Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 GigaSpace

1
December 2, 2020
Alrighty, let's see what we've got here...
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December 2, 2020
This process actually started months ago - planning out the colors, build sequence, and scratchbuilding is half of the fun for me!
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December 2, 2020
Gonna start with the powertrain (since I'm waiting on some photoetch tools that I'll need for the chassis.) I picked this kit for a very specific reason - the heart of this truck is the OM471, whose American cousin I am intimately familiar with. It's coupled with what might be a G281-12, far as I can tell, and a Euro V catalytic converter. I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this one 🙂
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December 2, 2020
Time to nitpick... No exhaust manifold, not molded into the cylinder head/crankcase assembly, nor as a separate part. Gonna need to figure something out, including the bolt-on heat shield.
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December 2, 2020
High pressure fuel pump is missing too. Should be on that upper boss on the rear geartrain/flywheel housing.
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December 2, 2020
The boost pipes, both hot an cold, have the boots and intercooler horns integrally molded. Not how I wanted to build it, so maybe I'll separate those.
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December 2, 2020
The viscous clutch on the fan will need some fins cut in.
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December 2, 2020
Top side of the transmission is missing the shift module and TCM.
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December 2, 2020
No water brake on the back end of the transmission. My research so far seems to suggest that they're common in these trucks, so I'll have to decide if I'm gonna scratch build one.
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December 2, 2020
My photoetch set from CTM has a relief for the top of the valve cover.
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December 2, 2020
Volutes for the turbine aren't very well defined on the included turbocharger :/
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December 2, 2020
I'll need to mill out a recess in the crankshaft pulley for the fan belt layer. Pulley for the water pump layer is fine staying smooth - I've seen some harmonic dampers like that before so that'll be fine.
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December 2, 2020
No thermostat on the oil cooler/filter housing module where it should be. Add that to the list.
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December 2, 2020
I can't imagine why the thermocouples and NOx sensors weren't molded into the ATS... am I being unrealistic?
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December 2, 2020
DEF tank will need some of the header components fleshed out, and I'll be plumbing in the coolant and DEF lines for the chassis.
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December 10, 2020
Made a trip to the ol' LHS for some more supplies (ok, two trips). Gonna try this brand of metallic paints for the exterior.
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December 10, 2020
Chassis colors.
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December 10, 2020
Interior colors.
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December 10, 2020
Some exquisite Czech photoetch.
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December 10, 2020
What I ordered...
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December 10, 2020
...what I got
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December 10, 2020
It'll live right here.
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December 11, 2020
Fleshed out the details on the transmission a bit more.
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December 13, 2020
Sprayed grey primer from the bottom up, then white from the top down.
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December 13, 2020
Added the alternator and idler pulley to the accessory belt drive.
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December 13, 2020
Boost pipes separated. Added a throttle valve because I'm out of control.
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December 14, 2020
Post-resonator air compressor intake should be made of a ribbed flexible hose. Thanks for Brian Love for the trick!
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December 14, 2020
This will be installed right here after the rest of the components are mounted.
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December 14, 2020
MCM should live here.
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December 14, 2020
Added the missing thermostat to the water pump/oil cooler module.
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December 14, 2020
All cold side components are finished and ready for paint! Hot side is next!
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December 17, 2020
Hot side parts done! Turbo heat shield thinned, turbine volute added, crankcase spinner detailed, scratchbuilt exhaust manifolds, exhaust heat shields, and EGR valve actuator.
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December 23, 2020
Powertrain parts primed and waiting!
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December 21, 2020
Retarder and its hoses complete, along with the power steering pump and TCM
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December 23, 2020
Tuesday plans fell through... let's make the best of it!
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December 23, 2020
Crankcase color match is spot on! Still a lot of masking, airbrushing, and hand painting remaining on this assembly
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December 23, 2020
These parts also need further processing
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December 23, 2020
And these are awaiting on some Semi Gloss Black to show up in the mail... apparently there isn't a single bottle on this continent right now
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December 23, 2020
Lots of other parts finished though
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December 23, 2020
Much farther along than I thought I'd be before the holiday!
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December 29, 2020
Painting is, for the most part, finished!
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December 29, 2020
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December 29, 2020
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December 29, 2020
EGR actuator and its coolant lines
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December 29, 2020
Common rail-to-injector fuel lines
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December 29, 2020
Thermocouples, pressure sensors, and NOx sensors wired up... more harness coming soon.
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December 29, 2020
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December 29, 2020
White and Clear background waterslide decals for the various labels and tags on the engine
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January 1, 2021
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January 3, 2021
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January 3, 2021
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January 13, 2021
First trial of the exterior paint, by the way. Main color on the right, stripe color on the left. Some process tweaks might be needed, and the clear coat will be much thicker.
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January 13, 2021
Some of the more visible rear crossmembers will be replaced by PE parts
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January 13, 2021
These slots, originally meant for the plastic crossmember, will need to go
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January 13, 2021
Rear half of the chassis is ready to go!
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January 17, 2021
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February 6, 2021
Tamiya Fine Gray Primer on the major chassis components
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February 6, 2021
And just like that, gunmetal color applied
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February 6, 2021
Very satisfied with how the color looks
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February 6, 2021
Perfect amount of gloss in it
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February 7, 2021
Gen 2 Fifth wheel schmoo turned out well
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February 6, 2021
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February 7, 2021
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February 12, 2021
Concept for the exterior paintwork, using the last page of the kit instructions. Design will be simple, just want to make sure it flow on the various surfaces alright. Colors will be much darker than this.
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February 12, 2021
Oddly enough and out of nowhere, around the time I started thinking about how the paintwork would look, my employer released some coloring book pages on the corporate intranet. Precisely what I needed!
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February 12, 2021
PE kit comes with some StackaDimes to apply to the fuel tanks. Thinking of leaving the straps as bare metal and installing after paint.
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February 14, 2021
I've finally discovered the magic of Alclad
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February 14, 2021
It seems to have worked! 400 grit linear grain on the fuel tanks to simulate rolled metal
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February 24, 2021
Started over with paint on the fuel tanks, now all is right in the world. The rolled grain is still very subtly visible.
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February 24, 2021
Engine mounted to the chassis for the first time!
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February 24, 2021
These parts came off of the engine to get it in between the frame rails. Some will require minor rework, but this was expected.
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February 24, 2021
These parts are done and awaiting installation.
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February 26, 2021
Wheels on!
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February 26, 2021
A lot left before the chassis is done, but progress has been good
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March 6, 2021
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March 28, 2021
Filled and sanded the cavities on the bottom of the floorpan and bunk. I also have a spare bunk from my other Actros kit (more about that one later...) so I'll be able to install both in the unfolded position.
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March 28, 2021
Added some handles for the overhead storage compartments.
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March 28, 2021
All parts mounted and primed
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March 28, 2021
First layer for most of the parts, and attempting some countershading for the interior walls.
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March 28, 2021
More colors added.
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March 28, 2021
Really liking how the colors look together so far
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March 28, 2021
Ok, I admit it, I'm addicted now.
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March 28, 2021
Ready for assembly!
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March 28, 2021
This photoetch feels like cheating...
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March 28, 2021
Almost there...
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March 28, 2021
Cabin complete!
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March 28, 2021
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March 28, 2021
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April 10, 2021
The weather is starting to be not awful in my part of the world. Making the most of it while sanding all of the exterior parts
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April 10, 2021
Need to add some holes in the front grilles - these will line up with the holes in the PE set
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April 10, 2021
Only 4,671,505,914 holes to go
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April 10, 2021
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April 10, 2021
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April 24, 2021
Completed the lower grill as well... on more part left, then I can start painting!
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April 29, 2021
Removing the wiring and hoses molded into the front panel. These will be added back in more detail after the body color is applied.
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May 7, 2021
All remaining parts, mounted and ready for paint
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May 7, 2021
Coiling some wire for the trailer air and electrical lines
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May 10, 2021
Gloss black basecoat before assembly
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May 10, 2021
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May 23, 2021
Alclad on the inside surfaces of the lenses for the mirrors
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May 23, 2021
A few additional touches for the chassis, while everything else is in progress. Spare wheel with scratchbuilt carrier, some air hoses (waiting on gladhand conenctors), and some adhesive backed Bare Metal Foil for the rear heat shield on the engine.
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May 23, 2021
Cab panels assembled, and gaps filled
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May 23, 2021
Masked the windows and sanded the joints smooth
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May 23, 2021
Touched up the black basecoat after sanding
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May 23, 2021
Metallic emerald green main color by Turbo Dork. Tricky to lay down, but this paint looks awesome. Hard to capture the true effect under artificial light. Clear coat will help it to really pop.
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May 23, 2021
Exterior parts masked for the secondary color
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May 23, 2021
Stripes done. "Afterburner" color shift gold, also by Turbo Dork.
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May 23, 2021
Everything lines up!
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May 23, 2021
Clear coat applied... some orange peel action going on in some places, so there's probably some polishing in my future. The color is looking great though - I'll try to get some natural light pics on a less cloudy day.
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May 25, 2021
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May 25, 2021
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May 25, 2021
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May 25, 2021
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June 8, 2021
Wetsanding all of the exterior parts. 3000, 5000, 8000, 10000, and 12000 grit, changing the water in between to avoid cross contamination.
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June 8, 2021
First stage of polishing brightens up the sanded parts quite a bit!
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June 8, 2021
Loving the shine so far. This Tamiya polish is definitely going to be a permanent part of my process now.
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June 16, 2021
Everything was polished with blue cap Tamiya, followed by white cap Tamiya
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June 16, 2021
The final assembly process begins!
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June 16, 2021
Many parts to attach, clean, or touch up before it's done
173
June 16, 2021
Attaching the cabin heater hoses and vent lines
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June 18, 2021
Mirrors attached, panel lines accented, and I made a start on wiring the electrical connections to the cab.
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June 18, 2021
The rest of the fairings attached as well. Yes, the spare wheel fell off.
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June 21, 2021
Wait, where did these gladhand connectors come from??
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June 21, 2021
These will live right here
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June 25, 2021
Badging added to the sides of the cab
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June 25, 2021
Bumper/grille assembly complete and ready for install. PE lights from the CTM set
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June 25, 2021
Wiring loom and hoses added back to the front firewall
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June 25, 2021
First look at the completed assembly
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June 27, 2021
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July 12, 2021
And now this truck shall adorn my desk for the next couple months

Comments

36 2 December 2020, 00:22

Brandon H
Alright, time for a progress check! Picked up the most of the supplies I needed, and made a start on the scratchbuilding.

10 December 2020, 00:29

Nigel Chapman
OK so excellent photo etch parts. What about the resin thingy are you going to modify it ? (sorry, is that the fuel pump ?)

10 December 2020, 09:18

Danny Meer
those pe parts look very nice, waiting for some paint and other stuff for my build 🙂
It's mental these days with deliveries, postal services can't handle the large volumes lol

10 December 2020, 09:24

Brandon H
Most of the stuff I've had to order lately is from overseas, so I just click Confirm Order and say "See ya in a few months!" That fuel pump (high pressure and low pressure pumps together in one unit) is the first of the scratchbuilt parts I'll have to make for this motor. Some of the stock parts in the kit are beautifully detailed while others, like this one, were completely missed. I probably wouldn't've thought twice about it if weren't surrounded by these engines every day!

10 December 2020, 12:09

Danny Meer
Can't wait to see that engine completed 🙂
I'm already happy when my stock engines fit and don't fall out 😛

10 December 2020, 14:02

Nigel Chapman
I'm with Danny. Wow Brandon I'm impressed already !

10 December 2020, 19:27

Brandon H
Uh oh, the pressure's on! Let the scratchbuilding marathon grind on!

10 December 2020, 20:15

Brandon H
Transmission could use a bit more ribbing on the castings. I'll let it cure till tomorrow and then blend it in to the existing details.

11 December 2020, 00:24

Bill Newcomer
following

12 December 2020, 03:06

Brandon H
All of the prepainting tasks done for the cold side components!

14 December 2020, 00:22

David Pearson
Very Nice, love the attention to detail.

18 December 2020, 13:37

Brandon H
Thanks David!

21 December 2020, 02:00

Brandon H
Inching ever closer to a big painting day. Hot side and transmission components ready now, exhaust is next!

21 December 2020, 02:01

Nigel Chapman
You should pose the engine on it's own

21 December 2020, 03:44

Brandon H
Ha, I intend to! Might not even finish the rest of the truck!

21 December 2020, 21:06

Brandon H
Ended up spending the much of the day at the workbench rather than at the shooting range. Productive with lots of promising results today, so no complaints here!

23 December 2020, 03:33

Brandon H
Alright, painting is done and final assembly is underway!

29 December 2020, 03:02

Danny Meer
Pffff....If I could build engines like that, would make a display for it just to show the super detailed engine instead of tuck them away in a truck build 😄 Amazing! 👍

29 December 2020, 14:00

Brandon H
Engine, aftertreatment, and transmission are what I'm calling 99% complete! I'll try to do another shoot soon with the cooling package, air box, and DEF tank soon. Can't promise I won't rework the retarder hoses again, and other minute touch ups will surely continue until the whole truck is done.

1 January 2021, 00:54

Danny Meer
Man!!! that engine really looks stunning m8 👍

1 January 2021, 07:40

Nigel Chapman
Superb !!

1 January 2021, 12:34

Brandon H
Thanks Danny and Nigel!

1 January 2021, 16:48

Brandon H
Got the rest of the powertrain components done! This is roughly the arrangement in the truck, though I already know I'll need to rework most of the hoses once this is all mounted in-chassis

3 January 2021, 19:25

Brandon H
Still chugging along! Working on the chassis now - lots of flashing and parting lines to remove, and some major crossmembers have been replaced by PE

13 January 2021, 00:07

Brandon H
Time to add wiring and hoses and fittings and then get my tweezers stuck together and then get my fingers stuck together

17 January 2021, 00:55

Brandon H
Chassis coming along great. Major assemblies done, painted, and assembled.

6 February 2021, 14:42

Brandon H
Thanks Jonn, welcome aboard

7 February 2021, 00:47

Brandon H
Making progress on the rest of the chassis components, as well as my plan for the body paintwork!

12 February 2021, 19:55

Nigel Chapman
Looks great. Like your colour concept. Good idea using the colouring book images

12 February 2021, 22:41

Brandon H
Thanks Nigel! I forgot how great coloring was...

13 February 2021, 01:08

Nigel Chapman
Clever idea with the fuel tanks

15 February 2021, 04:22

Brandon H
Thanks Gastón!

16 February 2021, 23:09

Brandon H
Change of direction with the fuel tanks - the color came out a lot darker than I expected at first, and my research suggests they should actually be a much brighter aluminum, with the straps painted black. After a few repainting sessions, I have something I can live with. In other news, the engine finally in the chassis!

24 February 2021, 00:07

Nigel Chapman
If does not already, you have to make the cab tilt to show off that engine.

24 February 2021, 02:15

Brandon H
It does indeed, and I think I'm leaning that way for the final build up!

24 February 2021, 11:49

Brandon H
Many thanks, John!

25 February 2021, 12:06

Brandon H
Woohoo! Chassis completed at last. Some finagling to get the cooling package and the rest of the coolant, power steering, and DEF hoses installed, but overall I'm happy with the fitment. Now it's time to clean off the bench and shift gears to start working on the top side parts.

6 March 2021, 17:38

Nigel Chapman
Looks great

6 March 2021, 19:45

Brandon H
Thanks for the continued kind words Nigel!

7 March 2021, 00:18

Chaz Gordon
Sheesh, and I thought I was getting detailed adding a bracket to a ubiquitous floating alternator. This is going to be so realistic, it should be tailgating a small hatchback.

12 March 2021, 21:26

Alexander Grivonev
Looks like you know your stuff about trucks! Some amazing work right there👍👍 Beautiful!

12 March 2021, 21:34

Bill Newcomer
Wow that is a lot of stuff packed onto the chassis. Great detail work Brandon.

13 March 2021, 05:45

Mark Boots
This is such a cool build! I love it. Thanks for sharing all your progress.

13 March 2021, 06:02

Brandon H
Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement!! I'm having a lot of fun with the build and I'm glad to see people are enjoying the journey!

13 March 2021, 16:14

Treehugger
Does the conversion kit make the wheels larger in diameter, or, are the wheels the same size?

13 March 2021, 16:33

Brandon H
No change to the wheels - these are the stock parts form the kit. The rear wheel arches do seem to hug the tires quite closely, but from what I can tell, the OOB position is consistent with the real thing. These Italeri wheels and tires are a refreshing contrast from the AMT kits I was raised on!

14 March 2021, 15:15

Nigel Chapman
Come on then Brandon, let's see the cab !

14 March 2021, 16:19

Brandon H
Oh, I'm on it! Four bags of parts on the bench awaiting sanding...

14 March 2021, 17:03

Nigel Chapman
Excellent. Looking forward to it

14 March 2021, 21:19

Brandon H
The next major assembly is done! Lots of fun details here, some as molded from the kit, some from the photoetch set, and some touches of my own. The home stretch is next - time to give this rig some skin!

28 March 2021, 17:38

Nigel Chapman
Looks great, love the mobile phone

28 March 2021, 17:49

Bill Newcomer
Wow! You execution of detail is very impressive. It is a shame the engine is not on a stand just to admire the artwork that is is.

29 March 2021, 02:11

Martin Oostrom
I'm stunned by the amount of detail and the quality of your paintwork. You deserve a place in our modeler's Pantheon

29 March 2021, 06:35

Brandon H
There's a Pantheon for that?! But really though, thanks for all the compliments guys! Quite humbling.

29 March 2021, 10:58

Brandon H
That's why I like to do the photoshoots for the subassemblies like the engine and cabin. Even if all of my hard work gets hidden away in the finished product, it'll live on forever in photographs!

29 March 2021, 11:01

Alexander Grivonev
The charging phone is truly the icing on the cake, beautiful work 👍

29 March 2021, 14:00

Urban Gardini
Love the kinks in the cord to the smart phone. I'm not interested in lorries but this is well worth watching as I love scale modelling...

29 March 2021, 16:48

Brandon H
So much love for the phone! Thanks, guys. The little details like that always make me smile, so I'm glad to be among like-minded company!

29 March 2021, 18:59

Brandon H
Marching ever towards completion! Lots to do in this final phase of the build

10 April 2021, 23:22

Nigel Chapman
Damn Brandon, you must have the patience of a saint drilling out all those holes! I would have cut the section out and just mounted the PE grill

12 April 2021, 12:36

Brandon H
I did consider it, but I didn't think there'd be enough left to support the PE parts. Still more fun then filling ejector pin marks IMO...

12 April 2021, 13:16

Brandon H
Just about all of the pre-processing for the exterior parts is complete! Painting will be underway soon...

29 April 2021, 14:18

Dennis
This is madness! In a very positiv way. Keep going!

29 April 2021, 20:30

Brandon H
Haha, thanks Dennis!

30 April 2021, 11:16

Brandon H
The first of many paint sessions in this final push. Gloss black base coat for the main cab panels. Many of the the smaller parts can go in the done pile now.

10 May 2021, 14:20

Brandon H
Finally got some color laid down! Quite happy with the results so far, although the photos don't do it justice at this point

23 May 2021, 22:17

Nigel Chapman
Yeah, the photos make it difficult to see. What colours have you used ?

24 May 2021, 02:03

Dennis
Nice!

Are you planning on building a trailer for this beast too?

24 May 2021, 07:58

Brandon H
It's a very deep emerald green that I can't get to look good under artificial light, and a color shift gold for the accent (shifts from slightly orange to slightly green).

No trailer plan for this truck yet, but I haven't ruled it out as a future project!

24 May 2021, 13:21

Bozzer
This build, reminds me so much, of the Scania that I currently have on my bench. I can't wait to get it finished and on the shelf.

24 May 2021, 20:12

Brandon H
Truck yeah, Bozzer! Get after it!

25 May 2021, 12:16

Brandon H
I was able to get some pictures outside yesterday - it was late, so lighting still isn't ideal, but the Michigan sun isn't known for being particularly cooperative.

25 May 2021, 12:17

Martin Oostrom
The green & gold looks very good Brandon. Great job

25 May 2021, 18:59

Brandon H
Thanks Martin! I'm really happy with how the colors look. Now I just have to polish everything...

26 May 2021, 10:55

Alexander Grivonev
This is an awesome build and report, Brandon 👍

8 June 2021, 17:30

Brandon H
Thanks Alex!!

8 June 2021, 19:12

Brandon H
We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the cab and the chassis... by the power vested in me by the State of Michigan, I now pronounce thee, almost a truck

16 June 2021, 14:21

Dennis
Hurray! Rejoice!

Impressive! This thing is big.

16 June 2021, 14:27

Nigel Chapman
Looking good

16 June 2021, 15:51

Brandon H
Thanks guys! This one doesn't feel too big to me, but my last several projects have all been trucks. This one is absolutely dwarfed by the Pete 378 in the cabinet next to my bench!

16 June 2021, 18:14

Dennis
True: first time I was in the states for vacation I've been thinking: damn! Those trucks around here are huge!

16 June 2021, 18:22

Brandon H
Shhhh... the Aussies will hear you!

16 June 2021, 22:36

Dennis
They people of Australia shall forgive me because i have not wandered their beautiful land yet to experience the greatness of their Trucks. 😄

17 June 2021, 06:38

Brandon H
Getting down to the last few parts now!

18 June 2021, 12:49

Treehugger
What does the three colored cables mean? Are they not all for air? Or, maybe they are all for pneumatic pressure with air, but going to three different things on the carriage?

18 June 2021, 14:56

Brandon H
That's a generous use of the term, but thanks Jonn! It is indeed a struggle, in the final stages of the build, to not get excited and rush through it!

18 June 2021, 15:21

Martin Oostrom
Drooling

18 June 2021, 16:40

Bill Newcomer
Treehugger. Semi trucks need air pressure to release the brakes (not apply them) One will be for normal service braking (blue in US), one for emergency or park brakes (Red in US) and one will be for the wiring to the lights (Black or Green). In the event the tractor and trailer separate while going down the road, the air lines will be severed and apply the brakes on the trailer which are spring loaded.

19 June 2021, 02:17

Brandon H
Bill's right on the money, Treehugger, sorry I missed that earlier. In my research I found yellow as an occasional alternative for the service brake, which, when viewed from the right, gives a nice little German flag for my Daimler Truck colleagues. All trailers will have those three standardized connections, but there are some obscure applications out there that need additional connections, such as engine coolant for heated trailers.

19 June 2021, 13:57

Brandon H
Finally got these connectors installed, now everything from the front axle backward is finished

21 June 2021, 13:39

Brandon H
Crossing the finish line at last, 7 months later! Still have to clean up and make a few touchups here and there before the final photoshoot, but for now, just enjoying the immense satisfaction of gluing the last piece into place

25 June 2021, 12:58

Brandon H
Thanks Jonn!!

26 June 2021, 13:50

Brandon H
And it's done! Quite a long project, but very enjoyable. The kit was quite good, and the PE set and metallic paint turned out well. Thanks, everyone, for coming along for the ride and providing encouragement along the way!

Another album from a better camera here: Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 Gigaspace - with a real camera! | Album by brahoff (1:24)

27 June 2021, 22:10

Chaz Gordon
Outstanding work. The only thing that would make it more realistic is a small hatchback attached to the front bumper...

30 June 2021, 13:06

Brandon H
Hah! Thanks Chaz. Will consider it as a future add-on lol

30 June 2021, 13:22

Nigel Chapman
Are you going to build a trailer?

30 June 2021, 15:42

Brandon H
Maybe later on. I think a nice curtainside trailer would go well with it. I need to make a dent in my backlog of other projects first though!

1 July 2021, 12:14

Bozzer
Bang on, that! Definitely bravo for attempting a European truck mate! I couldn't get close to that, and I live in England! I agree with the curtainsider too! Much more common over here. Excellent job mate!!! I need to get some benchtime in and pull my finger out. Looking forward to seeing your next build brother 🙂

1 July 2021, 16:47

Brandon H
Thanks Bozzer! I'm quite happy with it. Back to the states for the next one, and I think you'll like where it goes. Excited to see what you've got cooking as well, looks like you've amassed quite the collection of vintage kits!

1 July 2021, 21:16

Bozzer
Lol, i have mate. Love my USA trucks! I have some fun builds planned, when I can get a break from work. I currently have two Mack AC's on the go too. I have to get the decals on my Euro first, but I have to be in the right mind frame for that. They're big buggers and i don't want to rush them. Looking forward to seeing your next build brother. Keep safe and keep up with the amazing work 👍

3 July 2021, 09:35