AMT/Ertl White Freightliner re-issue

I haven't built the re-issue, but I'm sure it's everything we remember, as I used to have all of AMT's trucks in the good ol days.

The Freightliner,  Peterbilt cabovers and conventionals including the wrecker, the W-925 KW in two or three releases including the TV "Movin' On" version. Kenworth K-125 cabover,  Chevy Titan 90 and GMC Astro 95, plus  the trailers- tanker, reefer, and box van, and let's not forget the American LaFrance fire rigs.

I Don't have any of them anymore. I do have a recent release of the Astro 95, and the Code red release of the American LaFrance Aero Chief snorkel. I have'nt built either yet, but I can see by test fitting the tires will need attention to fit properly to the rims in both kits, they are too narrow at the bead the way they have relaxed after cooling. Got to find some way of "inflating" them. They are the standard tires that come in all the kits.

Now, I'm wanting the Freightliner as well

 As soon as I saw the box picture I instantly remembered seeing that same model as a kid. I don't even care if I never get around to building it, I just had to have it!

Wow,

 I could just about quote Kustommodeler's post and call it my own? I built "em all" in my early teens and then lost them in a move only about four years ago now?

 It's great to see them getting reissued slowly but surely and while I don't have this one yet I have picked up a few others and look forward to a chance to build em all over again- some almost thirty plus years later???

I haven't built it yet, but I bought one and have seen a few built up. The only comments I recall for difficult posts is the cab. The cab is in 3 pieces which allowed the kit to be issued as a day cab or sleeper, but that also means you have to be careful assembling the cab. There are also some issues getting the interior to fit, so take your time and test fit repeatedly.

The wheels / tires on the old AMT truck kits always have some issues to make them look right.

Other than that it appears to be a fairly straight forward build.

Here are a couple of build posts of the White Freightliner from the Model Cars Magazine forum

 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25474

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27066

I built the reissued kit about 6 months ago.  I am not familier with the original issue but this one was difficult for two reasons.  One, the parts did not fit well due to sloppy casting.  Two, the kit had to be bashed and/or reconstructed in a few areas.  I thought the kit produced an accepable model but I wouldn't buy it again.  I have photos of the finished build.

Here you go! I enjoyed mine!

Howdy!

cuchulainn - the truck is lookin' good! I bought this kit like two years ago, don't know when I'm going to build it. But I have an idea, maybe you'll find it interesting - there are many Italeri kits that have prety nice Freightliner chassis - for one there is that quite nice Freightliner conventional - worth having on its own - but for example all the truck models trying to pass for a Mack Superliner - they have actually a Freightliner chassis, with long frame (over 250 inches 1:1), air ride, turbocharged Cummins diesel and Fuller gearbox - wouldn't that make a nice kitbash? I have to add the Italeri chassis also has front axle with positionable front wheels.

Hope it helps, I'm going to build it this way someday. Thanks for reading, have a nice day

Paweł

That's a wicked cool idea and really worth considering! I may have to root around for one of the Italeris!

Im buiding it now its very detailed with alot of parts. I just dont like the instructions they need to show more detailed views of where the parts go. So far its been a challenge for me.

Pawel

Howdy!

cuchulainn - the truck is lookin' good! I bought this kit like two years ago, don't know when I'm going to build it. But I have an idea, maybe you'll find it interesting - there are many Italeri kits that have prety nice Freightliner chassis - for one there is that quite nice Freightliner conventional - worth having on its own - but for example all the truck models trying to pass for a Mack Superliner - they have actually a Freightliner chassis, with long frame (over 250 inches 1:1), air ride, turbocharged Cummins diesel and Fuller gearbox - wouldn't that make a nice kitbash? I have to add the Italeri chassis also has front axle with positionable front wheels.

Hope it helps, I'm going to build it this way someday. Thanks for reading, have a nice day

Paweł

The Italeri chasis won't work to upgrade the AMT kit.  The AMT cabover was never built with the air-ride suspension or the engine / transmission included in the Italeri kit.  Also the scales are different between the 2 kits.

Bronto - I didn't say it would be a drop-in. OK, there's the scale difference - the Italeri is nominally 1:24, AMT is 1:25. That means the frame could be 1,5 mm wider, and the front axle would be 4 mm wider on the Italeri kit. I say that's correctable. Now for the power pack - maybe those trucks weren't built with a Cummins NTC-350, but are you sure none of them were repowered this way? A Fuller tranny is also pretty popular. Don't know about the air ride - in a pinch you could use the AMT spring suspension, too. The Rockwell rears are detailed better in the Italeri kit, anyhow. So of course, you're right - there are difficulties, but I think they're worth overcoming. I'm definitely going to try it some day. Have a nice day

Paweł