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Italeri Ford LTL Wrecker into Forest Service Water Tender


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It's been awhile since I done a work in progress post. I'm hopeful I will be able to maintain my momentum on this one.

I've had this one planned for a couple of years, and finally picked up the Italeri U.S. Wrecker kit last year so I could get started.

My plans for the kit are to end up with something quite like this.

SRFWT35.jpg

The Italeri kit is a no brainer, it is the only LTL kit I know of. I'm planning on a piece of ABS pipe for the tank, heated and flattened into an elliptical shape (first time I've tried this so wish me luck) and various bits of styrene for the other tanker body components. I'll be stealing a Caterpillar 3406 from the Revell Peterbilt snap kit for power, then there is the daycab conversion which I have already done.

Here is where I currently sit. The kit comes with a fancy chrome grill shell, while the real truck has a smoothly integrated body color grill surround. Was easy enough to blend the grill into the hood, then mask off the bits that will stay chrome.

LTL1_zpscdee1624.jpg

LTL2_zpsd1e92172.jpg

LTL3_zpsef0df0d5.jpg

Hopefully will have more progress to report soon.

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I'm planning on a piece of ABS pipe for the tank, heated and flattened into an elliptical shape (first time I've tried this so wish me luck)

Maybe you could use the IMC/Lindberg Dodge L-700 Tanker's tank instead, similar to what Cliff did ('cept you might have to narrow it a bit?): http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59232

Looking good so far. :)

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I've got a Lindberg Tanker, but I've been wanting to try the PVC / ABS pipe method for quite some time. I even got a big pot special for the job.

bigpot_zpse21f1b11.jpg

Yes, Sir....Good job on matching the paint.....Great start....

Thanks, I've spent some time finding just the right shade of green, this sort of became a project all of it's own. :)

USFSgreen_zps2a2f2458.jpg

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Nice so far, heres a little trick that you could use for the tanker, the plastic really doesn't need to be heated, if you are using something like PVC

pipe, (we call it storm water pipe) try this experiment, cut say 4 inches of pipe, then cut your self a bit timber, or acrylic of say, 1/2 in thick and as wide as the tank you are making, apply pressure to the top to squash it, and slide the timber or acrylic into the centre and let go, watch what it does, the timber will be self centring, and will hold the shape real nice, obviously experiment with what you need to get the correct shape,but it won't alter over time or move when fixed, but you can infill if you want to, or fill with expander foam to hold shape

Heating PVC pipe with a flame releases very dangerous chemicals, including arsenic be careful with that stuff

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Thanks for the tip on putting something inside, I wouldn't have thought of that.

I was planning on using boiling water, not direct flame to heat the pipe. The chemical issue is part of why I'm using a dedicated pot rather than my wife's big stew pot. I'm not sure I want to eat out of a pot used to boil plastic. I'd never use this pot for food anyway, it came from an old building that at one time had a morgue in the basement, no telling what might have been "cooked" in the pot. :blink:

Edited by Aaronw
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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes, air actuated gravity dump on the back.

It does have a portable tank, but it is a soft side "pumpkin" style tank in a large box under the tank, not a fold-a-tank hanging on the side.

I've been away for 8 days, hoping to get back to this now. Got a little work done on the engine before I left, swapped the Cummins from the kit with the Caterpiller out of a Revell Kenworth.

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