Fabrux

I can always use more of those tires, thanks, Steve! The only completed Dodge 4x4 build I did I used a LRE reissue and added the suspension and transfercase from the Monogram Ramcharger kit.

Wow, a 4x4 pickup! A little outside your usual build style, my friend. In addition to a set of Desert Dogs I can supply you with the proper 4x4 front suspension for a Dodge if you like.

Someone sure put a lot of time and effort into crafting this....masterpiece... http://www.oldparkedcars.com/2015/02/1975-ford-pinto-sedan-delivery-station.html

That would doubly suck if there was a load of concrete in that drum.

I have an inventory of my kits that I keep religiously updated, mostly should I ever need it for insurance purposes. I haven't actually tried to tally up how many "active" projects I have on the go, but I'm fearful it would be more then some stashes!

My guess is those notches are for the side-mounted spare shown on the box art. No idea why they would mold both fenders that way, though.

Thanks for the kind words, all! I've bounced around from three companies since graduating university almost five years ago. In that 57 month period, I've barely worked 44 of them. This new job is sorta outside what I've been doing before now, so I'm excited to take my professional career in a new direction!

While it may not appear like much work at first, I've done a significant amount of filling and sanding. I have filled in the holes for the mirrors... ...mounting holes for the light bar and the seams between the header panel and bedsides... ...around the rear window as well as covered the seat backs... ...closed in the gaping hole in the firewall... ...and filled in the mounting holes on the rear panel beside the tail lights.

As near as I've been able to tell, the only difference between the Datsun, the Courier, and the LUV is the cab, hood, grille, bumper, and wheels. Everything else is the same, even the interior!

I was offered a new job today! Which was great, as I've been unemployed since the end of November. I enjoy the daddy-daughter time with my toddler, but a job pays the bills!

Yeah, the whole front clip of a GMC after 1998 is different than Chevrolet. The only way I can see you being able to build a replica would be if a diecast exists.

That grille looks pretty darn good!

therealfabrux

This is really neat! Great job on the GMC conversion.

Looks like a good start.

Enjoyed building the Desert Rat so much I just had to build another one. This one is going to be a stock 4x4 version. I've carved the stock front bumper from the kit piece, stripped all the incorrect chrome, deepened the proper panel lines and added the missing ones, and started correcting the chassis a bit. I also added a step bumper, which was a factory option. I still need to fill in the holes for the mirrors. I may end up using the kit's mirrors, but they need to be mounted farther forward on the doors. I'm going to cheat a bit on the chassis and attach the spare tire directly to the underside of the bed. This way it won't hang so low like on the Desert Rat. I've also cut out a section of the molded-in exhaust and a crossmember that hang way too low. I also reworked the lower control arm/torsion bar piece to bring it up closer to the front axle and frame. Thanks for looking. Comments encouraged.

She even knows enough to go through the magazine and correctly identify cars from trucks. Smart as a whip, this one! And yes, she has me wrapped around her little finger.

No idea what it is, but it sure looks neat!

My 21 month old daughter loves "reading" books. Sometimes she gets a hold of daddy's magazines... And here she is "helping" me with a kit.

Another stellar build, as always, Steve. The '69 goat doesn't really float my boat but this one is off the hook!

I, too, build at the kitchen table presently. Mostly due to my permanent work space being in my unheated basement.

Thanks for the info, everyone! I'll stick with the 11.00x20s as I now have all six required.

A question for those in the know: what is the most common tire size offered in the AMT Ford L-series trucks? I know the most recent issue of the car hauler has Firestone 10.00x20 tires, just wondering if all issues have it? I picked up the Coca-Cola version of the short hauler from the local thrift shop that was open but parts still in bags inside. I didn't notice at the time, but when I went to start putting it together I only had five out of the six tires, and they were Goodyear 11.00x20. The tires all still had the webbing on them so I thought they were what came in the kit, but when talking with a friend that gave me the tire I was missing, he said that all of the short hauler kits he has all came with 10.00x20s. Now, I had tried putting on a set of 10.00x20s on the kit and there was a large gap between the rears; with the 11.00x20s there is no gap at all. Did the tandem versions of this tooling have the bigger tires?

Not being able to leave well enough alone, and having the extra parts available, I built a trailer for my Desert Rat Datsun to haul around. It will be painted to match the truck. The frame rails, leaf springs, and wheels and tires are from the same parts kit as the cab for the truck. The hitch and trailer tongue are from the MPC Open Road camper. I cut out the axle's centre section and replaced it with brass tubing sleeved with styrene. The bed itself is the Revell mini-truck piece, this time from a Datsun 620 kit.

The 72 Blazer has two sets of locking hubs in it, one for each wheel choice. If you don't plan on using one of the sets on anything, you should be able to extract the locking hubs for use elsewhere.