Fabrux

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.

I picked up a 1980 Datsun trucks brochure, and wanted to share some scans with everyone. According to the brochure, the truck depicted in this kit would be a Lil' Hustler 4x4 with a Grand Luxury trim package. The engine in the kit is the 2.0L L20B and not the NAPS-Z engine as indicated on the box. Here is a stock truck with the decals included in the latest reissue: Grand Luxury dash: Standard/Deluxe dash: King Cab GL interior: Standard/Deluxe RWD interior: GL 4x4 interior: And finally a closeup of the 15" 4x4 wheels in the kit. From my research, these wheels were all white with the black centre caps. Some pictures I have seen have the front centres open.

Special edition Boxer pickup, based on the RWD cab-and-chassis model:

The Satellite shows up on the big auction site from time to time.

Far too many!

I really enjoyed building this kit and the subject material has become a new interest of mine; I just like boxy 80s vehicles it seems! I picked up a dealership brochure for the 1980 Datsun truck line and as it turns out, there was a special edition Datsun Boxer pickup that was available. It would be ordered as a cab-and-chassis model and the aftermarket stepside bed would be added. It was 2WD only and the fenders were a bit different but it looks quite similar. I hope to be able to scan some of the brochure soon.

30 May 2015 (Saturday), Fredericton, NB 27th Annual CAMS Spring Classic Kinsman Centre, 141 School Street, Fredericton, NB For more information, visit the web site at: http://www.capitalareamodellers.ca/ Automotive theme this year is The Fabulous Fifties: It’s the Fifties and North America felt bold, important and enthusiastic about the future and we wanted our cars to portray those feelings. We wanted bigger, faster and flashier and Detroit responded with chrome covered monsters that dripped opulence and luxury. Across the pond, in the UK and Europe, cars may not have been as big and flashy as in North America but there was plenty of action. Names like Jaguar, Aston Martin and MG were developing top rate sport and luxury cars. France had names like Citroën, Peugeot and Renault, while the Germans were breaking new ground with the Mercedes 300 SL, Porsche 356 and the VW Karmann Ghia. The automotive world of the 1950s was going through a renaissance that would change how cars were built and perceived for decades to follow. The automobile was no longer a ride - it was a lifestyle. Build your favorite "Fabulous Fifties" automobile kit for CAMS 2015!

I watched a couple episodes of their show the other day and was wondering what was in this thing for an engine.

In the vein of Alaska themed reality shows, did anyone else watch Alaska Off-Road Warriors? I'm still trying to figure out how Team Rover came back with a new rig!

Really nice site, but you can tell it caters to a trucker audience! I was looking for mixers and pumps based on manufacturer. The truck they're mounted on is of little consequence to a concrete poker.

Those tires are also on the Chevy Snap Fast Dually kit and promos.

I usually open them once I get home. On those occasions when I buy kits at club meetings, I end up opening them there so my buddies can look at the kit too.

There is a dropped front axle in the Revell 56 F-100 kits.

In referring to the AMT 72 kits, yes there are long and short versions. In referring to the Revell 64/65 kits, there is only short.

I have a Walmart-boxed issue of AMT's 1955 Chevy Bel Air that I had every intentions of building up but when I discovered just how much work would be needed to get proper panel gaps around the hood I tossed it back in the box.