How much is it going to cost me?
Solo tractor units from £400 - Rigid lorry from £600 - Artic (tractor and trailer) from £700 (Prices do not include display case)
Model making was regarded as a cheap hobby, we used to build many an Airfix Spitfire and destroy them in any number of inventive ways. However things in the truck modelling world are somewhat different. I shall explain why. Times have changed and a modern truck kit is a complicated build even built directly from the box. See the building a model section.
Generally to build a model of a British lorry we choose a donor kit. This will usually be one of the standard kits from the two main manufacturers of truck kits, Italeri and Revell who are Italian and German respectively. It may be that a kit exists of the lorry required. In which case it is a standard build out of the box. This however is almost unknown in the UK because Italeri and Revell both make kits that are left hand drive and conversion to right hand drive is almost always required. Very often the kit has only 2 axles and so to build a 3 axle tractor, a third axle has to be added with attendant lengthening of chassis, correct suspension and axle and extra pairs of wheels and wings. These can be acquired from one of two sources. Either a second kit will donate parts which leaves you with an incomplete kit or you can go to an after-market supplier. Add to this sourcing the correct paint colours and various plasticard, glue, and other sundries and it adds up quickly.
After Market Suppliers
There are a handful of aftermarket suppliers who serve the truck modelling industry. Basically they provide parts which do not come with the kits thus offering alternative build options. As an example, Italeri have been providing Volvo kits with the same steel sprung chassis that they have been using for years. Thus a modern present day FH kit will have a steel sprung rear axle. One of the aftermarket suppliers produces an air suspended rear axle set as well as a mid lift axle on air set. The medium they use is modellers resin and the methods by which the moulds are made and cast are fairly expensive meaning that the sets are also not cheap. The two sets described above will set you back more than the original donor kit.
They do however provide a service which is of incalculable worth to truck modellers. Without them we would be unable to build many accurate models. Aside from the suspension sets, they make diesel tanks, low roofs to convert Topline and Globetrotter cabs, light bars, right hand dashboards and consoles, detailed wheels of different types, etched metal smokestacks, ratchet straps, tautliner buckles and all sorts of other useful items. They also make a number of 'transkits'. Transkits are basically a kit which will transform a donor kit into something slightly or completely different. For example there is a transkit which will alter a MAN TGA into an ERF ECT and there is one which will take an Italeri Volvo and transform it into a Ford Transcontinental! These kits vary in price but are generally around the £75 mark.
It is very easy to spend a lot of money adding aftermarket parts to a build, however it does add a lot of quality
A deposit of £100 is usually asked for to cover the costs of the donor kits and any aftermarket parts required.
Display Cases
One of the two other things which adds cost to a model is a display case. These can be sourced from a few different places but like anything else, a good one is expensive. Expect to pay around £120 for a case big enough for a full artic model and around £90 for a tractor sized one. Take a look at DSC on the links page.
Decals
And then we come to decals or transfers. This is a major factor in a build so much so that it has a section all of its own here.