Caboverdose

[Gary Chastain]

Great improvements……as usual 😁😜😃

[Rockford]

The kit bumper is too wide, too flat and too thin. Other than that it's great! The type of truck I'm going for in this build would look better with the smaller bumper, maybe even painted chassis colour...🤔

[Rockford]

While we're on, look at this!!! What is going on here? It's like a Peterbilt Rubik's cube! Everything 180 degrees out

Edited November 30, 2024 by Rockford

[Jürgen M.]

A cabover with a set back front axle? Don't think I've ever seen that before! Looks interesting!

[Rockford]

Theres a few other pictures of it on the interweb  and it looks like it's been a rigid truck with a drawbar trailer but ive never seen anything like it. It is like it's trying to be a European truck. 

[Jürgen M.]

At first sight it looks like they put the cab on the wrong way! 

With that long chassis you could make a steel or lumber truck out of it. 

[Biggu]

Thats a cool looking truck but I don’t think I could pull my fat backside into the driver’s seat….. it looks to me , to be rather difficult to climb in and out of, looks to be an awkward move or am I missing something? Also is the door wider than normal? That would help. Some good engineering went into this conversion. Lots going on here. Cool pic 

[Rockford]

I think it's an illusion because it's not quite a single sleeper, but not a daycab. I think it's had a high cube body on it that may have been transferred to a new chassis. I looked the company up and they appear to be cotton processors. I've never seen anything like it. 

[Jürgen M.]

Maybe they put some sort of long cage box on it to transport the cotton? 

 

[Rockford]

Did some fettling on the chassis today. Cut out more of the filler they put in and scratch built some crossmembers. Used offcuts to fill the notches they have for locating the quarter fenders etc... Cut some sprue for tank caps and roughly added some mudflaps. 

The drives are glued on so I'm not sure how I'm going to do my usual filling job on the differentials. Might cut them off and glue them back on before painting. 

I'm still not happy with my fifth wheel. 

[Gary Chastain]

Looking really good

[Rockford]

Snatched a bit of time this afternoon. Lengthened the mudflaps, added fuel lines to the tanks and fabricated a pogo stick. 

I'm not sure about whether it needs a little more length in the chassis. What do you think? 

[BK9300]

I keep saying it, but I always admire the changes you're able to bring to these kits - need a very small pair of tweezers to get those fuel lines in place!

Your inspiration truck appears to have a slightly longer wheelbase.  Maybe take a pic of your model on the same angle as the inspiration pic and compare?

Edited December 6, 2024 by BK9300
Typo

[Blue Monday]

As Brian has said, the photo of the real truck you are using as inspiration for this build does appear to have a longer chassis. However, your model certainly qualifies as a "long Cabover". It looks good to me as is but with your skills, it would be child's play to extend it. Either way, this is going to look good when completed!

BM.

Edited December 5, 2024 by Blue Monday

[Jürgen M.]

Looks pretty good to me too Steve! I think the length is Just fine! Of course it's your build and your vision! Keep going!

[Rockford]

Thanks lads, it's a difficult decision. It's not going to be a show truck so it needs to be reasonable. It looks better with a trailer behind it. 🤔

[Gary Chastain]

It looks the business, frame length works for me. Just my two cents. 

[Pete68]

13 hours ago, Rockford said:

Thanks lads, it's a difficult decision. It's not going to be a show truck so it needs to be reasonable. It looks better with a trailer behind it. 🤔

Looks very good Steve. WB is spot on for any western rig work or show. 

[Rockford]

Here's another picture that's stuck with me for about 40 years. It's from the book Hammer Down about 1980 of this truck going on a Dyno. I was amazed at the length of this truck, though I know it's a bit of a "drom" with the platform behind the cab. UK trucks were all about cramming everything into as small a space as possible. I wonder if the San Diego dealer on the mudflaps is still there?

[Old Buckaroo]

That is a really interesting picture from the dirtiest fuel tank Ive ever seen to the soot covered wall.

[Rockford]

7 hours ago, Old Buckaroo said:

That is a really interesting picture from the dirtiest fuel tank Ive ever seen to the soot covered wall.

It's a worker!

[Rockford]

Made myself a driveshaft from various pieces of tube.

Put pieces of stock card around each suspension bracket, also had to make an airleaf bracket because it came with one snapped off. Looks ok. Cut the top edge off the transmission and will make a rudimentary lid assembly. 

[Biggu]

GREAT Fab work, Steve, the little details are going to make this one shine !

[BK9300]

I agree with Jeff and those are very small U-joints - perfect.

[Blue Monday]

You have a great eye for detail on these semis. It shows how they can be brought up to spec with a little ingenuity and skill at the work bench.

BM.