57peppershaker Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hi Guys I'm normally a car builder & planning a 57 Chevy pro mod, along with van & trailer to complete the race team. Got thinking about the AMT LN8000 truck until I saw the prices ! And they are quite dated now, to pair with a newer style build. Is there any other more recent trucks with a ramp back ? Or kits to convert one ? Seen a few resin ramps on ebay ect but they are more for pick ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 You are right about the Ford LN8000 being out dated It first came out around 37 years ago I havent seen any new ramp trucks kits out but I havent really seen any current real race teams using them either except for maybe hauling a display car. My sugestion would be to go to galaxie limited s web page and check out their enclosed car trailers. The biggest one is I think is a 38 scale feet long fifth wheel. You can have a field day stocking/ detailing it. Add a one ton pickup to it and you will be set. If you are detemined to go with a ramp truck just find a one ton truck chassis and scratchbuild a ramp for it out of evergreen plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtienutz Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 herein the states the hot setup for a pro mod car would be a what we call a toter RV with a stacker trailer check out http://renegaderv.com/ grab yourself a volvo 670 or 780 and start scratchbuilding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57peppershaker Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Thanks for the info. Fell at the 1st fence, with scratchbuilding. I just dont have the time / skill. That Volvo is some nice piece of kit ! Maybe a general truck car hauler would have been the better way to word what I'm looking for. I've also got beaters / Junior Stocks, & street drag cars that might be used with it. You've given me some thought tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit1 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 actually some caster has it if i can find it again ill get back but there is a resin ramp bed and modify whatever kit you want to put it on or you can get the louisville short hauler kit and put the resin ramp on the back of that and get the resin gmc topkick conv. and add to it and you got your self a good looking truck! ramp http://www.perrysresin.com/catalog/pages/comm_ramptruck.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck parts Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I think I have seen some plans on this site in the past for race haulers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57peppershaker Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 actually some caster has it if i can find it again ill get back but there is a resin ramp bed and modify whatever kit you want to put it on or you can get the louisville short hauler kit and put the resin ramp on the back of that and get the resin gmc topkick conv. and add to it and you got your self a good looking truck! ramp http://www.perrysres...m_ramptruck.htm Thanks Sean. That maybe the easiest route. I can pick up a Louisville Short Hauler her in the UK, which makes it easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit1 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Thanks Sean. That maybe the easiest route. I can pick up a Louisville Short Hauler her in the UK, which makes it easier. and dont forget to paint the engine cat yellow instead of the blue! its a cat 1160 in there and not a ford motor! if you want more info then holler at me and ill locate the link explaining everything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) At that time (1970s) the Caterpiller engines in Fords were Ford Blue. This shows the 3208 from a 1973 brochure: Edited November 9, 2011 by Jim B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaronw Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 From what I've read, the CAT 1140/1145/1150/1160 and 3208 were made in cooperation with Ford specifically for use in Ford medium duty trucks. The 3208 allows for several colors depending on when it was built, Ford blue, CAT yellow, Ford grey and rebuilt engines are often painted black. I don't know much about race car haulers, but if you are concerned with the truck being dated you have several options. The Louisville kit is basically a 1970-80/81 truck, the basic styling remained the same until 1995 with minor changes in 81-82 (square headlights being the most noticable). Plaskit offers several resin conversions for this kit, the cheapest is an updated grill and headlights to make the kit into an 81/82 - 95 model. He also has some hoods to make the LN/LNT (short hood) in the Louisville kits into an L/LT (regular length hood) or LS/LTS (set back axle). He also makes a nice Frieghtliner FL80 cab if you want a truck newer than 1995. It should work well on the Louisville chassis. Plaskit is an email only seller, but you can find his stuff on ebay quite often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 (edited) At that time (1970s) the Caterpiller engines in Fords were Ford Blue. This shows the 3208 from a 1973 brochure: Hmmmmmm, I beg to differ... This is a Detroit 8V71, not a Cat 3208, notice the valve cover shape, the valve covers on the Cat are scalloped near the exhaust manifold. The valve covers on Detroit 2 stroke diesels such as this one are straight and rounded off at the edges, they also have 2 big bolts on top of each cover. Sorry to disapoint... Edited November 10, 2011 by Z06Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 You're right. This is a Detroit Diesel. Sorry about that. Imagine that, a GM product in a Ford. Suprised the world didn't come to an end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 You're right. This is a Detroit Diesel. Sorry about that. Imagine that, a GM product in a Ford. Suprised the world didn't come to an end! Hey don't worry about it, we see all kinds of Chevy small and big blocks in Ford hot-rods!! It's been like that since they first put the small block 265 in production in 1955 and it's going to be like that until there's no more Chevy V8's left!! ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Good point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 (edited) Steve, since you brought up the idea of a van and trailer, have you thought about getting a Galaxie trailer?? You could get one of the tagalongs for the van, or if you wanted to go with a larger tow rig, you could use the gosseneck fifth wheel and a truck like the Louisville. Something like this?? By the way too, if you do go the Ford Louisville route, get the snow plow kit like this one: It has not only spare parts such as the fifth wheel and mounting plate, but you also get the choice of making it a single rear axle or dual rear axle rig. Other than the snow plow and dump pieces, it is nearly the same kit as the race hauler or box truck versions of the Louisville. And if you can't figure out something to do with the plow and dump bed, you can feel free to send the extras to me for giving you this great idea!! :lol: Edited November 11, 2011 by highway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txdieseldog Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Hey Steve, gonna have to agree with Highway, well at least to a point. The plow is the same kit with plenty of extras, but the race hauler or box van already has an extended frame. Before I acquired my two plow kits, I already had a race hauler and a box van and I decided to tandem the box van. They say hind sight is 20-20. If I would have known about the plow kit, it would have made my tandem mod easier. Would have made a plow single and put the tandem under the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit1 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Hey Steve, gonna have to agree with Highway, well at least to a point. The plow is the same kit with plenty of extras, but the race hauler or box van already has an extended frame. Before I acquired my two plow kits, I already had a race hauler and a box van and I decided to tandem the box van. They say hind sight is 20-20. If I would have known about the plow kit, it would have made my tandem mod easier. Would have made a plow single and put the tandem under the box. is it me or is the same suspension setup in the newer release ih 4300 conv. kit? it it is i found a different idea for my other shorthauler!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txdieseldog Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 bandit1, I will have to check. For that one, I had a GMC Astro that I wanted to shorten to a single axle to pull a set of pups. So......easy decision. I swapped the two. The Ford is sporting the tandem setup from the Astro kit and the GMC is sporting the single setup from the original Ford kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Hey Steve, gonna have to agree with Highway, well at least to a point. The plow is the same kit with plenty of extras, but the race hauler or box van already has an extended frame. Before I acquired my two plow kits, I already had a race hauler and a box van and I decided to tandem the box van. They say hind sight is 20-20. If I would have known about the plow kit, it would have made my tandem mod easier. Would have made a plow single and put the tandem under the box. Barry, the plow kit wouldn't be the best for a donor for the ramp because of the frame length like you mentioned, but Steve would not need a long frame for pulling a Galaxie fifth wheel behind it. My suggestion for using the plow kit was so Steve could make a unit like the setup in the pics I posted. By the way, glad to see I'm not the only one planning on making a tandem Louisville!! I also have plans for one of the dump trucks to become a tandem tractor for use with my wiggle wagons. Also Sean, that rear end setup in Barry's pic almost looks like a Hendrickson suspension to me, and AMT used that in quite a few of their truck kits. At the first look at the pic when I came online, I thought it looked like the rear out of the KW kits like the "Movin On" truck or even the T600s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57peppershaker Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Thanks for all the info / suggestions. The trailers I have are amt / revell twin axles, got pick ups & panel van to go with them, so was thinking about the hauler. As great as the Galaxie trailer is, I think I'll stick with a truck. If I get a Short Hauler box truck, would the resin hauler body fit right on the chassis ? Ive got a full set of Tennessee Thunder decals, so was thinking of a race hauler & matching 57, based on the Revell Pro Mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck parts Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Mnay years ago I built a short hauler into a twin axle road truck,and over the years it fall apart..Now I thinlk it's time to build a single axle truck with sleeper,and a newer hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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