'90s GMC TopKick C7500

[Sergey]

Hello my dear colleagues!
I haven't write here for a long time....
As I am American Medium Duty  trucks fan, I can't stand to work (make a model) on this one.
:

The only thing I will change is the rooth. I like standart one. And I not sure about the bumper. May be I will use the stock one. I bought the resin on e-bay couple years before. I guess it's Perry's:

The grill is fited to suit.

There are couple fuel tanks and acumulator boxes in kit. Plus chequered plates and buckles for hood and boxes in separate bag:

I like this kit. Quality of the cast rather high. No boubles.

There is pimple on a back wall, like the real cab has. Also bottom line need correction.

Door handles are made through


Interior tub is flat as usuall.

I have PDF with dimensions, so I can say the scale of a kit is something between 1/24 and 1/25.

Toolbar sits rather high. Next photo shows it better.

 The steering wheel is too small for this truck. It's a pitty - no head lights lenses or wind screen in a kit. No instruction too.....

Edited August 16, 2016 by Sergey

[Fat Brian]

This kit is based off the AMT 88-97 Chevy pickup kits, the glass from that kit should fit perfectly. The bumper in the kit is the light duty version where the red truck has the heavy duty bumper, it should be super easy to make out of Evergreen pieces. I learned how to drive a manual transmission in a truck pretty close to this one.

[Sergey]

So, the bottom of back wall of the cab has filled up:

Almost finised on the left side, not on the right. Here is the original:


Door pockets and elbow-rest are up graded too:

[Sergey]

...the red truck has the heavy duty bumper, it should be super easy to make out of Evergreen pieces. 

Thank you Brian! Of course I can do that. I'm not sure which one I like best jet.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Sergey

[Mopar - D]

Sergey great build subject you have going here. I'm looking forward to see how you build this one. Do you have any colors lined up yet ?

[av405]

Very interesting project. I love detail-oriented threads like this one. I too am interested in this class of trucks so I will be following closely.

[gatorincebu]

 

    Sergey,

              It looks like you have chosen a good subject to model. And knowing your penchant for details. I would say this one will be really nice when you finish it !

 

 

 

      Be Well

      Gator

[Sergey]

Do you have any colors lined up yet ?

Well, I searched all over the internet for color schemes of TopKick. Haven't faund anything better, then first picture. Do you have something interesting on mind?

[Mopar - D]

The red looks good. Next question the dump truck body or to roll back flat bed ? Or some thing else? The dump body from the AMT Ford dump truck kit may be a good fit as a idea. 

[Sergey]

The model will be the same as a dump truck on first photo, except the high rooth and some decals for the doors.

The dump body from the AMT Ford dump truck kit may be a good fit as a idea. 

You're reading my mind. I planed to use AMT Ford kit for chassis and dump body, but Ford's frame is differs from GMC's. It has higher frame spar piece in the middle. So I use KFS frame. I show you later. Dump body will be reworked too for modern style.  I already bought Evergreen strips.

[Mopar - D]

That's going to be a cool looking truck. 

[Sergey]

So, the steering wheel has been remade. I used the rim from Ford LNT kit. The rest of steering wheel are styrene, epoxy patty, wire, piece of sprue. Though Ford's rim is 1mm bigger, then TopKick one should be it has an ideal cirkle.

I also made the gear shift lever.

Here is how it should be:

I also filed down the bottom and back side of the dash. Now it sitssits a litle lower.

Almost like at home. Erly Tahoe and Silverado have the same cab and dash.

Edited August 24, 2016 by Sergey

[Mopar - D]

Nice update steering wheel and shift look good. 

[Russell C]

Well, I searched all over the internet for color schemes of TopKick. Haven't faund anything better, then first picture. Do you have something interesting on mind?

Something "retro" as in these '70s GMC stripe designs out of the paint scheme thread?

[Sergey]

Something "retro" as in these '70s GMC stripe designs out of the paint scheme thread?

Well, it is hard to transfertransfer COE paint scheme on such conventional. Genelal hood sides slightly higher, then TopKick's, so it not so easy too. Perhaps Ford L-series have similar hood and that schemes in the bottom of first page will suits TopKick.....         I should think it over.                               Thank you Russell anyway!

 

 

[455 Rocket]

Nice work.  Here's one I started about 5 years ago.  The front clip is from a DG Productions model.  I plan to switch to Moebius tires and wheels.

[Superpeterbilt]

Fine work Sergey.

[Sergey]

Nice work.  Here's one I started about 5 years ago.  The front clip is from a DG Productions model.  I plan to switch to Moebius tires and wheels.

Thank you guys! Hey Craig! Where is that bed from?

I guess the cab is Silverado's?

Edited August 29, 2016 by Sergey

[DRIPTROIT 71]

Great project!

[Sergey]

The more I work on TopKick cab, the more imperfection I found....

Here we see, that the bottom of the back wall of the cab is not parallel to under grill bar. So the cab/hood is twisted slightly.

Here headlight niche was depressed on hood corners. Stock state on the left.
Now let's make a frame. I tried CNC-milled frame from KFS.

There are nice cross members in a kit, though it is hard to glue bottom and upper strips to the main strip at once.... I think I must make a jig next time

There should be reinforcement abowe rear boogy. This was made of right angle and styrene. Perhaps I will change it a little.

Try on.

The inside of the grill was treated with ceramic blade to open the holes. Here they are almost opened. The side columns of the grill shouldn't be opened on a real truck. That's why I used ceramic blade for accuracy.

Head light bezels was made of halves of 5 mm plastic tube and pieces of styrene by sides. Also I found head light lenses in my spares

I guess it's a resin copy of this Ford's face

The only probleme, that sikkens resin has tinted yellow in time.  Anyone knows vhere can I get transparent resin, that won't get yellow anymore.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Sergey

[gatorincebu]

 

    Sergey,

             Nice work ! What do you think of the KFS frame kit? Would you recommend it ??

 

 

 

   Be Well

    Gator

[Sergey]

 

    Sergey,

             Nice work ! What do you think of the KFS frame kit? Would you recommend it ??

   Be Well

    Gator

Well Mark..... For those who want to make a model using resin without donor-kit (like me), or for the man who scratchbuild models, KFS frame kit is must have IMHO.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Sergey

[455 Rocket]

Thank you guys! Hey Craig! Where is that bed from?

I guess the cab is Silverado's?

Sorry for the delayed response, I haven't been on the site in a while.  The cab and bed are from AMT's C-3500 phantom dually kit.  I had lowered the original kit and made bigger rear tubs to fit the tires.  

[Sergey]

Finally I've finished season work and returned to TopKick:

Here I used Italeri's steering axle + suspension, although steering link was altered.

Notice a piece of plastic between frame rail and front suspension bracket. Original Italeri frame has a radiator pocket this place.

Rear suspension is a copy of AMT's one. You can see different tubes to fix axles in suspension brackets. 

Rear tyres are from Mo luminium. Bought some years before. I can't decide now which wheel discs to use: Italeri's spare wheel (without a hub) or AMT's one. The tyre can suit to both. On Italeri it is taller - 43,5 mm, then on AMT - 42 mm. I plan to use hubs from Mo luminium too. 

Some semi result. It takes time to drill rear axle through.

It is temporary asembly. I think to shorten the frame by 9 mm to fit 14 ft. Dump body.

All I left to do is to make a dump body for fitting.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Sergey

[Sergey]

Small update. Here I made a blank (I hope it correct word) from balsa wood.

Stick a plastic to frame

Warmed it over gas oven and cover a blank with plastic.

Unfortunatelly plactic goes covered with very small pimples. Plastic thickness is 0,1mm.

Why could it happen?