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Showing content with the highest reputation since 09/05/2015 in all areas

  1. 4 points
    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.
  2. 3 points
  3. 3 points
    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
  4. 3 points
    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 !!
  5. 3 points
    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
  6. 3 points
    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.
  7. 3 points
    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.
  8. 3 points
    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.
  9. 3 points
    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.
  10. 2 points
    This is a replica of a truck that my dad drove back in the early 80s. I rode many a mile in that truck.
  11. 2 points
    This rig is now ready for a trip through the woods. Once or twice doing that though and it won't look so bright and shiny. But that is what they are built for and are (or were) quite successful at it. Here are photos of the last couple of sessions adding small details to the rig that finish the build.
  12. 2 points
    I just wanted to make a quick note to say thank you to the admins at Model Truck Discussion, Model Truck Mafia, Building Big Rigs Tips and how did you do it and Model Trucks Other Than Pete or KW for allowing me advertise MTB.com in their Facebook groups. Thank you to those that have given me permission to post images of their builds in the gallery, to those who have added their own images and to those who have posted in the forums. Finally, thanks to all who have visited and/or registered. I hope you find your way here often, contribute content when and where you can, and most importantly, find the site useful and enjoyable. Please do not hesitate to let me know what I can do to make MTB.com better. --Casey
  13. 2 points
    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.
  14. 2 points
    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
  15. 2 points
    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.
  16. 2 points
    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...
  17. 2 points
    Looking real good. Working on that motor would be zero fun.
  18. 2 points
    this is a fairly old build.If my stuff turns out as nice as this one I'm happy,as its my favorite
  19. 2 points
    I think everybody has that one special truck or tractor that just jumps out at them. When talk turns to "all-time favorites", we all have one that stands out above all the others. For me, that bogey is the Diamond Reo Raider. While I like both versions of the Raider, I tend to lean more toward the set-back front axle type. There's just something about that broad, tall grille, blunt bumper, and the slope of those square-ish fenders that just "nails it" for me. Think of the Raider as kind of what the International LoneStar is today... basically, the LoneStar is a ProStar with a unique hood, bumper, and more lux features, right? Well, that's essentially what the Raider was. Underneath the skin, it was standard fare Diamond Reo, but offered a unique look and exclusive options. The Raider was the flagship of the brand during the years it was owned by Alabama resident Francis Cappaert, who had purchased Diamond Reo from the White Motor Company in 1971. However, the company soon found itself in financial hardship. Just around the time the Raider was going into production, Diamond Reo filed for bankruptcy. The following year the company was taken over by Pennsylvania's Loyal Osterlund. The Raider disappeared, along with the compact tilt cab Rouge model. Fewer than 50 Rouges were ever built, and the Raider was in production for less than a year. Under Osterlund, Diamond Reo focused on custom-built heavy trucks and tractors, and it was during the Osterlund years that the iconic Giant was released. Some 150 trucks were produced each year, to customer's orders, until 1995, when the Diamond Reo name ceased to exist. Today, when you mention the name Diamond Reo, most people will respond with either a blank stare, or "Yeah... aren't they a country band?" Anyway... back to the story at hand. Like I said, I just love the way the set-back Raider looks. That front end, the classic lines of the Driver Cab (originally an Autocar design dating back to 1950) are great enough on their own, but set it up on spoke wheels and a short wheelbase, and all those traits conspire to create one brutish looking machine. I have only ever seen one Raider in the flesh. It is owned by a local salvage yard- they use it to transport their auto crusher. The owner of the yard had a Diamond T many years ago, and when the opportunity came to purchase the Raider, he jumped on it. This Raider is a typical Michigan Special. Okay.... I hear some of you saying "What is a Michigan Special"? Basically, it is a short-wheelbase tractor, set up to haul heavy loads.... up to 75 gross tons on eleven axles. Years ago Michigan law dictated a short wheelbase for certain applications. Now, there are no restrictions on wheelbase. But during the years of more stringent laws, the short, dual-drive tractors were a common sight. Front axle capacities of up to 20,000 pounds were allowed, so in many cases flotation tires were used on the steer axle. Many had cast spoke wheels and double frames, and more than a handful had hand-painted scrollwork and numbered flags. In fact, I'd be willing to bet quite a few truckers would argue it's not a "real" Michigan Special without such graphics, regardless of how it's spec'd out! Of course, I've always wanted to build a model of a Raider, in set-back, Michigan Special form. I always have an AMT Diamond Reo kit or two on hand, and I recently obtained a very old Frank Gortsema resin casting of a set-back Raider. And after spending a few minutes poking around the salvage yard's Raider, I had a pretty solid idea of what I wanted... I opted not to do a full-on replica, more of a lookalike. The old slush-casting had a weak roof, so the cab was cut away and replaced with an AMT piece. The inconsistent thickness and sheer weight of the hood led me to attach it to the cab, rather than try for a tilting hood. Another detail is the grille- on the real Raider, the grille frame tilts with the hood, while the vertical bars and diamonds (insert) stay vertical, attached to the radiator core support. The casting lacks the holes in the bumper- given the nature of the old, brittle resin, I opted not to cut them into the bumper for fear of shattering it. I think the fact that this was built using the vintage Gortsema castings adds to the overall "feel" of the model... almost like it has a little scale modeling history built right into it. In this picture the "stubby-ness" of a Michigan Special tractor is evident. The kit battery boxes and tanks were used, just re-positioned a bit. I don't recall how much I cut out of the wheelbase- I just eyeballed things and hoped for the best. The front axle was also moved rearward. I robbed the exhaust stacks from an Italeri parts set. The entire model was weathered to appear as a tractor that was showing its age, but had been mostly well maintained. Also note it's wearing three different types of tires... Michelins on the front, Goodyears on the forward drive axle, and Uniroyals on the rear axle... apparently nobody told this Raider's skinflint owner about the dangers of mixing radials and bias-plies! This was done for two reasons. One... old rigs like this never have the same tires- the owner will typically run whatever is cheapest when the time comes to buy a new tire. And because the Michelins are just a bit taller than the kit supplied Goodyears, the middle axle would have been off the ground. This is also why I used the Uniroyals at the rear, they are just a tad shorter than the Goodyears. So, by going from tallest to shortest as I went rearward, I ensured that all ten tires would sit flat, and gave the tractor a slight tail-down stance... just perfect for a loaded trailer! The flags were made from white decal film, hand painted and topped with a dry transfer number. I've had the door lettering for years, the decal graphics came from the original 1999 run of the Revell '41 Chevrolet pickup. Unfortunately, these graphics are not in the current "Trucks" reissue. Killins Gravel Company actually did exist at one time, and I've found quite a few old photos showing the site. No idea if they were still around in the '70's or if they ever had a Diamond Reo, but it's a model, so why can't I suspend reality just a tad? During test fits the cab tilted to the rear a bit. I decided to keep the look- it gives the impression of broken-down cab mounts. I also went with a flat rear frame... the frame just plain ends after the mud flap brackets. It looks a little bare with no trailer lines back there, but I might get to that when/if I ever build a trailer for this. As a Michigan Special, it could pull pretty much anything, from a flatbed full of coiled steel bound for an auto plant, to a pair of end-dump gravel trailers. Seeing as how it's lettered up for a gravel pit, I'd imagine I'll have to gunk up a gravel dump for it. I guess we'll see. Anyway, that's about it, I hope you enjoyed reading all that drivel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a forward-set Raider I need to get around to building....
  20. 2 points
    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
  21. 2 points
    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...
  22. 2 points
    lowered the front and rear. Scratched built the stack rack and moved the left tank forward. She's coming along slowly but getting there.
  23. 2 points
    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.
  24. 2 points
    The Original Super Glue (two in a package for a buck at Dollar General), usually the thin stuff (red cap) but occasionally I'll use the gel (green cap). I use good old white craft glue for things like clear lenses. I also live dangerously sometimes and use it on clear parts, if the glue surface isn't exposed, in which case I'll revert to the white glue. Yes, cyanoacrylate glue can "fog" clear and chrome parts, but usually a quick swipe or two with a polishing cloth or a thin, brushed on coat of Pledge Future floor polish (or whatever clear you prefer to use) will do away with that. I used to use two-part epoxy but never liked it- just too messy for me.
  25. 2 points
    Very nice. I dig the Canadian spread look.
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