CF white Freightliner question

[ranma]

Anyone know what color the engine was for the White Freightliner  (Consolidated Freight cabover)  I know the engine is  a Cummings but I'm leaning towards painting it  red to match the chassis (like the bumper and rims do).

Edited January 4, 2019 by ranma

[Muncie]

here's a case of knowing too much to give you a good answer...  The kit, including the engine, is  not a good replica of a CF tractor...  It is more of a standard day cab with CF decals.   It even has some deluxe features which are nowhere near CF's style.

The standard color for a Cummins inline (kit engine) in a Freightliner would have been Cummins Beige in the 70's.  The Cummins inline extended past the back of cab on the day cab COE's.  In most applications , it didn't matter but CF used a very short wheelbase.  They used Cummins VT903 and Detroit Diesel 6V engines for clearance to the trailer (if I remember the math correctly).  

Freightliner painted the chassis on the production line with the engine installed.   The engine and radiator were taped and masked off but there was a lot of overspray around the edges  The transmission and axles were painted chassis color. 

You have a very good start and your truck looks great. I'd continue with your plan.  If you want the engine red, go for it, it would look good.

 

 

[Rusty92]

On another issue of that kit it shows the engine as being yellow. However, on google it shows it as a boring gray. But Steve is correct also about beige. 

[DRIPTROIT 71]

Steve's right, CF trucks were bare bones so the AMT kit is not an exact replica from the beginning. There is a Freightliner truck plant here in Rowan county and before CF folded, they would order their trucks without door panels, just to let you know how bare bones their trucks were. I know a man who retired from CF and he carried a wooden box he had made with wheels on it that he carried with him. It had his CB, AM/FM tape, and speakers built in it because the trucks had none of that. To answer your question there is a 73 model CF Freightliner on Youtube with a 270 small cam Cummins in it so I suppose they ran at least some inline Cummins. I spoke of all the corners cut to say this, if there would have ever been any re-painting done on the frame over the years for one reason or another, I don't believe that CF would have went to the trouble of taping out the engine that had plenty of over spray on it anyway , so if you want it red, like Steve said, I would paint it red. I think that it would look good too.

[Jim B]

So other than swapping out the engine, what needs to be done to the AMT kit ti make it a more accurate CF tractor?

[Pete68]

A friend of mine had a 1975 white road boss medium nose with a 903 cummins it blew up he bought a old CF freightliner cabover one of the first color scheme transitions white with green/ red stripes for the 903 engine it was red

[PettyKW43]

I have wanted to do an accurate version of the CF Freightliner as well , so the plan is to strip the interior tub of all diamond pleats , rob the seats from a White Motor Corp tractor kit , 5 hole wheels from a La France fire truck, scratch a v6 Detroit, move the driver side mirror down to the door middle at a canted angle, single headlamps and lose the lower bumper and chrome. Most of their trucks had the small roof lights found in the Ford Louisville kits. Glad I am deep in parts kits! As soon as the reissue Doubles set hits then I start on this one , for fun as a triple!

Edited March 8, 2019 by PettyKW43
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