Western Star Constellation truck

[catd11rpusher]

Can anybody, show me a picture of the Western star consolation truck, tower hobbies has it but no picture.

[lapazleo]

I believe your original post was moved to the truck stop section of the forum but here is a pic of the kit Tower has it was just re released. The constellation series was introduced in 1996 to replace the aging heritage series which was continued til about 2001. The constellation is built with short ,long and sloped hoods set back and forward axles. All current WS trucks are in the constellation series except the recently released 4700 series vocational trucks.

Edited August 17, 2012 by lapazleo

[lapazleo]

Heritage left and Constellation right Western Stars

[mackinac359]

The hood on the Italeri Constellation WS was a short-lived offered by WS. The design quickly changed to the more traditional hoods. The kit hood can be still be seen on the road from time to time, but there weren't a lot of them built. I wish Italeri would have waited a year to develop the kit as WS had the traditional hoods in production by then. A resin caster in Australia casts some nice traditional hoods, but they are the Aussie versions. With some gentle modifications they could be built as the north American WS's.

Tim

[chuckyr]

[catd11rpusher]

Thank you Tim,and Leo for the info. I ordered it today.

[lapazleo]

Tim is correct the hood on the Italerie kit the 5900 series was a short lived aero style that didn't sell well. It seems us Western Star buyers tend to be a more traditional bunch. Maybe you can post some pics of your build later.

[lapazleo]

Nice pic chuckyr That would be a 108" bbc version. Would be a neat project to do with the Italeri kit shorter hood and flat top bunk.

[chuckyr]

Nice pic chuckyr That would be a 108" bbc version. Would be a neat project to do with the Italeri kit shorter hood and flat top bunk.

You are correct. It is the 5864. The Italeri kit is the 5964. Tim did a 108" bbc version awhile back.

[window]

The hood on the Italeri Constellation WS was a short-lived offered by WS. The design quickly changed to the more traditional hoods. The kit hood can be still be seen on the road from time to time, but there weren't a lot of them built. I wish Italeri would have waited a year to develop the kit as WS had the traditional hoods in production by then. A resin caster in Australia casts some nice traditional hoods, but they are the Aussie versions. With some gentle modifications they could be built as the north American WS's.

Tim

hey mate. what are the differences in hoods from the aussie and american versions?

[mackinac359]

Off the top of my head.. the headlamps are the most obvious. I'm not that 'schooled' on the WS product line between north America and Australia to tell without side-by-side comparisons.

[Diesel Jockey]

As far as I know all WS products for Australia are fullt built up in Canada and they are driven off the boat here is Australia. Any other modifications that are Austrlalian Specific are done here in Australia prior to the truck entering service, such as extra fuel tanks and so on. In the latest models I have seen, the hoods, cab and sleeper, including aftermarket and stratosphere sleeper, sit higher off of the chassis for better engine cooling due to the heavier weights hauled plus the fact that most Western Stars will tow two or more trailers in their operational lifetime. They are a very popular truck here is Australia.

[mackinac359]

Checking http://www.westernstar.com and http://www.westernstar.au, it appears that the Italeri kit hood is still available there. The other hoods offered for export from north America and the domestic hoods are the same with only lamp changes being made, then interior, chassis and other changes for the regional markets.

I tried to direct link the photos from the WS site(s) but was unable to get them to work.

Tim

[dieseldog1970]

WS have not been built in Canada since September 2002, all trucks, export included are built at the portland plant. The headlight/tail lights were different between the two, NA...dual square headlights with round single or square single tail lights, Aussie...dual round headlights, the tail light bracket was long enough to cover the rear tires and had the mudflap bolted to it, the lights were all all square and separate (brake/signalbackup), air cleaners mostly had the "ram air" tubes with brackets supporting them at the top of the cab. Fuel tanks were all installed at the factory...up to six depending on the customer, front bumpers were simple flat and u-shaped channel painted black due to roo bars being installed. At one point, the trucks were shipped as incomplete vehicles to be finished at a WS facility due to export rules or taxes (?), that changed and all were completed then shipped by boat, rims could be either the 5 spoke steel or aluminium Alcoa style.

[lapazleo]

Here is an Aussie WS Seems to be the same as a North American 4900fa other than right hand steering,tall air cleaners and usual Aussie equipment. Aussies seem to prefer large round headlights to small square ones. Apparently they work better in Aussie conditions. would be easy to make resin hoods American.

Edited August 18, 2012 by lapazleo

[lapazleo]

WS also built an aero version of the Heritage series.

[mackinac359]

Looks suspiciously like a Peterbilt 377385doesn't it. There is a backstory involving patents and shared design studios with unintended consequences.

WS also built an aero version of the Heritage series.

[chuckyr]

The hood on the Italeri Constellation WS was a short-lived offered by WS. The design quickly changed to the more traditional hoods. The kit hood can be still be seen on the road from time to time, but there weren't a lot of them built. I wish Italeri would have waited a year to develop the kit as WS had the traditional hoods in production by then. A resin caster in Australia casts some nice traditional hoods, but they are the Aussie versions. With some gentle modifications they could be built as the north American WS's.

Tim

I saw quite a few 5000 series Western Stars in Florida during the early 2000s. The were used to haul reefers.

Auslowe offered at least two conversion kits. The 4964 FX Visibility hood for the original Italeri 4900 kit and the 4900 EX for the Constellation kit.

[lapazleo]

Looks suspiciously like a Peterbilt 377385doesn't it. There is a backstory involving patents and shared design studios with unintended consequences.

Yes it does, seems to have been the style at the time aero hood on a traditional truck.

[lapazleo]

I saw quite a few 5000 series Western Stars in Florida during the early 2000s. The were used to haul reefers.

Auslowe offered at least two conversion kits. The 4964 FX Visibility hood for the original Italeri 4900 kit and the 4900 EX for the Constellation kit.

I have seen some of the Auslowe conversions done up they look nice. Even seen one done as a Low Max.

[mackinac359]

For the Ice Road Truckers fans - the truck that Rick Yemm 'owns' is the Italeri kit. Does anyone have any 1/24th scale deer mice?

Tim

[lapazleo]

I check with Sourkrauts ha ha

[Jim B]

Deer mice? I must have missed that episode.

[Diesel Jockey]

_{The aero Heritage was known as the 3800e here in Australia. See one every now and then. Its an ugly truck!! As for Western Stars not being built in Canada anymore, thanks for the clarification. A lot of people down here still think they are. I was one of them. A few years ago I was working for a trucking company and we had an owner operator purchase a WS Heritage and at the time they were being built in Canada. It was to be painted in the company's fleet colours, a two tone scheme. The top half of the cab and sleeper in cream over french blue and the hood, frame and running gear in french blue also. When it landed in Australia they got the blue wrong!! DOH!! was all he could say. The compnay owner bought the correct blue paint and the poor owner operator had to shell out more bucks to have it corrected. Another owner operator purchased a new Constellation out of Canada 2000 in the same colours and it came out perfect.}

[mackinac359]

Rick became ill this season - caused by (so goes the plot) by an infestation of deer mice in his truck. The truck had to be cleaned and sanitized by a

clean-up company. It really was filthy. When they pulled the mattress out my first thought was "they shouldn't have put that on TV."

Deer mice? I must have missed that episode.