TNT 1/43 California Hauler Peterbilt w/ Fruehauf 40’ Reefer (Watkins Lines)

[Pete68]

4 hours ago, Biggu said:

eye on the wrecker ….

Thanks Jeff just so happens that’s the next one to go on the Bench very soon it will be a special one for sure. 

[Biggu]

35 minutes ago, Pete68 said:

Thanks Jeff just so happens that’s the next one to go on the Bench very soon it will be a special one for sure. 

Oh yum !!!! Can’t wait for that one!!

[Pete68]

2 hours ago, Biggu said:

Oh yum !!!! Can’t wait for that one!!

Should be starting on it next week or this weekend.   

[Pete68]

This evening I started on the trailer here’s what I have so far. More updates tomorrow I’m calling it a night. 

[BK9300]

Never built a 1/32 kit, let alone a 1/43.  This kit/series seems to have lots of detail right out of the box.

[Pete68]

4 hours ago, BK9300 said:

Never built a 1/32 kit, let alone a 1/43.  This kit/series seems to have lots of detail right out of the box.

Yes it’s just like the 1/25 scale but the tail lights are not as detailed. 

[Pete68]

More updates. Painted the Van and bogey also put the decals on for some old decals they went great. 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Pete68

[Biggu]

Those are cool kits, wish they were still around……this is coming together at lightning speed ! A complete old school unit ! Looks great, Lee

[Pete68]

1 hour ago, Biggu said:

Those are cool kits, wish they were still around……this is coming together at lightning speed ! A complete old school unit ! Looks great, Lee

Thanks Jeff. Yes there really neat kits and it’s a shame Heller got a hold of them and killed them. I’m fortunate enough I have plenty of these 1/43 Little Window Pete’s just did a inventory the other night right now I have 22 of them and 8 Reefers.  I have lots of ideas for these little guys so stay tuned. 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Pete68

[BK9300]

Holy - you could make your own trucking company in miniature!

[Pete68]

25 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Holy - you could make your own trucking company in miniature!

Well I plan on doing some different paint schemes that I like and Pete’s that I’ve wanted to build but don’t have the room. 

[Biggu]

1 hour ago, Pete68 said:

Thanks Jeff. Yes there really neat kits and it’s a shame Heller got a hold of them and killed them. I’m fortunate enough I have plenty of these 1/43 Little Window Pete’s just did a inventory the other night right now I have 22 of them and 8 Reefers.  I have lots of ideas for these little guys so stay tuned. 

22 !!!!!!!???  And Cathy thinks I’m a hoarder!🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I will be looking forward to some cool builds.  

[Pete68]

6 minutes ago, Biggu said:

22 !!!!!!!???

Well Bill has about that many in the 1/25 scale “Brown” Little Window Pete’s and about half in the original T-500-500 he likes to collect the ones with the “Green” glass and I like to collect the 1/43 Pete’s with the tinted smoke Glass. 😂. I tell my wife it’s collecting not hoarding she don’t care. I’m a very Blessed Man. 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Pete68

[Biggu]

5 minutes ago, Pete68 said:

Well Bill has about that many in the 1/25 scale “Brown” Little Window Pete’s and about half in the original T-500-500 he likes to collect the ones with the “Green” glass and I like to collect the 1/43 Pete’s with the tinted smoke Glass. 😂. I tell my wife it’s collecting not hoarding she don’t care. I’m a very Blessed Man. 

The Brown Little window Pete was my first truck build when it first came out....

[Pete68]

46 minutes ago, Biggu said:

Brown Little window Pete

Mine was the 1/43 scale Dannon Yogurt Pete TNT set. I think I was around 6 when I got it. It was a disaster of a build Bill helped a little but mostly he made me build it and I hand paint it using his old Pactra Paints. It was Maroon color 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Pete68

[Gary Chastain]

Pretty sweet build. 

[Straightliner59]

These are really neat kits. I've loved them since they first released them. I've started a few--one of these 359s as a basic, local-type hauler, and one as a straight-truck dump-bed lumber truck. I also started a KW cabover converted to a day cab to pull a set of doubles I cut down from a pair of trailers. I scratched the dolly for the trailers. Nice work, here!

[Rockford]

22!? Thanks for giving me ammunition for when the wife starts on me about my stash!

The trailer looks great. They are detailed little kits, I wish 1/32 were as good but they're a totally different concept. 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Rockford

[Pete68]

8 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Pretty sweet build. 

Thanks Gary I appreciate it 

[Pete68]

7 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

KW cabover converted to a day cab to pull a set of doubles I cut down from a pair of trailers. I scratched the dolly for the trailers.

Do you have any pics? Sounds like a cool build. Thanks for the complement too. 

[Pete68]

7 hours ago, Rockford said:

totally different concept. 

Thanks for the complement. Yes they are and it’s ashame 

[Straightliner59]

24 minutes ago, Pete68 said:

Do you have any pics? Sounds like a cool build. Thanks for the complement too. 

Here are a few. Sorry, I don't want to hijack your thread. We'll see if this thing ever gets done!😅

[Jürgen M.]

Looks really promising.

The 1/43 kit with two Petes, one wrecker, one tractor was one of my first kits. Guess I was too inexperienced so they turned out everything but good. Later sometime, after I had built some more 1/25s I tried to recover what was possible of those two and they actually stood on the shelf for quite while.

Maybe I should redo them someday. Don't know If they're still available! 

Anyway, I'll be watching this, not just of nostalgic reasons! 

[Pete68]

9 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Here are a few. Sorry, I don't want to hijack your thread. We'll see if this thing ever gets done!😅

Thanks for posting I really enjoyed looking at your pics. That is going to look very nice when you get it done. The steerable axle is amazing in this scale. What Company are you planning for this? Can I suggest one thing if you want to do it is cut out that square piece where the headlights go so it will have a more correct and convincing depth look there too shallow. After you cut them put a piece of plastic from the back and that will correct this problem from it having the “Bug Eye” look. Just a suggestion. Here’s some pics of how I did mine this was just a experiment I did to see if it would work years ago and it did. I will use a better piece of plastic when I build the truck. Thanks for sharing your pics. 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Pete68

[Pete68]

This evening I got a little more done on the Watkins Reefer trailer. I added the Reefer unit, Battery Boxes, Fuel Tank, Landing gear, and the decals to the Reefer and Trailer numbers. Next is to add the rear doors and decals, tail lights and license plate bracelet and I’m calling it done. 

 

Edited December 20, 2024 by Pete68