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Posted

Just looking for some details on Ertl's Peterbilt 359 with metal frame. I know it's not the best kit in the world but would like some input on it for parts or maybe improving it for a build. I'm particularly interested in Tim's thoughts as our resident Pete expert on it's accuarcy or lack there of.

Posted

The cab, hood and sleeper are pure fantasy (ok, junk). There are some usable parts. The air cleaner cap is great.

The frame is okay - the spring suspension okay, nothing to write home about.

Overall, an awful kit.

Tim

Posted (edited)

When i first saw that ERTL Pete 359 kit, with "Metal" frame back in 1983 (-84) in LHS, was impressed... by the box top picture. :P (really nice pic)....the sides box photos were less impresive (tought to my self this must be the "prototype")...must look better in final kit form :(ERTL International kits were fantastic), got it, open the box..... :o

Is it on Round2 future truck reissue list :unsure: ?

...Nice decal sheet dough with "Australian" optional parts ^_^

Edited by ZIL 111V
Posted

Let's hope the tooling for this kit got lost and Round2 never finds it.

I agree, the box art showed what would be a beautiful 359.. a 36" round-door sleeper, right hand tool box, newer headlamps.. it looked like a great kit.

Then you look at the sides.. "what the..?" toy-like mirrors, those aren't Alcoa FrontRunner wheels, a 63" sleeper, the wheelbase is all wrong.. what on Earth? Is that a Detroit Diesel 8v71 painted yellow? The side panel photos show the hood on the model and the tires don't fit under the fenders. Then you open it up..the cab roof has a recessed center section, the passenger peep-window isn't cut open, the windshield leans back too far and is shaped like a 379 (about 6 years ahead of itself here), the hood has the raised panel seam rib being about an inch thick in real scale, the fenders aren't bad - but once again a model company has put the rear of fender step in the wrong location (they aren't mounted at the bottom of the fender on the real truck). Now lets look at this 63" sleeper. The roof shape is all wrong, uh-oh, the sleeper only scales out to 58 inches. They did get the door shape right but they put the right door in the wrong location - at the rear of the bunk. Nope.. the door should be forward (again, look at the Revell USA (Revell AG now) 359 kit sleeper). Looking at the chrome trees, the fuel tanks are usable if you sand the big seams, the grille - ug - the top (crown) is wider than the sides and isn't tall enough to look right. The headlamps are okay. The mufflers are toy-like. the horns are toy like - a lot of this looks like a snap-kit, the shifter looks too short, chrome fan belts? Really? Why is the 5th wheel plate chrome plated? The steering wheel is chrome too? The wheel is nicely detailed though. The Luberfiner finally has the right shape for a Peterbilt, however they have the bracket being much wider than the Luberfiner tank. The roof air conditioner unit is too small. The "Dash of Class" instrument panel isn't shaped right either - the real dash (look at the Revell versions) has an arch like the steering wheel to the top of the dash. This kit has a flattened out top of the dash with hardly any arch. The detail on the chassis plastic parts is very thick, heavy-handed. Again, toy-like, The mudflaps would be nice if the Pete oval wasn't 1 inch thick in scale. The decal sheet has 2 stripe options, a couple of company names, some license plates and pin stripe scrolls. I choke at the thought that Ertl called this kit a "Precision Series". It's nothing more than snap-together slotted pieces with metal and plastic clunky parts that don't build well and don't even look like the product it represents. I'm surprised they even got this by PACCAR for licensing.

Can you tell I don't like the kit ? This is the only kit that I have ever bought that I actually cursed out loud when I opened it up to inspect it.

I keep it for the box art cover - if they would have had that as the model inside the box, they'd have had a hit.

Okay.. rant mode off.

Tim

Posted

So... if you are looking to build a custom rig (something like that wild truck David Morton built a few years back), something you are going to totally rework anyway, and you don't want to butcher a nice kit, this would be what you'd want to start with. Is that what you're saying? B)

Posted

Well put Tim now I remember why I forgot so much about that thing. You can't find one for sale anywhere because they probably all went to file 13. I hope Round 2 misses it too. I would much rather see the 352 come back.

Posted

Well put Tim now I remember why I forgot so much about that thing. You can't find one for sale anywhere because they probably all went to file 13. I hope Round 2 misses it too. I would much rather see the 352 come back.

thats a big DITO on the 352 come back !!!! :D :D :DB)

Posted (edited)

I got one of these off ebay didnt know it had metal till i got kind it Its kind of cheap made

Edited by camaro68
Posted

Funny how the box art on the 359 somewhat resembles the Monogram/Revell snap kit. I'm not a Volvo expert but The Volvo n10 IMO was alot better than the Pete kit.

Posted

Funny how the box art on the 359 somewhat resembles the Monogram/Revell snap kit. I'm not a Volvo expert but The Volvo n10 IMO was alot better than the Pete kit.

Leo, I have that Volvo. It is still unbuilt, but best I can tell, its a pretty decent kit. It seems to be nowhere near the issues of the Pete.

Posted

I've actually seen the N-10 built up, and compared to images of 1:1 N-10s I have seen (I've never actually seen an N-10 in person), it looks pretty good. Most of the 1:1 images I've seen have a step in the rear of the fenders (the part attached to the cab) which the kit lacks, but that might be correct for some years.

Posted (edited)

True that ERTL N10, was way better, then the Pete 359.

Back in the early 80's ('80',81',82',83'), a bunch of plastic 359's kits were introduced:

Monogram got 3!!! 359's, from '80 to '82 (all coming back): 1/16, 1/32nd & 1/25th Snappers.

Revell US introduced the Fantastic: "Black Magic" 359 kit in '82 (What a great kit!!!)

Testors got the 359 in 1/20nd around the same time.

ERTL too got in with the :unsure: "Precision Series" !

Edited by ZIL 111V

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