I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I could not find a way to convey the information with less text and fewer photos. While I felt the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado Standard Long Bed Pickup (J2NB) was usable with other N scale vehicle models, it was also a bit oversized, similar to the Showcase/MAC "C" Series Fleetside pickup (J14NA). One thing that was especially noticeable was the interior of the pickup bed. Ideally, an N scale model of a North American full-size pickup (Chevy, Dodge/Ram, Ford, GMC and International) that was produced from the early 1960s, and at least into the early 2000s (It’s been 20 years since I considered buying a new pickup) should have a bed that the inside width at the top of the bed is approximately 65 N scale inches wide. And, the interior length was usually about an inch or so more than 78-inches for the 6.5-foot bed, or 96-inches for the 8-foot bed. There of course were exceptions as some manufacturers offered beds in excess of 8-feet long. Also, the width of the bed between the wheel wells was usually slightly more than 48 inches. A test of the width between the wheel wells of a N scale pickup can be attempting to place a 4 X 8 sheet of N scale plywood in the bed of the pickup. And if the N scale pickup has the 8-foot bed, the 4 X 8 sheet of N scale plywood would fit on the bottom of the bed with little or no wiggle room. However, very few N scale pickup models with 8-foot beds can pass this test! I think this is at least in part due to the thickness of the plastic or pewter required to produce a 1:160 scale model pickup in which the exterior dimensions of the model match the exterior dimensions of the prototype. The Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado Standard Long Bed Pickup not only accommodates a 4 X 8 sheet of N scale plywood; it allows the plywood to slide back and forth between the wheel wells! While some may consider this a good thing, the extra amount of interior space within the pickup bed is quite noticeable when the Silverado is parked next to other N scale pickups that have the correct exterior dimensions at the expense of the slightly under-sized interior dimensions of the bed.
Now that all of the technical information is out of the way, what prompted me to order another pickup from the “J2N family” was looking at the large photo on the Showcase website that showed the chassis placed in front of the cabs of the six variants of the 1990-98 Chevy pickups. In that photo, I noticed the extended cab short bed pickup (J2NC) appeared to be slightly smaller than the standard long bed pickup that was to its left.
To get that photo, click on this link:
https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/madaboutcars/n_scale/J2N.htmlThen click on the large photo, and a photo gallery will appear with left and right arrows. I found the photo of the chassis and cabs when I clicked once on the right arrow.
I was very pleased when the 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup arrived. While the overall scale length of the model was a little greater than the “published” length for the prototype, the scale width was spot on! (Note: I have been able to confirm the “published” overall length of 1990-98 Chevy pickups does not include the rear bumper, so that dimension is not very useful in determining the scale of the model.) Also, the distance between the wheel wells on the extended cab short bed pickup was a very prototypical 49.8 N scale inches instead of the 52.1 N scale inches on the standard long bed pickup. However, the extended cab Chevy looked like it was riding a little too low, and the wheels were smaller than the wheels on standard long bed pickup. My concerns about the ride height were eventually dispelled when a 2-wheel drive 1990-98 Chevy extended cab short bed pickup pulled into the parking space next to me at my favorite local farm store. The Chevy C1500 pickup and my SUV appeared to be about the same height. When I returned home, I compared the N scale model Chevy with a N scale model of my SUV, and even the models both appear to be about the same height.
The comparison photo below shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup parked next to a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado standard long bed pickup.
And this photo (below) shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup parked between a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado standard long bed pickup and an Atlas 1997-2004 F-150 pickup.
Also, this photo (below) shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup parked between an Atlas 1997-2004 F-150 pickup that has been lowered to represent a 2-wheel pickup instead of the 4X4 pickup the Atlas model is intended to represent, and a Busch 1997-2001 Mercedes ML.
Since the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup appeared to be 1:160 scale, I decided to include the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab long bed pickup with my next order. When that model arrived, I was just as pleased with it as I was the short bed version of the extended cab Chevy pickup. The width of the extended cab long bed pickup was within ¼ of an N scale in of the prototype’s width. Another feature of the of the extended cab long bed pickup is the inside dimensions of the bed allow a 4X8 sheet of N scale plywood to fit between the wheel wells, and fully within the length of the bed with little to no wiggle room!
The comparison photo below shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab long bed pickup parked next to a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado standard long bed pickup.
And this photo (below) shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup parked between a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado standard long bed pickup and an Atlas 1997-2004 F-150 pickup.
Also, this photo (below) shows the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab long bed pickup parked between a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado standard long bed pickup and a Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup.
The final photo (below) shows the payload space for the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet standard long bed pickup, the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab long bed pickup, and the Showcase/MAC 1990-98 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab short bed pickup. The 4X8 sheet of N scale plywood in the bed of the extended cab pickup from New Rail Models laser cut N scale plywood sheets.
Please feel free to point out any typos or errors in this post, or any of my other posts.
