Cornbinder

As a mod, I do stop in every day to check in on things, but I'll admit that I'm not posting as much as I could. Main reason? Well, let's just say I've run into some small foreign objects...

Three BMC Minis- the 1:24 Tamiya Morris on the left, a 1:43 Airfix Austin center, and another Tamiya Morris to the right. The Austin is tiny... about the size of the Spicer transmission in the AMT White Big 4 kits. The Tamiya kits will almost fit under the hood of an Ertl Transtar Eagle 4300!

And... just got these not too long ago.

I guess after 2015 being such a big year for heavy commercial modeling for me, it seems natural I'm going back to smaller subjects, lol!

Very cool!

And now the song by Stories is stuck in my head. 

It looks like it's just the exhaust pipe, flopped over the frame rail. 

I'll dig it out later, but I'll say that there really isn't much "detail" on the lift axle. I just added what I knew would be visible.

I've been wanting to throw together an old James House cement hauler for a while. I was glad to find that Jerry at modeltruckin.com does the proper decal graphics. I figured converting the hood to the SBFA configuration would be fairly simple, but GW trucks makes the hood in resin, so I opted to try that first.  The base for this is, of course, the old AMT DR. I'm using the early 90's reissue. 

First, here are a couple tractors I'm using as reference. This one will likely be #69, though it may end up being unit #65... if you have ever seen the movie "Collision Course" starring Jay Leno and Pat Morita, you have seen James House #65 pulling one of their custom-built powdered cement dumper. James House was part of Rex Transportation, so I'll also be using some photos of single-drive Rex Diamond Reos for inspiration. Here are a couple of 1:1 photos, courtesy of Tim Gibson.

Now, onto the model...

I kind of eyeballed the wheelbase, and used the hood to position the front axle. I don't think I got the wheelbase 100% correct, but it'll do for me. I also don't think I'll get the Anti-Sail mudflap quite right, but I can get it close, lol. Rear axle and suspension were pirated from a Ford Louisville- I may or may not use the fifth-wheel setup shown here. As far as tanks, battery boxes, and the like, it's basically just a matter of shuffling things around from their position as intended by AMT. 

#69 had the early style grille, so I made up a new insert. The AMT kit is missing a small chrome trim strip along the vertical centerline of the hood- on the real hood it is there to cover up a row of rivets which attach the skin to bracing underneath. To tell you the truth, I never even noticed this until Tim Gibson pointed it out to me... and he said he never noticed it himself until he bought his 1:1 Diamond Reo. I used the same thin square strip I used to make the details on the grille insert to make this trim piece. Naturally, it will be foiled after paint. 

I am not sure if I will do the model to look as it appeared in the junkyard, as it did in service, but I will say I'm not terribly interested in doing it in "as-new" condition, so let's just leave it at that. 

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. 

They look way better than my resin casting experiments, I will say that. 

Here's a link to all of them on Facebook- each photo caption contains a brief description. You can also check the Model Truck Showroom section of this forum, I've posted 'em all here. 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1688061751477883.1073741854.1620083014942424&type=3

And if you're interested in seeing all of my completed models, truck or otherwise, here they are, along with some sad, sappy piano music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9cm5j73eM&feature=youtu.be

I keep looking at this on the bench, but can't bring myself to work on it!  Oh well... I guess I have all winter.

Yeah- you can use pretty much any Italeri kit with the FLD chassis... that includes the Fords and Western Stars. I don't know if the FLC chassis is the same as the FLD kit chassis, but I'd imagine they are.

Just don't use one of the Pete kits and you should do just fine.

Already looks nicer than the average four-footer, that's for sure.

Thanks. I've seen those on some of the "stripped" fleet-spec models, and thought I'd give it a go on this one. Figured they'd fit better with the overall municipal theme.

It had later style rectangular lights on it when he bought it. It was still being used by a local pond digging/landscaping business, who had replaced the frame rails. When it was new it pulled Michigan Gravel Trains. Tim bought it, redid the graphics (twice in fact), put round lights back on it (new fenders) and tore off the big, gaudy light bar it had behind the cab. He says he gets a kick out of modern-day truck drivers complaining about things like their AC going out. He thinks about his Diamond Reo with it's rubber block suspension, 55 MPH top unloaded speed, and nothing but a little fan on the dash and thinks about how guys like that have no idea how good they have it. 

Here's how it looked not too long after he got it. He says he was actually pretty close to selling it this summer. Then he took his grandson for a ride in it and the kid fell in love with it. So... it's staying with the Gibson family for the time being.

Oh, I forgot, here is his '70 C-11464DB. This one's NOT a model, but he is working on a model of it. 

Tim sent a few more pics today. His most recent completions- a Diamond Reo Raider set-back Michigan Special, and an Autocar pulling a gravel train. Apparently his young grandson has claimed the Autocar as his. 

Got quite a bit done last night.

The crane and the subframe for the dump body are completed (as far as construction), and installed on the truck. I added hydraulic hoses to the crane, and put an amber flasher on the top of the folded boom. The hydraulic tank for the dump body is from the MPC gravel trailer. I may add a few more oil leaks here and there.

It's not so much the price as it is the fact that I only have one. Before the Diamond REO was reissued a few years back, I managed to nab an early '90's reissue for dirt cheap. But even then, I was a bit reluctant to tear into it, because I only had one, and if I messed up, it's not like I could trot on down to the local shop and nab another one that afternoon. And yes, same goes for resin conversion kits. Might be a few months before I can get a replacement. 

So do I... I just need to work up the nerve to get to it. This is one model I'd hate to screw up. 

First of all.... I'm going to clear the air on one thing.

MSRP on this is $177 US dollars. Now that they're not as thick on the ground, people are asking more for them. Is it worth it? Well, that's for you to decide. I, for one, have zero regrets!

The transkit comes in a sturdy cardboard box. A picture shows the contents of the kit, but there's nothing quite like having a peek inside...

The cab and floor castings are thick, but every detail that should be there, is there, and the molding quality is the best I've seen- zero pinholes or surface blemishes to be found. The sturdy box (which was carefully packed into another sturdy box for shipping) protected the kit while it was being mauled by the USPS, though there really aren't too many "dainty" resin parts in the kit.

Check THIS out... the roof and side panel detail for the sleeper is molded into the cab shell. I have no idea how KFS pulled this off, though I for one think I might have a hard time doing some of the details with it molded in place like that. All the same, I really got a kick out of seeing this. Such detail is rare for a commercial plastic kit, much less an aftermarket resin piece.

Other resin parts include the dash, side skirts, grille frame and splash apron. The radiator has the shroud and fan molded to it. Again, nary a flaw to be found in the castings. 

More resin parts, including the inner door panels, battery boxes, and intake/exhaust piping. These pieces exhibit more surface detail than many plastic kits I've seen! 

Some of the more delicate parts, such as the steering wheel and shifter, are done in white metal. Some not-so-delicate parts like the bumper and headlight bezels are also done in white metal, which can be polished to resemble chrome. Just the thing for the Alclad-challenged among us!

The windshield is vacuum formed- the rest can be taken care of with clear flat stock.

The kit includes metal and plastic tubing for making the exhaust, and for fashioning the cab hinge.

The photoetch sheet looks scary, especially if you (like me) suck at soldering. The wipers in particular look like they'll be "fun" if you aren't good at such things.

There are three decal sheets- two factory stripe motifs, plus a small sheet with details for the cab, including a choice of a woodgrain or aluminum gauge cluster.

So... I'm sure by now you have let the price sink in. And you know that you'll need a donor kit. KFS suggests the Freightliner FLD120, which is a bit odd as that is a set-back axle tractor, while the CL is a forward- axle... never mind the fact that a '90's Freightliner frame bears little resemblance to a '70's Ford unit. That being said, you'd need to track down one of those, and KFS's detailed instruction booklet tells you what you need to do to the Freightliner frame to fit the Ford cab. KFS also suggests reinforcing the front axles and spindles to cope with the weight. That's something you can't see in photos... this is a heavy sumbitch, by non-diecast-model standards!

As a lifelong Ford guy, I knew I had to have this kit when I saw it, no matter the price. Throw in the fact that my great uncle ran a couple of these in the late '70's and early '80's, that sealed the deal. You may not have the same kind of feelings or personal connection to the 1:1, but if you just plain want a cool looking old tractor, something you won't see 50 examples of at the next show, this might be right up your alley. Look at it this way.... building this is still cheaper than landing a real one, and the model will never require repairs, upkeep, insurance, or fuel. 

I can't wait for KFS to bring back the Michigan loader kit.... and one of their White Road Commanders looks pretty enticing, too...

I'm with you there. When talk of "best looking tractors/heavy trucks" comes up, it seems like the first thing I think of is a set-back Raider. Set it up on spoke wheels and a short wheelbase and there's no way I can resist. 

I won't rule it out. If nothing else I can "borrow" the one I did for my White Freightliner for this one.

Thanks! That means a lot coming from "the day cab guy".  I don't typically do day cab conventionals, but I just couldn't resist seeing how that plated Merc would look on this one.

Wrapped this one up just a few minutes ago.

Here she is... the finished Transtar "Restomod"...

If you followed the WIP (or if you didn't) here are the basics- Revell snap kit for chassis and hood, cab and bumper from an AMT glue bomb, Front wheels and all tires from an Ertl Transtar, rear wheels from a Diamond Reo. It has a Cummins NTC 475 from a Revell Black Magic Peterbilt and a hydraulic tank from an MPC Gravel Trailer. The paint is distressed Chrysler Intense Blue Pearl. The idea is an older rebuild (thus the old style cab with the 8-bag rear suspension) that's in need of a second rebuild, but still in usable condition.