Freightliner SD Salvage build, New Pix June 23

[Southgate]

I acquired this cab from friend and fellow forum member "Tufftin". I thought nothing makes a more typical fleet truck than a Freightliner SD shorty. I had most of the parts needed to build up a truck, except the cab, and frame. Frame's not a problem since this truck's original was pretty generic; 2 straight rails. I can pirate those from the latter section of an old Mack model.

Thank you again, John, for that cab!
,
Here, the cab has been popped apart, so it can be cut down to a daycab.


Frame


Daycab after glued back together


I discovered there was no floor tub in my parts stash, so I went and got my builtup DD model and used it as a guide to scratchbuild one. This is before i smoothed all the edges and joints. It will work fine.


That's it so far. Dan

[plastictrucker]

Good start.
KEVIN

[thumper]

Awesome... I agree the SD Freightshaker is a classis fleet horse

[plastictrucker]

That piece of cab is perfect for building a 96"or104"cab

[chris2]

Dan, if you want a floor tub give me a shout, I have one from a titan i can spare (well the whole cab). Ill fix ya up, I recall you've helped me out in the past. I think it was a push bumper for my wrecker, the stock one fell off so ill have to get that one on there some day.

Ive got one of these that I want to cut down also. looking good!

[tiny]

That's gonna be cool!!

[78KW]

Nothing says fleet truck like a Freightliner cabover.

[Southgate]

I had an idea, rather an afterthought. I could use the section I cut out of that sleeper cab to construct the rear of the other cab...


Some Evergreen styrene tube was cut into 1/4 rounds and used to make the curves on the back, while a rear panel from the parts box was used. The cornerswere filled with CA/ soda technique, and everything was filed and sanded down.


Like on the first truck in this post, a floor section had to be scratchbuilt, this was a bit easier the 2nd time around.




The 3rd Freightliner in the picture was a current release. The new cab with the sleeper is going to go on that black frame that came from an Italeri Ford Aeromax kit, corrected with parts from the parts box. I had a number of these kits that were damaged in a fire, some of the parts were destroyed, others made it through OK. You can see smoke stains on some of the parts. It will be a flatbed.



The unpainted cab will go on the new double drive chassis, and will be a part of the TFS fleet with an AMT 40' dryvan painted to match. Easy enough, I just have to paint the details on a van i built years ago in the fleet colors.

The blue cab will still be a single drive shorty with a set of tripples. They are already assembled, waiting for a good day to paint. Dan

[Chris Guthro]

Very Nice job with the single cab! The floor looks to be spot on as well.

Chris

[bandit1]

any updates???

[Southgate]

Not really. In fact, I just went thru the hobby room and removed all the kits that are not current WIPs so I wouldn't start more new ones. I have to make myself start finishing up the ones I have going.

I painted a set of tripple trailers (Double header+1) for the TSF CBP, but they are so far off the color (silver) on the lid of the can, I don't think they'll qualify. Still I do like the color, and don't intend to repaint them. So I think I might use one of these Freightliners to pull them, painted in another scheme. I'll update as soon as any progress is made. Thank you for asking!

[craig67]

can wait to see those completed....any new pics??

[Southgate]

Wow. Mid 2010 was my last progress on these. Where does time go? I opened the box a few weeks ago, and had forgotten how I was going to build the 3 of these! Which cab where, etc. This is a good reminder of what to do. Sorry I have been out of action. Thanks for asking. Dan