Post by dieseldoc on Jun 22, 2008 22:37:28 GMT -5
Almost 40 years ago AMT started to offer
large commercial trucks and trailers in 1/25
scale. Their first trailer was a Fruehauf 40-
foot trailer with the AMT company’s
markings on the side. Their first tractor kit
was the California Hauler, a Peterbilt 359
conventional. AMT soon realizing that the
molds could be reused with slight
modifications, so these two original kits
soon began to sprout parallel trucks and
trailers.
AMT fitted out the Peterbilt 359 cab and
chassis with a heavy-duty wrecker unit
behind the cab and added an emergency
light bar to the roofline. One omission in
the original California Hauler kit was a hinge
mechanism to open the hood. To see the
detailed engine, the hood, front fenders,
grille, and headlight assembly had to be
lifted off. This same omission carried over
to the Peterbilt Wrecker kit.
The photos show that the chassis, engine,
and cab interior had excellent details,
especially for the date of the original kits.
The work shown here dates back to 1977,
needing virtually no correction today.
References for brake lines, fuel lines, and
engine wiring did not exist for the modeler
back then, so building out of the box was all
that could be done short of visiting a truck
dealership and asking to look at the real
things.
AMT updated the California Hauler kit a few
years after the original issue, modernizing
the cab and changing many details. The
hinged front hood feature was now
included. This revision was carried over
into the wrecker kit as well, and both kits
have been reissued by ERTL/AMT within the
last few years. The original kits are the
collectible ones because they have never
been reissued.
This article was taken from the IPMS Will-Cook news letter.
large commercial trucks and trailers in 1/25
scale. Their first trailer was a Fruehauf 40-
foot trailer with the AMT company’s
markings on the side. Their first tractor kit
was the California Hauler, a Peterbilt 359
conventional. AMT soon realizing that the
molds could be reused with slight
modifications, so these two original kits
soon began to sprout parallel trucks and
trailers.
AMT fitted out the Peterbilt 359 cab and
chassis with a heavy-duty wrecker unit
behind the cab and added an emergency
light bar to the roofline. One omission in
the original California Hauler kit was a hinge
mechanism to open the hood. To see the
detailed engine, the hood, front fenders,
grille, and headlight assembly had to be
lifted off. This same omission carried over
to the Peterbilt Wrecker kit.
The photos show that the chassis, engine,
and cab interior had excellent details,
especially for the date of the original kits.
The work shown here dates back to 1977,
needing virtually no correction today.
References for brake lines, fuel lines, and
engine wiring did not exist for the modeler
back then, so building out of the box was all
that could be done short of visiting a truck
dealership and asking to look at the real
things.
AMT updated the California Hauler kit a few
years after the original issue, modernizing
the cab and changing many details. The
hinged front hood feature was now
included. This revision was carried over
into the wrecker kit as well, and both kits
have been reissued by ERTL/AMT within the
last few years. The original kits are the
collectible ones because they have never
been reissued.
This article was taken from the IPMS Will-Cook news letter.
