1/32 Freightliner cabover

[Rockford]

Found this today on YT, shows some of the stuff we used to have to drive and keep on the road. The Shell semi tanker seen in a few clips was affectionately nicknamed "The Fin-Faced B*st*rd" because they were a royal pain to work on. Fibreglass non-tilt cab. Gorgeous truck to look at, designed by Michelotti in Italy but very much form over function. The truck at the beginning where he's filming from the trailer is a Guy BigJ and the first in-car shots leaving the yard is a Seddon, which shared many cab panels with Guy. The cabs were made by Motor Panels in the Midlands.  I shall bore you no longer.

 

[Biggu]

Cool video ! Finally seeing a driver actually ‘ double clutch’ instead of today’s super truckers shifting without using the clutch or steering an automatic. Good old school truck driving. ! I always thought the Foden 6 wheel dump-truck was a very cool truck and the Guy Warrior always looked really sharp, thanks for the video , Steve.  I’d love to go for a spin in one of those old girls….

[Rockford]

Although I could change gear without using the clutch, I always did use the pedal, except in Fodens with their own gearbox, they were like a knife through soft ice cream. 

I remember if you were driving an empty tractor the seat back would pound your kidneys as the back axle hopped everywhere. 

Yet I still prefer those days ?

[Rockford]

I lasted longer than I usually do without touching the new paint, I think it was Wednesday when I started messing  around with it. Painted the steps and the rubber wheelarch trims.

I've started using cheap ali duct tape, (and I mean cheap, less than £2 a roll) to cover the air vents and door handles. It's way cheaper than Bare Metal Foil and sticks like muck to a blanket. All I'm doing is flat surfaces so it's more than adequate. All I do is cut a template from masking tape and then use a piece smaller than the masking tape so that there's no adhesive left on the exposed paintwork. Finished effect is as good as BMF for me. 

Fitted the interior, my complex little system actually worked. Tried to get a photo of it but I can't. I'm quite proud of my little rolled up  centre curtain made from kitchen roll and tied up with cotton. I'll try again later.

Started building a roof mounted aircon unit. 

[RoninUtah]

Back in the mid-seventies I drove a GMC 9500 10-wheel dump truck, with a Detroit Diesel 8V71 and a 10 speed Roadranger. Even though it wasn’t necessary, I loved to split shift up and down between the gears and the hi/lo ranges, double clutching all the way! That was the closest I ever got to driving with a brownie box.

The chrome looks great, I would think that duct tape would be too thick. Maybe you guys get a different kind over there. I never liked bare metal foil, and so I’ve been using Motlow. I just bought a can of Revell chrome spray and was very pleased with the results.

Keep it up!

[Gary Chastain]

I really like the chrome tape effects, well done. Can you post a link or picture of that tape?

[Rockford]

Gary, it hasn't even got a name on it, it's just the cheapest tripe I could find. It's very thin aluminium coated with a plastic film, it's not the real stuff like I've used on HVAC jobs. Sorry I can't be more informative. 

[Rockford]

3 hours ago, RoninUtah said:

Back in the mid-seventies I drove a GMC 9500 10-wheel dump truck, with a Detroit Diesel 8V71 and a 10 speed Roadranger. Even though it wasn’t necessary, I loved to split shift up and down between the gears and the hi/lo ranges, double clutching all the way! That was the closest I ever got to driving with a brownie box.

The chrome looks great, I would think that duct tape would be too thick. Maybe you guys get a different kind over there. I never liked bare metal foil, and so I’ve been using Motlow. I just bought a can of Revell chrome spray and was very pleased with the results.

Keep it up!

Did you find yourself sitting at traffic lights flicking the range change button and listening to the clacking from the box up and down? I was terrible for that. 

[Rockford]

A day of highs and lows. Got my quarter fenders in without marring the finish. Got most of the decals on but the stripes for some reason just curled up after a few minutes on the truck. This is how they went. No amount of dabbing, pressing or Micro-Set made a difference. I don't know what it is about decal paper and me but we just don't seem to get on. 

In the midst of the gloom I had an idea. I dug out some blue electrical tape, cut strips 2.5mm wide and applied them. Much simpler than my intended idea and not as flexible as decals but they're on and capture the second-life look I wanted. Nearly done. 

[BK9300]

Fine looking truck, Steve! - good compromise with the tape and the rest of the decaling looks great, too.   (good idea with the aluminum tape - I've seen some here in the hardware store that may be very similar - thin and crazy sticky)

[Rockford]

39 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Fine looking truck, Steve! - good compromise with the tape and the rest of the decaling looks great, too.   (good idea with the aluminum tape - I've seen some here in the hardware store that may be very similar - thin and crazy sticky)

Thank you very much!

That's why I put a mask around the area I'm doing because it leaves adhesive behind and it's a pig to get off. 

Edited November 2, 2024 by Rockford
Manners

[Jürgen M.]

What an awesome looking truck Steve! 

Again you made a jewel out of a stone! 

 

[Rockford]

I wonder what did for my decals? It's obviously different expansion rates between the clearcoat and the paper, but why this time and not on the Bison I did last? It's different paper but it shouldn't be that different. ? Can't get rid of this emoji. 

Edited November 3, 2024 by Rockford
Text editing

[Jürgen M.]

Looks pretty good to me! The decals seem to adhere pretty well!
(I don´t know how to delete these emojis either. Once it´s in there, you can´t get it out!)

[leafsprings]

Fantastic detail work on this Freightliner!

[Biggu]

I wish I could help with the decal situation, Steve, but I am impressed that you are making your own decals to start with … and your recovery with the blue stripe is a great one. The truck looks just great ! She looks like she is ready to ‘steam up’ and hit the road ! I like this one a lot.

Jeff

[Gary Chastain]

Looks the business for sure, good recovery

[Rockford]

Made a grille surround for the AC unit from 0.5mm wire, it looked unfinished before. Drew up some simple graphics with a little logo on them. Looks acceptable. 

[Biggu]

Its the little details that make a model pop. Nice job, Steve. This is a sweet build. 
Jeff

[Jürgen M.]

Air con looks awesome! I also Like the sun visor! Great job Steve! 

[dodgefever]

On 10/30/2024 at 3:23 PM, Rockford said:

Although I could change gear without using the clutch, I always did use the pedal, except in Fodens with their own gearbox, they were like a knife through soft ice cream.

Hope you don't mind me posting this - as it's not on Youtube, you might not have come across it.  Even with the air shifted auxiliary, you have your hands full.  ?

https://fb.watch/vFRorbiNle/

 

[Rockford]

On 11/5/2024 at 8:50 PM, dodgefever said:

Hope you don't mind me posting this - as it's not on Youtube, you might not have come across it.  Even with the air shifted auxiliary, you have your hands full.  ?

https://fb.watch/vFRorbiNle/

 

I've only just managed to watch the video, yes they were a test of skill to drive well. The older ones were called Mickey Mouse Fodens because the cab was the shape of his head (without the ears, of course). They had a simple shift lever with the range change lever on the right of the dashboard, so it was a two hander job. They had 3 ranges because Foden had added an epicyclic and an overdrive to the original box over the years. A man who'd only driven Leylands got put on a Foden one day. He left the yard and returned about 20 minutes later having only managed to go around the block complaining that he couldn't get over 15 mph out of it. He didn't know about the range lever on the dash and couldn't get out of low range. The later trucks had a big red paddle on the shift lever, much more sensible.

Mickey Mouse Foden (S21 really)

Foden 12 speed gearbox with the leveron the dash, the gearbox was huge! They had a different pattern going up the box than coming down! 

Edited November 7, 2024 by Rockford
Added pics

[Biggu]

Thanks for that, Steve. I know a little bit about North American trucks but even less about British ones. All GREAT information and VERY interesting. 

[Rockford]

1 hour ago, Biggu said:

Thanks for that, Steve. I know a little bit about North American trucks but even less about British ones. All GREAT information and VERY interesting. 

I always think North America had trucks, the UK had 'lorries' 

[Rockford]

Pulled the final pieces together this afternoon. Added the bracing struts for the cab steps (almost invisible), popped the bling back onto the cab and glued the Aircon unit onto the roof. Glued the cab on and that's it. I'll post it in Under Glass.