Andy T's Italeri 1/24 "Australian Truck"

[Lee Drennen]

Andy this guy is really good at explaining these truck kits hope this helps I would definitely move that front axle forward a bit and add some shims to build the front end up a little so it doesn’t has that “ squatty look“ in the front like most of these Models do.

 

[Andy T]

Thanks for all the info Lee, looks like I should have done more test fitting but I've been spoiled by kits that just fit.

I'll watch the video later and fingers crossed it isn't too late.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Thanks for all the info Lee, looks like I should have done more test fitting but I've been spoiled by kits that just fit.

I'll watch the video later and fingers crossed it isn't too late.

Your welcome I think you will be ok the problem for me I’ve built these Truck kits for over 40 years and then went to the shake the box and it’s built kits lol.

 

[outrunner]

Good advice Lee, I have built a few conventionals and I always fit the bonnet before finally fixing the cab on.

Andy.

 

[Andy T]

Andy this guy is really good at explaining these truck kits hope this helps I would definitely move that front axle forward a bit and add some shims to build the front end up a little so it doesn’t has that “ squatty look“ in the front like most of these Models do.

I had a mild panic attack after watching the early part of that video as he's put his air tanks in a completely different place than I have!

I went back through the instructions and my placement looks right, and subsequent steps show them in the same place so fingers crossed it's down to his being a slightly different version.

Will be following your advice and putting some of the body parts together to check alignment now though. Especially since even the box art is cocking one leg

Today I also received the George Dent book that @Mickc1440 suggest so will be giving that a good thumb through.

 

[Lee Drennen]

I know you have the bigger sleeper version of the one I sent you but I still think the front end is still the same I got these pics for you as reference only so you can see how it sits low in the front and the wheels are to far back as well as they hang out side of the fenders instead of being tucked underneath the fenders instead hope this helps. I’ll be glad to help you in anyway if I can as a 4th generation trucker and built many of these models I hope you can trust me lol.

 

[Lee Drennen]

One more thing to note is that Australian trucks are built much heavier that American trucks like there Transmission, Rear Ends and Differentials because of the extreme heat there front ends are beefed up to because of the torture they go through on the roads down there which most are not asphalt or concrete and the amount of weight on the front end like the kangaroo catcher and the extreme big engines

 

[Mini Me]

And I'll add that they are allowed to haul 30 to 50 percent larger loads than we do here in the States......Talk about a rubber tired freight train!

 

[Lee Drennen]

And I'll add that they are allowed to haul 30 to 50 percent larger loads than we do here in the States......Talk about a rubber tired freight

And I'll add that they are allowed to haul 30 to 50 percent larger loads than we do here in the States......Talk about a rubber tired freight train!

Rick I think they already covered that in earlier post

 

[Andy T]

I see what you mean about the front axle Lee. Definitely something I'll check before going much further. Thanks.

 

[Mickc1440]

Hope you find the book useful Andy, he certainly covers plenty of different builds

 

[Lee Drennen]

I see what you mean about the front axle Lee. Definitely something I'll check before going much further. Thanks.

Your welcome Andy have you thought of a paint scheme yet or is it too early.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Hope you find the book useful Andy, he certainly covers plenty of different builds

Mick I’ve never seen that book before might have to check it out.

 

[Andy T]

Your welcome Andy have you thought of a paint scheme yet or is it too early.

I mentioned two options in the first post but I'm still undecided. The custom scheme is winning for now, and having spent all this time stripping the chrome (I'm still at it!) I may as well respray it in something fancy.

I'm still in two minds about the colour scheme. First is the iconic blue & yellow livery of Roads Trains of Australia (RTA). The other is more complex, basically as if an owner/operator had customised his truck with a fancy paint scheme and airbrush work. The second option definitely gives a higher chance of failure but I guess if it goes wrong I can always strip it and go with the simpler design.

I've been doing a few test with candy & pearl blues, but nothing's set in stone.

 

[Lee Drennen]

I mentioned two options in the first post but I'm still undecided. The custom scheme is winning for now, and having spent all this time stripping the chrome (I'm still at it!) I may as well respray it in something fancy.




I've been doing a few test with candy & pearl blues, but nothing's set in stone.

Ok if you decide to stripe it in decals there’s a good source I use called Model Truckin Decals his name is Jerry and has a wide variety of decal stripes for trucks on his website. You can use just about any in his stripe line if you want and mix and match colors. There water slide and good to work with.

 

[Andy T]

Cheers Lee, I'll have a look.

To be honest I'll probably paint any stripes but so far I've been unable to find decals for the "airbrush artwork" I'd like to include. I've looked into printing my own but that's a faff about

 

[Andy T]

A bodywork kind of day today. I hate injector marks with a passion and ignore them wherever possible, but sometimes they need to be dealt with. Also the manufacturer thought it would be a good idea to split the roof in two. Much of the joint is obscured by marker lights etc but I just couldn't leave it.

The sleeper has some large seams but given the line of rivets I figured if I could make a decent job of the joint I could leave it as a panel line.









Initially the way the bonnet overlapped the body had me flapping a bit but it seems that's just how they are.

I've started to jazz up the inside too. I've seen some of these with quilted panels and whilst I couldn't find a great way of replicating that I figured some diamond plate, painted in the right way, might look passable. I'm planning to carry that theme on through the interior where I can.

 

[Lee Drennen]

the bonnet overlapped

Andy once you get the fire wall and the interior in and put it on the cab mount the hood should rest even with the cab cowling just in front of the air vent. I hope lol.

 

[JR]

Taking a seat please Andy.
Looks a beast, the paint work won't be a problem to you Andy .
Looking fwd to seeing what you come up with .

 

[Andy T]

Andy once you get the fire wall and the interior in and put it on the cab mount the hood should rest even with the cab cowling just in front of the air vent. I hope lol.

I'm not so sure. If you watch the video you posted above, about 1 hour in, it shows his fitting the same way.

Maybe the real thing is different but all of the model pictures of these I've seen have the same overlap, so I'm not concerned.

Taking a seat please Andy.
Looks a beast, the paint work won't be a problem to you Andy .
Looking fwd to seeing what you come up with .

Welcome John.
If I go for the ambitious paint job it's going to be a tester for me. Hopefully it looks somewhere near as good as it does in my head