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Ertl"s International Transtar series of kits.


ranma

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Ertl Issued their first International Truck kits in 1973 The Transtar 4070 A , And the Transtar 4270 (4200). By 1977 The Both Transtar's were changed, And those became the Transtar II ( Transtar B ) then the Transtar 4300. The first issue of the Transtar II was issued with the air ride rear suspension  from the Transtar 4070 A. The Transtar 4270 (4200) went on to become the Transtar 4300. It was suggested that the 4300 had a whole new frame when it came out, But that is not the case as the frame was reworked to have the walking beam suspension.While the Transtar II second Issue also got the walking beam suspension, as all the Paystar 5000 and the S-series kit's as well. To note that the Paystar 5000 was issued from the begging with the walking beam Suspension. In the photo's are the Transtar 4070 A, Transtar II  both first and second issue. The Transtar 4270 with the Transtar 4300. The 4300 shares quite a bit with the 4270. frame, cab, fuel tanks, radiator , glass, interior, Most all chrome, Changes  were the hood ,engine , headlights, walking beam suspension, and added sleeper. The first issues of the 4300 had a line on the under part of the hood, this was where the extra length was added to the old 4270 hood, Later reissues that line was smoothed down thus no longer visable.

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A while ago I bought a 4270 kit on ebay wich was in a 4300 box, the original box was bad but included too, the other day I took it out and had a look in it as it had came up in another topic.
I noticed that the 4300 box has the same pictures on the sides describing the features in the kit as the 4270 had, a picture of a red Cummins V903, spoked Dayton style wheels and so forth...the hood in the pictures even has the same paint scheme as the 4270 kit had on the boxart...but the 4300 has 10 hole Alcoas in all positions and a IH V-800 and is yellow on the boxart.
One can also wonder why ERTL decided to change the air ride in the earlier kits to the stiffer walking beam in the later kits, air ride would have been more for highway trucks and walking beam should be more for construction and other heavy duty purposes and both the Transtar 4300 Eagle and the Transtar II looks to be more of the highway type.

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On 6/25/2019 at 4:31 PM, Force said:

why ERTL decided to change the air ride in the earlier kits to the stiffer walking beam in the later kits

That would have been International's Choice. More than likely Harvester went that route to lessen the maintenance cost of their truck's in 1:1... But an air ride could also be ordered from the factory if a company or driver wanted it.

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On 2019-06-30 at 7:09 PM, ranma said:

That would have been International's Choice. More than likely Harvester went that route to lessen the maintenance cost of their truck's in 1:1... But an air ride could also be ordered from the factory if a company or driver wanted it.

Well that maybe a reason for real trucks but for a model the maintenance issue doesn't matter much and retool a new suspension for the kits costs money.
I think it had to be something else maybe like the air ride was too complicated to put together and get right and the walking beam was easier like with the AMT Kenworth K123/W925 kits where the torsion bar suspension the kits originally had was hard to put together and get right and was replaced with walking beam in the later kits...I don't know but it's a possibility.

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18 hours ago, Force said:

maintenance issue doesn't matter much and retool a new suspension for the kits costs money.

And this was more than likely what Harvester wanted for the kits, as they were made from IH blueprints. The change to the different suspension system would have been on the blueprints (IE)  the Model to match that would have the change over as well. Harvester had control over the kits being issued by ertl. The First run issues of the 4070 a/transtar 4270 were sold to factory employee's through IH it's self.  That was before they hit hobby store shelves in 1973.

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Okay, I have wondered about this since I learned that they changed the suspension in the middle of the run for the CO-4070B Transtar II Eagle and I still find it somewhat confusing as they didn't change it on the F-4270 as it, the CO-4070A Transtar and the early run of the CO-4070B Transtar II Eagle was the only ones they had with air ride, and the only kit they changed on was the Transtar II Eagle, yes the CO-4070A was changed to the B version so it disappeared at that time but as far as I know the F-4270 still had the air ride for the whole length of the production and it was available at the same time as the 4300.
The 4300 Transtar Eagle, the 5000 Paystar and the later S-series F-2575 and F-2674 all had walking beam suspension from the beginning.

Edited by Force
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  • 1 month later...
On 6/25/2019 at 10:50 AM, ranma said:

Ertl Issued their first International Truck kits in 1973 The Transtar 4070 A , And the Transtar 4270 (4200). By 1977 The Both Transtar's were changed, And those became the Transtar II ( Transtar B ) then the Transtar 4300. The first issue of the Transtar II was issued with the air ride rear suspension  from the Transtar 4070 A. The Transtar 4270 (4200) went on to become the Transtar 4300. It was suggested that the 4300 had a whole new frame when it came out, But that is not the case as the frame was reworked to have the walking beam suspension.While the Transtar II second Issue also got the walking beam suspension, as all the Paystar 5000 and the S-series kit's as well. To note that the Paystar 5000 was issued from the begging with the walking beam Suspension. In the photo's are the Transtar 4070 A, Transtar II  both first and second issue. The Transtar 4270 with the Transtar 4300. The 4300 shares quite a bit with the 4270. frame, cab, fuel tanks, radiator , glass, interior, Most all chrome, Changes  were the hood ,engine , headlights, walking beam suspension, and added sleeper. The first issues of the 4300 had a line on the under part of the hood, this was where the extra length was added to the old 4270 hood, Later reissues that line was smoothed down thus no longer visable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’re close on the first issue 4070B, part number 8017. It was first issued in 1976 in a one piece, flip top style box with pictures of the Paystar dump and Payhauler dump on the bottom. The first run started out with the air bag setup but was changed mid run of the first run, to the walking beam suspension. The second issue, two piece box, blank cardboard bottom was released in 1980 and continued on with the walking beam suspension. The third and final issue was released in 1996 with a different part number and featured only light gray and chrome parts. So far on the first issues, the way to tell if it has the air ride or the walking beam suspension is to look in the lower right corner of the box top next to the ERTL emblem. If it has a “TM” next to it, it’s the air ride. If it has the the little C in the circle, it has the walking beam suspension. The reason that the air ride was changed to the walking beam is that International Harvester discontinued the air ride on their real trucks. IH didn’t want people building these trucks thinking that the air ride was an option so they made ERTL change the rear suspension. We just had a big discussion on this over in the Facebook MTDG group.

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12 hours ago, Ben said:

You’re close on the first issue 4070B, part number 8017. It was first issued in 1976 in a one piece, flip top style box with pictures of the Paystar dump and Payhauler dump on the bottom. The first run started out with the air bag setup but was changed mid run of the first run, to the walking beam suspension. The second issue, two piece box, blank cardboard bottom was released in 1980 and continued on with the walking beam suspension. The third and final issue was released in 1996 with a different part number and featured only light gray and chrome parts. So far on the first issues, the way to tell if it has the air ride or the walking beam suspension is to look in the lower right corner of the box top next to the ERTL emblem. If it has a “TM” next to it, it’s the air ride. If it has the the little C in the circle, it has the walking beam suspension. The reason that the air ride was changed to the walking beam is that International Harvester discontinued the air ride on their real trucks. IH didn’t want people building these trucks thinking that the air ride was an option so they made ERTL change the rear suspension. We just had a big discussion on this over in the Facebook MTDG group.

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Interesting, I have two that have the TM, and two that don’t.

Edited by tbill
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2 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

Just got an E-mail from Round 2 that the International Transtar  2 Eagle  cab over will be coming back sometime next year !

That's good if they do then maybe I can build it as the 1970-1972 IH Unistar

1 IH Unistar.jpg

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16 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

Just got an E-mail from Round 2 that the International Transtar  2 Eagle  cab over will be coming back sometime next year !

???

The local hobby store can put me down for at least two when they get here!!!!

DJ

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17 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

Just got an E-mail from Round 2 that the International Transtar  2 Eagle  cab over will be coming back sometime next year !

In ranma's thread over in BR under glass in wished for a reissue on this kit.

Now what about the AMT haulaway trailer ??

Edited by Spruslayer
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19 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

Just got an E-mail from Round 2 that the International Transtar  2 Eagle  cab over will be coming back sometime next year !

 Cool, I have to get some too! It's about time it showed up! I remember seeing all the ERTL kit for sale in the old AUTO WORLD Catalogs.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
On 8/16/2019 at 5:16 PM, Mr mopar said:

Just got an E-mail from Round 2 that the International Transtar  2 Eagle  cab over will be coming back sometime next year !

Well it’s almost December still no Transtar II. Has anyone heard some news about this release????

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