The kit has several features that pin-point the era of the truck depicted in the kit:
1. Bulk-head style sleeper doors - 1979/80 to 1987
2. Rectangle headlamps - 1979 to 1987
3. Battery and tool box shape - diamond tread with no recessed upper step - changed in 1984.
4. Visible/raised under-the-staps fuel tank strap liners 1978-1982. The liner is under the strap in other years and not visible.
5. Dash of Class instrument panel - 1977-87,
6. Classic II interior padding - 1977-87.
The kit represents a 1979-1983 Peterbilt 359-119 with 36" sleeper. Slice in a horizontal line on the battery and tool box face and on the top of the box to mimic the recessed step and you're into the '84-87 era.
More, since you got me going.
The Revell of Germany glue 359 kit (also CanDo/Will-Do wrecker) is a 1978-87 minus the battery box recessed step and the visible tank strap liners.
The AMT Peterbilt Wrecker (and companion sleeper version) is a 1975-77 - due to the larger cab back window/sleeper crawl through which changed in 1975. It could be a '73-77 if you ignore the back window size. The kit is no older than a November of 1972 build due to the cab change to the taller/larger windshield/bulkhead style doors change. Want to make this newer? Swap in the Dash of Class instrument panel from the Revell 359.
The AMT California Hauler 359 is a 1968-69. It could be a '69-72 if the kit had the 3-bar grille. The 2 vertical bars were only 1967-69. The kit could also be a 1967 if you omit the upright lamp/reflectors from the front of the fenders.The 359 debuted in 1967 as the Peterbilts first wide-front tilt hood design.
And since I'm rambling... You can swap parts from the various kits - but nothing is a 100% direct fit, even between the AMT kits as they all have different mounting tabs, holes, etc and in some cases a different impression on the shapes so things like hoods/grilles between Revell to AMT don't fit to each other.
The engine in the Revell snap 359 would be white from the factory. The transmission would be chassis color. Peterbilt ordered their engines from the engine manufactures to be delivered in white. Due to supply issues in the 70s sometimes Detroit Diesel and Cummins had issues and Peterbilt accepted non-white engines (or sourced them from suppliers just so they had engines). Cummins and Detroit ended the white color around 1979. Caterpillar continued to ship engines to Peterbilt (and Kenworth) in white until 1987. Peterbilt assembled the chassis with engine, transmission, radiator and masked those parts with plastic and paper and painted the chassis as a unit.
Useless trivia: Trucks built in Newark, California had fuel tank brackets that were not painted if the tanks were left natural or polished aluminum. Trucks built in Nashville, Tennessee or Denton, Texas had the tank brackets chassis color. Painted fuel tanks were available from the factory until the the 80s.Up until the early 80's you would also so the sides of the battery boxes painted chassis color, or the whole box painted chassis color, or left natural aluminum or polished.
I must stop typing now or I will keep typing all day.
If you need detail information, just ask. I have plenty of reference material, factory photos, etc.
Tim