Freightliner Logger - Built By PaulNZ

[robcakes]

looking good, really like how you have cut the cab , cannot wait to see more of your progress

[PaulNZ]

Hi All

a small update:

I moved the cab back 10mm with the idea of adding the 10mm to the Hood to give the clearance needed for the guards as they rotate through under the air cleaners and found that I ran into a few other problems so I weighed up which was the hardest and went with the lesser evil.....

So I lifted the cab about 3mm and also the Hood, I will fit the air cleaners in the same place but 5 - 10mm higher than std.

Made the Hood hinges from brass as per the photos below, with the J Hinge that I made, it tends to pull the Hood away from the cab and so it has now enough room to clear the air cleaners (mounted higher as mentioned).

Battery fits nice and does not push into the cab beyond the dash, this was what I was after, a nice clean interior, I like as much detail as I can get.

Next I will make a start on the cab guard, I will paint the cab this weekend and then work on the interior, RHD of course. enjoy........











Cheers
Paul

[PaulNZ]

Originally Posted by robcakes

looking good, really like how you have cut the cab , cannot wait to see more of your progress

Thanks

[PaulNZ]

I have a new Grill and a Cab Guard ( well almost )

[mavrick0]

Both look awesome. If you make more of the grills I'll take on off your hands. Did you design it to bolt up like the stock one?

[PaulNZ]

Originally Posted by mavrick0

Both look awesome. If you make more of the grills I'll take on off your hands. Did you design it to bolt up like the stock one?

At this stage I will use thin double sided tape but you could easily drill and tap it to take the M3 screws, it is 8mm thick so would be easy to do.

[tracksntreadslou]

Nice build Paul ..Cab guard looks awsome...how are you managing to stick the parts together ?

[Izzy]

I like your cab guard - the hood pivots are nice and simple too.

[PaulNZ]

Thanks guys

Guard is held together with a clear epoxy, a bit like jb weld. I did have a go at soldering it but it was too tight to get all the joints done clean, if you have ever done this you will know what I mean, soldering aluminium is different to brass etc, main issue was the difference in size of the material.

Update on the grill mounting, I have managed to drill and tap the back of the grill to take m3 screws in the original hood positions, the two bottom ones on each side pick up the hood hinges.

Cheers
Paul

[PaulNZ]

Hi All

a bit of an update:

Cab painted, not totally happy with it, must be the worst paint work I have ever done, I just could not get it to apply, it may still be too cold but its done now and its a working truck so it will do.

I am making my own sign writing on the door (paper version stuck on to test for size) and I have a pair of monster stacks that I have made myself to go on it, most of the lights are working on, I have done it so the low beam inner pair, roof lights and tail lights are always on, and when you go forward the high beam (outer pair) and the spot lights in the bumper come on. indicators work on turning and brake lights on when you use reverse as a brake but all off in neutral, all four indicators flash after no signal after about seconds. Rear cab guard still needs to be fitted, hood straps to stop it opening when you hit the brakes, air cleaners, the list goes on......................

Have purchased my trailer, this will slowly get converted to a true Jinker trailer as seen in my first post behind the KW. and of coarse I need to replace the pipes with Logs , you will see that I have already removed the mud guards an the main pole will be replaced with a square one, I choose to buy the pole trailer and convert it as it had most of the running gear I needed and it will work out cheaper than buying all the parts by them selves, plus I get to use it as I build it I will also make my own bolsters from either steel or brass so I can solder it all together as they will be painted anyway.

I still have a fair bit to do on the truck and the trailer but it was such a nice day in Sunny Qld that I thought an afternoon delivery of pipes to the local construction yard was in order, its funny, my 15 year old son was not interested during the build all that much until I started to drive it, he then took over and did most of the driving

I think I will make a bigger bumper for it as after lifting the cab and hood 3mm it needs to come up a bit, this one will be for sale if anyone is interested.

PS: being an NZ Rig under the Aussie Rigs Topic it had to be RHD
oh and just a mention the speed and power are really good with the 80T and std pinion

[kaptain Jack]

Looking good,Paul.

[apfubar]

Nice!

[flatdeck]

Great looking truck Paul....

[speedy8305]

left hand steering kool

[mamwr]

The paint looks pretty good to me! Cool looking truck!

[1985 kenworth]

wow paul very nice work....looks very clean and just like a truck you would see hard at work ..i like it

[PaulNZ]

Originally Posted by kaptain Jack

Looking good,Paul.

Thanks Jack

Originally Posted by apfubar

Nice!

Cheers

Originally Posted by flatdeck

Great looking truck Paul....

thanks Wayne

Originally Posted by speedy8305

left hand steering kool

....???......Right hand steering, but we do drive on the left side of the road

Originally Posted by mamwr

The paint looks pretty good to me! Cool looking truck!

don't look too close but thanks anyway

Originally Posted by 1985 kenworth

wow paul very nice work....looks very clean and just like a truck you would see hard at work ..i like it

Thanks Dwayne, and yes it will be a working truck, once I have modified it to how I want it should look like something you see in the bush in NZ, and Canada for that matter, they both share the same way of logging big trees

Thanks all for the comments, I'm really enjoying building this truck, I think the bug may have bit!

[BRICKNICK]

That's a real sweet freight shaker

[PaulNZ]

Hi All

a couple of updates





Got some custom pipes made from Aluminium tube and polished them up.
They are 10mm in Dia. I did do a set of 12mm ones but they looked too big for my truck, would be ok on a show truck though.



Air cleaners on. painted them to add a little personal touch, and it hides the inlet that used to be on the front, Freightliners go through the hood from the side so this worked out great. (green is a slight different shade but looks closer than the photo shows, but saying that I might mix a new colour and do a second coat to get it closer)



Hood has a couple of straps to stop it tilting forward under brakes.



Rear cab guard mounted, need some chains and maybe work lamps



still more to do but getting close with the truck, then on to the trailer

Paul

[flatdeck]

Looks great Paul....