Ultraliner with no Bull(dog)

[mackinac359]

Here's my latest, this one is a .... nope, it isn't a Peterbilt... it's a Mack !

Combine an AMT GMC Astro/95 COE and a Griffen Designs Mack Ultraliner resin COE conversion.. and a 1:1 truck for inspiration.. add some glue, paint and Evergreen plastic..

The Inspiration

The Model

Side View

The Grille

Since the grille is molded to the cab, I masked the grille after priming so that the detail wouldn't be lost in the paint. I covered the entire face with Bare Metal Foil with careful burnishing, then painted the flatblack, using my finger to remove the paint from the raised detail.

Details

The mirror bracket is aluminum tube bent to shape. Door handle is made from bits of scrap plastic covered in BMF, the grab handle is Evergreen strip cut to size and bent to shape painted with Duplicolor BumperChrome.

The battery boxes are the Astro boxes, mounted on square tube, an air tank mounted below each with a step added. The lower cab step is plastic coated Plastruct rod bent to shape.

Curved Muffler

A Mack MUST have a curved exhaust. I can never bend aluminum tube to look right.. in my parts box I found this perfectly shaped curve.. look close.. the muffler is actually the muffler from the Revell Snap-Kit Peterbilt 359 turned upside down! I cut the end at an angle.. a perfect looking curved stack.

Interior

I added some cab detail such as maps, log books, cigarettes and other odds n ends. Funny, I put cigs in some of my trucks, but I don't smoke.

I weathered the truck just as the real truck looked.. I added bug splatters to the front along with paint chips.

Another thing a Mack must have

A Lund-style visor. Mine is made from Evergreen plastic. Not visable but on the roof are bird-poo splats that cover a couple of dust specks in the paint.

Flaps

The Mack red white and blue logos are from a truck stripe decal sheet from JBOT.

The background should look familiar, the Ultraliner is parked in the same spot as the ModelKing Ford F150 and DM800 photos were taken.. the difference being no snow in the background! (that will be coming soon enough).

I enjoyed building the Mack, a nice change of pace from factory fresh Peterbilts (no, I'm not giving up on my beloved Red Oval!).

Oh, the title of my post, "Ultraliner with no Bull(dog)"? Look at the front of the cab.. no Mack Bulldog. Why? I lost mine.. and suspect it was eaten by the vacuum. This must be why dogs are afraid of vacuums!

Thanks for looking.

Tim

www.timstrucks.com

[Turbo590]

Well Tim,

It's about time you lean away from that "little" red oval. Very nice build. It is also funny, that my next build will be a Pete..coming from a Mack guy...

Once you have "MacK" you don't go back!! as they say.

What is next on the build block? If I may ask?

Did you receive the pictures I sent you. Take care.

Kurt McLucas

[mackinac359]

Kurt

Thanks!

Once you build Mack you don't go back. Ha!

I've got 10 built Macks in my fleet. More to come I'm sure.

Did you send the photos to photos@plasticcowboy.com? I haven't checked the inbox in a day or so.

Tim

[ultraliner13]

Well done on this build.

The cab is fantastic and of course your modeling skills add to the final result.

What engine is under the cab?

The modern trend seems to be build a truck model with no engine. Not on my watch.

Well done and thank you fro building my favourite Mack

Cheers

John Wilson

[mackinac359]

John

I thought I had a spare Mack engine but didn't, so the engine is the good ol' Driptroit.

Tim

[ultraliner13]

Hi Tim,

I take it that there is either an 8V71 or a 8V92 Detroit under that big cab.

To bad there is no E9 Mack V8 under the cab but then there would have to be 2 air cleaners.

A great build just hope there is an Ultraliner under my christmas tree this year.

Cheers

John

[halfpint33]

Nice build.Looks realistic.

[SpreadAxle]

It's your website that got me into modelling again, after 9 years of starting projects and never being able to finish them. Now my models rack up as many miles as my Kenworth does(during assembly anyway) thank you so very much for the inspiration that your website gives. I like this model. very well done.