Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review * Kenworth K-123 Cabover 1:25 Scale AMT Model Kit #687 Review

Transcription

1 Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review * Kenworth K-123 Cabover 1:25 Scale AMT Model Kit #687 Review Review and Photos by Alan Mann Kenworth began its history in Portland, Oregon in 1912, the company was founded by brothers George T. and Louis Gerlinger, Jr. and was known as Gerlinger Motor Car Works. In 1917 Edgar Worthington and his business partner Captain Frederick Kent bought the Gerlinger business, renaming it the Gersix Motor Co. In 1919 Kent retired from the business, and his son Harry Kent became Worthington's new partner. In 1923 Kent and Worthington reincorporated the business as the Kenworth Motor Truck Company. In 1945 Kenworth was bought by The Pacific Car and Foundry Company. In 1957, the model CSE was replaced by a new model with a COE design (cab-over-engine). The model was improved by the introduction of tilt cab which facilitated access to the engine. Trucks with cab over the engine were designed to operate on the West Coast, where there were strict limits for the length of combinations. This model originally was produced on the basis of a bonneted 500 series, and had a letter '"K" ahead of the index. In 1961 cabover trucks started to be produced on the conventional truck chassis 900 series. The cabover models were known as K900 from that moment. Later with the introduction of the W900 series, the cabover range was renamed to K100. Kenworth was known for Custom Ordered trucks, allowing the purchaser to get the truck they wanted not just an assembly line vehicle like most of their competitors.

2 For the modeler: This review covers the recent Re-release (Re-Pop) of the AMT Kenworth K-123 Cabover rig. This kit has seen many box art versions over the years and in multiple variations. Round 2/AMT rates this as a Skill Level 3 build. The molds were thought to be lost or destroyed, Round 2 has found and released the kit in the original version as a Retro Deluxe Kit. The kit has over 300 parts molded in White, Chrome, Clear, Clear Yellow and Clear Red and includes Metal Axles, rubber tubing and Vinyl Tires. The Original Interstate Motor Freight Systems decals have been reproduced also. The instruction sheet is typical of the AMT re-releases and much like the original build sheets. Care must be taken for parts locations and assembly sequences because the instructions can be confusing with such a detailed build and no part numbers on the sprue. There is a detailed Cummins motor. The cab tilts forward. Optional wheel hubs are included. Overall completed dimensions are: LENGTH: 9-3/4, WIDTH: 4, HEIGHT: 6. BUILDING CAVIATS: Having organization and a proper work area is important if you want to build a model properly. But even without dedicated space a place to leave your build while you work is necessary. Being able to lay out your parts organized helps the build as you are not digging for parts in the box possibly losing or damaging them. Also you really should have a place to let painted parts cure. Throughout the review you will find OPTIONAL IDEAS that I suggest. These are completely your choice. Not doing these steps will in no way affect the build, they are just ways to offer some personal and custom touches to your builds. OPTIONS will be noted. One of the best parts of model building is using your imagination to create the car YOU want! Unless you are building a Factory Stock or a Replica car your choices of color and build options is completely up to you. The instruction give recommendations but you are free to substitute whatever options you want. There is no Wrong way to build your kit! Have fun and enjoy your hobby. Review the instruction sheet thoroughly to get familiar with the assembly sequence. Decide your color scheme in advance and your custom options so you can build accordingly. PIC 1 This is the box art for this kit as released in the Retro Deluxe version. Unless otherwise stated I use Testors Tube Glue (Orange Tube) for assembly of the parts. Other adhesives used in the construction are Superglue and Elmer s White Glue. Paints consist of Testors Enamel or Acrylic bottle paints and Rattle can spray paints. The body is finished using 1:1 automotive use paint products shot with an airbrush. One of the major benefits of using automotive paint is a very fast drying time. You can get just as good results using Spray can products but they require a longer drying time. Automotive paint is FULLY cured in less than an hour and clear about 6 hours. Use a good quality airbrush to paint automotive products because Lacquer Thinner will destroy the cheaper ones quickly. Assembly paint colors may vary from instructions as I use simplified colors that most model builders should have on hand. Before beginning your build soak and wash your parts with a mild detergent like DAWN to remove any mold release agents and help with paint adhesion. Note to remember: Always follow the Manufacturer s Safety and Use Guidelines when using any of the products mentioned in the review for your own protection.

3 PIC 2 PIC 3 Here are the decals. There are Old Style and New Style logos included plus Trailer decals for an additional trailer build. The decals float easily and adhere quickly I would suggest using a setting solution for ease of maneuvering the decals. I use Microscale Industries products as they seem most compatible with all the decals I have used. PIC 4 NOTE: Due to the age of the dies the quality of the molding is not great. You will find a little more Flash or excess plastic from the molding process on the parts. Prior to any construction work on this build you should remove any Flash and mold lines. This is important for overall construction but imperative to building any Contest Quality model. Also without part numbers on the sprue finding parts is difficult. During construction there are points where parts have no positive connection joints and are just glued in place. Take your time and work slowly but remember to test fit all parts first.

4 PIC 5 PIC 6 There are a lot of parts for the motor assembly. Most of the main parts can be assembled prior to painting as the motor is a single color with little variations in colors. Assemble the block halves, oil pan, front cover, dipstick, rocker covers, water outlet, after cooler and fuel filters. Paint that unit Tan. Assemble the transmission halves, front and oil filter and paint as a unit Flat Black. Assemble the water pump and upper oil cooler and paint Flat Black. Paint the Starter, lower oil cooler and Freon pump Black. The exhaust manifold and intake pipe are Steel. Assemble the turbine and top filter. PIC 7 Mount the transmission. Assemble the water manifold and lower oil cooler and add that to the block. Add the exhaust manifold to the block and the turbine to it. The starter can be installed. Add the fan belt and fan. Add the alternator to the belt and install that. Add the water pump to the belt and install that connecting the water pump to the lower oil cooler.

5 PIC 8 Add the breather, top filter and filler cap to the rocker covers. Install the intake pipe. Add the Freon pump and fuel pump. Add the fuel line and oil line. Set the completed unit aside for now. PIC 9 PIC 10 The front tires can be completed. They are Chrome now if you wish to leave them so or you can paint them your chosen color. To give the tires a Road Used look roll and press the tread on 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface. The rim slides into the tire and the front ring is attached in place. PIC 11 The rear tires are much like the fronts but are four sets of dual tires. To give the tires a Road Used look roll and press the tread on 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface.

6 PIC 12 Attach the hub to the brakes and paint those units and the rear rims the chassis color. I used Orange. Choose and attach either the Stock or Custom hub covers. Insert the rear rim into the tire and add the ring to the front side. Insert the front rim and add the ring to the back side of the rim. Assemble the inner and outer tires. PIC 13 NOTE: The chassis is multiple steps and finished in stages in the instructions. But being a Fleet Vehicle the chassis would have been assembled and painted as a whole the Fleet color, in this case Orange. I will detour from instructions and assemble the chassis sections that need to be Orange and then go back assembling the other parts in place.

7 PIC 14 The main chassis can be assembled now. Start on one frame rail and assemble the three cross members attaching them to the rail. Add the rear cross member. Add a rear leaf spring. Add a front leaf spring. On the opposite rail add the remaining leaf springs. Attach the rails together aligning the attachment points. On the rear axle add the cross tube. Add the underbell and cab mount. Attach the upper cab mount and cab lock. Add the engine mount. Tack the rear axle brackets in place until later. Continue without painting. PIC 15 PIC 16 The front suspension is installed. Not all the parts will be installed yet as the paint has to be completed first. Assemble the axle with the retainers, pins and caps. Insert the axle on to the leaf spring. ON THE DRIVER SIDE: Add the idler arm and pitman arm in place. Install the steering box and shift tower. Assemble the cab tilt cylinder and install in place. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE: add the cab tilt mechanism and a cab tilt cylinder. This assembly will be Orange later, as of now paint the other parts as follows and set aside. The tie rod is Flat Black, the shocks Green, the shift gate Black, the cab lifts Steel.

8 PIC 17 PIC 18 The rear suspension is finished and installed now too, prior to paint work. Assemble the axle halves and gear box. The backing plates are marked for location, add them in place. Install the brake mounts. Install the front axle and add the driveshaft. Add the rear axle connecting the driveshaft. Add the track bars in place. The air brake cylinders are chromed and will be added after painting. PIC 19 Paint the chassis Orange. Add the shocks to the front leaf springs. PIC 20 Add the tie rod to the front axle. Install the shift gate, remote and shifter. Insert the cab lifts. Install the air brake cylinders to the rear brakes.

9 PIC 21 PIC 22 The motor is installed now along with the radiator. Assemble the three radiator parts, add the top hose and paint that unit Flat Black. Paint the lower hose Flat Black. Paint the driveshaft and shift lever Steel. Insert the driveshaft in place and install the motor. Add the shift lever from the transmission to the shifter mount. Install the radiator and attach the top and bottom hoses in place. PIC 23 Install the front tires by gluing the rims on to the spindles.

10 PIC 24 The rear tires are installed using the Metal Axle and inserting it through the axles and into the backs of the rear rims. NOTE: In the instructions the following three steps are ONE STEP. PIC 25 PIC 26 Start with the rear chassis accessories. Paint the rear flaps Flat Black with White lettering. The fifth wheel plate is Orange. The rear light plate is Orange.

11 PIC 26 Add the tail lights and back up light to the rear light plate and attach that to the frame. Add the rear flaps. Add the front fenders. Attach the fifth wheel plate, the fifth wheel is snapped to the brace and just located on the plate without glue. PIC 27 The fuel tanks are next. I used Superglue for these assemblies for extra strength. The braces are Orange. PIC 28 Assemble the tank halves and ends. Add the step to each. Add the braces in place. Install the tanks to each side. Install the cross brace between the front tank braces. Add a filler neck to the front of each tank top. Assemble the air tanks and install on the frame bottoms behind the fuel tanks. Install the airline mount and pole. I drilled holes into the mount to hold the airlines and wrapped them around the pole.

12 PIC 29 PIC 30 Finish the front end. Again, use Superglue. Paint the lower bumper Orange. The battery box and top are Orange. The battery and shield are Flat Black. Add Silver details to the battery and Red wires. The luberfinder is attached to the bottom of the box, the shield to the front bottom and the battery inside. The box is mounted and the top is set in place. Attach the running light lenses and fog light lenses with Elmer s Glue. Attach the lower bumper to the top bumper and add the fog lights. Install that unit on the front frame ends. PIC 31 The exhaust is started next.

13 PIC 32 Assemble all the pipe parts with each other. Assemble the heat shields and add the stack of your choice. Assemble the stack supports and braces. Assemble the air intake and add that to the support. Assemble the air cleaner and bracket. Paint the intake duct and front mudflap Flat Black. The exhaust pipe is Silver. All other unpainted parts are Orange. Install these in steps and use Superglue for strength. Install the air cleaner with the mudflap on it. Assemble the stacks on to the supports. Add the air intake cap. Install the stacks and add the upper support in place. Install the air ducts from the turbo to the air cleaner. Add the exhaust from the turbo to the stacks. Add the intake connector to the cleaner. PIC 33 The main chassis is complete at this time.

14 PIC 34 Here are photos of the rolling chassis. Set this aside for now and move to the interior. PIC 35 PIC 36 Start the interior. Some assembly can be completed prior to paint work. For the driver s seat, assemble the pivot arms, cross brace and upper brace on to the base. Add the air cylinder and seat. This assembly is Semi-Gloss Black. In the tub add the interior support, passenger seat base and heater and filler panel. Paint this as a unit Flat Black. The passenger seat is Semi-Gloss Black. Install the driver and passenger seat and the pedals now. The air tank goes on the underside front of the interior hump. (See the next photo for dash detail) Paint the column Black with Silver levers. The wheel is Black with Silver spokes. The clock is Silver. Attach the column to the dash and install the completed dash. Add the clock and fan to the dash. The CB is Silver and Black and installed at your option. The bed is White and Gray, install it in place behind the seats.

15 PIC 37 The dash is Semi-Gloss Black with Wood Grain panels. The control panel is Wood Grain. The instrument dials and knobs are Black. The rings and details are in Silver. The control panel is installed on the dash face. Details are very poor overall on the interior pieces. It is difficult to create a good looking dash without decals here. I would recommend and aftermarket decal sheet here for a Contest Build. Pic 38 PIC 39 The interior has a set of curtains that can be installed. Assemble the sides with the front and back. Add the cubby-hole cabinets. Decide on an Open or Closed curtain and install that. The unit is painted Flat Black and installed on the interior around the bed. Set the completed interior aside for later. PIC 40 PIC 41 Start the body now. The fenders, fender flares and visor can be installed prior to any paint work.

16 PIC 42 Remove any blemishes you find and prepare the body for painting. Wet sand the whole body with 800 grit paper and rinse it clean. Paint the whole body with a high quality Primer and wet sand that again with 800 grit paper. PIC 43 Paint your truck body color now. I am using an Orange to replicate the Interstate Motor Freight System the Box art depicts.

17 PIC 44 Body Decaling and Finishing: After you have your base coat on the car you are ready to decal it. Remember decals lay better on a GLOSS surface and will not adhere properly on a FLAT surface. If you decal a flat surface you get what is called SILVERING of the decals, or the look that they are not adhered, as air is trapped under the decal. Clean your work area good so no dust or grunge from building and sanding gets under your decals. Pick the decals you want to work with and plan out how the best way to lay them out without handling previously laid decals will be. I try either a Front to Back or Top to Bottom approach doing one side at a time then the front and rear of the car in steps giving the decals time to set and dry in place before handling it again. Once you have a plan of action cut your first decal as close to the edge of the outermost color as possible. Once trimmed place the decal into warm water and let it get soft until it Floats loosely on the carrier paper. Microscale Industries has a product set called Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. The purpose is to soften the decals to help them conform to the contours of the body and lay smooth. To apply Micro Set, use a soft brush and apply Micro Set to the part where you are going to apply the decal. Next apply the decal as normal. Use a small pointed tip synthetic bristle brush and carefully position the decal. Blot the decal carefully with a Q-tip or paper towel so as not to move it and allow it to dry. For a tougher decals apply Micro-Sol with a small flat brush on to the decal. Apply with as few strokes as possible so as not to disturb the decal. As the decal dries slowly work any creases or blemishes in the decal out with a Q-tip or damp paper towel. Work slowly as not to damage the decal. A second coat of Micro-Sol can be added if needed. Now continue this process until all the decals for that area are done, wait for them to set and continue the rest of the car. Let the decals cure at least overnight before applying your clear coat.

18 PIC 45 PIC 46 Prior to assembly I want to give the glass a thinner crisper look. I will dip the parts into Pledge Floor Care. When applied to both side of a piece of clear polystyrene, it will make glass appear thinner and clearer. It will help to hide minor scratches also. Simply pour some Pledge into a small container and dip your clear glass into it. It's a kind of magic; it will self-level and make the part clearer! After you dip the part, be sure to place a cover over it to prevent dust from collecting on it. Place the parts on a sheet of paper towel to cure, the paper towel will draw out the excess Pledge and Wick it off the parts so it does not accumulate at the edges leaving an unwanted build up. Install your windows from the inside with Elmer s Glue. PIC 47 Install the interior in place. No glue is needed; it will fit tightly.

19 PIC 48 PIC 49 The front of the body is started now. Paint the emblem on the grille Red. Install the pull handles and grille. Install the side markers and blinkers. Install the headlights and add the lenses. Superglue was used for these assemblies for strength. PIC 50 Attach the parts to the passenger side of the body. Use Superglue for strength. PIC 51 There is a mirror, grab handle, door handle, side marker and emblem to install.

20 PIC 52 PIC 53 The driver side body accessories are added. Paint the step Aluminum. Install the sleeper handles, top grab bar, mirror, door handle, side marker and emblem. The step is installed in place and the step plate added. Use Superglue for strength. PIC 54 PIC 55 The roof accessories are added. Assemble the lenses to the running lights and add them to the roof. Add the horns. The lenses are added to the spotlights and they get installed on the cab corners. PIC 56 PIC 57 The instructions do not include the CB antennas but they can be painted Aluminum and installed on the mirrors.

21 PIC 58 PIC 59 There are two hinges that mount on the back of the grill and on to the frame to make the cab flip open. These do not fit properly and are not solid. I did not use them and instead just set the cab into place on the chassis. PIC 60 Cut the license plates out with scissors and attach with Elmer s Glue. This completes the front of the truck.

22 PIC 61 Cut and attach one plate to the rear to finish the build completely.

23 PIC 62 You will have a few parts left over, here is my parts pile! PIC 99 OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: If you want a challenge, HERE IT IS! This kit has been around for many years and the molds have suffered some. Flash is strong and mold lines are a problem. One downside that really hurt the build is that the attachment points are thick on the sprue. While not a severe issue with normal parts it damages the chrome plating and leaves a blemish that you either have to paint or try and fix. Fit and finish is typical for a kit of this age, not all the parts have positive attachment points and the overall fit is not perfect. The Skill Level 3 rating is solid, this one requires experience to build a good shelf model. On a positive note this kit has not been seen in a re-release in quite a while so it is a nice chance to build one of the old mainstays of the Big Rig kits. The motor is detailed nicely and fits well. The chassis was straight and needed no excess work to fit properly, which for this style of kit is usually an issue. The interior was very basic with almost no details and fit of the parts was not great. The body was straight and there were little to no molding issues, assembly was straight forward on the cab. All of the chrome-work glues directly to the cab with no attachment points nor location marks, so use Superglue. The decals are nice re-creations of the originals and do have extra items for a trailer. If you take your time on this build, it will be a nice finished build but you have to put the effort into it. If you are used to building the new released kits of today with the high detail and exact fit, parts with attachment points, this one will be a challenge; but not impossible by any means. For those who enjoy the feeling of accomplishment of building an older quality kit, this one will fit the bill. On a scale of 1 to 10 I do have to rate this one a little low because of the molding s quality. I give it a 7.