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Post by Deano on Dec 19, 2019 0:06:44 GMT -7
I'll admit that this build up got underway quicker than I was ready for so have spent quite a bit of time going through the stash to find something. This time of year is also really busy for me, I'll spend pretty much the next 6 weeks with early starts and late finishes so I needed a build that was pretty straight forward. This is the kit I'm going to use.  And this is what I intend to turn it into.  This build takes me back to going to my Nana's & Pa's as a kid. We lived in the same town but they ran a sand and gravel yard from the block behind their backyard 1 block from the main street! There was a lane that ran beside their house and along the back fences of the houses in the side street that gave access to the yard. One of his suppliers of tiling sand and brickie's sand came from Forbes and he had 1 of these. I can't remember if it had the steel tanks like this or the alloys but was dark blue with a white or silver roof with a silver stripe on the side edged with a white stripe and red and white pinstripe. He towed a bogie semi tipper and I used to help him roll his tarp up. I don't know if I'll do the trailer but there is plenty to go on with on the truck. I'll shorten the chassis and take the Ford diesel out and put a 903 Cummins in. I'll use a spring rear suspension from another kit, convert it to RHD etc. I think the cab needs to be lifted to get the Cummins under (research required). Auslowe do the tanks and a RH dash to suit. Rims and tyres will also neede to be sourced from another kit. Don't know what colour scheme to go with so I'll see how it feels along the way. |
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Post by stitchdup on Dec 19, 2019 0:29:57 GMT -7
Cool, I'm guessing these were local trucks rather than long haul
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Post by Deano on Dec 19, 2019 0:59:24 GMT -7
Cool, I'm guessing these were local trucks rather than long haul Usually without the sleeper they were local but plenty of guys just used a swag or hammock of sorts under the trailer or slept across the seats!! Men were men back then. |
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Post by DeeCee on Dec 19, 2019 1:25:56 GMT -7
This is going to be cool mate.
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Post by poet on Dec 19, 2019 6:27:42 GMT -7
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Post by RetroSpectKustoms on Dec 19, 2019 18:49:04 GMT -7
Great looking kit. Who doesn't love an ol' louiy.
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Post by mustang1989 on Dec 23, 2019 22:47:39 GMT -7
Gonna be another one of your epic rig builds Dean!! Break out the popcorn guys.....this'll be one helluva show!!
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Post by Deano on Dec 23, 2019 23:37:43 GMT -7
Gonna be another one of your epic rig builds Dean!! Break out the popcorn guys.....this'll be one helluva show!! Thanks Joe. This is the era of trucking that appeals to me the most, a time when the driver came home from a week on the road and the whole family pitched in to get the truck ready for another week (servicing, repairs, paperwork, organising loads for next week plus TLC on the jigger!). I feel cheated at truck shows when you know that they pay someone to wash it, someone else to detail it, someone else to polish all the shiny bits. I suppose I just like built not bought. The truck in the pic is short on bling but but not pride which makes it a worthy subject. |
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Post by leon on Dec 24, 2019 8:21:11 GMT -7
Looking forward to seeing your mods on this one Deano!
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Post by mmthrax on Dec 24, 2019 11:37:25 GMT -7
This should be a cool build Deano. Looking forward to your work.
Can I ask what the screen in front of the windshield is for? There is already a bug deflector at the leading edge of the hood.
What is the driver expecting to be coming at him? Looks super heavy duty.
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Post by Deano on Dec 25, 2019 20:45:58 GMT -7
This should be a cool build Deano. Looking forward to your work. Can I ask what the screen in front of the windshield is for? There is already a bug deflector at the leading edge of the hood. What is the driver expecting to be coming at him? Looks super heavy duty. Thanks Mark. The screen is known as a stoneguard. Basically it's a throwback to the 70's and 80's to protect the windscreen from flying rocks. During that period most roads were sealed with 3/4 inch blue metal(20mm). Earlier trucks didn't have the horse power or topend speed for this to be an issue but as the trucks got more power and speed, if these stones got flicked up they would do a fair bit of damage. Probably also pre-dates laminated windscreens. Those trucks also ran without fully enclosed guards over the drive tyres which increase the amount of stuff being chucked up. Aussie roads were also very narrow with gravel shoulders that received little or no maintenance. A lot of bridges on major highways were only wide enough for 2 cars to pass so trucks used to use the CB radio to announce that they were approaching the bottle neck with fast and heavy usually getting the priority so the truck yielding had to drop the left hand side onto the shoulder which used to flick up crap as well. I don't run one on the Star but used to have 1 on the previous Freightliner which saved the screen from a duck, wrote the stone guard off but the glass survived, Didn't do the duck much good either but he was a solid old hit!! |
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Post by mmthrax on Dec 25, 2019 23:10:15 GMT -7
YIKES! Sounds like a necessary bit of kit. Thanks for the info.
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Post by Deano on Dec 27, 2019 1:02:25 GMT -7
So I'm off to a slow start but a start non the less. A few of the bits from the spares box needed a trip through the caustic soda solution to remove some old chrome, paint and happily some old glue(mostly).  There is a little damage on some of the drive rims that will need attention but given the age of the bits I'm pretty happy with how they came up. Next up was to start the fuel tanks. Their position will pretty much determine where the rear suspension sits so I'll need them pretty early on. Being resin, I have to insert a panel into the back of the tanks and then assemble the brackets. Normally I'd put the brackets on the chassis first and paint the tanks separately but the brackets are pieces of evergreen plastic cut to length so I'll assemble them onto the tank and then put the lot on as 1 unit.  It appears that there is only 1 fuel cap so I'll have to find another couple for this. |
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Post by stitchdup on Dec 27, 2019 2:19:19 GMT -7
Another masterclass beginning icon_writing_zps7tebrblw
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Post by sharp on Dec 27, 2019 6:47:27 GMT -7
Very nice choice!
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Post by DeeCee on Jan 1, 2020 2:36:19 GMT -7
You do a lot of great work on these big trucks mate... NICE !
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Post by Deano on Jan 1, 2020 12:14:09 GMT -7
Cheers mate. Found an article in a magazine where old mate is restoring one which shows a heap of detail I didn't realize was there so a few steps backwards to add it on!
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Post by Deano on Jan 2, 2020 2:58:42 GMT -7
I've been cleaning up some of the donor parts and filling sink holes etc.  I've got the backs in the fuel tanks and done a little filling there as well. I marked some lines on the backs of the tanks for bracket alignment. I'll build these brackets on the tanks then mount the finished units. The resin tanks come with evergreen plastic to make the brackets. C section is supplied for the bottom half of the brackets but the reference pics show a flange off each side of the C section. I didn't have any thin strip to use to represent the flanges so I cut 2mm x 2mm angle down to 1mm x 1.2mm.  The piece on the right is what I started with and the left one shows it cut down. I'll glue these short side to the C section and longer side out as the flange. The basic chassis is together minus the last 3 cross members which probably won't be needed once the chassis is trimmed to length.  I've started filling in holes that won't be used and trimming off unwanted brackets. The front axle is on but I put it on backwards so that the steering linkages etc would be on the RHS. |
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Post by DeeCee on Jan 2, 2020 3:13:56 GMT -7
More nice work mate, i now see why your work is so tidy, what is all this measuring and marking out lines all about ? what happened to getting it good enough by eye...  |
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Post by mmthrax on Jan 2, 2020 14:41:41 GMT -7
Digging this Deano.
Well thought out and executed.
Carry on sir....
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Post by RetroSpectKustoms on Jan 2, 2020 15:09:37 GMT -7
Looking really good Deano. Glad to see you're not holding back the detail.
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Post by lowlife on Jan 2, 2020 18:04:31 GMT -7
Ooooh another truck masterclass on the way ! Looking forward to another amazing build, and I like your thoughts on the show trucks, and everything being paid for ! Goes to show any vehicle doesn't have to be worth much to be proud of !  Hang on, what am I saying, I love Lowriders, the ultimate trailer queens !  Well you get what I mean, right ? icon_whistle |
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Post by stitchdup on Jan 3, 2020 2:12:45 GMT -7
Sheesh, adding even more detail. This should be impressive
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Post by Deano on Jan 3, 2020 2:15:19 GMT -7
More nice work mate, i now see why your work is so tidy, what is all this measuring and marking out lines all about ? what happened to getting it good enough by eye... Well you know how it is, I'm getting old, tired and after a 'medicinal' whiskey...... I need some sort of guidance  |
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Post by Deano on Jan 3, 2020 2:17:32 GMT -7
Ooooh another truck masterclass on the way ! Looking forward to another amazing build, and I like your thoughts on the show trucks, and everything being paid for ! Goes to show any vehicle doesn't have to be worth much to be proud of ! Hang on, what am I saying, I love Lowriders, the ultimate trailer queens ! Well you get what I mean, right ?  I sure do two-thumbs-up-smiley-emoticon |
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Post by Deano on Jan 3, 2020 2:21:06 GMT -7
Thanks for following along guys, tanks are nearly done. As per usual, I find conflicting info and pics so some modelers licence may be involved.
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Post by Deano on Jan 5, 2020 2:07:36 GMT -7
The tanks and rear suspension are on.  I've cut about 45% of the chassis off, she's pretty short in the wheelbase, would've been a rough ride with the stiff rear spring suspension.  This shot shows the flanges on the brackets on the underside of the tank.  I made some gate valve type taps for eack tank. You can see the holes in the leading edge of the tank for the return lines.  I used evergreen angle strip to make the brace between the tanks. The white disc on top of the tank is for the fuel gauge sensor line and holes have been drilled in the back of the battery boxes ready for leads.  I had to find an extra cross member for the torsion bars to mount to. 1 bar had to be lengthened to suit. I don't know why the main cross members in the chassis are shaped that way. They look like the should turn 90` so the curved cut out is over the drive shaft but this is correct( for the model anyway).   First mock up looks ok, need to get the rims sorted and cab lifted for a better idea. |
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Post by stitchdup on Jan 5, 2020 2:33:13 GMT -7
Wow, all that detail just on a tank, ridiculous in the best possible way
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Post by DeeCee on Jan 5, 2020 2:57:40 GMT -7
WOW!! the attention to detail mate is off the chart again... awesome work man. icon_bow
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Post by leon on Jan 5, 2020 7:12:34 GMT -7
WOW....Great work on the detailing Deano!
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