While searching online for a T-500 AMT kit late one night, I happened upon this resin cab from Jimmy Flintstone in 25th scale. There was an article in Diesel Power magazine about a hot rod powered by a Detroit Diesel 12V71 engine using a Peterbilt cab that looked pretty amazing so I thought I's give it a go. Since the winter weather has hit here with a vengeance, I've had to occupy myself with builds until I can paint again in the spring. I haven't a name for this one yet, not sure what I would call it anyway

The project started with the resin cab, two 8V71 engines from the parts box, and some junk axles out of the junkyard. I cut the two engine blocks to fit together to make the 12 cylinder block, did the same with the heads and valve covers, and then built the frame from .020 and .040 plastic sheet cut into strips.
The front axle is made up from a MPC Dodge L-700 axle and brass kingpins with .020 plastic strips used for the leaf spring. Brass wire and tube make up the spring hardware. The rear springs are to support the weight of the truck (I guess it's a truck) as the axles will be kept in line by a four link set up.
The tires and rims had to be large to fit the scope of the project, so I used a couple sets of 1/18 after market tires and rims. These worked out perfectly. The following pics are test fit shots to see how it would all fit together.
The exhaust is  3/32 and 1/8 brass tube cut and soldered together to form the header, with chrome exhaust tips from a 1/24 scale truck kit used for the muffler. The radiator is from an AMT Kenworth cabover kit, cut down to fit the project.
The four link suspension and front wishbones are made from brass rod and plastic tabs, and the rear axles are from an AMT model truck kit. The interior presented a bit of a challenge as there wasn't one with the cab casting, so, back to the parts box. A couple of seats from AMT T-500 Peterbilt kits handle the bumps on .040 bases. The floor was made from .040 plastic with a bump for the transmission to fit under. The dash is .040 plastic with a dash panel from an AMT Kenworth cabover cut to fit the dash. The KW kit also provided the steering wheel and column.
The transmission is an Allison automatic from the junk box, from an AMT Kenworth cabover with vista sleeper I think. The front hubs and steering parts are from a Revell of Germany FLD 120 truck kit. The steering linkage is a tie rod from the MPC Dodge L-700.

I made a bed from .040 plastic with a 1/16th inch basswood floor to fit the rear frame. Strips of .010 plastic make up the bed hardware. Of course, it doesn't show up in the pic.
cab and dash details from photo etch have proven to be very helpful. Vent grills for the dash, a stereo CD player and a power amp will be added to the dash, and window cranks and door handles inside the cab.
I made a fuel tank from .040 plastic to fit the bed with straps made from .020 platsic and a tank fill from plastic sprue. The tank is an oval design, to carry the Peterbilt oval emblem theme. The tailgate of the bed is hinged on a piece of 1/16 plastic rod and has blackened brass chains to keep it in place. You can almost see the tank in the following pic. Better pics are on the way, I promise.
With a little luck, I hope to have the interior painted today. I'm using waterbased acrylics for the interior, so the weather won't be too much of a bother, I hope.

Photo etch stereo and power amp in place where the glove box should be on the dash, and paint finished for the interior insert. Medium gray or the seats, steel gray for the dash with woodgrain panel for the instruments.

The engine has been wired for fuel and electric lines, and is waiting on linkage for the blower hats and throttle. Some better pics of the bed and fuel tank. I made the tank using three ovals cut from .040 plastic, and then wrapped the ovals with .020 plastic to form the tank.

A grill shell was made from .040 plastic with .040x.080 plastic used for the bug screen. I'm still looking at options for the headlights, and I'm not sure if the shell will be wrapped in Bare Metal Foil or painted.

This is one cool build. Got to love the imagination.  I think chrome pots on arms would look good on this car.  Either that or mount directly on  the sides of the Rad Cowl.

The single headlight pots on arms is sort of the stock lights for this one, and I have several different ones here I can use. I've also got some older headlights and have even considered cycle style fenders with the lights molded into them, steering with the front wheel. Still working on ideas.

Absolutely awesome build !

This is the 351 with quad headlamps. I was thinking the same style only dual lamps instead of the quads. I'll have a better idea of how it will work later today.

You could also mount lights on a curved bow across the front of the truck from fender to fender or frame to frame.

No, There isn't enough radiator to block it off with headlights. Even though a 12V71 is a big chunk of aluminum or aluminium, depending on where your at on the planet, it still requires a bunch of liquid to keep it cool. To keep it realistically reasonable, the lamps will be on either side of the shroud, like on the pic above, only single lamps instead of two on each side. I spent all morning making battery boxes for the other build and the light mounts for this one, and some parts for another project.

OK, I've done just about all I can until I get a chance to paint this one. The frame has been detailed with nut, bolt and washer brass photo etch, and every hose line and wire that I can think of for air, fuel, water and electrical is in place on the engine or on a filter that will not be painted when it comes time to paint. I didn't catch it before the pics were downloaded, but the grill shroud had slipped forward in the pics. It is supposed to be vertical, not pitched forward as in the pics. I'd have taken more pics, but it's been taken apart to paint.

Wow, great work - am loving this! The grille is great, would love some close-up pics.

This is going to look really good when you finally get to painting it. You still getting snow down you way? We just got another 2 inches up here in BC and we now have at least 10 inches laying on the ground.

Nope. The snow quit by Saturday afternoon, but the temps haven't improved. As I type this, it has just passed 45f and if I'm really nice, I may get it to 50 tomorrow. I can shoot some quick dry paint with a hot reducer and maybe get away with a couple coats tomorrow afternoon. Still into the upper teens at night, and that makes it near impossible to get paint to cure.

The grill isn't finished yet. There is a mesh screen insert that has to be cut and glued in place before I paint it. I'm going with a bright silver, not chrome as the grill surround on Peterbilts of that era was aluminum (or aluminium) and I want to keep that part of the build true to prototype.

Got a chance to shoot some paint the last couple of days, in between storms. This one is almost ready for final assembly. Not exactly the color I wanted to paint it, but I'm happy with the results, so far.

Looking really good there Rob but I am not sure about that White radiator and surround. What you going to do with that? Chrome or silver surround and flat black radiator?

I was going to try Bare metal Foil on it but didn't like the way it looked on another project, so I think it will get the brushed aluminum (or aluminium) finish instead. I still have to cut the window material out and finish off some interior details before the cab is mounted to the frame, and the rest of the wiring can be put in place, along with the exhaust. Some other details need to be cast yet, and it's getting closer to done. It's been a real strange winter this year and has thrown me off my usual schedule.