Cornbinder

Welcome back! Yeah- Facebook can be about as bad as junior high. Nowhere near as bad as Twitter but still.

I think everybody here is familiar with Maximum Overdrive, the 1986 Stephen King schlockfest. Not as many people seem to know about "Trucks", which was a 1997 movie based on the same Stephen King short story, also called "Trucks". Trucks was shot on a much lower budget and was not directed by King, in addition to being much less entertaining and having a much more downbeat ending. But there is one strange similarity between the two. In both movies, the "main villain" is a Western Star semi tractor. Of course, in Maximum Overdrive it is the Happy Toyz Green Goblin (technically a White Western Star), and in Trucks the bad guy is the Westway Refrigerated rig, an early '90's Western Star. I find it odd that it's a Western Star in the movie, when in the original short story I seem to remember the main "bad guy" truck being an old Mack. I was watching Trucks again today, and noticed something I'd never noticed before. Granted, it's been about ten years since the last time I watched the movie, but I can't believe I never saw this before. Here she is after going crazy and tormenting the human characters in the movie. Take note of this- '80's '90's Western Star with the Heritage Cab. Not quite as imposing or memorable as the Green Goblin, but hey, this is a low-budget horror flick... I don't even remember if Trucks got a theatrical release, or if it was straight to video. Just take note... rectangular headlights (IMCDB says it's a '92 model), and two-hole steel wheels up front. Later on, after ditching it's trailer, the Star gets blown up. It disappears from the movie just long enough for you to kind of forget about it, then, BAM, it comes back one last time to try and take out the humans before they make their final escape. The explosion that damaged the Star must have been severe enough to have opened a portal in time/space, because now it not only has cast spoke wheels, but it also seems to be about 15 to 20 years older. I have no idea why, but vehicular continuity errors always amuse me.

Basic buildup of the AMT kit with an old AITM hood and bumper. Wheels from the White Frieghliner Dual Drive were used, along with smoke stacks from a snap KW. Door handles were updated to the pushbutton type by using handles from a Revell '64 Chevy pickup. Paint is Chrysler Intense Blue Pearl was used for paint. The decals (the driver's side door graphic silvered on me ) came from the original 1999 issue of the Revell '41 Chevy pickup. All in all, pretty pleased with how it turned out.

This one took shape in the "International Incident" thread in the in-progress section. It's the first of three Internationals started around the same time to be completed. In June of 2018 I repaired a glue bomb Loadcraft lowboy to hitch to it- eventually there will be a junked semi tractor on the trailer.

Sucks about the visor, but I love the finished tractor.

Only Dodge in the '70's could have made a giant box look that cool. Love that color combo.

I need to do something like this one of these days.

Sha;ing up well. I need to get a Crackerbox going one of these days.

This started out with the dump truck kit, naturally. I wanted to get this one done before that kit got reissued too. I converted it into a tractor by cutting about a scale foot and a half from the wheelbase, adding a deck plate, and a fifth wheel. I also used the fenders from the Mack DM 600. The engine was upgraded to a turbo using the NTC parts still included in the kit, and an intake tube borrowed from a Western Star.

Love it! It would look great set up on a lowboy being pulled by a restored tractor.

Always nice to see one of these detailed.

Best use I've seen for the old Orange Blossom cab. I need to do an F-600 barn find one of these days.

Shaping up nicely!

I love it! One of these days I plan to try something similar with a Diamond Reo. Along the lines of this...

Nice! This already has way more fab work than most of my finished models.

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

It's possible. It's damned near impossible to see inside the cabs to these kits but if I do a little extra interior work I might cut away the side glass for the "rolled down" window look. In that case a second stick might be added.

I've actually been working on this for a little while now, but it's far along enough to at least look interesting. I began with the AMT White Road Boss, and a set of styrene frame rails from TL Model Trucks. So far, here's a tally of what I've done. AITM Autocar hood conversion. I filed away the cast in headlights and will be using the separate bezels and lenses from the WWS, which are still included with the Road Boss kit, despite not being needed. Front wheels, battery boxes, taillights, and (probably) mudflaps from the Autocar tractor kit. I'll also use that kit's hood side scripts rather than the cast lettering on the AITM hood. Lift axle made using spare bits and pieces from an AMT tanker. For power I'm leaning toward a V12 Detroit.... I don't know if I'll go with a resin one or just wait for the Super Boss kit to come back out. Yes, that's right... I said it... it has been confirmed that the Super Boss is making a return trip first quarter of this year. I'm good for a couple just for the engine. I may or may not go with a sleeper- I tend to favor day cabs, but this is kind of shaping up like an old Alaskan or East Coast hauler. For me adding a sleeper would be an unexpected twist. I have decided on a color- Chrysler Forest Green pearl. I may go with some silver or gold accents, but don't hold me to that.

This is the recent reissue of the MPC kit, fitted with a tanker body from a modified Lindberg trailer kit. Scratchbuilt water piping and nozzles were added and the whole mess was weathered.

I built the '59 tractor several years ago- it's the AMT kit back-dated to a '59 model, but retrofitted with a later model Cat V8. The trailer is the Lindberg unit built as a short single axle unit, and it carries a '69 Ford F-350 wrecker.

This is the AITM cab kit on a scratchbuilt chassis, with a scratchbuilt early '50's Ford 9' Express bed, all perched on modified C-600 suspension. The idea is something that a small truck dealer might have tossed together as something of a rolling business card.

Love this one. And I haven't seen snaps like that in ages... they look pretty good as a 1:25 headlight and trim ring. :)

I love 'em! I'd really like to see the Astro reissued with the Turbine and the infamous "bus" mirrors.

Here is a shot of the engine and transmission in place. The engine is a Detroit V-12 from GW Trucks- it is hooked up to the Road Boss transmission. The A64B tapered rear frame rails were used, along with the tail lights, and a Pennsylvania plate was nabbed from the Revell auto transporter. Fiberglass-nosed Autocars used an 18" battery box with an integral step. I modified the A64B battery boxes by narrowing them and making the steps from square plastic strip. The narrowed box is up top, and the kit box is below. Here are the finished boxes, with the steps installed, mounting brackets added, and re-scribed panel lines.

You saw the in-progress here... http://www.modeltruckbuilder.com/index.php?/forums/topic/71-diamond-reo-raider-sbfa-michigan-special/#comment-236 Now here's the end result. I may do a little touchup and add some grease caps to the front wheels, but it still looks pretty good up on the shelf all the same.