1950 Peterbilt 350 Logger

[Dusty-Jeeper-60]

Hey everybody, this will be my first buildup post on the forum as well as my first semi truck build, I have only built smaller muscle cars before this. 

I started with an American Industrial Truck Models 380 Pete conversion kit, while using AMT's Kenworth 925 kit as my donor truck. My prototype is going to be a 1950 Pete 380 Log truck that is still in relatively good condition with very minimal weathering. I'm planning on building it heavier than most log truck models you see as I want it to look like the early loggers that hauled massive dangerous loads over nasty terrain. Seeing as how outrageously expensive the peerless log trailer kits have gotten, and the fact that I would need to modify the kit to better match a earlier style trailer, I will be building mine from scratch to look a like a period correct Page trailer.

It should be a fun build but will probably take a while as I want to be able to hold the same amount of high detail as I have seen from other modelers on this forum so don't expect quick results!!! 😎

 

 

[Dusty-Jeeper-60]

I've started by mocking up the frame and the cab. I ended up having to lengthen the frame by 4 inches to achieve the length I needed, this was kind of unfortunate as I figured by starting with w925 kit that had a sleeper, it would be long enough since my truck is a just a day cab; this was not the case.

Once that was done I started by building up the engine, another reason I got the w925 kit was because of the big inline six Cummins it has, something that would have also been found in my early 50s Pete. The quality of detail on the AMT engine is OK, not anything amazing, but enough to work with if your willing to spend the time scratch building a lot of your own parts. I was expecting a little more seeing as how this kit was reworked before they rereleased it. I ended up dechroming all of the engine parts, in which I found the chrome had hidden some of the details and helped me in the painting process. I still need to go through and build all of the pulleys, accessories, wiring, and tubing on the engine which is going to be long process but well worth it.

 

[Cornbinder]

Already liking it. I was wondering why you'd start with a KW but that Cummins engine has potential. 

[Dusty-Jeeper-60]

Yeah, it was the closest thing I could find to the early Cummins NHC 200 that would have come in the truck from the factory. 

While I haven't had much time to work on it I have got some of the pulleys and belts roughly situated along with the intake and generator. There's still lots to go on the engine but since everything is being scratch built its going slow.

 

 

 

[DRIPTROIT 71]

I like this project! Looking forward to more!!