Peterbilt 379 RV

[vincen47]

To connect the charge air cooler to the turbo and engine, I used rubber air to air connectors from Moluminum along with Plastruct elbows and aluminum tubing, cut to fit and painted with Molotow chrome. 

The rubber air connectors came in blue and orange, and though that’s common in real life, I opted to paint them rubber black to better match the overall look. You can find black silicone connectors on 1:1 trucks as well. I also added the chrome rings around the connectors by using brass zip ties from CTM, painted chrome. That was one of the most tedious things I’ve done on this build, but the only option that seemed to work. Painting the recesses chrome was a failure, so CTM to the rescue.

For the exhaust exiting the turbo, I needed a flex tube, just like the real thing, in order to make the awkward curvature needed to fit between the engine block and frame. Once I had the plastic tubing bent to fit, I wrapped it in wire, and added putty between to get the look. Painted in aluminum, it works well.

I finished the tubing clamps where the connections are with chrome bands made from strips of furnace tape.

Edited March 13 by vincen47

[Rockford]

Very clever, looks impressive. Good work on the exhaust flex. 

[thatz4u]

waiting to see this one finished...wow

[Edward Gore]

Thanks for sharing your realistic detail techniques. 

[cifenet]

I like how you are taking this all the way!    Awesome work so far!

[vincen47]

7 hours ago, Edward Gore said:

Thanks for sharing your realistic detail techniques. 

You’re very welcome, I’m glad you like it.

[vincen47]

2 hours ago, cifenet said:

I like how you are taking this all the way!    Awesome work so far!

Thank you!

[Firebuilder]

Amazing attention to detail! Great looking motor, wow

[gotnitro?]

Awesome build 

[DRIPTROIT 71]

I’m taking notes! I’m putting a C-15 in my W900 project. It won’t look nearly as good as this one though.

[vincen47]

9 hours ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

I’m taking notes! I’m putting a C-15 in my W900 project. It won’t look nearly as good as this one though.

A C-15 is a great no matter what hood it’s under. Looking forward to your W900.

[vincen47]

Next up, I’ll add the frame-mounted primary fuel filter, a common sight on these Cats. I took a fuel filter from a Italeri Series 60, with a scratch built frame mount and fuel lines.

Just to the right of the cab mount, I added a Bendix AD-SP Air Dryer and associated connections and hoses. I started with an air dryer from CTM, and modified it a bit to better represent the Bendix model, and used decals from Modeltruckin for both the fuel filter and air dryer.

Edited March 16 by vincen47

[Volzfan59]

This truck is so impressive, as are your skills. Thank you for posting this.

 

Steve 

[vincen47]

12 hours ago, Volzfan59 said:

This truck is so impressive, as are your skills. Thank you for posting this.

 

Steve 

Thanks!

[Gary Chastain]

Outstanding work and skills……..impressive 

[vincen47]

I wanted something more on the lines of a modern-looking aftermarket coolant reservoir, rather than the Italeri kit’s radiator top tank I have on it in the earlier photos. The newer Paccar trucks, like the 389 have something similar from the factory.

I started with the coolant tank from the A&N W990 kit, modifying and casting it in two halves. Using clear resin, the top half was tinted white to look like the slightly translucent white plastic, and the bottom half in translucent red. Yes, long-life coolant for these trucks is often red, I learned.

The unit is mounted to the top of the radiator with Tamiya bolt detail, and a photo-etched model car garage radiator cap tops it. 

I made a windshield washer reservoir using a similar process, starting with the windshield washer tank from a modified resin casting of a Moebius Lonestar kit part for the bottom portion, tinted translucent blue. For the top portion and mount, I modified some unknown engine part from the parts box, cast in white-tinted clear resin.

The chassis is basically complete, for now. Next up, the cab, hood, and coach body.

[Gary Chastain]

Clever way of building those tanks, well done. 

[vincen47]

3 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Clever way of building those tanks, well done. 

Thank you. It took a lot of trial and error. Getting just the right amount of dye in the resin, and the mix itself took some experimentation.

[Gary Chastain]

1 hour ago, vincen47 said:

Thank you. It took a lot of trial and error. Getting just the right amount of dye in the resin, and the mix itself took some experimentation.

I need to learn how to resin cast parts, but know nothing about it. I can see it allows you to take your builds to a whole new level. 

[vincen47]

38 minutes ago, Gary Chastain said:

I need to learn how to resin cast parts, but know nothing about it. I can see it allows you to take your builds to a whole new level. 

I’ve only made a few, including these, so I’m far from an expert. But, I started with a Alumilite resin casting kit from Hobby Lobby, and bought the clear resin and dye separately online. I’ve only done simple parts that require a single mold where one side of the part is “unfinished”, smooth, and without detail. No complicated undercuts. The kit instructions are relatively easy to follow.  I’ve certainly appreciated this new way of creating some otherwise unavailable parts.

[DRIPTROIT 71]

Wow! Amazing! I hope that you didn’t forget to put fuel in that filter before you put it on, otherwise she might be a pain to get started.😀

[vincen47]

1 hour ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

Wow! Amazing! I hope that you didn’t forget to put fuel in that filter before you put it on, otherwise she might be a pain to get started.😀

Oh man, now you tell me?!? 😆

[The Brush]

You certainly have an eye for detail & great skill to produce something this good, Very Nice.

Graham

[TopherMcGinnis]

BEAUTIFUL 

[vincen47]

Here we have the cab and hood started. First, the firewall needed some corrections, most importantly the intake port needs to be the same on both sides. I’m not sure why Italeri goofed that up, but the opening on the vehicle’s right side, left facing the firewall, needs to be lowered and modified to match the other side.

While I was at it, I removed the shallow example of a windshield washer reservoir with the intent of rebuilding a more realistic version to attach to the firewall. I eventually decided to make one that mounted to the radiator housing instead, as seen in an earlier post. Then, I cut out and created the pocket for the windshield wiper motor.

I added an Ultraroof from Models by Dave, and it has the visor mounting brackets built-in. I broke a couple of them, but made the repairs. They are delicate. A lot of filler to smooth things out. I’ll also need to add rivet detail to replace some of it that was removed during the bodywork process along with some that wasn’t there to begin with. 

The 379-127 hood is a Bill Drennen casting, purchased from P&P resin years ago. It’s a bit hard to find nowadays, but contact Jamie at Moluminum, he has the molds. I added inner fender detail, along with a good deal of clean-up and filler to get everything as perfect as I can. I’ll also be adding proper rivet detail to the hood shortly, just like the cab.

It’ll still need more filler, sanding and a final coat or two (or three) of primer and filler/sanding in between, before rivets are added and a final coat of primer before paint. Preparation can be frustrating, and it is 90% or more of the finishing process, but it’s a necessary evil.

I added an improved center hood trim piece from styrene strip/shapes, and that’ll get some rivet detail as well. To better fit those bigger front tires, I added fender flares from re-worked Italeri 378 fender trim with styrene strip/quarter round. The “J” hood hinges are from GW trucks.

For the cab floor, I decided to experiment with balsa wood strips and laying the “hardwood flooring” similar to the real thing. Sanded and stained, I like the results, and it’ll just need another coat of floor wax.

Probably won’t be able to see the cab floor very well on the completed build, but it’s cool. Certainly easier to lay this type of flooring than in real life! I hope you’re still enjoying the build. More to come…