Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Looks good Nick, you nailed the Pete look!

Brian

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Aww thanks guys, I was starting to doubt myself. Still need to tidy up the bodywork, cut out the windshield, mount the headlights, finish up the fenders, make a drop visor, mount the running lights....
So much left to do!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Well get going lol keep those updates coming!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

If you ask me, it's looking really nice, and definitely has the Peterbilt look. I admire your patience. Had I the same body working skills, maybe I would have stuck it out with the King Hauler I used to have.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks Nathan, you mention body working skills, I gotta tell you, I had no skills to speak of, I was just inspired by the other builds out there. I have taken a "shoot first, ask questions later" approach to this build by just cutting pieces off the king hauler and then worrying about how I was going to modify the body to get the right look. It has meant a lot of time and patience, but it has forced me to develop the needed skills. I had a very clear picture in my mind of what I wanted the end result to look like and the box stock king just doesn't cut it. But it makes for a great base.
Ok a little more progress.
Mounted the headlights. Need to finish routing the wires for the left headlight and also a bit of fine tuning to get everything mounted level and straight. The bumper there is temporary, just clamped 2 pieces together to simulate the overall dimensions of the bumper I have on order.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/IMAG0377.jpg

Also I finished up the fenders. They bolt on to facilitate the painting stage when I finally get there. Here's a detail shot:

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/IMAG0386.jpg

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Nice work Nick.....the truck looks great!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks Troy! Any progress on the KW truck on the far right of your sig pic? And what about the one on the far left, looks cool, don't think we've seen that one?

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

thats mad looking pete

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Here's a long overdue update
Mounted the qtr fender, steps and tanks on one side and fitted Russ' cool air ride suspension. Was hard work getting the steps and tank right. Now I have to mount the other side exactly the same! Still working on the ride height of the rear suspension. Would like it to sit a tiny bit lower. Still to do is to mount the qtr fender, steps and tank on the other side, mount IHB's cool air cleaners (and wheels when I get them), mount stylin's big pipes, mount the bumper and fab a drop visor. Then there's the marker lights and headlights. Oh and then finish up the bodywork and paint it. Urgh, not much left then!:p
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1022.jpg
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1023.jpg
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1025.jpg

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Nice job Nick...This is going to be one badazz ride when its done.:D:cool::cool:

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thats a great update Nick!! The stance looks sweet! Keep up the good work!

Brian

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Looking good Nick, cant wait for more updates!:cool:

Tim

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Great looking Build, I can only Imagine how nice it will look once your Done. it will be stunning when it gets some paint and custom wheels.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

I'm really liking this Pete, its got the perfect largecar look going on. Keep it up.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

:D thanks John, glad you like it, I hope it turns out at least half a good as your trucks!

Thanks Brian, coming from the master peterbilt builder that means a lot! :)

I'll try and get some updates to show soon!

I can't wait to see it done too! :D

Thanks man, largecar is what I had in mind!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

It's looking very cool Nick......now hurry up and finish it:p.
Do you know what color it's going to be?

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks Troy, I gotta get back into my workshop then!
I do know what colour it's gonna be. Ok so I was gonna keep it a secret but stuff that. Top half black, bottom half & frame a kind of seville orange/red.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Great work, Nick! I like the stance. She's got a little rake to her, but maybe a trailer on the back would level it up? Or, from the looks of it, the front end could be raised just a tad. The wheel isn't exactly centered in the fender, unless you are going for that front end on air bags, dropped look? Either, way, it's a beautiful ringer of a Peterbilt truck. I like the extended hood! What tires are you running? They look like some nice low pros.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Lookin Sweeet Nick. Good job on the styrene work.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks Nathan. Yeah it does have quite a rake but I'm still playing around with the dummy airbags on the rear axles. It's a complicated operation of cutting down springs, squeezing them into the rubber gaiters, bolting the end caps to the suspension and stretching the gaiters over them, then standing back and taking a look to see I need to start over again. Kinda takes it out of me each time! It does squat a little bit under weight, I tested 8kg on the back. For now I'm just going to have to keep it at that ride height, any lower and the qtr fenders get torn clean off when driving around my house! Ideally I would like some working airbags but that's a long way off. I can always drop the rear for shelf queen/photo session duties. The rake only shows at eye level, not when it's driving around on the floor.
I spent ages perfecting the drop on the front end, there's no way I'll be raising it! :D Actually I lowered the front axle a bit but also dropped the fenders too, it's all part of the low rider look. I think that's what makes the hood look so big. I've not added anything to the length of it, just lengthened the cowl by about 5mm. The lack of breathers makes it look longer too, but that will be rectified soon. The body also sits a bit lower due to the modifications I made to the shape of the hood, it meets with the cab higher than the original kh hood. The biggest challenge will be engineering the flip up bumper but I think I have it nailed (in my head at least). My challenge with this build has been the trade off between having it slammed to the ground but still having enough clearance to drive it about the house. This baby's not going to see much action outdoors! Not many places I can take it where I live.

Thanks, that has taken the most amount of time out of everything. But you know all about the headaches of styrene work with your classy shak!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Forgot to mention, the tyres are Verkerk's michelin low pros. Costs a pretty penny when you get a full set (tractor & trailer) but they are ultra realistic, I just had to get them.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

can't wait to see this bad azz truck painted up

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

long and low. sweet!!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks guys. Here's a teaser, not much to add, just fitted the tanks and steps on the other side and mocked up the stack and bumper. The rake is made worse by the wide angle lens of my camera.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1100.jpg

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Looks great Nick!! Those lo pro tires look sweet. How much are they? They fit the stock Tamiya /Steve's wheels with no mods, right?

Brian

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Trucks looking great nick. I like the low pro's as well along with Russ's suspension in the back it looks great.

Tyler

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Brian, here's a closeup of the tyre.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1107.jpg
They are a straight replacement for the tamiya ones, no modifications to fit stock wheels. They cost 8.95 euros, with the euro as it is right now, the exchange rate might be a bit more favourable for you.
They are a softer compound to the tamiya tyres also. The level of detail makes them worth it in my opinion. I had to get them to do steve's wheels justice. Just waiting to get the wheels now.

Thanks Tyler, yeah I just had to get Russ' suspension when it came out. You can get away with tamiya's setup with full fenders hiding it, but with the qtr fenders everything's on show and it wouldn't be a peterbilt without that type of suspension!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Just awesome Nick...even the real ones are raked to a point..this truck works everyday so he wanted the stock pete ride height in the rear..:D
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0350/02064.jpg

Your getting so close....:eek::eek::eek:

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks John, didn't know real ones can be raked. I won't worry so much about mine now!
Little update. Not done much cos I'm ill :(
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSC_1112.jpg
Now she can breathe!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Ahh , sweet Nick , I'm glad they made it accross the pond OK . get better

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

When I look at this truck, only one thing comes to mind, the song "lowrider".
This thing is large and in charge.
Excellent job, can't wait to see more.
Get better soon:);)

Big John

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks Steve. Would I be right in saying these are the first of your A/C's to be over this side of the pond? In any case they rock! Soon as I got them mounted my truck just went up a couple of notches on the badness scale :cool:

Haha Big John that's the song that plays in my head when I picture it all finished, great minds think alike!
Large and in charge, I like it!

So right now I'm brainstorming how to mount the body with no visible screws (I plugged the original mounting holes) and the thing taking the most brain processing power right now is the bumper flip. I had an epiphany when I looked at one of my 1/18 diecast cars and the door hinges on the cheaper models. So I'm gonna try and make a dogleg hinge so that the gap between bumper and grille is fairly small, but it still clears the grill when flipped up. Got some brass rod and some tubing, let's hope this works!!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

yes , yours are the 1st out of the 57 states (um uh 50 :p )

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Very cool! I had my own problems getting my Wedico to sit lower too. But the worst part was the front end sat way higher then any Tamiya ever could. I was happy just to get it looking stock, and not dropped. I to did a little playing around with the suspension and hood mounting height. In the end it was a combination of the two that made a good difference, and my truck has rake to it also.

Love those mirrors too. Did you solder those up?

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Nathan, I got those mirror brackets from lkw modellbau berlin. Saw them in one of papabaer's posts and immediately got them. (http://rctruckandconstruction.com/showthread.php?t=1903)
They look so much better than the king hauler ones. I just need to get the mirrors made up by someone.

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Yeah I had assumed that you had made them yourself, I have read a lot of threads lately where guys are fabb'ing brass and copper. Fair play for your honesty!

They add first class scale realism! Great project btw, it's gonna look evil. I love the tyres, the rake and the way the front fenders hug down on the wheels....just awesome. If you are concerned about the rake, don't be, it's bad ***!

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

The mirror brackets are really nice! Shame they don't nickel or chrome coat them! Are you going to end up painting them, Nick?

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Wow I feel honoured :p

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Thanks. I would never pass off someone else's work as my own, I just think it's immoral.

Yeah Nathan I will paint them. I'm probably going to go with the body colour. They are cool, more people should get them. They make a version for wedico...

Re: Nick's 379 build
 

Nick, when you said you filled the body holes and trying to figure out how to mount the body, the only thing I thought of was double sided tape. Now I know this wouldn't work 'cause as we all know from time to time, we have to remove the body. Hope you can figure it out, and if I think of anything, i'll let you know;):):p:D

Big John