Variations
By Doug Harke
Farm toys are my primary hobby interest but the highly detailed model trucks and construction equipment also intrigue me. I have always admired the Smith-Miller trucks with their “big truck” image and the nice detail for a 1950’s toy. Fred Thompson continues to make some limited production models of trucks not previously issued and I was especially interested in the B Mack car carrier that he made in the early 1990’s. I wanted one to put in my office and load it with models of cars that were significant in our families’ history. My toy collecting budget was exhausted at the time and these trucks have since appreciated from the 1991 issue price of $550 to $1200 currently so I embarked on an alternate strategy to get a car carrier for my office before I retire in June, 2006.
There is a segment of the hobby that makes very detailed 1/16 scale trucks that are pulled by very sophisticated radio control tractors of which Weidco is the best known name. After looking at various toy trucker websites, I noticed that a very detailed 1/16 scale car carrier was available and it could hold eight cars. So I ordered one from Husky Builders in Mead, WA and it is huge at 42 inches long.
My next problem was to find a tractor to pull this trailer. Pictures of the trailer show it being pulled by a cabover Freightliner tractor from the 1960’s or 1970’s but I only needed a static model. These nicely detailed tractors are pricey at a few hundred dollars to almost $1500 equipped with the best radio control technology. The 1974 GMC flatbed truck marketed by Die-Cast Promotions caught my eye because this heavy duty truck was equipped with a 427 V-8 engine. Since car carriers usually run on shorter hauls and have a lower GVW than most semi’s, using the GMC as a tractor was feasible. At the bargain price of $65 each, I ordered two GMC flatbeds. One would become the tractor and the other would be used as a donor for the rear axle to make a tandem. Although some car carrier tractors have single rear axles, the length of the car carrier area over the fifth wheel dictated a tandem tractor. I resorted to “kitbashing” which was a technique I used when I was active model railroader in the 1970’s. This consists of interchanging components of buildings, vehicles, locomotives, and rolling stock to make ones that you want. Most of my kitbashing was confined to HO scale vehicles because the selection was limited then. The DCP GMC truck is diecast but the chassis is plastic so my old techniques were valid. Splicing the second axle in to make a tandem was the major “surgery”. Shortening the chassis was also necessary because a “straight” truck has a longer frame than a tractor and I also had to remove the extra length due to the second axle. I reinforced the frame splices with 1/16 diameter steel pins and used a commercial grade of superglue with a plastic primer. It was also necessary to shorten the dual exhausts and the drive line.
The fifth wheel was a metal one ordered from All American Toy in Salem, OR which I modified by cutting down the base flanges and welding it to a steel plate to span the frame. This fifth wheel assembly was then screwed to the top of the frame with 2-56 screws and the result looks real.
I found a company that makes an extensive line of Plexiglas dustcovers and they also make custom ones so I ordered a 54 inch long one to cover my truck. Presently, the car carrier includes a 1955 Olds 88 convertible, Ford Model A two-door sedan, 1956 Chev, 1947 Ford, and a red 1996 Corvette. All of these vehicles have some significance in our family history and we are still looking for another three memorable vehicles to fill the truck.
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