FIRE TRUCK BUILD

You are on a quest that many of us have been on. It seems that modern firetrucks are grossly overlooked by model companies. About teh best that you are going to do is a resin cab from somewhere like www.10-8hobbies.com but then you will still have to supply the chasis and alot of the parts yourself. Other than that the AMT kits are the most up to date trucks you will find that I know of , and if you have not built them they are are a decent challenge.

There is a emergency vehicle group build starting up soon, check it out in the groupbuild section. Might be a way to get into the scratchbuilding trucks.

The only other US fire engine model I know of is Revell's 1/32 scale Mack CF but this only gets you to the 1980's, it might be a better base than the AMT ALF kits though since the mack is a square cab like most of todays fire apparatus, on the downside most of the aftermarkets stuff is for 1/25 scale.

Some of the places I've found for parts

Model Truck and Fire Apparatus

http://www.mtfaco.com/

Don't let the very basic site and no online catalog turn you off, they have a good selection of metal and resin cast parts, wheels, tools, sirens etc, its worth ordering the catalog.


EVM resin parts

http://www.evmresinparts.com/

Good online catalog, I've ordered from here but haven't received it yet so can't verify the quality, but they have a nice selection of stuff.


Spaulding Trading and Shipping

http://www.stsmodeltrucks.com/

Mostly stuff for big rigs but there is some for emergency vehicles, they have the best set of slam locks (door latches) I've seen, a Photo etch set of 40 (20 square, 20 round) runs about $5.


Chimneyville

http://www.chimneyvilledecals.com/

Decals and lightbars


Like lizardqing said its a rather neglected subject, so you will need to scratchbuild a good bit of the model but I've found its not as hard as it seems like it would be.

You might be in luck, I was looking for something else but this caught my eye

2004 Plastic Model Kits
Trumpeter
1:48 North American RA5C Vigilante
1:48 Vickers Wellington
1:48 FW200 Condor
1:48 Be6 Madge
1:700 Bismarck and Tirpitz
1:350 Aircraft Sets Assorted Planes
1/350 USS Lexington & USS Saratoga
1/350 Jeremiah O#8217;Brien Liberty Ship Oct.
1:350 Admiral Kuznetsov Ship
1:32 Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker Sept.
1/32 F-100D/ 1:32 Avenger
1:25 #8216;63 Nova/ #8216;78 Monte Carlo
1:72 German Armor 18 Ton Famo
U.S.S. Nimitz 1:350 Sept. 2004
1:35 WWII LCM (3) U.S. Navy
2002 American Lafrance Fire Truck

Here is the site I found this at

http://www.megahobby.com/Mega-Community/Coming_Soon/coming_soon.html

i cant find the lafrance fire truck on the site. where did you find it

Sweet news that is! Finally one of the better kit makers stepping up to the plate.

Gavinray- I googled all I could and did not find a pic of it, only thing I found was a few listings with the price and release date to be announced. On that link above look up under the ship pics and right above the minicraft listing.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST AND WHEN IS IT COMING OUT

WHERE DO I FIND THE CHEAPEST PLACE TO BUY 1/24-1/25 SCALE FIRE TRUCKS.

It's about 1/2 way down right hand column. I also posted this at scale auto and someone was kind enough to post a link to a photo of the box

http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/catalog04/49.jpg


It is listed as a 2004 release but I wouldn't make any plans, I've found that model release dates are pretty iffy and then it takes time for the various shops to get them in stock, but its still good news that someone is making a new kit.

As far as the cheapest place? ebay if you are lucky but going from the prices on the AMT kits I'd plan on spending around $40, not really familiar with Trumpeter but I don't think they are cheap kits.

Hearing how Trumpeter did with the leopold railroad guns, I am looking forward to them doing a fire appartus, even if it is more in cost than the AMT kits. Those kits are nightmares but are the only thing like them so you are pretty stuck with them.

Wohooooo!!!! A new fire truck!!!!!!