Classic Truck : Fiat 300 CT - H type fiat cabin 1/24

[lovegt40]

here we are again with a milestone of classic italian trucks.
After the "Baffone" (mustachi) serie 6 shown in my thread of the fiat 682 , I decided to go for the following model, the H type fiat/iveco cabin used immediately after theme.
It was the beginning of the 70s when fiat need to upgrade the previous family of commercial vehicles with more modern models. The H type cabin was modified many times during its life, and basically survived from 1970 to 1993, considering its last developement as the turbostar/internationals trucks.

There is no pictures about historical trucks not showing one of those guys moving around somwhere. It can be middle east, as well as russia, or china or even Australia. The caracteristic cubic shape was a symbol of italy (the real, serious, working italy...) around the world.
If I am not mistaken those kind of trucks also have been produced under license in russia, but once again precise informations are very hard to find, due basically to its not-appeal feeling so common in commercial vehicles.

It took me some time to understand its genesys. wikipedia in this dont helps so much, so the main resource was specific truck forums.

Here it is the H type fiat cabin....



as well as the names of the infinite derivation is messed up. What I know wast the very FIRST definition, that was 691, number immediately following the 690 (in italian market), and the new truck featured newer engines much more faster than previous and a comfortable modern rational cabin.

I can write for hours about those types of trucks, maybe is better simply link a short movie made by Archivio storico fiat, It is a documentary of various european drivers taking those trucks in an amazing trip. If u have some time take a look at it, is simply lovely..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=askePCSn_tQ&t=463s

The main actors are the 619 and the 697. The 697 is the immediate father of the guys I am going to build...

[lovegt40]

The fiat 619 was the first update of the very first 691´s. There are tons of small differences that only a very expert eye can get. From what I learn it was mostly specific details as the right/left hand drive, the consequents wiper position, the side arrows.....the type of mirrors,and too many mechanical improved parts. Many many differences, but basically..its always him !

The 697 indeed was a heavier version with double axle reduction. It was an heavy dury (heavy loader) 6x4 truck.
As well as the mighty german Mercedes-benz SK serie they are part of humanity history.

The fiat 697 T (t per Trattore) is still active in some places around the world. Its dismiss was mostly for the overall new laws on emissions if not for its natural end of life,traduced as rost and crashes. They were capable to load amazing loads for their times. Between 30 to 90 tons !!, so its obvius their main use was in Dumping/concrete moving

Here a 697 TP directly from the 70s..


and also here, exacly as for mustachi serie, the possibility to exchange parts was nearly infinite, and usually done to keep the vehicle working for a lifetime.
Many driver reports this 3 axle trucks was much more versatile than 693 t, quite rare and produced for a short time during the same era. The better difference was mostly about its chassis resistance, cause seems 693T was quite easy to folder the chassis under the heavy loads he could carry..
It was still a develope of a truck of the 50s, developed after the war.



so, newer technology. as usual on machines it means...better performance, and a better mechanical serious worker. No secret the 697 become the "monster" of the earth movers of the time, at leats in italy where he was a little cheaper (mostly on services and spares) than the MB SK , that shares same identical history and destiny (they been dumped cause emissions too, despite they are ALL still working perfectly).

[lovegt40]

and finally the model ...if you are still here reading me means mostly you want to see this startup part...i know i know..

In the beginning I wanted to build the 697T, cause it fits much more the pictures I like, being myself an item from the early 70s.
Just achieving information I found there is a minor detail that needed to be done from scratch, and I would like to avoid a works as I did for the 682T in my previous thread.
I would like to do something faster, using the recently reissued Iveco 190.38 from italeri.
I had to change then my very first idea, cause the 697 used a 6-in.line cylinder engine, while the model I am using was the following more powerful v8 truck, done after the international Iveco agreement between Fiat, Magirus Deutz and Unic.
Something that made europe united (italy, germany and france), somehow better than today....

The big blocks were build mostly in Germany by Magirus and after this agreement the 697 was repowered and renamed as the legendary FIAT 300, that I was lucky to drive during my military service in the italian alps in 1994,cause also esercito Italiano had it for heavy duty/emergency operations.

Fiat TRECENTO was a very, very powerful truck. It was available in different versions with different wheelbase and cabin versions. It matches much better with italeri mechanic, including the american Fuller legendary gear shifter, where the driver had to consider its own driving ability...
Who knows the Fullers will understand at once what I mean...



An important notice if you ever would like to make models like this is the starting /donor kit.
Italeri made nearly the totality of the models around, often reboxed by revell or amt. Remember...the older the italeri box will be, the best quality you will find inside. This means all trucks from iveco, volvo scania,man, merzedes benz are incredibly more detailed if you can get the FIRST model made by italian manifacturer. It was stuff from the middle 80s.
This cause during the years the moulds become more and more expensive and they had to cut down any detail and difference from the actual vehicle. Mostly they could then copy the newer cabins,but not the inner parts,and I personally think this was a mistake. The worst ever in their catalogue was the Volvo Fh16, that models the modern swedish cabin...over the old volvo F12, from the 70s.....
Real Fh16 is brutally different in everything,starting from the wheelbase....man advised.

[lovegt40]

the model italeri did belongs to the golden era of truck modelling moulds. This means despite years it is quite accurate and moulded in a great quality plastic, often very fine in details too.
The fiat 190.38 (or .48) had different boxes, and nearly never with its real name. First issue was fiat cowboy, representing a limited run edition of the 190, nicknamed california, with a lot of small details making him look so american and 80s item. Identical box with different markings was the magirus deutz road tractor, and similar also the canvas version of it. Nice to know the original box featured the COSMOS logo on it. Cosmos was the delivery department of italeri factory in the 80s..






but it was only during last year they finally reissued the model, even if still with magirus names for copyright usual problems with iat group.

It is a nice kit, really, and is also quite easy (this time) to convert this cabin to previous models.
The same serie fiat 170/180 can be easy taken from this model, always with the idea to hide the engine, smaller in reality and just available as big v8 in scale

[lovegt40]

the first work will be backdate cabin, opening rear windows and lowering the roof





for the specific parts of this serie i will use maxmodels resin details









the hardest point is to lower the windshield line. Too many modelers simply cuti it away without retaking the round upper angles ot the metal frames



I will use this picture as referring point for my model:

[fredjevogel]

Hi Paolo ,
Another lovely project ! you make me very curious !
I will follow your build with great interest ,good luck with this one !
Regards
Fred Vogel

[lovegt40]

thanks a lot my friend.
Those old guys I like a lot, and still have to retake myself after the mess with that 488 gt body. This truck start keeps me quiet..

[lovegt40]

so..here some images to make it clear the differences between italeri box, featuring basically this guy..



and the 619/697 one..



and so the shape I took become this one. The hardest part is the front bumber, quite different in shape and size, as well as lights are different
Easy part was this


then I made roof in plasticard 3 mm thick and shaped after refitting front windshield frame


note in this pic bumper still is from 190 serie, then i reworked it too











until my temporary final step that is this..

[lovegt40]

I am currently preparing the big under chassis of this guy.
My point is now to reproduce the 2 big differentials of this 6x4 Vehicle. Searching around I discover Fiat Iveco (as well as Volvo) used the differentials and all the rear suspension schema from Rockwell Hendrickson.
They made the diff for nearly all the big American trucks, as well as Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth.

The idea then will be transplant all the rear group of a Revell Peterbilt, with the modification of the suspensions joints.







And so nice for me to see, Mr. Hendrikson was (another) skilled swede around the world ..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrickson_International

[lovegt40]

progress with the chassis. The rear double twins always have their fascinating.
Note in those pics the cabin is not the correct one for 697/300. It is a temporary one from another Iveco to take measures

[DasWiesel]

Great! Will follow your next classic-Truck WIP for sure!
Looking very good so far again!

BTW:
Those kits are very different from the Iveco ones, because they come with an air-cooled Magirus-Deutz V10 engine instead of water-cooled Fiat-V8!

Originally Posted by lovegt40

....An important notice if you ever would like to make models like this is the starting /donor kit.
.....

Identical box with different markings was the magirus deutz road tractor, and similar also the canvas version of it.



but it was only during last year they finally reissued the model, even if still with magirus names for copyright usual problems with iat group.

[lovegt40]

Njia Julian. Inside the box of both you will find the v8 engine plus fuller shifter. Iveco never made a v10 for those trucks. They are basically the same models, just the canvas version has a quite longer wheelbase, that is even better for my 3axles project

[DasWiesel]

I´m afraid, I have to disagree, Paolo.
You will definitely not find a Fiat/Iveco V8 in kit No.768. I´ve made resin copies of the kits containing V10 some time ago myself. If you don´t believe me, have a look at this review:
http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum...threadID=31121
Or this finished model:
http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum...threadID=50615
You can even have a resin copy of its engine from M+D projects:
http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum...threadID=48371
The engine parts of Italeri´s recently reissued kit look just the same (do not have this one myself, though):
http://shop.italeri.com/Products/217...vas-truck.aspx

And you´re right of course, Iveco didn´t make a aircooled V10, but Magirus did. V6, V8, V10 and even V12. Magirus-Deutz became a part of Iveco in 1974 and soon cabs and engines were mixed up and sold under different brands.

Anyway- let´s return to your WIP! Much more interesting!

[lovegt40]

Julian you are right! and thanks so much for those corrections also I didn't know.

My mistake comes from 2 sources, the first is I still did not assemble the engine (just part of it for pictures to take the size and the position, and I didn't check the headers) and the second is the fiat documentary on youtube about the magirus side of Iveco where they only mention the water cooled v8 units.
Did you have any info about the existence of a 6x4 tractor directly made by magirus with this kind of cabin? I found the images of the UNIC v8 6x4, quite rare but anyway produced

the only 6x4 magirus images I have are the long nose one:


and the military version, that is also very beautiful:



I checked another brand new box of the magirus I have and of course, you are right. there is inside a v10, btw didn't know it was so precious.
To make those series of fiat iveco I try to use any leftover I find around, and also have the lower chassis of a turbostar to cut and convert in something older (probably a 691).
I didn't check so much the engine because anyway in the fiat 300/697 the cabin is not reversible as in the following 180/190 ones, and so all that part will be completely hidden

thanks again for those notes. I really appreciate them and I am so happy you follow the genesis my model.

[DasWiesel]

In your first picture is a so called "Eckhauber" of its last Generation. Pretty tough trucks, almost indestructible. They were very famous for the really hard work. I remember, when I was a kid, they were a very common sight as a snow plow on German roads. If no car or truck could drive anymore, those beasts would still pull through.
The cab was Magirus´ last very own development. If you want to build such a model, the best point to start is Italeri´s DAF 2800 NTT "Cattleman" as it got the same cab. You have to change the hood, though. Conversions like that have already been done.
http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum...threadID=50450

Second picture shows a "D-Frontlenker". Its cab got nothing in common with the "Eckhauber" as far as I know. They were build by Magirus until the new Iveco cab was introduced.

Somewhere I should still have a nice article about Magirus-Deutz in classic truck magazine. - I will search for it!

There´s a very nicely made Swiss page about Magirus-Deutz with lots of pictures:
http://www.magirus-deutz.ch/willkommen.html

And if you are searching for more reference pics:
http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/for...?threadid=4276
http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/for...threadid=11574
http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/for...threadid=57496
http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/for...threadid=11566
http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/for...?threadid=9996