Old School Peterbilt - First Build - lots of photos

[CrimsonCorsair]

This is my first RC Truck build. I have been slowly accumulating bits and pieces to make a truck, hoping to buy the model later. Let me start off by saying I have NOWHERE NEAR the skill of many of the people on this board. However, they have inspired me to try my hand at making a Peterbilt out of a King Hauler.

I started out with Freddies rails. I bought them too soon because now he adds the nice taper to the back of them . Live and Learn! I also purchased a set of rear fenders that had a look I liked and that I thought would fit the theme 'Old School' well.


Then I purchased a modified CAT motor with the electric motor embedded in it. However, I later sold that and traded for just the CAT motor. I also have a 55T motor and 6 tooth gear.


Now the fun stuff. I would really like to thank Mack Daddy (Alfy). I purchased the MFU that he had for sale, however he knew I was looking for King Hauler parts. When I opened the box the MFU came in this is what I found:








Keep in mind - all I paid for was the MFU - the rest was just thrown in. Thanks Alfy! This is why I love reading this board - everyone on here is so great to work with.

Next I wanted the actual King Hauler model. However, budget constraints (kids in college, new grandbabies, etc.) were keeping me from getting enough cash together at one time for a complete model. So I posted looking for MOST of a King Hauler - after all I already had many parts and I knew I would be purchasing more after-market parts in the future. It could not hurt, right? Claus to the rescue! Claus (Craig) had a King Hauler but had been bitten by the Wedico bug and was looking for someone to take it off his hands. He sent me a PM with a price, and then before I could even answer he sent me another PM with a better price! That's right - he did some research and determined the first price was too high and made me a better offer. Obviously I took the offer and here is what I got:






Note the after-market motor and ESC already installed. Also included are an aluminum front axle and front bumper and aluminum supports for the rear suspension. But that was not all! Apparently Craig had been playing with the suspension and liked aluminum upgrades, so he sent all his extra parts and upgrades as well - pictures follow:


















Here is the cab and sleeper. The cab has a custom aluminum grill installed.




So, that is what I will be starting with. I have already ordered a set of S n P customs Pete style fenders. Other items on my wish list:

• Freddies aluminum cross members
• Aluminum wheels
• Custom stacks
• Pete style steps
• Lots of chicken lights - old school, remember?
• Lots of chrome

I also still need to find a radio. With the MFU I need at least four channels, so anyone out there looking to upgrade, here is a chance to sell your used radio and upgrade!

The theme of the truck is old school. Without going in to too much detail (I will let the photos do that) my goal is to create my own truck - not a copy of a 1:1 - that is more like what would have been done to customize a Pete in the 80's. Not that I will not stray from that theme some - I do want to stretch the frame and maybe make some other modifications that do not make the build exactly what an old school Pete would look like, but the modifications WILL make it mine.

Thanks for looking. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. If some of my build starts to look familiar it is because I am using the wisdom someone else on this board gained in their build and making use of it in mine!

Now...where to start?

[Claus]

Good luck Michael, you'll be there in no time!

[Brian in PA]

Looks good man! Your well under way to a great lookin truck!

Brian

[mazdaparts]

Good start to a nice truck. If you are looking for a radio you should check out http://www.hobbyking.com. They have cheap 4 channel 2.4Ghz tx and rx kits. They even have more channels if you desire.

[YoungGunz]

Going to watch this build... looks like by the time your done with this its going to be a sharp truck.. any paint ideas?

[Panther F]

This is the way to go! I'll be following this build thread pretty closely for it just might be my route to take to get a truck too.


- Jeff

[CrimsonCorsair]

Originally Posted by YoungGunz

Going to watch this build... looks like by the time your done with this its going to be a sharp truck.. any paint ideas?

I am thinking something like this:


In fact, this is about as close to a 1:1 that I could find of what I want to do. Changes to the above would be the length of the frame and the rear fenders, more lights, and a few other customizations.

[Brian in PA]

Thats a good looking truck! Its a small window 359.

Brian

[CrimsonCorsair]

I want to do a 359, but I am honestly not sure I can get the hood right as I really want it to open. So...I may ruin a cab trying and then Decide from there. Thanks for the ID - means I can search the web for some other photos to work with.

[Claus]

Michael here is a 359 with the later cab. I think the later cab would be easier to model out of a King Hauler, notice how on the later cab the doors do not go all the way to the bottom of the cab, there is a rocker panel there. The older cab the doors go all the way down.

Of coarse some guys have the talent to pull anything off, that is not me.

[Claus]

P.S., I hope my Wedico looks as good as this black stallion some day.

[Espeefan]

I like those 359 little window cabs. Very cool looking. That blue and white doesn't have enough lights though, eh? Wow, you must really be planning to add a whole lot more. The only place more lights could be added would be the cab roof, maybe the steps and fuel tanks, and that's about it!

[CrimsonCorsair]

Craig,
I definitely will NOT be attempting doors - opening or shortening or otherwise. Hood/Fenders and some work on the sleeper will make it 'close enough'. It will not be exact - not sure my skill are up to it - but want it close enough that when folks see the Pete emblems they won't be confused

[CrimsonCorsair]

Items purchased or otherwise acquired since last post:

- a six channel radio and receiver
- S & P Pete Fenders - I highly recommend them
- a 2500mha LiPo battery
- a Venom Pro multiple-battery type charger
- two HiTec 645 servos
- Novak LiPo 2 cell cut-off
- shift-gate for my radio

There are more parts that I want (pipes, wheels, those round headlights from PMD, tanks, Pete steps, etc.) but my budget is blown so she will go together with what I have for now.

I could not resist 'checking' everything so I charged the battery and hooked everything but the motor up to the MFU and gave it a whirl. Mikey Likey. Sound was good, lights did what they should, servos moved as appropriate. Great motivation to get things moving!

I still need the drills and taps for the Freddy frame rails. Suggestions on where to get them? Life is really busy at the moment but if I can get my Jetta running this weekend I hope to get some time in on the truck. Pictures will be posted as I build. Thanks for reading all this - as always comments and suggestions are welcomed.

[Espeefan]

I get all my drills and taps from McMaster-Carr. Great company to deal with. Never let me down, and they are very quick to ship items out.

www.mcmaster.com

You'll mostly be after a 3x.5mm tap, and you'll need a 2.5mm drill for that. I always like having a couple on hand. Never know when one might break, or get plugged up.

[Brian in PA]

Originally Posted by Espeefan

I get all my drills and taps from McMaster-Carr. Great company to deal with. Never let me down, and they are very quick to ship items out.

www.mcmaster.com

You'll mostly be after a 3x.5mm tap, and you'll need a 2.5mm drill for that. I always like having a couple on hand. Never know when one might break, or get plugged up.

I second that. Their shipping is unbelievably fast.

Brian

[CrimsonCorsair]

Thank you - I think. The selection is mind boggling. Any hint on which I should be looking at? I was thinking this one:

Drill Quantity - Individual Drills
Metric Drill Size - 2.5 mm (.0984")
Drill Bit Style - Short–Length Drill Bits
Drilling Depth - 9 mm
Short-Length Drill Bits - General Purpose
Drill Bit Composition - High-Speed Steel
Surface Treatment - Black-Oxide
Flute Type - Standard
Point Angle - 135°
Point Style - Split
Overall Length - 43 mm
Flute Length - 14 mm
Shank Type - Straight
Specifications Met - Not Rated
Note - The shank diameter is the same or slightly smaller than the drill bit size.

Short length for less breakage - other than that pretty standard. Look OK?

When it comes to the taps I am totally lost. Advice? Thanks!

[Espeefan]

For drilling holes in aluminum, you need nothing to extravagant. I wouldn't worry much about the length either, but a short drill bit will prevent deflection, while drilling, helping to make your holes a little more accurate. The bit will want to 'walk' a little, when you start drilling, so be sure you have some way of keeping the bit in place. A center punch might help, or if you intend to lay the old frame rails over the new, and clamp them togther, that should act as a good guide.

For a drill bit, get yourself any jobbers length, right hand, high speed steel, TiN coated bit in 2.5mm.

For the tap, get a spiral point, vanadium steel, nitride treated, right hand 3x.5mm size. The nitride treated tap will work better in aluminum, since aluminum is a non-ferrous metal. That is a metal containing no iron.

Other taps might want to load up with the aluminum, which will plug the tap up, and then when you back the tap out, it will destroy the threads. Aluminum will gall and stick to the tap flutes. I've had better luck with the nitride coated taps.

Make sure you get a couple taps, a tap wrench, to hold the tap, and get some thread cutting oil. You might be able to get away with chucking the tap into a cordless drill and using that instead of a tap wrench. The frames are pretty thin, so it shouldn't be a problem. Run the drill in low gear, and run it very slow, with oil on the tap. Or if you aren't comfortable, use a tap wrench and do it by hand. Probably safer that way.

Blow or brush off the chips, before you back the tap out of the frame rails, after tapping is complete. Clean the tap again before you start a new hole, and always put a few drops of oil on the tap. When you are all done tapping, blow all the holes in the frame rails out with compressed air, or flush them with a can of brake cleaner, or electrical cleaner. It gets all the metal shavings out.

[CrimsonCorsair]

Nathan - I can not thank you enough, but I will try - thanks!

[Espeefan]

Your welcome. Take your time drilling and tapping the holes. It's a good idea to run the tap in one or two turns, then back it up half a turn, then continue. The frame rails are thin, so it's not a big problem, but if you tap thicker material, backing the tap up half a turn or so breaks and cuts the metal shavings off, from the process, so they will be smaller and not clog up the hole or the tap you are using.