AMT FORD LTN 8000 "Snow Plow" Scale 1:25

[gessy]

Hi modellers, some month ago I started with that AMT-kit, which was laying arround in my hobby-room for a longer time.
It is a reissued kit from Round2. The parts are identified by numbers on the sprues, but as usual at AMT, in the modelling-instructions there are no numbers which identify the parts in the box, the parts are described by names ("Radiator" for example). But I really like it, because as German I can learn some english names for the parts, that was helpful in earlier times during my vacations in the U.S.A., some years ago.

Okay, I decided to build the kit out of box, no changes were planed at the beginning.

Here we see the instruction and the mounted engine:
www.gessys-modellbauseite.de/resources/IMG_2D.jpg


Now the instruction and the mounted Frame:

www.gessys-modellbauseite.de/resources/IMG_5D.jpg

Ready for the rear-axles


Instruction and Frame with rear axles mounted:


upside down


Then the engine came back from paint-shop:




left-side-view


Parellel-worked on the schield:

[gessy]

Here is part #2 of my little Report.

When building the Dumper-Body, I learned, that the tailgate will be opened a little bit during work, because dump-body is raised a little bit.
Therefore I should add two triangular pieces which not allow tailgate to be fulled closed.

I thought it over and decided, that it will not a good solution, because my "workers" will use the truk in sommertimes, too.
So I changed the construction a little bit, I added the triangular pieces on tailgate and added 4 big screws on each side of tailgate, so the parts can removed for use in summer and without all the snow-accessories.

View on tailgate ... loose beside dump-body:


Again worked on the frame. Radiator was mount. Also I tryed to finish the hydraulic-device on Frame.
But I almost despair, I wasn't able to read the instruction correctly and I couldn't fix it.
In Germany we say "you have two left hands" - that was what I was feeling ...
At least I created a new frame, but also with some mistakes, but fortunatelly I was lucky at the end, and now it works.
I tried as Long until the hydraulic cylinder was able to work as it should.

See red marked problem-area:


Ah, engine was completed with additional parts. Fuel lines added (made from 1mm copper-wire).
Looked for original engines from Ford, and simulated it - okay it is not originaly, but Looks fine (for me).

The engine now:




And, of course the "Boss" came in and checked how it will fit in frame:


"will everything fit as well?"

... no the mounts for the engine, on top of frame have to be removed.

Now added some hydraulic lines for the hydraulic cylnder (red lines).




Hoping that all parts will fit ... (Boss is thinking)


"By the way, you should clean the Workshop ..."

[gessy]

here comes part #3 of the Report:
Allways amazing are these AMT-crome-parts. Nice to have crome-parts, but I think on such a working truck is no much crome neccessary.
So I tried to remove that crome on some parts. Heared from brake-fluid, but I didn't want to try it, got a hint to use an oven cleaner spray.
Tried it, but the AMT-crome was only laughing on it. So I decided to use a backwater-pipe-cleaner (is this the correct naming?).
And, wowh, small parts were free from crome within seconds, larger parts needed some hours - fantastic!
After this I was able to paint tire rims and the rim rings. I added the wheels and made a first check if all tires will have contact with bottom.





After drying of the used glue, we added the twin-tires.
And of course, Boss was back and ordered the next testing, wanted to have the engine in place.
Here Comes the engine:


Chief is happy:




Sporadycally I worked on the cabin. I wanted to have a wooden look on the dashboard and the instruments should be readable.
Ordered some decals from Uschi van Rosten and placed it on dashboard. this is a very difficult work, it is neccessary to try it some times to have a good looking result. Now, I am not so very happy with my work, but it looks anyhow "good".
Also added etched parts for handles on doors and again decals from Uschi for leather look at the seats.
Instruments were ordered from supplier, but they were th small. So I found some in WWW copied them an printed it on backside of clear sheet.




Then I worked on the tanks. They didn't fit perfectly, so I had to fill groves etc. and grind it.
Unbelievable how many hours you will sit and fill and grind ....
After finishing grinding tanks were colored and mounted to brackets on Frame.
The bands (holder-strips)were made of fine lines from Letraset and self-adhesive aluminiumtape.
Imitate some Overflow of gas ...






"Chief, I found new gas caps and I added running boards"


A few days later I made another test for fitting the cabin and hood. I heard, that the two parts will not fit exactly.
Test result confirmed the information, so I checked it again and added some narrow plastic-sheets to support hood and fenders.




Report will be continued soon ...

[Nacho Z]

Welcome, Gessy, it is nice to have you here with us. I think your English is very good. It is much better than my German. My wife's great-grandmother spoke German, her grandmother knew a lot of German and her mother can speak some German. My wife really doesn't know German, although where we are from, (North Dakota), German was taught in high-school. We both have a lot of German in our family trees.

I have read all three of your posts. Thank you for sharing all of your work with us! Your model is coming along very nicely. You have done a lot of nice work on it. I can appreciate how much work you have put into it. It looks like everything is fitting together well. It is nice to be able to put all of the sub-assemblies together and see the model come together and start looking like a truck! Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing you progress.

[gessy]

Thanks, for the nice Feedback, John. Now I am painting the cabin and the dumper Body. Made some terrible mistakes during painting:
Knowing, that iit is difficult to spray paint in all edges (and the dumper Body has a lot of edges) I got the fantastic idea to prepaint all edges.
Next day, when prepainted color was try, I decided to spray the complete Body at once.
Not realising, that I used two different products for Colors I got the result, that all paint where "crumbling" - loocked like a junkyard body now.
Now I am removing all coats of paint and of course grinding again ..... puuuh!
But soon I will continue with my report ;-)

Gessy

[oldcoyote]

Beautiful work sir ...... very nicely done ....... can't wait to see the finished product.