This is why you don't use Testor's tube glue

[Fabrux]

I recently purchased a lot of built-up pickup kits. There were 23 kits in all, in various stages of completeness and broken-ness. From the auction pictures I could tell that in the lot was a GM Action Line pickup (67-72) which is one of my favourite trucks. When the parcel arrived in the mail, I went through it all and noticed that the truck in question seemed like it was a 67-68 Chevrolet due to the way the grille area had extra plastic in it; it looked nothing like the MPC 72 pickup I had, or the AMT 71 GMC Jimmy that was also in the lot. Then I noticed the faint GMC engraving on the front fenders. I thought this was odd as I knew for sure the Jimmy's grille wasn't going to fit on there. I disassembled the truck to prepare for paint stripping.

Unfortunately the truck didn't have a hood, tailgate or rear bumper. I was going to have to source those from somewhere (Modelhaus probably). Upon stripping the paint, I noticed that the bed sides have 'Sierra Grande' engraved on them; jackpot! Then I got all the paint off the cab....

Needless to say, those GMC fender emblems are toast. What am I going to do with this basket case? Well, I figure the bed is in great shape, so I'll pick up a newer-issue GMC stepside kit and go from there. As for this cab... the MPC 68 Chevy kits go for so much these days that its probably worth it to smooth this out and build it as a Chevy cab... thoughts?

[Harry P.]

Get rid of the emblems, smooth it out and build a street rod.

[Terry Sumner]

Harry's right. Look at my wip thread on the Mooneyes build. The old Ford pickup was pretty bad but it's coming back to life!

[Joe Handley]

Gotta agree with the other two, it can always be cleaned up and used as a hot rod truck cab.

[Bartster]

Or better yet, I'd take it off your hands! I'd say you have a very fun project there.

[62rebel]

sounds and looks more like "this is why you don't expect mint unbuilt kits in an auction lot."

[moparmagiclives]

Is'nt that "why" tube glue is used? to melt the parts together? But why was it on the doors? Or is that damage from the inside?

Either way, sorry bud, you gots lots of work to do....

[Junkman]

I would make my decision dependent on whether photo etch GMC scripts are available (any truck guys in the know?).

Wasn't there someone who makes alphabets in PE in various fonts?

If the GMC scripts are available, there is nothing to keep you away from building a Sierra. The rest looks repairable to me.

Apparently, something like beams were glued to the sides of the cab, maybe beams for a snow plow of some sort?

Oh, and I love tube glue - where you can't see it.

[Casey]

This is why I don't like to buy built models, and why I'd rather pay for an unstarted kit.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Casey

[jeffs396]

How about getting the reissued (not lately though) AMT GMC stepside and use the cab? Then you'd have the grille and other GMC specific pieces also...

[Fabrux]

@62rebel: I wasn't expecting mint built up kits. I bought the lot for other kits in it, not this one. This was a bonus.

@Steve: I plan to use the 69-70 grille on a 72 cab.

I'll probably end up getting the AMT GMC stepside so I can build a Sierra Grande. This particular cab will get smoothed out and built as a Chevy, probably with the stepside bed. My uncle has a 68 C10 body on a 78 Blazer frame that I've been wanting to replicate for many years.

Edited February 3, 2012 by kataranga

[Terry Sumner]

This is why I don't like to buy built models, and why I'd rather pay for an unstarted kit.

True Casey, but sometimes ya just can't buy a new kit of what you want. Take my case for example. If there even IS such a thing as an unbuilt 1960 Ford pickup kit, the price would be astronomical. Hence my decision to use the glue bomb!

[Mike Kucaba]

You can't blame tube glue for this,it's who and how it was used(or mis used ) I don't usually care what people use to build their models,but personally I don't use tube glue in this day an age.

[OLESHEP63]

LOOKS LIKE WHOEVER BUILT IT SNIFFED AS MUCH AS HE USED ON THE TRUCK...

[Fabrux]

If there even IS such a thing as an unbuilt 1960 Ford pickup kit, the price would be astronomical. Hence my decision to use the glue bomb!

Not exactly the same, but there's an unbuilt 1963 F-100 currently going for $157.50 and there's still 10h left. I was lucky to get my '62 that only had the body painted for what I did...

[imatt88]

Chris,

Nice haul! I love glue bombs.

That's how I get kits that I want that I normally can't afford. If its too bad, I part it out, if not, I rebuild it.

Rebuild the truck! Do it justice and save it!

Cheers, Ian

[Gary66]

Any glue/cement over used will damage the plastic. Some of the best builders I know use tube glue with no problems.

A little goes a long way. I use the old method of putting a little out of the tube on a piece of card stock or scrap plastic and apply it with a toothpick.