Truck Models - How to Tell The Difference?

Years of studying the truck paper before I even got under the wheel.
T680/T700- bunks are different.
379/389- headlights/ door handles

 

It may be a ‘95 but it has the later circa 2005 doors with the new latches and and forward sloped side glass minus vent windows. The cab mounted mirrors is a later model addition that went along with it as well. Also looks like it has the more rounded at top edges 388 sloped hood and grille. Sleeper is still 90’s vintage. Bet it a possible glider updated 10-15 years ago.

 

I'm all for truck models. They are nice to look at....



...oh wait. Wrong type of models.

 

Windshields and door handles

359 has a narrower hood and the wipers are mounted in the center of the windshield

379 wipers are down low

389 has a small crease on the front fenders and hood is 5” longer, grill surround is also more rounded (if it wasn’t changed)

small paddle door handles were used up until 01ish, then they went to the big ones, mirrors also mounted to the cab instead of the door

kw is flat glass or curved glass with a modular sleeper or aero bunk,

aero 1 has 2 square windows up front and stopped production in 97, 90-97 were Long and short hood options, 83-89 were b models and had the shorter hood with a larger block under the head lights, 76(?)-82 were A models and had different grills

aero 2 (truck in my avatar) was 94-01, flat glass windshield, small door handles

aero cabs that are still used today started in 94 as well, with either the old doors or daylite with the wide rectangle door handles, they changed the the mid size big paddle in 06, no cowl panel on the cab either the hood sweeps up into the windshield which is either 1 piece or 2 piece curved glass..

really don’t care enough about the plastic models to tell them apart

 

I don’t know different models all that much, but I can tell different manufacturers from the grilles. Freightliner grilles are horizontal, International are vertical, Volvo have that diagonal piece, KW has that vertical piece in the middle, and Peterbilt have that classic frame around the grille.

 

yea I should of had cab/hood in there

 

The easiest way for me to tell an Aerocab KW vs a non-Aerocab KW is the exhaust. The Aerocab's exhaust has a couple of bends before going under the frame rail and the non-Aerocab's exhaust has a 90 degree bend that goes above the frame.

Next is the windshield. The Aerocab's windshield (both one and two piece) have a curve to the windshield and the non-Aerocab has a flat windshield.

 

For Make I usually look at the hood mirrors first.

Models: well I am no expert either. So don't feel bad.

But hey, I can tell the difference between a freightliner and a Volvo so at least that's something! At this rate I will have it all figured out in about 30 years.