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Here’s a 359 I built about 18 months ago, but never posted here. Representing a modern day version of a truck that is still serving it’s owner well after all the years. I posted it on the MCM forum, so some of you may have seen it already. It was an enjoyable build, and my second venture into weathering, which I now find to be much easier to build than a showroom clean model - it’s harder to screw it up, mistakes can be disguised. Thanks for checking it out.

This one began with the Ertl kit. The engine is a 6v-92T Detroit diesel. The dump bed was modified. It is meant to look like a refurbished truck that has found new life from someone wanting to start out in the dump trucking business. IMG_4675 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4646 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4650 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4639 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4641 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4625 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4666 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4676 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4685 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_4693 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

Rebuilding this IH dump I've had on the self for the last 40 years - I know, hard to believe that Ertl kit dates back to the mid 1970's. The first couple of pics is the original build with the dump bed removed, I did weather it some back then and that will remain. The new winch deck and everything thing else will be weathered slightly as this represents a working truck. I mean it is and IH after all ! The dual winches come from the discontinued Revell drop deck trailer #07533. Everything else is scratchbuilt. The cab/hood will be removed, reworked and repainted white with the lower half the same yellow to match the deck. The hydraulic oil tank caps both come off and are accessed by a hatch in the deck. I made all the hyd fittings and lines both soft and hard. Used a schematic found online for proper routing. More to follow when finished. Keep on truckin America !!

It looks like this barn find may need some work. There's a box on the front seat with the starter, the distributor, the carb, the air cleaner, and some tools. There's a brand new valve cover gasket though. All of the spark plugs are out of the engine and there's a can of Marvel Mystery Oil, so the engine is probably stuck. Maybe that's why there's a For Sale sign in the box too. IMG_1384 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_1385 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_1386 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_1387 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_1389 by Brian Smith, on Flickr IMG_1390 by Brian Smith, on Flickr

By filling in the square space left from removing the headlight surround with sheet styrene, one can minimize the amount of filler needed. I'm leery of Squadron putties, and they will shrink over time. I suggest superglue plus baking powder, or a two-part polyester putty like Evercoat.

Cool! I am building a real 4200 with a Mercury and the same scheme on the truck. Pic is photo shopped as she is still a day cab.

Work continues! The fenders were modified to give them an "old-school" kind of look, and to eliminate the huge gap between the fender lip and the tops of the tires. I also built up the kit bumper to a deep-draw bumper. I see 1:1 Pete's with fenders like these, but the bumper just has straight edges, and I just think it looks weird. I prefer the bumpers which continue the arc of the wheel opening, so that's what I did with mine. And now a quick mockup of the modified (but still unfinished) fenders and bumper with the grille in place, just to see where I stand.

I build a variety of model types- everything from HO scale buildings to RMS Titanic. But my favorite thing about the big truck kits is variation. There aren't too many other genres you can build in so many ways. Take the AMT Diamond REO. Right out of the box it makes a decent day cab or sleeper tractor. Or you can modify the hood (or get the hood from GW Trucks) and do it with a set back front axle. You could make up the steel butterfly hood and pit fenders for it. Or rework the existing grille to the earlier style... or even built it as a Diamond T or REO. You can leave it a tractor, or put a wrecker body on it. Or a cement mixer. Or a dump box... That's just one example, but you see what I mean. You can name pretty much any one truck kit out there, and then go on to come up with at least 20 or 30 different ways you could build it.

This is a replica of a truck that my dad drove back in the early 80s. I rode many a mile in that truck.

wow very nice

This build is in the books. My first full resin truck build went well. The trailer is from Lindberg and the truck is from AITM.

The original that was reworked was sent back to AITM and was cast again. This time with the shorter hood and 5 louvers. Since receiving it back the frame has been worked on and the drive train made up. I took the jackshaft from the Monogram Mack AC kit. The sprockets and chains are from Micro-Mark. Wheels came from the AMT ALF kit and the tires are resin castings. Lots of small stuff done to create the front axle so that the wheels can be posed. King pins are brass tubing. Tie rod the same. Next up will be do make the steering arm and connect it to a steering box. Also about 1/4" was cut off the bottom of the hood and cab. Many Sterlings were cut just below the door lines.

Yes we need a ton of overhead protection! Here is our Shoreham rig I started a few years ago. I scaled up a 1/35 GMC to scratch build it in1/25. Still doing the tank, pumps, hose reels and froward below bumper spray units. Now the Long Island built Fire-Matic factory built units are replacing the ex mil units here

I've seen some pretty heavy units down your way as well, Paul! You tend to do a lot more protection over the top than we do. Here are a couple more examples of Cape Cod rigs. In 1952 this was one of the ways in which they were done. Not much protection here! This one is more up to date and in fact was upgraded about 7 years ago.

It seems like every truck model with a tilt hood has something off about the fit of the hood to the cab. It seems like if you build by the instructions they never line up the way they should. Here's one area where you will want to ignore the instructions. The instruction sheet usually has you install the cab, then the hood. If you do it that way, chances are good you'll never have an even fit between the hood and cab at the cowl. Hood-to-cab fit is always iffy in general when a tilting hood is concerned, and on those old AMT truck tractor kits in particular. That's not to say that other manufacturers kits are any better, but the AMT kits seem particularly iffy. You can fight the hood fit all day and still not get it looking good, but it's easier to install the hood first, and then tailor the position of the cab to suit, rather than vice-versa. The first thing you want to do is to install the hood hinges to the back of the grille- make sure you get them as close to straight, level, and even as you can. On the chassis, the openings for the hinge pins can be opened up slightly. That will give you a bit more "wiggle room" so that you can fine tune the hood position. Tape cab to the hood, making sure the rear of the hood fits tight and flush against the cowl of the cab. On a kit like the White Road Boss, where the hood isn't meant to fit against the cowl, this can be trickier, but still workable. Gently close the temporarily unified hood/cab to get a feel for any modifications you will need to do to the cab's mounting points. Now, onto the cab mounts themselves. You may have to remove material from the top of each of the front cab mounts. You may also want to move the rear cab mount/crossmember a couple millimeters forward of it's intended position. You can install it in the intended location, but know that you may need to bend the mounts forward and/or trim material from the top and possibly rear of them. Here are a few photos explaining the process, on Tim Ahlborn's Fotki page- http://public.fotki.com/mackinac359/how-i-did-it/amt-white-western-s/ Tim's tutorial uses an AMT White Western Star, but the same basic techniques can be used on any kit.

Got the details on the air tank mounts added, rear cab pad, the exhaust "rattle box" done, fifth wheel plate mounted and partial details added and the fuel tanks built and detailing started. Started the cab. Cut the sleeper area down, made a grill for it and added vent window posts. The windshield divider was a bit of work as the windshield is Vee'd only 10 degrees. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

Ron Andrews at RMR has taken possession of all the R&R molds. He is currently working his way through them and getting them ready to add to his catalog.

For those who like pictures. The ass end is just about done. Now for the hard part. Those are resin lights from P&P. Scratch built the mount and shot it with Alclad II. The turn signal is a small diameter aluminum pipe with the marker lights from the extra Peterbilt kit I had to buy. Thanks dog for eating my homework...

Looking real good. Working on that motor would be zero fun.

this is a fairly old build.If my stuff turns out as nice as this one I'm happy,as its my favorite

I use dollar store super glue and super glues fix all adhesive on a toothpick it's like rubber and doesn't discolor things and keeps things in place without having to hold etc works really good if careful. works great repairing leather too because it's flexible great stuff super cheap at a buck a tube and it's a big tube

I had to backtrack some of the build. I have reworked the drive gear main boom and upper boom support, and added the outer boom, cylinders and a few other odds and ends. Progress has been slow as I am learning as I build and it needs a little putty and sanding but I am pretty happy thus far. Note: not sure if the part names are correct, not an expert...

lowered the front and rear. Scratched built the stack rack and moved the left tank forward. She's coming along slowly but getting there.

Two trucks I built some years back, right after each other. A Revell of Germany Peterbilt 359, pretty much box stock except for the engine, I spooned in the CAT 3406 from a SnapTite kit. The Kenworth W-900A is built box stock. On the Pete I painted the "Seminole" livery myself, pulled a little trick by extending the paint job over the radiator crown, making the hood look longer. With the company decals and the custom license plates, the trucks look related although they're pretty different.

Very nice. I dig the Canadian spread look.