1969 Mack F Daycab (AITM Resin) with Flatbed Trailer

[Plastheniker]

Hi,

The F-series was a big sales success in America. Besides this the various F-models were the only American trucks that ever reached Europe in more than imperceptible numbers. Nevertheless there was never any styrene kit of an F-model. There were only two resin cabs, namely an old one by AIM/AITM and a newer one by KFS. Regarding quality the pricey KFS cab is light-years ahead but it replicates an (in my oppinion less attractive) late model sleeper cab and besides this it is OOP for quite a while.

Most problems of the AITM Mack F-cab are identical with those of my AITM 1970 GMC 9500 shown earlier http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul....php?t=1148575:

- The worst problem that spoils almost any finished AITM F-series cab shown online is the grille. It is cast as an integral part of the cab. The „gaps“ between the grille bars are filled with resin, and the grille bars are very flat. It is impossible to make this grille look realistic. This is why you find a lot of pictures taken from an angle where the grille is more or less concealed. For an acceptable model it was indispensable to build a realistic new grille.
- A striking blemish of all finished AITM cabs that I know is the use of a bed of white glue for fixing the cab windows as AITM recommends. Firstly it is almost impossible to cut out the "glass" so accurately that it fits without any gap and without any kink, secondly the required large amount of white glue dries as a visible white ring around the windows. Since the F-cab has very large and curved windscreens this becomes even more obvious. Again I used my technique of fixing the „glass“ without any glue. The pictures show that there is neither any gap between "glass" and window frame nor any kink in the "glass".
- Casting quality was partially very poor. F. e. there were varying edges between raised and recessed areas of the rear panel, so I had to cut out and rebuild the recessed areas.
- The resin thickness was extreme and had to be reduced drastically to make the cab look realistic. Afterwards the supplied (very simple) interior was much too small, so I had to build a complete new interior.
- All supplied accessory parts were unusuable. I built them new or took them from my spares box.

Nevertheless the F-cab (as the GMC 9500) is a time-consuming but very rewarding project.

[model freak]

WOW! that looks great.