Custombilt 379

[ewaskew]

Sergey

That truck is very nice and the way you show the photos it's like a

how to forum on building parts please keep us up dated.

Thank you

Earl

[clayton]

Thank you, David & Tim.

Let's continue

I was have to lengthen the cardan shaft. The best thing found was brass tube 4mm.

There is original cardan shaft in the middle and modifided one below.

There is front half of cardan in the middle and rear half - below. As the shaft was lengthen and Angle of slope changed, I was have to make a crosspiece movable to simplify the assembling.

Tell me guys: should I repeat this thing with the rest 4 crosspieces or should I leave them as is?

It is great feature, but time consuming.

You make the drive line/shaft the way I do using tubing and cutting the kit shaft in half. The u joint that is a new idea too me.Off hand I would think The short shaft between the 2 driver's I think it will be covered by the 5th wheel plate so as is maybe OK . the long drive shaft, try doing a mock up and go from there.

Edited October 17, 2010 by clayton

[Sergey]

The short shaft between the 2 driver's I think it will be covered by the 5th wheel plate so as is maybe OK . the long drive shaft, try doing a mock up and go from there.

Thank you, Earl and Clayton.

Edited October 18, 2010 by Sergey

[stewart]

Wow Sergey. This is amazing work. I want to do a custom semi sometime in the near future and you have given me some great tips.

Did you get my private Message about the "Taylor Wing?"

STewart

[b_lever1]

your building is just awsome everything is over the top

[Sergey]

He's building a short hood 379, so the hood has a slight slope. If it were the extended hood like my truck(see my avatar pic) then the top of the hood is parallel to the ground pretty much.

O-key. Thank you, Ray. As I'm building 379-th (like yours) too, I should hear your words. As I see - the cab should sit lower then on 378-th? How much lower it must be? I just replacing cab support brackets with scratch built one.

[Danno]

Enjoying this buildup; very clever ideas displayed here. Keep it up, Sergey!

[Sergey]

Thank you, Dan.

Hi, friends. It's me again. Much time passed since my last update and I have nothing to boast of …

New cab mount brackets were made:

For new hood I was have to lower the cab about 3-4mm. It was easier to scratch build one, then adopt existing brackets. Here the cab on original mount:

Here - on new one:

Extended frame:

The front half:

Cab to hood adjustment:

I was have to tear away right front fender and glue it to the hood again 4 times (!), until everything was truth and level. So resin parts without markings are evil things.

Filled up hollow chassis parts:

There is a fail, I guess. When the hood is lowered, fenders look bigger then on picture of original (the last photo of this thread):

Can anyone explain: the front fenders for custom, lowered Peterbilts have smaller radius then originals? I tried to put super singles on front discs, but they look wrong here, though the gap between wheel and fender became smaller:

Looks like I should tear fenders off again to bend them slightly and reduce radius. I see the beginning of depression...

Can anyone help me to find more photos of this rig?:

I know there was a galery somewhere, but I've forgot to save it.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Sergey

[cowboysevens]

hey sergey i found the article that truck was in, but it has the one picture. if youll notice 95% of the trucks you see lowered have the same issue you have. the only way i can think to fix this is go to a smaller rim and tire, look at the pic of this truck it has the same problem you do and it has either a 19 or 22.5 inch rim, i believe you have a 24.5 rim with tall rubber ( 11r24.5 ). maybe you can try a set of fenders off of a 1/25 scale, that will give you a smaller diameter. your truck is looking good so far, i like what your doing. good luck finding the other pics. it was in 10-4 magazine from a show in famoso california. heres the link : http://www.tenfourmagazine.com/misc/2005/12c.html

dennis

[Sergey]

Dennis & Leo, thank you. You helped me a lot.

[clayton]

Thank you, Dan.

Hi, friends. It's me again. Much time passed since my last update and I have nothing to boast of …

New cab mount brackets were made:

For new hood I was have to lower the cab about 3-4mm. It was easier to scratch build one, then adopt existing brackets. Here the cab on original mount:

Here - on new one:

Extended frame:

The front half:

Cab to hood adjustment:

I was have to tear away right front fender and glue it to the hood again 4 times (!), until everything was truth and level. So resin parts without markings are evil things.

Filled up hollow chassis parts:

There is a fail, I guess. When the hood is lowered, fenders look bigger then on picture of original (the last photo of this thread):

Can anyone explain: the front fenders for custom, lowered Peterbilts have smaller radius then originals? I tried to put super singles on front discs, but they look wrong here, though the gap between wheel and fender became smaller:

Looks like I should tear fenders off again to bend them slightly and reduce radius. I see the beginning of depression...

Can anyone help me to find more photos of this rig?:

I know there was a galery somewhere, but I've forgot to save it.

Looks like too me you may need a filler plate on the hood between the fender and cab(I see a BIG gap there). But for custom hoods no idea.

[J Smith]

Surgey,

Just like you I was having the same problems. I did what Dennis said, look into a 1/25 scale

The fenders I got are from an old amt peterbilt kit. To me the italeri tires fit the fenders better.

1st pic is the amt

2nd pic is italeri on left & amt on right

I also measured the radies the difference is the italeri is 1/8 bigger then amt

There is also the fenders from the snap kit of the peterbilt that might work also?

[truckman1981]

The logo should be on the bracket, not the airbag. I've never seen a Peterbilt logo on an airbag as they are usually made by different companies such as Firestone.

If you have original oem air bags they will have the peterbilt logo on them. my truck did.

Edited December 8, 2010 by truckman1981

[Sergey]

Looks like too me you may need a filler plate on the hood between the fender and cab(I see a BIG gap there). But for custom hoods no idea.

Thank you, Clayton. I have filler plates, but didn't glue them down jet. They coul be torn away while fiting all the sub assembly.

Thank you, Leo. You already helped me to find this: http://www.supershowrigs.com/PhotoShoots/Dustin%20Foster/DustinFoster.htm

Thanks to everyone for your comments and interest.

[highway]

If you have original oem air bags they will have the peterbilt logo on them. my truck did.

Come to think of it, I've had a couple Freightliners that had "Freightliner" on the OEM airbags.

[skulls]

Come to think of it, I've had a couple Freightliners that had "Freightliner" on the OEM airbags.

That is correct, I spent 6 years working in the parts dept. at a Freightliner dealership and all of the OEM airbags had the freighliner logo

[JRJ]

I know this is old but what ever happen to this build?

[bandit1]

I know this is old but what ever happen to this build?

x2

[Sergey]

Well, the build is frozen for "Love Machine" project, which in turn frozen now for seasonal work. I will finish both of them anyway. Give me the TIME.

I wish I have more free time for my favourite hobby, but I don't have it at all....

[Sergey]

Hello, my friends!

As half of an article is published in TMW, I've disided to continue (and finish after a while) this thred. I guess this photos are larger, than magazine one.

Here are Taylor wing drop-shaped side covers. Buy the way, here is all the parts, that were drawn in AutoCad and photo etched

The grill was widwer than tje hood front part, which was fixed by splitting the hood along and inserting a piece of plastic with 5 min epoxy

Head lights are slightly revorked to accept LEDs. Lenses are new.

Front cab brackets were replaced again (black arrow)

The hood got reinforcement inside.

For this, the hood was covered with masking tape to cut out a pattern

This pattern was transferred to sheet styrene 0,4mm to cut out ribs and glue them inside the hood

The areas between ribs are covered with cfrome tape

Compressor, turbine, alternater and pulleys replaced by Czech Truck Model's one

The compressor hole was filled with pieces of tube & sheet

As the engine compartment has grown, I had ability to make flat firewall. It was drilled along the hood joint line and cut out by a saw.

A piece of styrene took its place

Power steering shaft was detailed too

Edited November 21, 2018 by Sergey

[vincen47]

Looking very nice!

[bigred63]

Wow, what great info that you have put out.

[Sergey]

Thank you, friends!

Here are KFS chairs I bought about 10 years before.

I guess it is better than kit's one

Here is A&N butoned leather on back wall and roof

Before I cut out an entrance to sleeper

Top upholstry was sanded off

Then I made a pattern for leather and marked inner lamps

... and transferred it to resin

Some spoilering:

Edited November 22, 2018 by Sergey

[DrKerry]

Looking very nice!!! Like the mods you’re doing to your truck!! 

[landman]

Impressive.