Fat Brian

In the last year or two I've noticed a significant up tick in the number of older trucks on the highway. It had been years since I'd seen a cabover in these parts but now there are several older trucks, mostly K-100s and a 362, tooling around locally. I've also seen a few W900B models and some 359s, there's even an old Transtar II around. Is nostalgia factor driving this, the diesel scene has really blown up in the last decade or so, or have emissions regulations finally pushed owner/operators to resurrect older tractors that don't have to meet the new standards? Here's a pic of a local K-100 that has recently been burning up the road.

Yeah, some models of Peterbilts can be had with either a steel hood or a fiberglass piece. The fiberglass hood is smooth but the steel one has rivets holding it together. The Revell 359 and the California Hauler replicate the steel hood, sanding the rivet detail off makes it look like a fiberglass hood.

The 87-92 Monogram front end is correct for the 4x2, that design stayed pretty much the same until it was phased out completely. For the 4x4 early 350's had a leaf sprung TTB setup that was replaced by a leaf sprung solid axle. BnL does have good stuff, it's just deciding which direction you want to go. The grill is incorrect for a later model solid axle truck so it will need some attention if you go that route. It would be fairly easy to modify the kit front end to leaf springs for the early setup, the springs are almost completely flat and possibly even reverse arched a bit. There are some visual differences between the Dana 44 based 150 unit and the Dana 50 based 350 piece but it's nothing some strip styrene and putty can't fix.

Yep, it doesn't help that my stash is currently split between an up satirs bedroom and a basement space. It's difficult to know where exactly certain stuff is, expecially if it's been a while since I put my hands on it.

There is a 98 Chevy duallie snap kit that you could rob the wheels and tires from, there are plenty on 454s out there to put in it.

It would also depend on it the truck was fully assmbled in the factory or was purchased as a glider and finished by an outside upfitter. Basically, you can paint it almost any color and justify it being that way.

Due to MPC being out of business for almost 30 years, no, they never made a kit with modern tooling methods. But, they did make some good kits that stand up well today, the 69 Olds Casey mentioned being among them. It has a multi piece suspension front and rear with separate exhaust so it's close to newer kits. Their heavy truck kits like the DM600 and DM800 are noticeably crisper than their AMT counterparts as well. It's best to try to find a parts breakdown to see if it's something you would be interested in.

The Detail Junkies engine linked to is the engine that is the Welderup show car, it's a 5.9 Cummins 12 valve from a Dodge 3500 truck. I also scratch built a Detroit 4-53, I built the block and oil pan and borrowed the gear covers from an 8v-71 from a semi kit.

D but I would like it better in another color or with some pin stripes or scallops or something.

I don't care for A, B, or C completely. None of them stay consistent to their design theme, I don't like modern components on rat rods. I like the chop and drilled visor on B but the car is a bit too grungy for me but has chrome engine pieces. Give me C chopped like B with C's vintage engine and find some more period looking wheels and tires.

Check out this gallery of pics of a Ford Focus that was towed behind a motorhome while the transmission was in 1st gear. http://imgur.com/a/KxSI9

The box art has one picture of the built kit with the top, whether it's in the box or not I'm not sure.

Go over to the forums at Big Mack Trucks, those guys will know for sure what should be in it.

You can get the Monogram Grand National for a stock G body chassis and Buick interior. It has the turbo V6 but 1/24 V8s aren't hard to come by.

Mike, I thought the same thing about the store at University. It was huge and did all the gaming stuff and rc stuff but they closed about two years ago. I don't know why Charlotte can't keep a hobby store in business, it doesn't make any sense.

According to Wikipedia the Cummins NTC-335 was standard equipment in the B73, maybe a newer transmission was swapped in at one point.

I noticed that too Mike and I meant to message you about it. I stopped there a lot and spent more than I want my wife to know about. I had talked to David at one point and he said he made most of his money off of rc stuff so I thought they were going to be around for a while. For me it's going to be the Hobbytown in Mooresville, Rock Hill is too far out of the way.

There are a few on there now for closer to $40 and promos are even cheaper.

A friend of mine at work had an early 2000s Dakota sport with a 4.7 at it would get down the road pretty good, it was almost as fast as an S-10 Extreme another guy had.

The STS website has them listed for $65, that's as cheap as I've found them.

I just didn't know, I thought I missed something.

If I see something interesting here or in other searching I bookmark the page and then change the name of the bookmark to what is relevant about it and then move it into a folder I created for model car stuff. This works great until your computer dies.

I've stopped to help a few times when it's obvious an accident actually happened but I won't for a random stopped car, you just never know anymore if you're going to get robbed or shot for trying to assist someone.

I'm not sure exactly, I just made it match the 72 bed.

Sorry about that, I thought the 4.7 replaced the 5.2 at one point.