’72 Chevy C/10 Pick Up

[Scale-Master]

I started this model shortly after I bought my truck about 1985. (I only bought it “short-term” to facilitate the engine swap I had planned for my Camaro. But I found many uses for it subsequently, and we camped with it a lot.)
The model started as a repurposed step-side (MPC) that I had built much earlier.
To make the standard bed I sacrificed a Blazer body. (I think it was the Boondocker.) I mixed the Ocher color and painted the body, built most of the engine and interior back then.

Then a couple moves and a lot of life got in the way, so the model sat on the far edges of my workbench all these years. Also the salt air (and it having never been garaged) took a toll on the real truck’s paint, i.e. rust. And as it changed its appearance I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the model.

Fast forward to my current drive to build the models of my past (and present) cars; I decided it was time to pick up (no pun) the project again.
Make no mistake, this was one ugly truck, but it was a great truck to me. It never left me stranded, and it did everything I ever asked of it, some of which was borderline abuse. It served me very well for 27+ years.
It was very original down to the required smog equipment, (even though it became smog exempt in ’98). According to the build factory sheet laminated to the inside the glove box door:
LS9 350 4bolt w/4bbl,
4 speed transmission with PTO
12 bolt rear end with 4:11 gears
Power front disc brakes
¾ ton add a leaf rear springs and trailer tow package (including rear view mirror delete) .
White Spoke Wheels

Here’s where I’m picking it up… After a good wash down, (something I gave the real one at least once a year, or two).

[tonioseven]

This looks like a cool build. I did a slot car body out of one of those. I may build one for myself though I rarely build trucks.. Thanks for sharing.

[corvettekid_7684]

Awesome! I had a '72 Cheyenne 20, possibly the same color...an olive green. Mine had white in the sides also & was quite rusty! Great truck tho
I wouldn't mind building a scale of mine someday, rust & all...

[Scale-Master]

Mine was ochre (mustard) with a white roof when I got. It was mostly rust with some ocher showing through when I sold it. The white top was barely visible.


I got a good start on the camper shell. I drew up some plans and built it up from sheet styrene. It snaps onto the bed.

[Scale-Master]

I started building up the crusty rust. The hood was about 60 grit sand paper rough. The other areas were finer, maybe only 240 grit…

[Scale-Master]

I added more layers of rust to the roof and started bring the “rust line” downward. I made the upper side trim for the bed from sheet styrene and foiled the trim on the bed. (I did the BMF on the cab about 30 years ago.)

I used black Scale-Master decal stripes (Sheet Stock # S-S2) size “I” for the black in the center of the upper side trim and some very fine hairline decal stripes I had custom printed long ago for the top and bottom. (There are three decal stripes in each run of that trim.)
I used stripe size “G” from the same stripe sheet for the center black stripes in the lower trim pieces.

[Scale-Master]

All the decals have been applied to the side trim. I used the “I” size for the thinner stripes on the lower pieces.

I carefully gouged out around the windshield and drip rails to simulate the rust holes the truck had.

[Scale-Master]

I think this is about all the rust work I can do on it for now. The actual truck was more rusted on the passenger side than the driver’s.

[Scale-Master]

I noticed that the bed I was using didn’t have the same trim around the tail lights as my truck, so I made a little reasonable facsimile out of styrene strips. I found an extra set of tail lights in my Blazer kit, (pure luck I guess), but not a set of back up lights so I’m still working on that and fine tuning the back of the truck.

[Hemi Killer]

that looks great

[Scale-Master]

Thanks!

I had a set of five lug spokers set aside for this project, but I got around to measuring them and noticed they scaled out to 18 inches in diameter.
I found one 15 inch wheel in my stash that will work with the tires I plan to use. But my wheels were five lug and had the factory center cap.

So I milled off the six lugs and center cap and machined a copy of what was on the truck for the center cap and lugs. I’ll cast copies.

[Scale-Master]

I made the side windows from sheet styrene, some clear plastic from packaging material and fine screen. They are just loosely plugged in for now.


The rear “window” was a piece of unfinished dirty plywood. ( The clear plastic window turned white, cracked and ultimately fell out within a couple months of owning it.)
There was a silhouette of the Stealth Bomber left from when I painted a model of one on the wood (when the B2 was still somewhat classified). The Kammback script was a leftover badge from my Vega.

[Scale-Master]

Here is the camper slider to the cab. Same construction/materials as the side windows. Been working on the roof vent too.

[Scale-Master]

I added all the corner trim and the iron upper tie-down rails. I freehand drilled the rails with a pin-vise out of sheet stock. The mounting base for the top vent is done.

[Scale-Master]

I started painting and weathering the camper shell. It was easier to just brush paint the silver and black parts than mask and spray them.