Hello everyone. My name is Michael and I'm originally from Florida. I'm in a position now in life where I can devote more time and energy to this hobby, something I've been doing since I was a boy in the 90's, but from which I've taken many long breaks. I've joined my local state club and hope that also by posting progress on forums that I will have some impetus to stick with it and hone my skillset.
I build primarily 1/24 & 1/25 scale cars and 1/48 scale aircraft, but I've been trying recently to add new genres of subjects to the stash to try out, and this first WIP here is one of the results. This will be my first ever model of a semi tractor, but I feel ready and excited to tackle it.
The kit is the Revell 1/25 scale Peterbilt Model 359 Conventional Tractor, an inexpensive but reliable choice for a first truck, and indeed first scale model in 8 years! 
It is an older kit, but not bad, and I think with a few small improvements, it will build into a nice example of a classic road tractor.
As provided, it seems to be a 359 of early 1980's production, a flat top sleeper cab, 6x4 chassis with a Cat 3406 and a 10-speed Road Ranger. I'll be building it as an owner/operator's rig, circa mid to late 80's. The body color will be Model Master 2940 Racing Blue and the interior will be Tamiya TS-1 Red Brown, representing one of Peterbilt's stock interior offerings and with the Dash of Class.
I don't necessarily follow the assembly steps in the instructions right away. I just start prepping parts. Whatever is ready for primer first is likely to get painted and sub-assembled first, and in this case it was the interior tub and dashboard.
I used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer in gray, then sprayed GSI Mr. Base White 1000 as a base coat for the blanket in the sleeper bunk. I wanted to hand paint an attractive pattern to set off the interior and decided that a simple Mexican blanket pattern would be appropriate and look nice. I designed the pattern in Paint.NET and printed it out as a guide. I used Tamiya tape to lay down template stripes and got to work. Handpainting was done with Vallejo Model Color acrylics:
The linens and blanket in the sleeper cab were sealed with a light coat of Tamiya TS-13 Clear and masked off with Tamiya tape. Then I sprayed the interior base coat of TS-1 Red Brown. I forgot to take a picture of it, but then I masked off and painted the cab floor TS-48 Gunship Gray. Masking tape was removed, I painted the pedals black, and the whole tub was sealed with TS-13:
I gave the interior tub a heavy wash with artists' acrylics, thinned with 70% alcohol, a dark gray-brown. Excess was removed with cotton swaps for the final effect, very lightly moistened with alcohol:
The door handles and window cranks were picked out with Vallejo acrylics, and then the whole tub was given a final protective coat of Model Master Flat Clear lacquer:
I got excited and forgot to take any WIP shots of the dashboard before it was installed, but this is what I did: The dash was primed with gray Tamiya Surface Primer, then basecoated with TS-29 Semi Gloss Black. The wood grain area was masked off and basecoated with AS-15 Tan (USAF). The wood grain pattern was effected with streaks of artists' acrylics in various shades of brown and yellow. The tape was removed and all this was sealed with TS-13. The air vents were drybrushed light gray, as was the detail in the lower dash, like the CB radio and glovebox. Everything else on the dash was detail painted with Vallejo acrylics, and the whole thing sealed with MM Clear Flat. When all this was dry, I simulated glass on the gauges with drops of Testors Clear Cement. The dash was then mated to the interior tub with Tamiya Extra Thin:
The open seat backs were covered with pieces of Evergreen sheet styrene, glued on with MM cement, trimmed to shape and sanded smooth. Also, I'm working on scratchbuilt headliners for the cab and sleeper, made from textured Evergreen:
And these kit parts are being prepped and are almost ready for primer:
The bodywork too, of course! 
Again, greetings to you all, I wish you well. All comments, criticisms and suggestions are welcome. Stay tuned!