I always loved the movie. It is spielberg masterpiece. Not so easy at all to make a good thriller in the 70s with such plot. he did.
The scary guy is a peterbilt 281 from the 50s. Pete are always cool. I noted the round lights are making incredibly more scary looking.
as probably everybody here knows the guy is this one: Image
there is no complete models around of this pete. There is a resin conversion for the cab, but I am lazy and I will make my own reworking some parts from the pile of pete I achieved for my other projects. Mostly here I will use parts (cabin) from italeri and revell petes, as well as I think for now I will start only with the tractor and then see what to do with trailer.
In the movie they used a 281 and a 351 pete. very similar in look, think differences were mostly around engone and filters. I just want to do a static replica ugly dusty and rusty, as from the original movie.
Of course looking carefilly the difference between what I use as a started part (cab of the later pete 359) it is a little more bigger and surely comfy for the driver. As said I will mostly focus on the overall look of the flammable guy using the leftovers, many, of the big guys around me sitting in the spare box.
Basically the main difference is about the engine cover. It is slimmer and narrow and of course radiator grille is different. This takes also the 2 wheel fenders to have a different design
here 351 Image
available also as separate engine cover and fenders, probably the hardest part to scratch Image
as I said it looks nice but I am lazy with post now and wanna use what I already got (mostly I acheive those parts cause I need to use the hendrickson double at the rear, as used in many european trucks from fiat in the 70s after original hendrickson license..) [Reply]
thank you for this post mickhail, is very interesting.
I still dunno if is enough to lower the roof, think all the cab from 289 was smaller in general, also looking from its cockpit pictures.
I think I will try before to reduce the front windows frames, and then maybe, cut the pyllars to see if all the shape matches better.
In too many details the 359 is different from 351/289, also doors are different (smaller), different handles, the rivetings...
what makes me thinking in your picture here is that probably the 289 suspensions were lower than 359, cause all the 289 cabin seems much more near to the ground.
will study it a little more . It is useful to pause the work sometimes and check the references. thank you again [Reply]
Originally Posted by lovegt40:
will study it a little more . It is useful to pause the work sometimes and check the references. thank you again
You are welcome! Pay attention to this description:
"Cabs:
(Conventional cabs)
From 1939 until 1972, Peterbilt conventionals (meaning engine in front of cab) had the "Unilite" cab with sharp-cornered doors & smaller front windows than suceeding cabs.
In 1972, the Unilite cab was replaced by the 1100 series cab, so called because the area of the front windows was 1100 square inches. The doors had rounded corners on them, too.
In 1987, the 379 cab was introduced. This cab is similar to the 1100 series cab except it is wider, has a fiberglass roof, the windshield slopes back further, and daycabs (trucks without sleeper compartments) have larger rear windows. Later versions of this cab have new door handles & locks. This cab is still used on the current generation of Peterbilts." [Reply]
