AMT Ford LN-8000 Tiltback Car Hauler Review
RoR SnapShot Review 20110818* – AMT Ford LN-8000 Tiltback Car Hauler Review
Review and Photos by Kenny Anderson 
This was a long-term scratch-building project that started out as a refresh to a junker truck body sitting in my parts box. As I progressed with the build, everything got more involved. All I basically had to start with was a cab and hood along with a partial frame from an old AMT LN-8000 racecar hauler that I bought back in ’71 when it was new. I don’t know what happened to the hauler bed or the rest of the frame. I had some idea what I wanted this to be, but never really planned on it going this far.
The cab was sanded smooth and primed. The frame was lengthened using a section of frame from an old AMT ’77 Ford pickup (another piece from my parts box). I started to think about how a real rollback worked and figured I could produce that in scale with this one. The bed was made from .060 inch flat styrene with 1/4 inch angles glued to the bottom of the bed as the frame runners that slide on the tilting frame. Chrome automotive pin striping tape was used on the sides of the bed to look like polished aluminum.
The bed upright bar was made from chrome simulated diamond plate and chrome sprue and I added an old light bar from a police car kit and just painted the lenses amber instead of red. The wheel lift was scratch built from styrene stock of different sizes and shapes just experimenting as I went along.
The actual tilting frame unit was made from 1/4 inch square stock and two simulated hydraulic cylinders were used from an old tow truck upright but can easily be made from 3/16″ and 1/8″ aluminum tubing. I hinged the tilt frame in the rear with a metal axle used as the pivot point on the truck frame.
The front and rear axles, suspension and engine are also from another AMT LN-8000 junker I had laying around. I painted the cab with RustOleum rattle can black lacquer. Yellow flame graphics are from Revell’s ’66 Chevelle California Wheels kit. The cab was then buried in RustOleum Crystal Clear enamel. Then the bed floor was sprayed with RustOleum Sunrise Red enamel. I used red and yellow sequins for marker lights. Clear ones work great for small convex mirrors. The roof visor was made from the rear custom roll pan of an AMT ’61 Galaxie model. All in all, this was a fun project to build. This was a 6 month project and really sharpened my building and scratch building skills. It is now my pride and joy and I love showing it whenever and wherever I can.
Kenny
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