359 Peterbilt Wrecker

[1959scudetto]

Old survivor: My very first truck kit:  the model that got my modeling hobby re-started in 1982 (after a 10-year hiatus): amt/Matchbox’  1979 release of the 359  Peterbilt Wrecker (picture: internet)

 

 

Certainly not the easiest model to begin with:  guess-where- I-belong-instructions  and a badly warped hood; I tried to straighten this out with hot water, but was not totally successful – so the hood surface is uneven and wavy, the left fender points a bit up, and there is a gap between hood and cab. A few other mistakes are simply my fault, but I withstood the temptation of correcting these errors – I only re-glued a few small parts that had become loose or fallen off.

Apart from California license plates I installed yesterday (Michigan plates for a local California wrecker???) it looks exactly as it did 40 years ago (built out-of-the box) – with all its mistakes, imperfections and issues: masked with ordinary duct tape, brushed with Humbrol paints, glued with Revell glue from the tube, no putty, no sanding, no polishing – nothing.

Today, I would have a totally different access  in building this kit – I would paint complete units at once (and not part for part which makes things unnecessary complicated and therefore prone to errors) – anyway: here it is with and without its wrecker body – pics shot today afternoon: placed on the roof of my car (arched, therefore the rear wheels in some pics don't touch the ground)

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by 1959scudetto

[Jim B]

Very nice job.

[DRIPTROIT 71]

That looks great!! And survived all these years too! The 359s that I built in 82 definitely didn’t look that good and surely didn’t survive. Nice work!

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[leafsprings]

Nice looking big stick! IMO, the newer Pete had some nice new features with less chrome plating, both welcomed at the time it was first introduced back in the day.

[1959scudetto]

On 1/28/2022 at 9:51 PM, Jim B said:

Very nice job.

 

On 1/29/2022 at 12:09 AM, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

That looks great!! And survived all these years too! The 359s that I built in 82 definitely didn’t look that good and surely didn’t survive. Nice work!

 

On 1/29/2022 at 2:48 PM, PappyD340 said:

Very nice!

 

On 1/29/2022 at 7:02 PM, ChrisR said:

Looks great!

 

On 1/29/2022 at 7:18 PM, leafsprings said:

Nice looking big stick! IMO, the newer Pete had some nice new features with less chrome plating, both welcomed at the time it was first introduced back in the day.

 Thanks, James, Brian, Larry, Chris and Tommy for your kind words.

[happy grumpy]

A great looking pete and anybody who builds AMT big rig kits feels your pain. I wish round 2 would at least update the instructions when they re issue those kits for the sake of first time builders. You did a great job on it and it still looks pretty darn good.

[Doug 1061]

Very nice.    Looks to have stayed really clean all these years, looks like its been kept in a case.   

[1959scudetto]

23 hours ago, happy grumpy said:

A great looking pete and anybody who builds AMT big rig kits feels your pain. I wish round 2 would at least update the instructions when they re issue those kits for the sake of first time builders. You did a great job on it and it still looks pretty darn good.

 

19 hours ago, Doug 1061 said:

Very nice.    Looks to have stayed really clean all these years, looks like its been kept in a case.   

 

Thanks, Mario and Doug - well, amt's instructions sometimes were like a crossword puzzle (at least for the very first truck kit, 25 trucks later these don't matter anymore). The wrecker had spent 30 years in a display cabinet and the last 10 years  in a sturdy cardboard box (after 2 movings).

[trick my mixer]

looks great either way.

[1959scudetto]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:51 PM, trick my mixer said:

looks great either way.

Thank you. Lucas !

[Dutzie]

Not an easy kit to build. You did a fine job. 

[1959scudetto]

On 2/5/2022 at 4:16 PM, Dutzie said:

Not an easy kit to build. You did a fine job. 

Thanks, Brian !