AMT Pete 352 Day Cab

[Straightliner59]

I fixed the cab hinges. They need a little cleanup, but, they look better, without the  gaps!

[Mopar - D]

Much better now and I’m sure that the pins will stay in place better now. 

[37 caddy]

Make sure to fit the grille before you paint it.the grille is very tight in the opening,real easy to have it too high,then the cab wont sit right.Much easier to do now. Harvey

[Straightliner59]

3 hours ago, Mopar - D said:

Much better now and I’m sure that the pins will stay in place better now. 

Thanks, Dan. I think you're right, about that!

 

1 hour ago, 37 caddy said:

Make sure to fit the grille before you paint it.the grille is very tight in the opening,real easy to have it too high,then the cab wont sit right.Much easier to do now. Harvey

Thank you, Harvey! That's good to know to be on the lookout for.

[Straightliner59]

I started working on the radiator assembly. Added some Evergreen for the front side of the top tank, and some .080" Evergreen angle to slide the aluminum louvers behind. They are all loose, here. I won't glue them, until I have them all made (17). Once cut from Maid-O-Metal tooling aluminum, I roll them under an old brass bushing I found, to give them a bit of a curve. Eventually, I will open the grille surround, and replace the open  area with  mesh, of some sort. The fuel tank is beginning to be wrapped with tooling aluminum. I will  add thin strips to the ends, and make the tank ends using a doming block. One thing I like about tooling aluminum (among many!) is that, by using a ball ended burnisher on a cutting mat with a pebbled surface, it creates a pretty convincing weld bead. I'm  posting a photo to illustrate it, but, I'm unsure  how visible it will be. Thanks for looking! Questions, critiques and comments are always welcome!

[Mopar - D]

Dan your welds look really good! 

[Straightliner59]

3 hours ago, Mopar - D said:

Dan your welds look really good! 

Thank you, sir! They are super-simple to do, as well! I had created rolled beads in tooling aluminum with a ball-ended burnisher. One day, I noticed that one of my cutting mats had a pebbled surface, and the light bulb went on!

[Straightliner59]

Well, I went ahead and pretty much built the radiator. I wasn't going to do that, twice! It was a pain, working with those slats!

[Straightliner59]

I applied  a flat coat to the aluminum louvers. I worked on the radiator fins with a silver Prismacolor pencil, and an oily residue color from a Tamiya weathering kit. Next, I want to work on the grille surround, and build the motor. Thanks for looking! Questions, comments and critiques are always welcome!

I have also included some better photos of the weld beads that can be created using tooling aluminum, a ball-ended burnisher, and a pebbled surface, similar to that pictured. It's perfect for doing welded aluminum tanks, welded panels, etc.

.

[Straightliner59]

Well, there has been something bugging me about this cab, all along. Once I had finished the radiator, and started to figure out how I was going to do the grille surround, I realized that the opening for the grille was too wide. Looking at photos of 352s, the kit's grille opening looked squat and fat, compared to those on the real trucks. The "grille", which is just a frame with a screen, should be approximately the same width as the radiator. I decided I couldn't live with that. I added a strip of .040"X.100" Evergreen strip to each side of the opening. It closed the space up a bit, and, I think it looks better. Now, i am going to have a bunch of cleanup to do and a bunch more rivets to add! Dang it! This was supposed to be an easy one!

[Straightliner59]

Getting some engine work done. Fortunately, there are a TON of reference photos for 350 Cummins engines. I  will have to be careful, not to get carried away! Also shot the first primer on the reworked grille area.

[CRUSADER2]

Interesting project, I also spent hours looking at Cummins 350 engines for my Kenworth on the internet and finished up more confused than before I started, don't think I found two the same, there is a simplified diagram/drawings somewhere on this site that I used along with what I found on u tube, looking forward to seeing more work on this build.

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, CRUSADER2 said:

I also spent hours looking at Cummins 350 engines for my Kenworth on the internet and finished up more confused than before I started, don't think I found two the same

Hahaha! I've noticed that! I will probably go with the stuff that's common, between them--certain lines, filters, etc. The components vary greatly, in  appearance. Thanks for looking, Geoffrey.

[Straightliner59]

The grille is assembled. I am going to keep my eyes open for some  different mesh. Not that I don't like this, I just think I want something more open, so the slats are more visible. I wish I'd had enough of the stock I made the center bar from to have made the whole thing, alas...Eventually, this will get sanded, polished and shot with Alclad chrome.

[Straightliner59]

Upon further review, I cut down the screen and the frame. Now, this truck looks like a Peterbilt! I got a lot of polishing done, too. Here's the update. Questions, comments and critiques are always welcome. Thanks for looking!

[Mopar - D]

Nice work on the grill Dan. 

[slusher]

Been following your build Dan,  really enjoying your work on this build!

[Straightliner59]

11 hours ago, Mopar - D said:

Nice work on the grill Dan. 

Thank you, Dan! Much  appreciated!

 

10 hours ago, slusher said:

Been following your build Dan,  really enjoying your work on this build!

Thanks,Carl. Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for looking!

[Straightliner59]

I think this worked out, pretty well! Questions comments and critiques are always welcome. Thanks for looking in!

[Dutzie]

Nice fab work. 

[Pete68]

Nice job on that grill it’s starting to look like a Pete 

[Straightliner59]

Thank you, Lee. I think it's starting to!

[DRIPTROIT 71]

Looking good!

[slusher]

Really great work on the grill!

[Straightliner59]

Thanks, Brian and Carl! I've been working on the engine. There are so many sink marks in this thing, it's unreal! I also need to move the rear motor mounts, so that the engine sits slightly lower in the rear, to alleviate the angle on the driveshaft. Thanks for your comments, gentlemen!