Ambulances and Firetrucks

This is an area pretty well neglected for the most part. Pretty much all of the kits are old but Trumpeter is supposed to be bringing out a newer American Lafrance hopefully next year.

Kits for now though :

AMT has a set of ALF trucks. There is a pumper, ladder and a snorkel. They also released a chiefs car but that is bit harder to find. The kits are a bear to build with some fit problems, nightmareish instructions and such. Best bet for those kits would be ebay where you can sometimes get them for about $20. Most shops want around $50 and up for them. They are great though for kit bashing and such.

Revell put out a Peterbilt pumper that you can find on Ebay and some online shops for around $60. They also have a Europian style ladder and rescue.

There is a 1/32 snap tite of a Mack pumper that also includes a caprice cop car.

For antique ones, there is 1/16 and 1/32 Dennis trucks. Also a 1/12 Christie steam engine.

Ambulances seem to be even more overlooked. Johan has a kit that has the option to make into one. Other than that, kit bashing and scratching.

For the most part, to build them you will have to use some creativity or find some resin stuff like cabs and such. Good luck.

Revell should be your best shot.
mostly German apparatus they bring.
i'm not that impressed by the kits that are on the market (i don't do/am not interested in Euro apparatus)so i'd like to kitbash excisting American (code 3) models.
for ideas what i do with those feel free to check out my Epson.
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=4159018
hans

There are a few others you might be able to find,

there is a "Rescue 911" ambulance, chevrolet van you can often find on ebay, generally pretty cheap too.

Johan made a 1960's Cadillac ambulance you can also find frequently on ebay (not so cheap though).

The Joker Goon car is pretty easy to find, it can be built as a Gothom City police car but it wouldn't take much to make it a fire chiefs car instead, I think it is a 1977 Dodge Monaco.

If you are willing to use resin and/or do some scratchbuilding it opens up many more possibilities. There are several aftermarket companies with 1/24, 1/25 scale cab kits and accessories.

Not really kits but there several small scale emergency vehicles available and many like to kit bash these, there is some aftermarket available.

Code 3 is 1/64, Matchbox has a series in 1/50, Corgi is 1/43 and there is a fair amount available in 1/87 scale.

For the most part though unless you want to build European apparatus you will have to learn to scratch build and kit bash. It is not as hard as most expect.

Ghostbusters Car

The only fire rescue kit that I know about is the Revell Mercedes Benz 1625LTF 24/50 (Revell 07502).
It`s a 1:24 and looks quite neat, in fact I`m tempted to have a go myself. ,

Hi ,
I loved the advice you recived . I have listed my project for a C-600 stake bed truck.
Into an apparatus.
I am doing a Cut and Chop to extend the Cab .to make the heart butthe rest is on line supplys or scratch building .
next taking the shortened cab and making a water tender out of it .
also in the kit . thier are two frames long and short wheel base . so make used of these :>) . I will have photos updating progress .

fred's custom models and Model truck & fire apparatus Co.

best of luck to ya.
nfpa1002

Hi Medicman !!!!!!!!

"holly molly" Medicman!!!? what's that !?! oh. nothing just thought it sounded funny.
any how Hay, i was just thinking that . this book i got at my local hobby store
Mod-o- maina i got a copy of :

"BUILDING & DETAILING SCALE MODEL TRUCKS &ENERGENCY VEHICLES"
BY TERRY JESSEE His work has been featured in car modeler, scale modeler, fine scale modeler, model car journel, and boys life. from 1984 / 1986 stated .
this book is grate. $16.95 cost / kalmback books

check out the book you'll like it ....
nfpa1002

Here is a gallery of Tom Sheehy's models who has one on the cover of that book. Pretty awesome work and lots of ideas to be had.

http://public.fotki.com/tsheehy/scale_models/fire_apparatus_models/

Hay Chris !!

Thank you for the link to "Tom Sheehy's models ". This is a GRATE resource for me . Probbly as well for every one ealse for EMS vehicles!!!.
THANK YOU!

nfpa1002

Godd luck MedicMan........

If you find any, I am looking for them also. I had an idea, and get a E-350 van from some were, and going from there, does anyone know were I could find a E-350 van, from with in the last 10 years, that I could convert. Let me know.

Welcome to the forum Doc. As far as I can think of there are no real modern vans. There are some like the A-team one though. You might be able to try diecast and kitbash it though.

Unfortunately even if you are willing to do a fair amount of scratchbuilding / kit bashing many of the most popular chassis for building emergency vehicles are not available, few vans outside of the late 70's GMC / Chevy, and few medium duty trucks like the International 4900, Ford F-800 or Freightliner FL70. The smaller trucks do ok with a 1 ton dually Ford and Chevy and there are Ford, Chevy and Dodge 1/2 tons.

Probably the best thing to come along recently is the AMT re-issue of the Ford C-cab stake bed, this was a very popular chassis for fire apparatus from the late 50's to the early 90's. This is a good start for a kit bash by combining it with the pumper body from the American LaFrance or as the base for a more intense scratchbuild.

The Ford Louisville was not as popular as the C-cab but was a fairly common chassis in the 70's and 80's. I see this kit fairly often so I believe it is still in production from AMT.

I saw an ad from Fred's Custom Models in the latest Scale auto and it says he has 9 new fire apparatus cabs available in resin, including a Seagrave, E-one and Ferrara I'm going to be ordering a catalog to see what he has. He has no website at this time.

So are you saying there is a FL70 cab out there somewhere? Really really want one of those since that is what my engine is.

QUOTE: Originally posted by lizardqing So are you saying there is a FL70 cab out there somewhere? Really really want one of those since that is what my engine is.

No I was using that as an example of a popular medium duty truck used for fire apparatus that there is no kit for. If someone would put out the International 4000 series, Ford F600-800 series and the Frieghtliner FL series us fire engine modelers would have much less to complain about. As it is with the exception of the Ford C-600 and Louisville we either have to go small with 1/2 ton kits or big with semi-tractor trucks.

Ahh. Guess I need to send off for some of the resin guys cataloges.

I've thought about scratchbuilding an ambulance model for many, many years, I actually worked for an ambulance manufacturer for 7 years and figured I could do a pretty good job of detailing one seeing as how over the course of my employment I pretty much worked in every position on the assembly line, but I guess I haven't seen a kit yet that I could start with as far as the chassis goes, but then again I haven't really set my mind to the project either.

I thought most ambulances are based on a van or pickup truck chassis. Vans are hard to come by, but the new GM body is available in plastic and diecast built-up, and the Ford E-350 is coming out this year. But there are plenty of pickup chassis, so start with that. Let's face it, the first scratchbuilt box body is a learning experience and will take a long time, but it's pure modeling fun making your own body, and you'll end up with a model no one else has. Making a box out of sheet styrene isn't really all that hard, it's adding the deatils that takes time but is modeling joy. Check out
http://www.scaleautomag.com/sca/community/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=33
for other like-minded modelers, see what they have done as your inspiration. Do a search there and you'll see references to parts sources and others build-ups.

If you go to my website I have a rescue I built and I show the building process. The box used for that would be very similar to building a modular ambulance. It's really not that hard if you keep the edges straight and even.

http://www.geocities.com/floydreinstien/models/Index.htm

Here's some plans, so get some plastic and away you go!
http://www.roadrescue.com/pages/models/drawings/duramedic/duraall.pdf