason I am focussing on these over the earlier AA and BB versions is simply because these are closer to completion. I am still working on the AA and BB kits but they will be released a little further on. Another important optional component I will be adding with these kits is a range of vintage trailers. These trailers will be designed to adapt to the trucks with their own turntable that can be added to the truck. I was not originally planning to release semi trailers but I figured it made perfect sense as sourcing correct vintage era trailers for these kits would be next to impossible. For the moment though I can say the first truck release will be based on the 131 inch wheelbase type chassis. This chassis will also be shortened to 112 inch wheelbase for the Dearborn C.O.E versions. I will still be doing the carry bodies as planned but the first releases will be the cab chassis trucks.

Wow ! This is very impressive, unusual but logical at the same time. I am wondering if at some point someone took one of these original 1:1 buses and did this conversion for a car transporter. I am looking forward to seeing this one finished.

Wow that is a superb build !

The other thing I have been focussing on is the wheels, especially the rears. This is new rear wheel with separate hub. You will notice the allen key in the back ground. I moulded this to make up the lugs. You can see one of them in the foreground. The lugs are being cut from the hexagonal tubing that was cast, the studs are being cut from the fine styrene tubing. Its a tedious process but it will be well worth the results. The wheels will have individual lugs for extra realism. With my focus back on the chassis and wheels getting them finished will be the next task.

The leaf spring on the front end is actually the rear leaf spring from the Lindberg 34 Pickup kit. I needed this spring due to the higher arch allowing better wheel clearance. Because the new chassis is modified from the 37 pickup version, the fenders sit inline with the chassis rails but there were issues with clearance with the 37 leaf spring. The 34 leaf spring is certainly better detailed and more truck like.http://

The biggest problem was the chassis, it was the wrong shape and the running boards did not sit flush with the bottom edge of the rails due to the depth. I bit the bullet and decided to modify the 37 pickup chassis instead. You will notice the step up towards the front. this allows the fender/floor asssemlble to lock into place. This chassis is also much smaller and finer than the other chassis, so I have decided to make this one a 131 inch wheelbase version.

Hey Guys. Its been a while since I posted anything. Work has not stopped but I have had to make some major changes which slowed things down.

That sounds like a very tempting option ! I may have to give them a call ! Thanks for the heads up !

Hmmm, well that explains that, its a real shame, I think there would have been quite a few over here that would have purchased the kit, myself included.

This is very frustrating, the 29 Roadster was released two months ago but still no word of its release here in Oz. If the 30 Coupe gets a release in the States soon I have no doubt I will have to wait till next year before its released in Oz. I missed out on the Stacy David 32 Roadster because it seems no hobby shops here wanted to stock it. I can't afford to miss out on this one or the Roadster. I am starting to think I may need to go down the Ebay option if I don't get word on the release of either of these.

http:// Hey Guys ! I am back onto using Photobucket again so images are back to full size at last. This one is a little blurry but what I can say is that all the major construction on the cab is complete. The cab now sits firmly in place over the lower section, the swage lines are finished and I have started work on the cowl vent. It has been a long road to get it to this stage but it will be worth it in the end. I added a flange around the cowl area for the hood to lock into. I just need to add the remaining filler to the bottom of the hood and it will sit in place neatly. Next task will be to complete the hood and finish the surface area on it, the cab and the lower section.

Hey Guys. I managed to get the swage line added to the hood. I also added some more to the top of the hood as it sloped down to steeply for the planned cowl vent. I have also started filling the gap along the bottom edge of the hood. Like the bottom of the edge of the lower cab section, I will back fill this area with resin too so that it sits flush over the fenders. Next task will be to add the cowl vent and clean up the surface ready to primer.