Hi all,
HB's CCKW 353 gasoline tanker kit has, as all their Jimmy variants, a misshapen cab. And ICM's Studebaker has the wrong number of boards in the cargo bed. So, I'm bashing the good parts of both kits to build a Studer US6 U5 fuel tanker.

What I don't know is how to mark that, as all my CCKW truck models belong to the US Army in the ETO, and I want to make the Studer join them. Were any of these trucks maybe Reverse-Lend-Leased from the Brits or otherwise deployed to the continent after D-Day, or something like that?

Any clues would be greatly appreciated,
Peter

According to CMK, you're good to go



Related thread on ML :

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missinglynx/studebaker-trucks-in-us-service-t102901.html

H.P.

That's an interesting link!
Thanks for it.
Dan

Does any Deuce nerd know if this Master Productions cab will fit the HB kits?
Thanks, Dan

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/masters-productions-35009-gmc-steel-cab--936744

Wow, Henri Pierre,
is there any question you can't answer with a find in the web? Fantastic help, merci beaucoup!
Peter

You're welcome Peter . It would have been even better to find a period picture to confirm this option. There must be one somewhere...I believe this truck belonged in fact to the 801st Airborne Ordnance Company which was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division: on 6 June 1944, elements of the company landed in France by glider while remaining personnel arrived at Utah Beach on D-Day.

H.P.

Dan I have no direct experience with the Masters Productions cab but if I were you I would use the hard cab from the Italeri water truck. (ONLY use the water truck NOT any of the other Italeri CCKW variants.) It does not have any of the molded cut lines in the roof from the gun truck variant to contend with and it fits the Tamiya and HB chassis with little problem.**

With little effort you can probably find one of these kits offered on eBay at a much cheaper price than the Master's cab plus you end up with a nice selection of extra parts for your spares box!



I have done 6 such conversions plus a reverse conversion, putting the Tamiya open top cab onto the Italeri water truck.

** The IIaleri CCKW front fender molding has an engine oil pan cast as an integral part that will have to be cut away but that is about the only modification necessary.


_______________________


As always Henri - amazing reference finds!

Mike,
Thank you, I already have the resin cab and am interested if it will fit the HB kits.
Dan

Well, if Italeri cab fits both on Tamiya chassis and HB chassis
it should be reasonable to assume that a cab which is designed for Tamiya chassis should also fit on a HB chassis.
There may be some minor adjustments ...
/ Robin

It has been my finding that while the HB hard cab AND fenders are messed up the overall fore and aft chassis dimensions are A-OK which means the HB chassis dimensions ARE correct. I have successfully swapped Tamiya and Italeri cabs back and forth with Tamiya, Italeri and HobbyBoss chassis with little difficulty.

Side note: I probably don't need to say this but that HB firewall is probably the best in the business. It is more work for you but I try to use that firewall on whatever cab I might be building for more/better detail.

Trying to share ideas and/or show options. NOT trying to show off here!
(Still may be more information than anybody wanted! My apologies if necessary.)




Italeri "Gun Truck" cab on stock Tamiya chassis with Tamiya loadbox.


Italeri "Water Truck" cab on shortened Tamiya frame to make Chevy 1 & 1/2 ton 4x4 truck with shortened Tamiya loadbox.


Italeri 'Water Truck" cab on stock Tamiya chassis with Tamiya loadbox and Bronco L4 Piper Grasshopper. (Work In Process)


Italeri 'Water Truck" cab on Tamiya chassis with modified Italeri water tank to make Air Corps flightline fuel truck. (Work In Process)




Italeri 'Water Truck" cab on slightly modified Tamiya chassis and loadbox with Masters Productions rail wheels. (Work In Process)

Combined Italeri and Tamiya cab on HobbyBoss SWB chassis. (Work In Process)


Spare tires and fuel tank yet to be installed behind cab.


Like I said: Beautiful HB firewall - highly recommended! (Am cutting open the hood on this one just for an extra challenge and to show all that detail.)

And finally; - A reverse conversion shown here:

Tamiya open cab placed on Italeri "Water Truck" chassis and tank.






This vehicle is slightly modified with an extra PTO driven water pump and associated plumbing to also serve as an auxiliary water supply (fire tender) truck for military fire department service. Hence the extra plumbing pipes seen just behind the cab.

Good ideas guys.
D

Again, guys I apologize if I over did it.

Not to me Mike.
D

Referencing a thread started some years back:

"Waiting for a New Deuce and a Half"

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/203281&page=1&ord=0

This thread may have some useful information for those wanting to modify or convert the various CCKW and Stude kits currently available.

At the time I thought the new HobbyBoss series would be the answer to our prayers but unfortunately, at least for me, it did not turn out that way.

Work in progress tanker with substitute hard cab from Italeri water truck.

Model by John Hale


I remember John said he was extremely disappointed in the many Gas Cans included with the kit as being incorrectly proportioned. He recommended replacing them with an after market product as he has done here.

F.Y.I. - Tamiya deuce wheels and tires are significantly larger in diameter than any of the other model manufactures including all the after market ones I've seen. I rather like the appearance of the larger Tamiya sized wheels and tires. On the other hand the Italeri wheels are seen as being the smallest and IMHO the least attractive.

Just making everyone aware.
Judge for yourself.

Just a quick note here:

Everyone who knows me knows that where the Deuce cab is concerned I am a HobbyBoss hater. They made their fenders WAY too long for their first Bofers Deuce** offering and then had to squash the hard cab to make everything fit. Overall the front grill to cab back wall length is correct but the proportions in between are all wrong. Because of this, the overall HB cab length is correct, that is why other more correct manufacture's cabs can be easily substituted.


HB fender seen on top, Italeri fender below. This problem also makes the hood way too long. - John Hale Photo


HB cab door overlayed on top of Italeri door. Door is too short. - John Hale photo


Image of HB door photographically laid over actual Deuce photo. - My creation


HB pre-production photo. The minute I saw this I knew there were going to be problems. This looks like it would work perfectly for a Bedford cab but NOT for a US Deuce and a Half. - HobbyBoss photo


** To anyone just now building the HB Bofers Deuce: I have several left over complete and unbuilt Tamiya open cab assemblies that I could share should you be interested. (I hate to waste good plastic.)


p.s. Not everyone agrees with the above assessment of the HobbyBoss offering. I will let you be the judge in relation to the models you are building.

To PzAufkl;

My apologies, I seem to have gotten carried away here and hi-jacked your Studebaker thread. I am sorry.

Mike K.

No problem, Mike!
The thread got me the information I started it for, and everything else hopefully helps a number of other modelers. Keep on building interesting truck varieties, please.
Happy modeling,
Peter

Following with interest too, bought the Italeri and Hobby Boss kits to do the tanker conversion, even to the point of buying the trailer too. now all I need is something to do with the left overs!.

Build a "home made truck"? Many Deuce chassis were given new civilian cabs after tha war or getting rebuilt with crew-cabs (more or less home-made).
New fenders to abide by some local road traffic regulations ...

Or maybe a Mad Max truck?

Some Swedish ex-US war surplus:







/ Robin

Just to throw a little more info into this discussion— I believe the Italeri deuce kit is actually an old (but still nice) Peerless Max mold, and not originally one of their own. But I think the more recent Studebaker mold from ICM is all new molds. But doesn’t someone else make a Studebaker deuce?
VR, Russ