Autocar A64b With 5 Axle Advantage Dump Trailer.

[Old Albion]

With the re-release of the excellent Autocar A64B I decided I would have a go at building one so over the New Year period I made a start. The Autocar will be complete with a 5 axle dump trailer. Year will be about 1971 or there abouts.

General (Hopefull) Specification as follows:

Autocar A64B

1/ Frame length as per AMT kit.

2/ Butterfly Hood to operate and will be extended by a scale 10".

3/ Front axle heavy duty cast metal.

4/ Brakes will be fitted to the front axle.

5/ Wide high flotation spoked steer wheels and tyres will be fitted.

6/ Steering gear will operate.

7/ Rear walking beam suspension will operate.

8/ Rear wheels will be spoked with heavy duty drive axle tyres fitted.

9/ Engine a Detroit Diesel 12V71TA rated at 525HP. Twin exhaust stacks with short curved pipes after the mufflers to be mounted behind the cab on their own frame.

10/ Wet Line Hydraulic System. Pump to be driven of a PTO on the transmission. Tank to be mounted on the drivers side of the frame.

11/ Both drivers and passanger doors to open.

12/ Colour of frame, fuel tanks, front fenders French Blue. Colour of cab grey. Colour of wheels orange. Truck to be weathered.

5 Axle Dump Trailer.

The specification has now been finalised. It will be based on a 1972 Advantage trailer.

This project is in the very early stages, so if anyone has any ideas let me know and I will consider them. I can see this project taking a long time to finish. I have had to make a lot of changes just to get the big Detroit between the frames. The steering gear was a bit of a challange but I've sorted it now. I put the specification together just for fun and I've no doubt I will have to change things as I go along. So please don't hold me to it. Does anyone have an Autocar build sheet which shows the format? (It would be good to produce an Autocar build sheet to go with the truck)

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-a64b-with-5/

Hope you enjoy the project.

Edited March 28, 2009 by Old Albion

[mackinac359]

Wow! Ambitious !

Tim

[ABC Auto Industry]

Wow! That's quite the project!

I have an idea: put a heavy-duty front bumper on and maybe a heavy-duty grille guard to give it a real heavy-duty look.

[SpreadAxle]

Cool project Dave! Are you going with an axle forward setup, or are you going to leave the set back front axle?

[Old Albion]

Thanks for the comments!

Dylan,

I will be fitting the grill guard from the kit. What does the Autocar heavy duty bumper look like? Do you have a photo?

Ray,

The front axle will be set back as per the kit, this will help with weight distribution and give a better turning circle. The truck and trailer will be from Michigan, I don't know anything about axle loadings or overall lengths of vehicles in the state. So I shall be relying on photographs and any other bits of information I can find. The tractors appear to be short wheel base but heavy duty which suits the Autocar well.

[ABC Auto Industry]

Dylan,

I will be fitting the grill guard from the kit. What does the Autocar heavy duty bumper look like? Do you have a photo?

Perhaps you could use the bumper from the DC-64 dump truck kit.

[Old Albion]

Just thought I would show a little update to show the progress so far. You will see that the engine is 99% finished. Still to be weathered and electric cables to be added to the altenator generator. Next will be detailing the transmission. The exhaust pipes from the turbochargers back are to close to the hoses and cables on the rear auxillary drives and might melt due to the heat. So I may have to bring the pipes to the outside of the frames and then under the diesel tanks, using the tank brackets for supports. I'll think about that later.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...4binprogre.html

Thanks for looking.

PS Just a little side note (Caution). You will see from my photo's the drive axle tyres I'm using are heavy duty drive axle type. These are the ones from KFS. Beware they will not fit the KFS wheels that Howard supplies I found this out by chance when I tried to fit one of the tyres to a spoked drive wheel. The tyre is too wide and the inside diameter is too small. To overcome the probem I will be manufacturing some new wheel rims to suit the new type of tyres. I'll keep you informed how I go on.

[Turbo590]

Dave...your are off to a fantastic start...

The pictures you have provided in your FOTKI album...lets just say...wet's the appetite..for more

Look forward to seeing more of your build as well. WAY COOL!!

Kurt McLucas

[Old Albion]

Is it really January since I last posted something on My Autocar?? I can not believe that it is 8 months ago. Well anyways I have made some progress. The frame is painted and engine is installed. Front steering works, rear suspension works to. The engine is installed, complete with radiator and exhaust stacks. I have done most of the plumbing. There is still some touching up to do on the frame and I'm waiting for the wheels. But I have made some progress. I need to get some decals made and need a good supplier. Any thoughts? I cut the doors out of the cab ready for hinging. Still a long way to go but I'm getting there slowly.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...nprogre-12.html

Hope you enjoy and Thanks for looking.

Best Wishes

Dave Bates

[gary westervelt]

Hey Dave nice job on that working suspension.Looks like it'll be a contest winner when it's finished.

[Old Albion]

Latest update on this project.

I have been working on the trailer over the winter. I found some photo's of a 1972 Advantage 5 axle trailer on Truckpaper.com. This looked an excellent candidate for my Autocar, being from about the right period as the A64B. Once I had set my mind on what I wanted to build progress was pretty quick. The building of the trailer is virtually complete and it is now ready for paint. I like to do my painting in my little workshop outside, but the weather has been a bit to cold of late to be airbrushing. So I will wait for it to warm up a bit. I am also waiting for some Auslowe 5 spoke wheels from Chris at Sourkrauts. The Autocar is also coming to a conclusion although there is still a lot of work to do I am making some progress. I have added a few photo's to my Fotki album.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...progressat.html

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...inprogress.html

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...arlyreadyf.html

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...th5axletra.html

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...ofautocarw.html

Thanks for looking.

Best Wishes

Dave

[Ben]

That is some outstanding work Dave! I would love to see more "in progress" shots of the trailer being built! In particular, how you did the side bracing and dirt sheds.

Really sharp looking so far!!!!!!!!!!

[Southgate]

Very impressive work so far. I like that working rear suspension.

[SpreadAxle]

Dave, this is amazing work! Definately a model to be proud of.

[Turbo590]

3-30-09

Dave....WELL its about time...you posted something...And when you do..It is AMAZING...great scratch building, and the 1/16th engine looks great too.

Good to see you building...I enjoy seeing them..

Kurt

[ki4dsy]

that is a very nice build you have going on. cant wait to see it when its done. where did you find the paint for your driptroit? im having trouble finding that color. maybe you can help me out.

[Old Albion]

Many Thanks for the kind comments!

I will get some additional photo's this weekend and put them up on my Fotki site. The trailer sides are made from sheet styrene (evergreen, etc) The strengthening ribs are plastruct box section. Fot the dirt sheds i cut out individual pieces of styrene, carefully shaped to fit.

The Detroit engine colour on my Autocar is not quite the right colour. The correct colour is Detroit Alpine Green. I think Duplicolor supply this???? There have been one or two posts in the past regarding engine colours. But cannot remember which ones. Maybe try a search on Detroit Alpine Green??

I'm going to try and get ready for paint over the Easter weekend. Things are certainly starting to warm up here now. Spring is definately in the air and my favourite month. The only downside is we are rapidly approaching the Hayfever season.

Best Wishes

Dave

[Ben]

Hey Dave, were you ever able to take more pics of your dump trailer? I'd love to see them if you have any!

[Old Albion]

Ben,

Just added a few new photo's. I haven't been able to do any work on the trailer or Autocar this Easter. Been working in the yard and been helping my Brother-in-Law collect a used Caterpillar fork truck. Excellent little machine a V50 with a 4 cylinder 1404 propane engine. Only 6 years old and in very good condition.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...with-5/001.html

The quality of the photo's is not to good. The white plastic reflects to much light hiding details. Yes you have guessed I am no expert with a camera.

Best Wishes

Dave

[Ben]

WOW, that is really something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see more as you go!!!

[SpreadAxle]

The Detroit engine colour on my Autocar is not quite the right colour. The correct colour is Detroit Alpine Green. I think Duplicolor supply this???? There have been one or two posts in the past regarding engine colours. But cannot remember which ones. Maybe try a search on Detroit Alpine Green??

Dave, Duplicolor makes an Alpine Green spraypaint. I use it on my Detroits and it looks pretty good.

[Old Albion]

Hello Folks,

Appologies for not posting for a while. Its been a pretty busy time this summer and have not been able to make much progress on any of my projects. Sounds familiar? Anyway I have done some work on the trailer and truck. The trailer wheels arrived a couple of months ago and I have finally got them painted and weathered. I temporarily fitted them to the trailer just to see how they look. I made some rear fenders for the Autocar and fitted them also. I have the brass sheet for the butterfly hood, once this is made its painting, which I am hoping to complete through the Autumn and probably have the whole thing done by Christmas. " Best made plans of mice and men" springs to mind.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-...complete01.html

Best Wishes

Dave

[SpreadAxle]

Lookin' good Dave. Definately a build to be proud of.

[chuckyr]

Nice trailer. The scale and proportions are among the best I have seen in a scratch built dump trailer. Several questions, are you going to:

Make a working tarp cover mechanism?

Completely plumb the brakes, hydraulics and electrical linesâ€

And

Use Alclad paints on it?

What brand is it modeled after?

[Old Albion]

Ray,

Thanks for the comments. Its good to hear from you again. How is the Pete running?

Chuck,

Yes I will be making a working Tarp system.

I will be plumbing the air lines and hydraulic lines but probably not the electrics. My fingers are a bit too big for that kind of detail!

The trailer is based on a 1972 Advantage trailer that I found for sale in truckpaper.com It looked just what I was looking for. Right number of axles, right year for the Autocar, right size shape etc. Just a great looking trailer. My model trailer differs slightly I have air suspension fitted on all axles (The front two are air lift axles, well my version) The frame will be painted blue as the tractor and the body will be grey and use ordinary enamel paints. I'm not very good at painting so I prefer to use the simple enamels.

Thanks for commenting

Best Wishes

Dave