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Finally have my 1970 Kenworth K100 restoration done. Here's a link to the WIP. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235047370-1970-kenworth-k100-restoration/& Have the sun out today and it's cold, so I didn't spend much time taking pictures. I parked the rig on my 1/72 tarmac. The snow is 1/1, a bit overscale for 1/25 but show be convincing. Yes I will straighten out the driver's antenna.

I'm taking a detour from my Freightliner FL70. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235041358-freightliner-fl60-take-me-home-huey-hauler/&tab=comments#comment-3206869 I just started a restoration of a AMT Kenworth K100. This model was built originally by the Larry who I built the black T800 for a year ago, this was his first truck during the late '70s early '80s. He wants it redone. I'm trying to save as much of the original parts as I can. I need to thief some parts from another pile of parts I have. I need to draw up decals, fix everything, replace the Hendrickson rear springs with torsion bars and repaint it all. Luckily it's very similar to the AMT kit. Here are photos of the actual truck, before and after when he had it. He sold the truck long ago so it's likely not existing anymore, which is to bad because it would be a hit at the shows. The paint scheme was created by the body shop here, so it's a one off. Here's the model, dark blue one. It's actually Olds engine blue. He painted the stripes by hand. I layed paper on the cab and drew out the stripes so I could scan them. Here is everything on my CorelDraw12. I should say this was before I put the paper on the cab. Drawing it off the cab scans works until you go around corners, so paper first is better, masking tape would work to. Here I'm test fitting the print out of the stripes on my spare cab by taping the paper to the cab, it did need some tweaking. I stripped the paint off, there is some silver under the blue that won't come off. Some of it did peel, have to live with it. I had to make a new windshield, I had a spare but wanted to try it out. I used the plastic from the trays from the blue wall hanging storage things. Use a cutting disk to cut that stuff. I also carefully cut out the heater grill (next to the grill) and moved it forward so it's flush to the front. AMT made the mistake of recessing it. The visor was glued on to heavily so it stays on. I did cut off the wipers and make new ones to. The bread bag ties are very useful, keep them, they are styrene. Here's the infamous Kw torsion bar suspension. You can get these at ppvintagekits.com. This suspension was used on the first issued KW K123s and W925s. It was replaced by the Hendrickson springs on the models. The real ones are a very good suspension when maintained. It is a bit complicated, good thing I have an old built frame from one of these with this suspension, a lot of parts. I put the bars on the frame first(The line up slots were filled in on later Kw kits but can still be seen underneath) I then put one set of knuckles on the diff and one set on the bar's mounts. You have to do this slowly and one axle at a time, looking, looking, set it up and leave the axle off until the second one is set up, just makes it easier to adjust. then glue them on. Took a couple of hours to do this. Original plastic would be easier to. The shocks are two two lengths. The longer ones go to the front diff. I also replaced the end crossmember with a 3mm frame extension and the new piece along with the frame roll up wedges you see here. Here's the top view. I found out after, the crossmember on the blue frame is now wrong. The black frame shown has the correct one for the torsion bar set up. It's the same crossmember as the rear one over the rear diff. I'm not going to tear the frame apart for it and the fifth wheel plate covers the crossmember anyway. The older crossmembers also have two notches on the top for the shocks which you can sort of see. I had to make new mufflers, stack tops and the crossbars for the mounting to. The tops I made from aluminum tubing. This truck had a dual air intake pipe going into one aircleaner. Today everyone has two aircleaners, even on restorations. I had to make new tubing for that to. Only the bottom part that goes into the aircleaner is original. I also filled the holes in the stack mounts since they aren't needed. Hopefully that's all the parts that need to be made so I can go back to cleaning up the original ones.

Only three projects for this year, just in time for posting. I'll just post the links here. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235014127-2015-peterbilt-tri-axle-wrecker-done/ http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235029208-172-canadair-cp-107-argus/ http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235031477-kw-t800-and-utility-trailer-done/ I also repainted a 1/18 2003 Corvette from red to white but never posted anything about it.

Here's my Kenworth done. I couldn't get any outside pictures because of the low sun and the extreme cold. Here's the link to the build of it. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235013976-kw-t800-with-reefer-trailer/&page=2&tab=comments#comment-2907201

My next project, another commission, is a 1/25 mid 2000s Kenworth T800 with a 2015 Utility 3000R trailer. The company is a local Winnipeg company called D.R.B transport, maintained by Boyko & Sons. They refurbish/restore older pre 2006 Kenworth Aerocabs and a few flat tops, a lot cheaper than new and a lot less problems than the new rigs. They use them for reefer runs from Winnipeg to Calgary, Edmonton and Regina mostly. They also use tri-axle dropdeck platform trailers. In 2005, I was lucky to go along for two reefer trips to Calgary. The fleet is up to thirty trucks. This one will be #129, at this time, the most recent in use.The trailer is brand new. I built them two truck/trailer models several years ago. The models this time will be the Mobius reefer trailer and the Revell Snap Kw Aerodyne with a modified AMT T600 cab/sleeper and a hood from Plaskit. The engine is a 34oh6 cat, so I can use the snap kit's engine. I'm starting with the trailer. It needs a few mods. I need to make the newest Thermo King Precedent reefer, make new trailer doors with the optional diamond quilted pattern and make a third axle. The Mobius smooth sided reefer trailer comes with a roll up door and the swing doors. The swing doors are mostly for the reefer option. Mobius also offers wheels sets for the trucks, so you can use the spares for the third axle and whatever else. The first picture shows a few fit issues with the floor. I lined up the front and layed the floor onto the walls. I had to tweak the last two sets of line up pins and notches. I started at the front because of the round front corners. I realize now I should have glued one wall at a time and glued some extra tabs on the inside where the wall meets the roof and floor. It's easy to push the wall in when picking it up. The second shows the floor being a little short under the rear doors.I have to make the rear have three taillights instead of two, so I'll be redoing most of the taillight area and will make it all fit up. Here's the doors with the surface details removed. I tried to save some of the details such as the hinges and latches. The long rods will be replaced with new rods. I drew out where the new hinges and door strap type things will go. The doors will end up a bit taller to. I couldn't figure out how to make the diamond pattern you see on the photo of the original. I heard of a cookie package with it, but most cookies come in sealed boxes now so I can't see what they look like. I did find at a bakery near me(not many of those anymore) who had a clam shell container made by Reynolds, it has True Vue 0220 N molded on it. I ended up paying $1.50 for one, since they only use them on certain things they make which weren't being made that day. They said they are expensive for them. I need to use two of them because it's not patterned throughout. If the doors didn't have the silver straps across them, I'd have some problems. Here I have the doors masked with tape, the tape will become the pattern I will use on the clam shell diamonds. I might put the trailer mostly together first, then paint the dull silver, the white and paint the diamonds last and hope to glue them on last without any problems, just a little paranoid about masking on the diamonds since I don't want to sand them since they will be Alcladed. Here's a picture of the actual truck #129 and the actual trailer. This company has a very recognizable attractive looking fleet.

Kenworth Studio Sleeper, pics thanks to Mike Costello.

A bit on the dark side, but got some pics of the truck outside in the snow. I had to take it to work to get the pictures, there's a small river right beside my work that gives a nice backround. Here's the link to the build. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234990977-150-2015-kenworth-t880-fuel-truck/

Since I'm waiting for decals to finish off my F-8s, I'm building a truck. I was commissioned by the KW saleman who sold the actual truck, part of a fleet to Morgan Fuels. Morgan hauls bulk fuel for Esso in southern and central Ontario and sometimes Manitoba. The model is a First Gear KW T880. I was lucky and found it on evibay. I say lucky because the truck originally had a lowboy trailer, the seller had two that he kept the trailers from. I also found an International Durastar with the near correct tank. Making one from the two. I hope to sell the IH and the leftover KW parts and get some money back. The pictures ahow the actual truck(will be #49)and the other shows what I am starting with. Had some fun with the lift axle before removing it, ever wonder what a KW would look like with hydraulics? Here's where it is right now. Lots more trimming than I expected. Lengthened the rear of the tank, this covers the hose reels. When I glue the top and bottom of the tank body, I missed seeing that it should have been a bit taller. No way to cut this up so I had to ad frame rails under the original tank frame. Added to the rear bulkhead, made a new end cap. I couldn't decide to move the under body cabinets back or just cut them off and make new ones, well I cut them off. Most of the worst parts done now. The bag of sand was inside the tank, I guess just to weigh it down for the die cast effect? Also shown is the test page for the decals.

Does anyone know if there are any detail parts made for the Monogram 1/16 Kenworth truck please? I just bought the kit and wanted to detail it a bit. Thanks

Kenworth Heavy Recovery Vehicle, pics by Rich Ellis.

A US Kenworth conventional truck taken at Truckfest South West 2012