As a youngster building model trucks in the late 70s through mid 80s, I assembled AMT’s White-Freightliner SD kit but never did get the sleeper cab (“Dual Drive”) version. Reissue of the White-Freightliner dual drive kit and discovering photos on the website Hank's Truck Pics of an early 70s White-Freightliner tractor were the initial inspiration for this project. Captions stated that photos were taken in April 2007 in Catawissa Pa. I have usually done some weathering on my models but hadn’t yet attempted to replicate a truck which was retired and parked in the weeds.
Due to how it is molded, the White-Freightliner kit front axle isn’t as easy to make steerable as axles in many other kits. I chose to make the front wheels turned slightly per the photos but not steerable. This was done by cutting the small round portion free from each end of axle and reattaching it in a suitable position to place wheels turned slightly to the right. .020” steel wire drilled through and into axle provided a strong attachment point for wheels, Photo 3.