What Year Are The Trucks

[Robert Myers]

I enjoy building heavy trucks, but I know very little about them. I do know a particular model of truck can span several years with very little or no visible changes. Has anyone put together a list of what years and what specific models the AMT, Revell, Ertl and others represent. I believe most of the AMT/Ertl would be 1970 something just from when they were released.

Then they try to confuse me even more. I have 7 different unbuilt IH cabover kits. I think some are 4050s and some are 4070s. I can see the differences in thos cabs but, the frames on the ones with the same cab are different length and even those have different suspensions on the same length frame. Is there any hope for us reality challenged??

I have built some of the older Peterbilts from Silverstate Specialties (I miss Him!!!!) and I really like to tell people the years they represent. I feel rather dumb when I have to say I don't know, around 1973 for the Diamond Reo, I think.

And ....most important....I have several tractors that were made from the Kenworth mixer kit. Before you shoot me for messing up the kits, I bought them built with no mixers. What years did the Kenworths have the torsion bar suspension and were there many road tractors that used it? I reall like them because they are different. No I don't want to sell them..(I have already turned down rediculous amonts of money for them)...I like them because they are different. They are going to get total rebuilds. One is just a frame, I wonder if peterbuilt used a torsion bar??????? See I don't know much! I just got lucky and bought cases of kits when the trucks were cheap in the early 1980s and everyone was trying to unload them. Now I want to do some quality builds.

Please feel free to add any knowledge you have, I am very curious. I am doing the research, but y'all can help a lot!!!!!

[mackinac359]

I'll give it a try here..

AMT's first truck kit was in '69, the Peterbilt 359 (kit #T500.) The last new AMT kit was in '77/78 with the Mack Cruiseliner, GMC General and Chevrolet Bison conventionals.

Most of the AMT product came out in '71-73, so most represent that time period. The AMT Peterbilt 359 (kit #T501) is a '75-78.

The Ertl International Transtar CO4070 (kit #8000, 1st in the series) is a '73. The Transtar II CO4070B is a '75-80. The big difference between the Transtar and Transtar II is the cab height. IH raised the cab off the frame for clearance for a bigger radiator and larger engines. They also redesigned the air cleaner canister and snorkle.

Peterbilt used Page and Page suspensions along with spring ride set-ups until the Western Unit Staibilaire air ride was developed in the mid 60s (AMT Kits T500 and T502 Peterbilt 352). The Staibilaire suspension was offered by Peterbilt until the early 70s when Peterbilt's Air Leaf and Air Trac suspensions were developed. (Sidebar: The Peterbilt Air Leaf was designed by Larry Sherman who also worked for International Harvester and designed the Emeryville conventional tilt hood and the Peterbilt 358 tilt hood). Freightliner bought the marketing rights to the Staibilaire suspension and used it for many years.

The Silver State Specialties Peterbilts were approximately 1945-55 vintage. The 350 was more of the 50's vintage. There is no kit based suspension that would be 100% accurate for the time period. The tandem spring ride in the White-Freightliner Dual Drive kit would be something close as it is very basic.

Tim

[Jim B]

I'm pretty sure that Kenworth phased out the torsion bar suspension by the mid 1980s with the advent of the 8-bag air-ride suspension. Maybe even a little earlier. The torsion bar was used on tractors (the actual "Movin' On" KW had a torsion bar suspension). The designation for the torsion bar suspension was W925 for the conventional and K125 for the cab over. It was unique to Kenworth. The designation for the spring suspension was W923 & K123 respectively until the designations were changed in the late 1970s to W900 & K100.

[ABC Auto Industry]

AMT's first truck kit was in '69, the Peterbilt 359 (kit #T500.) The last new AMT kit was in '77/78 with the Mack Cruiseliner, GMC General and Chevrolet Bison conventionals.

Most of the AMT product came out in '71-73, so most represent that time period. The AMT Peterbilt 359 (kit #T501) is a '75-78.

Yep.

Some more info: A bunch of the AMT kits were upgraded with CB radios & other accoutrements, so some of them changed years. For example, the original GMC Astro/Chevy Titan kits represented '69-'73 trucks, with: cab-mounted mirrors, square fuel tanks, slanted grab handles, low-mounted blinkers, & battery box steps. The upgraded kits resemble '74-'79 trucks, with: door-mounted mirrors, optional round fuel tanks, S-shaped grab handles that extend over the doors, high-mounted blinkers, & metal tube steps. They are also available with CB radios & roof-mounted dragfoilers. The current GMC Astro kit is the same, but curiously, there's no Chevy Titan to accompany it.

Also, didn't AMT release a BJ & the Bear Kenworth K-100 kit as well?

One other note: AMT was planning a Ford C-Series garbage truck, and though the box design was completed, the truck was unreleased.

[Ayatollah]

Don't feel bad, you really can't usually tell just by looking. You can spot stuff that gets you within range but they changed stuff on class 8's in mid year, or emission stuff changes from year to year. I have an 08 Freightliner I got Nov of last year, and in that same order I got one that was an '07. I've seen weirder stuff than that, but many aren't changed year to year, or they get glider kits, front end stuff, wreck repair etc. Those are a conglomeration of parts more than a car would be. You have about 60 different companies working to put a truck together. I agree with your point, the model kits are who-knows-what. It's even worse when you factor in the incorrect parts, slight changes between re-releases etc.

[Robert Myers]

Great information!!!! I am printing it and making notes so that my poor old mind won't loose it all.

Warren gave me good information with his Pete kits. I was able to order wheels and othere parts to make the specific models and year ranges, with his advise. I did several builds from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s of a couple different Peterbilt models. That was great. I know those resin cabs are still available, but I haven't dealt with the dealer yet. I don't know how much information he shares or if he is willing to taylor a sale to specific models or options. It must be a lot of work and time consuming to deal with all of the buyers.

Robert

[mackinac359]

Geeze, I forgot all about the Kenworth K100 Aerodyne COE ! AMT's last COE kit.

Tim

[Aaronw]

I've researched a few of the trucks, this is based on looking at the 1-1 and comparing to the kit. I don't know when the kits actually came out.

The Ford C was built from 1957-90 with minor modifications. The kit represents a truck built between 1968-83.

The Ford Louisville came out in 1970 and didn't have any major changes until 1996. The Cat 3208 diesel became an option in 1982 but I think the kit came out earler than this so I'm guessing AMT updated the kit at some point after '82. The Louisville got square headlights in '88 so the kit is before that.

The Ford Aeromax falls between 88-96.

[Ayatollah]

Mack also used the same cab as the old Ford C for some years as both Mack and Ford bought the cab from an outside company, forgot whom though. There's a firetruck here in the keys that is a Mack but people think it's ford with mack nameplates

[Aaronw]

Mack also used the same cab as the old Ford C for some years as both Mack and Ford bought the cab from an outside company, forgot whom though. There's a firetruck here in the keys that is a Mack but people think it's ford with mack nameplates

I really like the old Ford C so I've been doing some work digging up all the info I can. The cab was made by Budd, I knew Mack used the same cab for a few years but have since discovered it was sold as a Mercury in Canada and FWD used the cab too.

[Jim B]

Aaron,

I thought the Ford V200 V8 was the Cat 3208. Aren't they the same engine?

[Aaronw]

Aaron,

I thought the Ford V200 V8 was the Cat 3208. Aren't they the same engine?

I don't know motors that well, I didn't know the V200 V8 was the same as the 3208. I just know from looking though sales info online I found reference to the 3208 being an option in '82, perhaps that was when it started to be listed as a Cat instead of a Ford motor?

[Jim B]

That's a possibility, I'm not really sure either. In "Building Model Trucks" by Phil Jensen there are two photos on pages 44 & 45 that show the engine of a Ford LN/LNT8000 The engine is blue (or at least dark colored), and is labeled "Ford V200 Diesel by Caterpillar". I'd like to get that decal for my engine, but I don't know how to make them; and I don't want Caterpiller's lawyers pounding on my door for copyright infringments! The book is from 1973, so I'm assuming that the pic is from 1971 or '72. The engine "looks" like a 3208.

You might be right that they stopped listing the engine as a V200 and started listing it as a 3208 in 1982. What color is the engine in your sales broshure, blue or yellow? I've got a couple of Fords on the drawing board, and I'm trying to decide what color to make the engines. My curent Ford is a 1973 LN8000 with a blue 3208 (or V200), the others are a 1986 LNT8000 with a 3208, a 1996 LT9000 with a Cummins N14, and a 1986 LTS900 with a Cummins L10 (if I can find one). Would these engines all be blue, oe would they be yellow, black & grey respectively? I just don't know. Any ideas?

[Southgate]

You probably know that the suspension differences in the IH cabovers was not a change with the model years, but different options that were available. I once did a how-to tutorial on how to make the Hendrickson Suspension actually work. It was fun to do and not hard, but requires some patience. Could post it here if anyone's interested.

[Robert Myers]

You probably know that the suspension differences in the IH cabovers was not a change with the model years, but different options that were available. I once did a how-to tutorial on how to make the Hendrickson Suspension actually work. It was fun to do and not hard, but requires some patience. Could post it here if anyone's interested.

I would like to see a new thread posted with more detail!!!!! What confuses me is that the IH COEs kits all have different suspensions and frame lenghts in boxes that show no differences in kit number or detail on the box lid.

Robert

[SpreadAxle]

I would love to see a thread on how to do this. It would be a neat feature to add.

[Old Albion]

Robert,

I agree with Ray a " How to" thread on topics such as working suspensions would be a great thing. A sort of extension to the Ken Smith "Detailing Model Trucks" series. Maybe there could be found an area on the web site for such reference documents to be kept. I supose thats down to the people who run the web site. Just my thoughts.

[ABC Auto Industry]

Wow! That's a great looking International!

[Gregg]

I agree.

Let's get a thread and link started on the how-to's