vincen47

Can’t offer any help, but may I suggest asking over at the Model Cars Magazine forum? It gets a lot more traffic and I’m sure there’s a truck guy over there that has built those kits.

Another beautiful wrecker build!

Yes, same paint scheme. Black and chrome. I wanted to get the trailer built and primed so I could paint the RV and trailer at the same time, too.

Very nice build. I like the subtle weathering, and detail on the white engine. Nice photo etched upgrade on the grille. The Moebius tires are also an improvement. One of the best 352s I’ve seen in a while.

Started the outer sidewalls and front cap. I used some Galaxie trailer parts for the front cap, but widened them, and used a leftover 3d printed radius curve section from the RV body for the top portion. It’s roughed in, requiring more putty and sanding. I added an interior step well for the side entry door. The wheel wells will eventually get curved outer fenders to match the tires, along with the lower side panels to match the RV. Cut out the side entry door. That’ll be operational, along with the rear ramp door. Next, the sidewalls will get an inner framework and interior walls. Lots of body work.

Thanks! Glad you think it’s cool like I do. It’s an odd build, not a common subject to model.

I’m beginning work on the stacker trailer, with the plan to paint the coach body and trailer at the same time. The trailer will be loosely based on 24’ triple-axle models from Intech and T&E trailers, typical of what’s being custom-built today for use behind toterhomes and diesel pushers. It’ll match the 379 RV - all black with stainless lower sides. I plan to have a fully-detailed interior with cabinets and a 14’ lift. For the frame and floor, I’ve sourced parts from a partially-built Galaxie Limited 5th wheel enclosed trailer kit. I modified the length to match a scale 24’, added the bumper pull tongue from another kit and lengthened the tongue to a scale 5’ (extended tongues make it less likely to hit the coach body in sharp turns). Out of the box, the floor width is too narrow, so it was widened 1/8” on each side with styrene strip for an overall width of 102” (with the sidewalls in place) in 1/24 scale. I cut out the kit’s inner fenders and replaced them with taller and longer ones made from styrene sheet. The wheels and tires will be 19.5”, and the axles will have a 42” spacing, more typical of modern stacker trailers. To lower the ride height of the floor to the more realistic 14” ground clearance of most stackers, I modified the frame for the axles. I’m using the kit’s inner wheels as rudimentary disc brake assemblies to add width to the axles. The wheels are oval hole 19.5s from Scenes Unlimited. Tires are 19.5 Bridgestone steer/trailer tires from Moluminum. Next, I’ll be working on the sidewalls.

Not much in the past month since I finished the primer and did the latest mock up. But, I managed to start the frame/floor for the stacker trailer. I’ll post an update on that, maybe in the next week or so. Thanks for checking in.

Exactly. The new trucks won’t hold the same resale value as these classic long hoods. Fortunately, we will still see them for a while yet on the road because they hold their value and people are willing to invest in maintaining these rigs.

Yeah, I saw that unfortunate announcement, too. Definitely a legendary truck, and sad to see it go. What I heard is they are essentially discontinuing the line by eliminating the traditional narrower-style cab that it and the t800 uses. The same thing that doomed the Pete 389.

Looks great. Love the grille and stretch. Paint is awesome, too. Beautiful build.

Wow! This is an incredible build. What a great piece of equipment. Your scratch-building skills are top-notch. The operating features are equally impressive.

Mock up time! I put on what I believe will be the final coat of primer. Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black. Great stuff. I’ve had such good luck with this brand, highly recommended. Looks pretty sinister in all matt black, huh? But, plenty of chrome, aluminum and stainless will be added along with a glossy black finish. Some final fitting and minor adjustment will be needed with the body, cab, hood, and chassis, but overall, it fits together very well at this point.

Just found out on the other forum that despite being on what was called 20” wheels, vintage tube tires went on rims that were pretty close to 22.5” in diameter. The more you know.

I understand the uncertainty of kit wheels and their scale accuracy. It’s an issue. I’ve often searched for correctly scaled wheels. It seems they are all over the place in terms of accuracy. I don’t have a White Freightliner COE kit to measure the wheels. I know they are different than other AMT kits. But, I just measured the wheels from an AMT T600 (I think they are the same as the ones in the W900 kit), and they have a separate rim that you add. They are 23.08 mm in diameter at the very outside of the rim, or 22.72” in 1/25 scale, so pretty close to 22.5’s. I originally thought they were 20” wheels like everyone says. Now, the diameter of the wheel opening scales out to 20”. Not sure where they are measuring from. Hmm. Either way, I had planned to replace them with Moebius wheels. I mainly build modern trucks or restomod classic trucks that have been updated with modern wheels and tires, so I go aftermarket for Italeri and other 1/24 trucks, and either Moebius (22.5”) or aftermarket for 1/25 trucks. I can point you in the direction of 22.5 or 24.5 wheels for those trucks, but for a period-correct FL COE, I’m not certain. I can look for more info. I know the question has come up before on the forums. I’ve heard of some aftermarket guys offering better vintage split rims. I just haven’t paid a whole lot of attention being I haven’t needed them yet. I would imagine the directional FL hole wheels from M&R (an excellent aftermarket wheel provider) would be too modern, unless that’s what you’re going for in your build. The 1/24 M&R wheels I have are 25.89 mm or 24.5” in scale. I would imagine his 1/25 line of wheels would also scale out to 24.5”.