One of My Holy Grails and Shop Update

Finally acquired a Holy Grail of mine, the recent re-release of the AMT Kenworth Alaskan Hauler. Also a look at a 1977 AMT catalog that started my 46 year quest for it.
Plus an update as to my plans for getting some builds finished.
To contact me or request a shop card drop me a note at:
[e-mail]

[@skylarsoper241]

God bless amt for re releasing these awesome old model kits , the Alaskan hauler is one of my holy grails as well or dare I say a bit of a unicorn 🦄 of a kit indeed

[@Reset317]

KkOoL memorabilia that’s nice to have, 👍🏻 👍🏻

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thank you Dutch.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Nice update Skip!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Tim.

[@jimfolkers4425]

Glad they came back out with them! I still have the original, painted up and in the box.
Thanks for the vid Skip

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Me too Jim. Thanks for dropping by.

[@gi_mechanicsscalemodeling]

Great update Skip glad you got one of your grail kit that's always a great feeling! thanks for sharing the classic AMT catalog.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Cliff. The old catalogs are always cool to look through.

[@plasticbuzzardmodelshop9715]

Glad you found that kit you're always wanted. There are so many got to haves. I enjoyed seeing the '77 catalog. Thanks for sharing. ~ Thomas

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Thomas. I have a couple other catalogs from the seventies maybe I will show sometime.

[@brianlewis6926]

Very cool catalog

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Brian and thanks for dropping by and watching.

[@modelrestorations]

46 year Search! Thats gota feel good to finally have it in your stash. Great story to. I love that magazine. Thanks for sharing!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks, does feel good. I have a couple more old model catalogs from the seventies maybe I will show sometime.

[@bigcharliesmodelgarage296]

Cool truck kit.
Awesome story, thanks for sharing.
Lots of projects to keep you busy.
Enjoy the builds.
Have a great weekend 😀.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Charlie.

[@DreamBigBuildSmall]

Congrats on your grail find.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thank you Cory.

[@timemachinesscalemodels]

Congrats on your grail and......it was a cool story behind it. You got your work cut out for ya Skip. Lots to do!!!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Rob. Yup, lots to get done.

[@pasmodelworkbench4981]

I'm thinking of getting the Alaskan Hauler myself - looks like a cool subject. You certainly have a lot of awesome builds in the works - enjoy them.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Alaskan is pretty cool. I think it is AMT's W925 Kenworth kit with different hood and fenders as well as additional parts for the "Alaska" outfitting. I haven't built any AMT Kenworths since the late seventies so I can't remember any issues there might be, but being an AMT big rig kit I'm sure there will be. The subject is cool enough to put up with them though in my opinion.

[@ModelCarMinion]

Nice to find the kit you've always wanted. That catalogue is very cool, I love the art work.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Steve. I've always liked the art work from the catalogs and even on the old kit boxes. Even if the art work wasn't 100% accurate it gave inspiration for the build.

[@richiek6379]

cool man ...geez 77 was some good times for me...married for 2 years by then..first one......thanks for the memories...

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks and any time Richie. I have a couple more old catalogs I may show sometime.

[@GrumpyGregsModelsandToys]

Great update, Skip 👍👍 Nice score with the Alaskan Hauler 😮 I remember we had Grants stores up here in Western NY when I was a kid - brings back a lot of memories 👊🏻👊🏻

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Greg. Now that I better recall I think it was Grants City? Ours then turned into a Zayres and later turned again into Ames before it totally closed up.

[@jimfolkers4425]

Glad to see that pic from the brochure, because I did notice that on the new box art, the front rim is chrome. Which was not the case on the original

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

I noticed that as well Jim. I think I like the front wheel red though.

[@BoysOfCinnamonCat]

Great '77 catalog!!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks friend.

[@BoysOfCinnamonCat]

@@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774 you're welcome

[@ColonelRebScaleModels]

Great update, and awesome backstory on your Grail kit, so cool taking us along your childhood adventure. Only 10 unfinished builds? I shutter to think how many I have if I counted them. Ugh. Have a great weekend, buddy, and would love to see that VetteTruck at ACME in the Corvette Theme. Just sayin’. Not to mention the GT40 for 100 Yrs of LeMans.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Tommy. I know there are others with way more unfinished than I have, so I should probably be thankful for that. I would really like to have that Vette and the GT40 done for ACME. Maybe some others as well.

[@ThatMofoDamon]

Never late to accuire a holy grail i say. Nice story Skip! Looks like unfinished builds haunted you, lol! Looking forward to see you finish them. Thanks for sharing, take care and keep up the good work my friend!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks George. Yeah my work bench is very haunted.👻. Take care and be well buddy.

[@ScaleSpeedworks]

Congrats on the grail kit! 👍 the catalog is so cool, I can only image flipping through one of those as a kid! I don’t remember them in the 90’s. I’m waaaay behind on builds too. No more GB’s for me until I finish up! Looking forward to the hauler 👍

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Mike. I remember it seemed like you were in another little world while looking through those catalogs. Don't know when they sort of stopped doing catalogs or if they still do them. I remember also Tamiya would sometimes put mini catalogs in some kits back in the seventies too and those were always fun as well.

[@MrThewhip333]

I too wanted that model in 77 and actually obtained and built it. Now I’m retired after 35 years as a locomotive engineer in Northern Canada and back into modeling and doing the same.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Welcome back into the hobby. I think many of us had a decades long absence from building and have rediscovered how much it meant to us.

[@ronaldmorrison6013]

I love trains and even though I'm a retired truck driver (25 years) I've hopped trains many times.

[@MrThewhip333]

@@ronaldmorrison6013 once you’re familiar to getting on and off it’s pretty easy. I got off at 21 mph once without tripping lol. I didn’t know the speed the engineer told me after I bailed off. Getting off you extend your trailing leg out and when it touches down you turn away from movement

[@davidorr6627]

The Alaskan Hauler is top of my list of truck kits I want to build. I haven't built any trucks yet but I've always wanted to build some. My local model shop has one is stock. It's not cheap here in New Zealand, but I will be buying it. I've got a 50 year old Revell US Army truck up in the closet that my father gave me, so I suppose I have got one truck, but it's not a big rig sort of thing. I made a coupe of 1:72 army trucks when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's. I'm 58 this year, so your story is not much different to mine. I used to leaf through the old Airfix, Matchbox and Revell catalogues until they fell apart.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

The big rig trucks are fun to build, especially if you are into them. The biggest problem with building them is they take up quite a bit of display space when finished. Also the AMT truck kits can be a challenge to build getting some parts to fit correctly.

[@davidorr6627]

I love that jar of dihydrogen monoxide on your bench. You should really have a skull and crossbones on the label though. That stuff is lethal.

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

LOL, yeah, a lot of people don't know just how dangerous it can be.

[@petesmodelcarcustoms584]

Nice lot of projects,Skip👍😎sleeeep 😴😴

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Pete. I've noticed sleep is only a distraction if you are awake but awake is not a distraction when you are asleep.🤔😵‍💫

[@petesmodelcarcustoms584]

@@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774 good bit of Zen, Skip 👍😎

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

@@petesmodelcarcustoms584 LOL, must be the mushrooms talking.🍄🍵🤠

[@petesmodelcarcustoms584]

@@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774 what lovely patterns there are in the carpet👀😁

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

@@petesmodelcarcustoms584 🤣😂

[@ramblers69]

That's an awesome kit Skip, still no Jack, 🤔

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks Tom. No sign of my guys either....I wonder if they all went south of the border and are in jail?

[@shannonlykins1630]

Got it for X Mas from my brother didn't know it's also the truck from tv series Moving On

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Thanks for watching. It's sort of the same truck from Movin' On. The hood and front fenders are different on the Alaskan Hauler. Also the Movin' On kit wasn't really accurate either as the sleeper is wrong. The kit has a standard sleeper and the TV truck had a double sleeper.

[@mattluszczak8095]

Hi bud. Ive just found your channel.
Your storey with the catalpgue reminded me and my choldhood friend. We did the same but with lego catalogues. We used to corcle the one that we would like. This was early 90s so casltes and lego city was in. Also i have a few models started then thrown back in the box. Lol it tends to happen when you get to a stage and you dont know how to complete it for example a plane canopy becuase you know if you screw it up itll ruin the model. Also 1/72 scale doesnt help. Parts are so small!!

[@skip-o-maticsmodelmania5774]

Glad you found the channel. Thanks for dropping by. Our hobbies can have a lot of great memories. I probably have at least a dozen models that are unfinished because I got distracted starting another build. I need to start pulling them out one at a time and complete them. Yeah, 1/72 scale can be tedious because everything is so much smaller. I did a 1/700 scale battleship that I don't plan on doing another anytime soon.