DRIPTROIT 71

The push bumper on our old wrecker was 1/4 steel with around 1/4 thick rubber on the front. The top, bottom and sides were rolled 90 degrees with about a 2” lip on the sides and about a 3-4” lip top and bottom. It was not completely flat. It angled backwards on the outside. It also had plates on the inside for mounting, making the bumper about 3-4” thick. It was pretty heavy and one of the main reasons we installed it was for a counter balance when towing, as our wrecker had a short wheelbase. We were even going to mount weights in the hollow back side of the bumper, but I don’t think that we ever did. My point is that as said before, I don’t think that using thicker stock would be out of scale. Ours was factory made, but there were also many homemade versions as well. Use your reference pictures, but these varied quite a bit so don’t stress too much about unknown factors. There may have even been variations in the show. If I remember right, seemed like they had a different wrecker every week.?

Those sprockets look amazing!

I like it!!

I always enjoy looking in on your shop Pat. Glad to see it open again for business. So much to see!

That is one sharp looking rig!!

Looks amazing!

Looks great Charles.

Looking forward to seeing more! I’m an outside sprayer too. While I’m a little farther south, it has been tending to rain all the time here. It often causes me to get into a little too much of a hurry to paint when the weather is actually good. And then the humidity is terrible most of the summer. Somehow we manage to get a decent paint job in though.

I think that I’ve had some old M.T.F.A. cabs that were heavier than that. ? Looks great! I’m really liking this build!

Thanks!! Those will help!!

Oh man!!! This is my kind of build!!! Steel yellow 5 hole wheels, Awesome!! I like the color scheme too!! Excellent work! Has the vintage look that I really like!!

Never mind, I answered my own question.

Dan’s son said that the original cab like those that you have were not 100% accurate. The cab that I received was the replacement.? After he talked with Dan, he said that they decided to go back to the old cab and that if I would bear with him, he would send me another cab. So, I may get another cab, or not, but I’m already knee deep in this one. I don’t like not finishing a project once I am started, and I don’t want two projects going at once, so I am attempting to make this one presentable. Question, you seem to have a lot of reference material on these. Did the raised roofs have the indentation down the center? In all the pictures that I can find, it seems the the top is pretty rounded and that the center of the cab is the highest point.

Thanks Dan! They said that they would send one, but time will tell. In the mean time I like doing things the hard way. I added .040 styrene to the roof. We will see where this goes.

I will post pictures when or if I receive another cab. I’ll have a better feeling if that time comes, but the cab I received already is most definitely not an improvement. At the moment I am attempting to repair the cab that I received.

I have built the M.T.F.A. version of the F-Model on the AMT R-Model chassis before without issue. I plan to use the AMT Cruiseliner chassis for my next one, with the steering box relocated. Most resin kits require some planning to get the windows in. I made a frame for the windshield to slide into on my Brockway (same cab as F-model Mack). It was also built on a R-model frame, but with Hendrickson suspension.

Thanks! I think that you have more reference material than I do.? This one will have worn out a few sets of tires already, although I do have some tires similar. I’ve been working on the roof some. It appears that there is not enough material on this cab to get the curve right. The top is too flat. So I have 3 choices: 1. Round it off the best that I can and live with it. 2. Add material and try to get it closer to what it should look like. 3. Wait on the possibility of another cab.

That is just Awesome!!! It looks like the real thing! The weathering is excellent! Top notch work and great photos too!

Dan’s son contacted me back. He said that the original Ford 850 in the stock photo was not 100% accurate and that the cab that I received pictured above, was the replacement cab. He said that after talking to Dan that they would be going back to the old cab, and that if I would bear with them, that he would send me a cab cast from the old cab.

Beautiful build! The interior looks great too! Excellent work!!

Thanks guys! I have a frame now. I stretched the Louisville frame 25 scale inches to make the 176” wheelbase in the build sheet.

Looks great!!

I hate when this type of thing happens! I might have another cab if you want to start over. I will have to check.

That is a lot lumber to glue! Looking good!!

This one is really coming together. Looks great!