highway Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 After reading through the 1990 F350 Crew Cab thread, I finally after 8 long years of owning my 1:1, finally decided to get the guts to take saw to plastic and build the model of my 1:1 I call "Little Red". This is the inspiration behind the build. This is not going to be a true replica stock build, but the key features of my 1:1 are going to be included, including the unique frame setup of the 1:1. The standard dually bed was not added until the truck was rebuilt before I bought it, the truck started life as a chassis cab and has a 6 inch gap between the bed and cab, as seen in this picture. There will be a few add ons to the build I someday hope to have on the 1:1 as well, including a lightbar like you would see on a tow truck, dual stacks between the bed and cab, and Alcoa aluminum wheels. I already have the wheels, fine castings by Alan at Ma's Resins. Anyway, enough about the 1:1 and one to the build. The biggest thing holding me up was actually cutting the Monogram extended cab down to be the regular cab. I finally got the guts to cut it after planning this built since I bought the real one 8 years ago! Here goes nothing, too late to turn back now! I actually surprized myself, I don't think I did all that bad, and I did it all in less than a half hour! At least to me, it looks like I cut everything right, and compared to this AMT 92 F150 regular cab, it looks like I hit it pretty spot on! Now for the next cut I've been dreading, the frame! I think the hardest is going to be getting the gap right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cole Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 You're off to a GREAT start! Remember, it's only plastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmikeman Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 man i wished i would've known u was going to do this. i've got a cab already cut. i did it to use the extended cab on my 78 Ford that i'm building. anyways, nice job so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbler75 Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Xcellent Xecution! You did it right and on the first try! Great work! I'm watchin' this build! Keep up the great work. Now you'll be carvin' plastic left and right. Keep us updated please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks for the replies so far, I don't know why I was so afraid to start cutting! man i wished i would've known u was going to do this. i've got a cab already cut. We just might have to talk, Jim! I could always use it for a wrecker! Xcellent Xecution! You did it right and on the first try! Great work! I'm watchin' this build! Keep up the great work. Now you'll be carvin' plastic left and right. Keep us updated please? Thanks Jason, it was seeing your updates earlier to your crew cab that gave me the kick in the pants I needed! There's still going to be some hurdles to overcome, but I got the biggest out of my way! I just have to convert everything to four wheel drive, get the frame cut to the right length to include the extra chassis cab length it has, and SERIOUSLY beef up the rear suspension! The kits leaf springs might work as my front springs, but they are no where close to my rear springs! I still have to figure out if I can make the kits engine look like my diesel, minus the grease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmikeman Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) i had a set of springs like that on my 1960 6 cyl. Falcon Ranchero that i used to have! Edited April 10, 2011 by Carmikeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimastergary Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Looks good so far I think you di a great job cutting the cab better than I would do if I tried to cut it down. keep posting I will watch this one as I hope to get my F250 out of storage and build it as a 4X4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Z Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Looks like a great start, and some great plans for upgrading it... That rear spring pack looks identical to one a friend of mine has sitting besides his garage that he pulled out of his old F450 Super Duty. He had it in one of his F 150 4x4's that he used for plowing until the truck finally rusted out around the engine and drivetrain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Great start, Matt! Keep at it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Looks like a great start, and some great plans for upgrading it... That rear spring pack looks identical to one a friend of mine has sitting besides his garage that he pulled out of his old F450 Super Duty. He had it in one of his F 150 4x4's that he used for plowing until the truck finally rusted out around the engine and drivetrain... Thanks everyone, and Rob, I drove a 1990 F-SuperDuty (back when Super Duty actually meant something ) rollback that is equivilant to todays F-450s, and it had the same suspension, too. According to the door sticker, the rear axle rating alone it is just over 8,000 lbs! I could haul a couple Minis in the bed and still not overload it! Anyway, since it was a nice day for once and it hit 80 degrees here, I decided to do some more on this and even take it out to put a guide coat of primer on it. It also helped the cable (and since I have cable internet, the internet too) went out for a few hours this afternoon! I did some quick cleanup on the cab cut, and was surprized to find after the primer, I didn't do too bad getting everything together. I also cut the interior to fit, and it turned out to fit perfectly. It is mocked up in the first pic with no primer on the cab. After primer, I still have a little bodywork to do. I really was feeling good by now, so the frame was the next to go under the saw. No turning back now, Part 2! Now, for some reason, it always seems that when things are going good for me, something always has to go kaboom. Well, here's the KABOOM!! I was so worried I would get the gap between the cab and bed too big, I CUT TOO MUCH! The gap that is supposed to be 6 inches is only 3! I'm going to have to get to the hobby shop sometime soon and see if I can get some strips to add frame to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Teresi Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Matthew......look`s great so far.......look`s like a lot of hard work your doing.......very fine work indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbler75 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 It's lookin' great! Jus' got some more of the trim to remove and it'll be perfect on the cab! Sorry to hear about the frame! Don't feel bad I realized after I cut mine and got it glued back together it's only 1/16th too short on one side. Ooops! You'll get it right. Keep up the great work and keep the faith! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimastergary Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 With the primer it looks a 100 times better than anything I would have done. If I tried to cut it it would wind up like the few I have tried to modify pieces in my parts box waiting for me to find a good use for them. To bad on the frame just gives you time to think of what you have to do next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyBad Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I was so worried I would get the gap between the cab and bed too big, I CUT TOO MUCH! The gap that is supposed to be 6 inches is only 3! I'm going to have to get to the hobby shop sometime soon and see if I can get some strips to add frame to it! It's measure twice cut once. Not cut twice measure once JK... Cab is looking Great in Primer . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 It's measure twice cut once. Not cut twice measure once JK... Cab is looking Great in Primer . Thanks everyone, and Rodney, I did measure twice. Once with each eye!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Schmidt Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Lookin good. I aint never been brave enough to cut one yet. As for the frame instead of buyin strips to make new frame pieces why not try to use the section of frame ya cut out ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 As for the frame instead of buyin strips to make new frame pieces why not try to use the section of frame ya cut out ?? Now why didn't I think of that?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Well, you all probably thought I gave up after my little frame problem, didn't you!?!? You was wrong! I figured since there was nothing good on TV today (like normal!), it's raining, and the better half is at work, plus it helped I fired up my "inspirational" trucking songs on iTunes, I think I finally have the frame figured out. I dug through my Evergreen box and found some strips that would work nicely for making the top and bottom rails of the frame, and make it sort of look like the 1:1's C Channel frame instead of the incorrectly molded box frame in the kit. It might be a little thick, but hey, the 1:1's frame is beefy too! I measured the gap, and it is now a scale 6 inches! Here's the top pieces, I still have to make the bottoms and the filler for the frame itself. After all is said and done, most of this part of the frame will be hidden by the stacks, anyway! I have the feeling the biggest hurdles are still to come, not only do I have to make the huge rear springs, and probably use the wimpy kit rear springs for the front suspension, I still have to figure out how to convert the kit's gas engine into this greasy diesel pig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbler75 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Well, I'm glad ya got the frame situation figured out. This is comin' along nicely! Those rear springs are MASSIVE! LoL As far as the "Grease Pig" diesel I think it might be a fairly easy swap from lookin' at your pics. Jus' change the Intake Manifold so you can hide a carb under the Air Breather Assembly. I'll have to look again at the engine in my kit to double make sure on this (back to the Measure Twice Cut Once Joke! LoL) Keep up the great work! I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Well, I'm glad ya got the frame situation figured out. This is comin' along nicely! Those rear springs are MASSIVE! LoL As far as the "Grease Pig" diesel I think it might be a fairly easy swap from lookin' at your pics. Jus' change the Intake Manifold so you can hide a carb under the Air Breather Assembly. I'll have to look again at the engine in my kit to double make sure on this (back to the Measure Twice Cut Once Joke! LoL) Keep up the great work! I like it. Thanks Jason, and the rear springs are massive! I've actually counted the leafs in the pack, and there are 15 leaves per side, and according to the door post sticker, the GAWR (gross axle weight rating for those of you who might not know) is over 8,000 pounds, and gross weight for the truck is 12,500 pounds! I have to have a special WV commerical style license plate just to have it registered at it's max weight just in case I ever want to haul something that heavy and still be legal. I could pay about $15 less for a regular plate, but I wouldn't be able to legal haul more than a reglar half ton pickup, either! As for the engine, I don't even have to hide a carb under it, just make a massive hole in the middle of the intake! You can't see it in the pic, but the piece behind the Oil Fill cap with the rubber fuel line going into the top of it is the fuel injection pump. There is nothing but a big hole with a screen under the air cleaner just to suck in the air! I might have better underhood pics later, because I'm getting ready to go out now and check my batteries, I think at least one is getting ready to die! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Great conversion work so far Matt! Keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcandela Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 I have been planning to do this same project like for a 100 years now. Your doing just fine. It's going to be really kool when done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 I still have to figure out how to convert the kit's gas engine into this greasy diesel pig! Matt,if you build really really slowly,I may have a diesel engine ready for casting before too much longer. I have the block,heads,valve covers and intake (almost) done. I just have to make the injector pump,manifolds/pipes and turbo for it. I should have already had it done,but I lost steam and interest on it. I know you don't need a turbo for yours,but I want to make one for a Powerstroke engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 24, 2011 Author Share Posted April 24, 2011 Thanks for the replies everyone. Matt,if you build really really slowly,I may have a diesel engine ready for casting before too much longer. I have the block,heads,valve covers and intake (almost) done. I just have to make the injector pump,manifolds/pipes and turbo for it. I should have already had it done,but I lost steam and interest on it. I know you don't need a turbo for yours,but I want to make one for a Powerstroke engine. Don't worry Roger, with all the projects I have started for different community builds and such, I've only actually finished to models in the past year and a half, and they weren't even cars, they were planes! Even though I don't have the turbo on my 1:1, whenever you do have the engine ready for casting, I'd be interested in the turbo version too. I have a couple 92 and later AMT F150s I'm planning a wrecker conversion for, and the Powerstroke would be great in those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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