ID a Pete for me?

[Aaronw]

This is my Brother's truck, I'm considering building a model of one for him for his birthday. I want it to be a surprise so unfortunately I can't ask him too much about it without giving my plans away.

I got my dad to send me a couple of pics of the truck, but he didn't get one from the front.

I think this is a 359 but not positive, confirmation or correction welcome. Also if you can tell the approximate year and which kit out there would be my best option that would help as well.

Thanks

[Chris guthro]

Id Say its a Peterbilt 359. The Cab and Hood are Different for the 379. The AMT kit would proabaly be your best bet for it. Mayb the AMT 359 since you dont have to cut the bunk off. Somebody here will have better info

[Old Albion]

Aaron,

I would say a 359 119" BBC if it is a tandem drive tractor. If it is a single drive axle tractor a 289. But Tim will confirm. Year at a guess 1976 to 1978 (Look at the headlights). Engine Cummins 400 Big Cam 3 with RTO 12513 transmission. Just a guess? Not an expert.

The AMT T501 California Hauler (The one with the Cummins NTC 350) would be the base kit for this. For me anyway.

Good Luck with the project.

Best Wishes

Dave Bates

[mackinac359]

I'll go one step further..

Pre '76 (smaller back window than the '76+ cabs).

Fiberglass hood (no step on fender, no panel seam and raised lip at the beltline, deeper grille crown).

The best kit to build this:

AMT 359.

Sand off all the rivet and the panel seam detail. Leave the center of the top of the hood fluted ribs.

OR.. the Revell of German 359. This kit has the correct grille crown/shell for a fiberglass hood, but has the aluminum hood in the kit.

The truck looks like it might have originally been a Redwood Construction logger.

Is the truck a single axle? If so, given the vintage it would be a 289. This also could have been an ex T&T tractor.

Tim

Edited December 23, 2008 by mackinac359

[billd64]

all i know is thats some heavy duty firewood for the winter after seasoning for a summer under plastic to bake.... ###### bring it to my house to save the money on the oil...

billd

I'll go one step further..

Pre '76 (smaller back window than the '76+ cabs).

Fiberglass hood (no step on fender, no panel seam and raised lip at the beltline, deeper grille crown).

The best kit to build this:

AMT 359.

Sand off all the rivet and the panel seam detail. Leave the center of the top of the hood fluted ribs.

OR.. the Revell of German 359. This kit has the correct grille crown/shell for a fiberglass hood, but has the aluminum hood in the kit.

The truck looks like it might have originally been a Redwood Construction logger.

Is the truck a single axle? If so, given the vintage it would be a 289. This also could have been an ex T&T tractor.

Tim

[Aaronw]

Thanks I knew I could find out here. The truck is a single axle so I guess that would make it a 289. I don't know its history as he has only had if for a couple of years and it apparently had been through a few owners before him. I think he has a Cummins in it, which I think will work for the AMT kit, or is that a Cat in there I don't remember.

I have the AMT kit already which makes that part easy. So do I sand the rivet and panel detail off the whole cab or just the hood?

For the single axle will a swap with the White Freightliner SD work? If so that works nicely since I want to build a W-FL DD daycab later.

[Old Albion]

Tim,

Thanks! I new you would put us right. So is the hood Fibreglass? Was this a standard fitting from Peterbilt?

Aaron,

I do like the look of your brothers truck that blue and white colour scheme goes well on the Pete. This will certainly make a good prototype for a model. Will you be weathering it to look like the original or straight from Paint Shop?

Best Wishes

Dave Bates

[mackinac359]

The fiberglass hood first appeared as an option on the narrow-nose 358 tilt hood then available for the 359 (119" and 113" BBC) around '73.

The fiberglass hoods were considered upgrades at the time.

As for sanding rivets, the cab would keep all the rivet detail. Just the hood would be smooth. If memory serves, the dipstick door on the right side would be filled in too. Be sure to keep the fender corner marker lights, but eliminate the rear of fender steps. (if someone is using a Revell snap or Revell of Germany 359 and making it fiberglass hood, remove the front of fender bracket/steps too).

No front brackets - like the AMT hood

Tim

[Biker Bob]

I think this is the kit you will need.

[Aaronw]

I think this is the kit you will need.

I think that is the kit I have but its a later reissue (yellow box with a red truck).

I did get a little more info over Christmas, it is a 1980 with a Cummins Big Cam.

Another thing came up, a lot of his jobs are in road construction, so he usually pulls doubles. I'm not sure what they are called but the trailers are bottom dump and are shaped like a hopper (sloped sides towards the dump). Have there been any trailers like this in plastic? Any good alternatives? I was thinking I might be able to make a couple trailers from dump bodies as an alternative. At least they would still have a construction look to them.

Edited December 27, 2008 by Aaronw

[Old Albion]

Aaron,

There are no bottom dump kits that I know of. I built my own about 3 years ago. My very first scratch build project. I found a web site for General Trailer www.generaltrailerparts.com If you look down the left hand side of the page until you get to Ranco you will see the bottom dump trailers there. When you open the page check on the trailer description it gives you a dimensioned outline drawing to use as the basis of the trailer (Something to work with). It was not too difficult even for me.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/bottom-dump-trailer-/

Good Luck with the project.

Tim,

What was the correct Pete underhood colour? Was the undersides of the hoods and fenders black or the same colour as the body work?

Best Wishes

Dave Bates

[Jim B]

I suppose you could use these plans for your bottom dump trailer:

http://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thsca...08__julyaugust/

http://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thsca...00_10__october/