Quick Build: Orange 359 - More pics 4/29/07

[Casey429]

With the absolutely WONDERFUL temperatures we've been having here in western PA, things have been at a standstill for me. The DM800 is no closer to being finished than my last update (October something?) due to a paint mishap. It's since been stripped, but it has been way to cold to paint as of late. I had the itch to build something, and stated rooting through the junk and spare parts. I originally built this AMT 359 box stock, painted like my dads 1:1 379. I'm not sure why i ever tore it apart, but several of its parts ended up on my yellow 359, which was one of my dads old builds from the '70s. After a quick bath in the purple lake, I mocked this up using the leftovers. The cummins is long gone, replaced by the 8V-71 from the yellow truck, which dad repowered with a Cummins (From his own build of T501) in the early '90s after we found some of his old trucks in my grandparents attic.

I'm shooting for the look of the trucks that appear in the opening credits of Smokey and the Bandit II. Let me know what you think!

(P.S. nobody I know in their right mind would replace a Cummins with a Detroit. I just don't know where the trans is that goes with the Cummins I took out, so in the "Screamin' 318" went! I think the trans may be behind my KTA, but that's another subject.)

[pete359driver]

cool project,cant wait to see it done!! 8)

[rottin1]

Alright!!!! This should be a really cool project. I have a restoration project as well in the future. Somebody elses junk I bought on eBay. An old AMT pete to be exact. Can't wait to see what your going to do with this one!!

[mackinac359]

These frigid temps have put my workbench at a standstill too.

Nice project on the 359 rebuild.

Tim

[Old Albion]

Casey,

Just listen to the Detroit Diesel in this video. Thats why your Pete has a DD. 8)

Good Luck with the Project. Hope the weather sorts itself out soon. I spent the winter 1993 to 1994 in Montreal Canada. That was an experience, anyways wrap up warm folks and look after yourselves.

Best Wishes

[Casey429]

Iknew there was a method to the DD madness! I figured it would work well in a racing truck, but nobdy I kow was ever a fan of the 92 Series in road trucks. Th 71's are different though. Primitive, oil slinging, scraming beasts they are. A friend of my dad's owns eathmoving equipment, and among his pieces are several Terex TS-24 scrapers. They run a DD 12V-71 up front and a 6-71 in the rear. You know they're about to grenade when they STOP slinging oil. Also, as long as you keep feeding it 40 weight oil, the thing will run. Eventually my truck will run 6'' straights and a ram-air breather.

[Rustycab]

Casey~ I see your from Elizibeth, Pa.

You have three great model clubs within 30 miles of you in each direction

3 River Automodelers meet in West Mifflin @ Neals Resturaunt 2 nd monday of each month

Old Pot belly Gang in Scotdale, Pa. Meets every other month

Hobby town in Monroeville meets thrid week of every month

We got a lot of truck builders hanging around

Not sure if you know about these clubs or if you have ever attended

if you are interested in more info drop me a PM

Craig

[Casey429]

So much for a quick build, but things have progressed rapidly. I pretty much stalled on the project right after posting it. After finishing the DM, I jumped right back on it and went from the first picture to this:

The blower scoop on the air cleaner seemed fitting, since it was going to be a racer, and the DD is supercharged. Plus, I wasn't up to building the scoop I really wanted. Paint is Duplicolor Universal Orange, and the stripes are from a '69 Yenko Camaro, cropped, flipped and backwards. The engine is Krylon White.

The whole truck isn't permanently stuck togeter, just set up for the pics. I still need to make the exhaust, resin copy an exhaust manifold and some other little odds and ends.

After painting and striping it, I tought it looked too good to be raced. It is now going to be a roadworthy daycab. In person, to me at least. it doesn't look all that great, but it does look better than the first time I built it. However, it looks great for being put together from junk, leftovers, and spare parts.

[JdKustomModels]

very nice, I like the blower on the cleaner, nice racing touch

[Old Albion]

Looks good!

I like the colour, the orange works well with the chrome and the black frame. This truck would look good pulling a van trailer painted in white. 8)

[mackinac359]

Cool.

Tim

[Casey429]

I've made some minute progress on the Pete. I've added the battery box and fuel tank (I might add the second one on the drivers side, still undecided). These parts were painted with Duplicolor chrome. I wouldn't push it that far, but I'd give it a polished aluminum rating.

I could have cleaned up the seam beter, but this will NEVER see a contest table anyway.

I've also added some appropriate signage ...

And I just had to have this...

The illness was so great, I made extras for later use, and in other sizes! This one found its way to the back of my 352.

Thanks for looking, stay tuned!!

[pete359driver]

i'm liking it! the spray turned out pretty good on the tanks!

keep up the good work.

-Greg

[SpreadAxle]

I'll forgive you this time for removing the Cummins. LOL. The old 2 strokes were fun. I got a chance to drive a Sliver 92, and an 8v 71 and liked them, but they were too loud for me. really cool project idea. As 4 the inspiration, it reminds me of the red KW that wrecks during the credits. that's what I first thought of when I saw the tank behind the cab.

[Casey429]

Actually the truck that wrecked wasa a Pete. I recently got the S&B Pursuit Pack (all three movies!) and its definitley a Pete. It looks to be about a '73 or 4.

P.S. I have recently discovered a 1:1 Smokey and The Bandit II truck! In the opening and "World's Biggest Game of Chicken" scene, you can se a red and black International Transtar 4300 with a sleeper. This truck was originally owned by a man from this area (actually owned several trucks and had a small company and a chrome shop) and was powered by a DD 8V-71 and ran a single rear drive with a spicer air tag (According to dad, and I think he'd know). It has since had the sleeper pulled off and tandem rears installed. It is sitting in a driveway on rt. 51 south headed towards Uniontown. Locals might even know the truck and where its at. Next time I'm out that way I'll grab some pics.

[SpreadAxle]

It's been so long since I saw the movie, I thought it was a W9. If you see the other truck you were talking about, i would like a pic or 2 if you can get it.

[Casey429]

The DD has found its new home. It took a little longer than I thought, because I had to cast a new exhaust manifold.

(I think the wheel is from the Transtar kit, I only had one, so I figured it was as good a time as any to make another so I at least had a pair.)

Not to brag, but I bet you can't tell which one is the copy .

I also made straight pipes. Just some aluminum tubing slipped over the stock lower elbows.

They sure look good!

[pete359driver]

lookin good man! 8)

[Casey429]

Heres the finished piece. Not even close to being a showpiece, but it will look nice on the shelf. Aluminum hanging under the bumper is a license plate mount, I just need to make a plate.

Rear light bar is styrene strip covered in BMF with leftover lights (still need two more) and homemade mud flaps with my own decals added. Also a Detroit Diesel logo in the center.

Hood sitting a bit crooked in the pic, cause the hinges are long gone. As long as I don't move it around, I can get the hood to sit right. I didn't fix the "buck tooth gap" as Tim calls it, maybe on the next one. Didn't really want to, and don't have extra fenders to take the needed material from.

In case you're wondering, yes those are "stack hats". Or in the real world, two old coffee cans attached to broom handles to keep rain out of the pipes.

Thanks everyone for looking. Comments good, bad, and in-between are welcome.

[mackinac359]

Casey

Here's the fix for the "buck tooth gap" of the fenders: cut some chrome mylar vinyl or thin plastic and cover with Bare Metal Foil and bend it to shape like the front of fender add-on panels you see on trucks.

There are several styles from straight to angled.

Attach them to the front of the fender in such a way so that the fender still clears the bumper.

Tim

[Casey429]

I get what you're saying, Tim. My dad has a set of those stone guards on his truck. I never thought about that, but I can always add them later.

[SpreadAxle]

Looking good Casey. By the way, you mentioned Westley's Bleche White for removing chrome. THANK YOU. this stuff works wonders!!! I'm glad you shared that tip. It doesn't eat the plastic like Polly S ELO.

[Casey429]

Your welcome for the tip. I heard it by word of mouth on this site, and it made sense to pass it along.

Thanks everyone for the commments. I'd like to add that I used the small cab lights for two reasons. 1) I don't have the original bullet lights and, 2) I've seen a few older Petes withthese style lights, and thought it would be neat to add them because they're not so common. But, If I told you where they're from, I'd get lynched!

EDIT:

The sun managed to snaek out for a bit, so I grabbed an outdoor shot.

[Old Albion]

I like this truck. The colours look great, seem to suit the day cab configuration. Like the smoke from the stacks, perhaps a bit more black and blue, afterall it is a DD. Great truck!

[Casey429]

I see what your saying, Dave, but I had to grab the shot before the sun said goodbye.

Thanks for the support everyone! Tim, I'll shoot you an email with pics for your next update.