Peterbilt 589 Project Progress

1
October 1, 2023
The real truck
2
October 1, 2023
The real truck shown here with optional polished aluminum fenders and script-style badging. My rendition will have the traditional red oval nameplate and painted fenders.
3
October 1, 2023
Rough cab and hood created from sheet plastic and square rod.
4
October 1, 2023
Rough shapes
5
October 1, 2023
Rough shapes. Fenders are from the 378 kit hood and tapered at the rear.
6
October 1, 2023
Rough hood shape
7
October 1, 2023
Rough cab shape
8
October 1, 2023
Rough hood shape
9
October 1, 2023
After first primer and sanding with plenty of work to go
10
October 1, 2023
When I started this I had no final outcome in mind so I created the cab as a non-sleeper with a back window cut out.
11
October 1, 2023
After decided I would build a sleeper version using the kit sleeper and a resin low roof from P&P resin (this piece must be 10 years old).
12
October 1, 2023
Larger sleeper and body in primer. I just didn't like the look with the longer sleeper.
13
October 1, 2023
I cut the sleeper from the 63" length to the 48" length removing 15" scale inches from the front of the side panels and from the center of the sleeper roof.
14
October 1, 2023
In-Primer mock-up without the sleeper
15
October 1, 2023
In progress mock-up with the sleeper and basic chassis components tacked in place.
16
October 1, 2023
In-primer in-progress mock-up.
17
October 1, 2023
Body in base color white. I still hadn't settled on a paint scheme at this point. I had 5 different schemes and several colors in the running.
18
October 1, 2023
I settled on this old-style angled paint scheme that was popular on west-coast trucks in the 60s and 70s and still is popular today. At this point I'm about to flip a coin for the colors.
19
October 1, 2023
Red won as the main color. My initial plan was to use Microscale parallel stripe decals for accent/separator stripes, but after clear coating this I think I will leave it as a 2-color scheme which is factory correct.
20
October 1, 2023
Clear coats applied (I rattle can everything) and the finish has been wet sanded and polished (3M Finesse-It and McGuires polishes)
21
October 1, 2023
Just polished.
22
October 10, 2023
This is about as good as this will get. She's a good 3 foot model - it looks really good from 3 feet away. This build accomplished its mission: A test platform to see if I could a) fab up a convincing looking model 589 and get it done in a short amount of time.
23
October 10, 2023
24
October 10, 2023
25
October 10, 2023
26
October 10, 2023
27
October 10, 2023
28
October 10, 2023
The instrument panel was harvested from a NewRay 1/24th scale Peterbilt 579 lights and sound toy that Tractor Supply sold a few years back.
29
October 10, 2023
The trailer shown here is an AMT branded Italeri 48 foot Reefer Trailer cut down in both length and sidewall height with a tarp added to the top and bottom hoppers to create a Timpte style grain trailer.

Comments

6 1 October 2023, 12:33

Martin Oostrom
Sure, as if building a truck kit isn't hard enough. Let's scratchbuild one!
Very impressive work Tim 👍🏻

1 October 2023, 13:28

Bozzer
Don't you just wish, one of the big manufacturers would spend money on new tooling? Gotta love your time and patience on that hood and cab! Excellent start Tim. 👍

1 October 2023, 14:09

Ben M
Modeling the hard way.

1 October 2023, 15:23

Tim A
Martin - Thanks! Well, I'm not known for doing things the easy way.

1 October 2023, 17:35

Tim A
Bozzer, absolutely! A fresh 1/24-1/25th scale north American non-aero fleet-truck would be wonderful. Aerotrucks are nice, but not a lot of build version potential, but the vocational and "owner operator spec" trucks as a kit have boatloads, er truckloads of possibilities. Until then, it's scratchbuild, resin and the 3d guys to the rescue.

1 October 2023, 17:37

Tim A
Ben, you got that right!

1 October 2023, 17:37

Villiers de Vos
Beautiful paint work so far.

1 October 2023, 21:25

Spanjaard
impressive

1 October 2023, 22:17

Tim A
Spanjaard, thank you.

2 October 2023, 10:00

Tim A
Villiers, thank you. I still have plenty of chances to create problems.

2 October 2023, 10:01

Album info

With Peterbilt recently debuting their new model 589 which is set to being production in 2024 and no model kit in 1/24-1/25 of this even thought of, I decided to try my hand at scratchbuilding one. I had previously scratchbuilt a 579 back in 2012 as well as modifying NewRay toy 579s. The new 589 has too many changes from the toy to use that as a base.

The model 589 will replace the traditional cabbed Peterbilt 389 which uses the narrow cab that has been in production since 1986. The wider cab required Peterbilt to rethink the traditional long hood and create a new interpretation of the classic look.

I scratchbuilt the cab and hood from Evergreen plastic. The sleeper and chassis are AMT/Italeri Peterbilt 378 Long Hauler. The sleeper roof is an old resin piece cast by Eric Jones/P&P. The battery box and exhaust aftertreatment box are scratchbuilt. The DEF tank is from KootenayBay resin, the headlamps are from Jamie at Mo'Luminum.

Measurements were obtained by spending an Sunday afternoon with a 589 - staring at it, sketching shapes, measuring parts and taking various photographs. Many truck manufacturers offer "body builder guides" for installation of accessories and bodies into their trucks. These builder guides often have dimensions and rudimentary drawings helpful to scratchbuilding. I used the Peterbilt Heavy Duty Body Builder Manual for information.

My build here isn't meant to be super-detailed or 100% technologically accurate. It is meant as an exercise in creating the shapes and building a "what a nicely spec'd truck might look like."

Thanks for looking!

Started 9/19/23

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