‘95 Peterbilt 378 - Still On The Road Today

[vincen47]

Here’s my representation of a Mid-90’s Pete 378 that’s still making money for its newest owner. Part of a small fleet of Pre-Emission rigs, enjoyed for their good fuel mileage and reliable Series 60 Detroits. It’s looking like it’s due for another in-frame rebuild, but after that, it’ll go another near million miles. The paint was refreshed before the recent sale a year or so ago, so that’s still in good shape, overall. Not bad looking for a 30 year old truck.

To fit the story, I built it as a truck that’s not perfectly polished, but is generally well cared for and maintained. A working truck. The owner put a few accessories on it, including a bug deflector, air cleaner lights, center hood trim, and a swan hood ornament.

Light to moderate weathering was added, especially on the engine. The paint coating under the hood is chipping, there’s a few dings and scratches, and the IFTA and DOT stickers are a little crooked, just like a “little less than perfect” truck.

I set out wanting to build it near box-stock, only making corrections to Italeri’s shortcomings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good kit, but there’s a few things that Italeri missed out on or screwed up:

1. Air/Fuel Tanks & Air Cleaner Seams - filled and refinished with Revell Chrome. 

2. The kit’s European-style 5th Wheel was replaced and the base was modified so the 5th wheel is centered between the tandems.

3. A basic Charge Air Cooler representation was made from an Italeri FLC radiator. 

4. The engine should have a rear sump oil pan. It’s a set-forward axle truck, so to avoid the axle hitting the oil pan going over bumps, it needs to be flipped around, unlike what the instructions show.

5. The kit’s shallow washer fluid  reservoir was replaced with a more realistic scratch-built one.

6. The kit has a tool box on both sides. Peterbilts should have a battery box on the left side, so the left tool box was replaced with a resin battery box from AITM.

7. Wheels and tires were replaced with much more accurate 3d printed Alcoas from Black Sheep Customs (eBay) and steer & drive tires from Moluminum.

8. Injector pin marks on the side mirrors were covered with reflectors from Czech Truck Model. CTM photo etch was also added to make the exhaust, deck plate, grille, lights, emblem, and air cleaner mesh. Great stuff.

9. The engine has basic plumbing and wiring, not too elaborate. Air and electrical lines were added from Earl Miller (Available from Model Truck Builder), along with a simple scratch built air line box, and an all-position spare tire.

Thanks for checking it out!

 

Edited March 19 by vincen47

[Biggu]

What a sweet build and excellent story to accompany it . The truck and story match the vision perfectly. Also the classic period correct paint job. VERY well done tale a bow for this one. Beautiful

[freightshaker2]

Great build! Those wheels from Black Sheep look sharp too! I have used them as well! Mission accomplished on the well used (and still running) pete!

[BK9300]

A very nice build, Victor!  Plenty of detail to keep us looking closer - I also like the rust on top of the muffler.  Subtle and quite realistic - well done!

[Jim B]

Beautiful Peterbilt.  Very well done.

[ChrisR]

Very nice.

[titino]

Well done! Congratulations.

[vincen47]

19 hours ago, Biggu said:

What a sweet build and excellent story to accompany it . The truck and story match the vision perfectly. Also the classic period correct paint job. VERY well done tale a bow for this one. Beautiful

Thanks, I was hoping the two tone red with black fenders would look good. I was pleased with the results. 

19 hours ago, freightshaker2 said:

Great build! Those wheels from Black Sheep look sharp too! I have used them as well! Mission accomplished on the well used (and still running) pete!

Yeah, they are nice wheels. Nicely priced, too. All I did was coat them in black primer and then one coat of Revell chrome. That’s it, no sanding. Thanks!

14 hours ago, BK9300 said:

A very nice build, Victor!  Plenty of detail to keep us looking closer - I also like the rust on top of the muffler.  Subtle and quite realistic - well done!

Thanks! I figured that would be a spot where it would be rusty, but normally not seen on the real thing.

13 hours ago, Jim B said:

Beautiful Peterbilt.  Very well done.

Glad you like it. Thanks.

1 hour ago, ChrisR said:

Very nice.

Thank you!

1 hour ago, titino said:

Well done! Congratulations.

Thanks, I enjoyed it. It was actually more of a side project, worked on it while I was waiting on parts or things to cure on my RV build. But, went “full time” on it the past couple weeks to get it finished up.

[PappyD340]

Very nice build!

[Gary Chastain]

Wow Victor, that is one well built truck. 

[vincen47]

15 hours ago, PappyD340 said:

Very nice build!

Thank you, I appreciate that.

6 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Wow Victor, that is one well built truck. 

Fortunately, it was one of those builds that I enjoyed more as it went along, and especially after it was done. Sometimes it works the other way too, where you lose excitement and interest as it goes along, right?

[cifenet]

It is great that you considered all aspects of the truck and improved and enhanced them to make it to be your own.  

It really shines with details and aesthetic quite pleasing to look at.  Nice Pete you built!  

[vincen47]

On 3/23/2025 at 1:47 AM, cifenet said:

It is great that you considered all aspects of the truck and improved and enhanced them to make it to be your own.  

It really shines with details and aesthetic quite pleasing to look at.  Nice Pete you built!  

Thank you. There were a few other items, like the asymmetrical air intake ports on the firewall and the really uncommon heavy-duty front springs, that could have also been corrected or replaced, but I decided to try to keep it to correcting the more obvious issues of the kit (or at least the ones that bothered me the most). I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[DRIPTROIT 71]

This one really looks the part Victor!! Excellent work on every detail!!

[vincen47]

7 hours ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said:

This one really looks the part Victor!! Excellent work on every detail!!

I appreciate your kind words. Thanks, Brian.

[grodudulle77]

Nice work !!👍🙂