RoninUtah

I actually finished this build a few weeks ago (before the Argosy) but I was waiting to post it until I got the decals from ModelTruckers. They came over the weekend, so here it is! The story: Late in 1960, Leroy Hewett, proprietor of the biggest (and only) auto repair facility in the small Hill Country town of Dent, Texas, decided to expand his business to include towing services when two local residents broke down in the same week on the same gravel road leading out of town. He consulted with the local Chevrolet dealership, owned by his cousin Henry, who advised him to order a new 1961 Chevrolet C-60. The truck was fitted with a Holmes 525 wrecker on a custom body, as Leroy wanted more space to carry tools, spare tires, batteries, and the like. Since this was his first wrecker, he numbered it #1, optimistically hoping that others were to come. They never did, but “Old Number 1,” as he came to call it, endured for many years pulling local cars and pickups out of ditches or from the side of the road, steam billowing from their radiators. This build represents Old Number 1 when it first came out of the Hewett Chevrolet paint booth in 1961, ready for work. This build is almost entirely 3-D printed; the C-60 file is by Andrey Bezrodny; I’ve seen several eBay sellers offering printed versions. The wrecker is a design by Shadetreemodeling, and it’s actually a Holmes 500. However, since those didn’t come out until late in 1962, I’m calling this one a 525, its predecessor, as they look superficially similar. The truck bed is Andrey’s, and I made the side panels from sheet styrene; the rear is adapted from an AMT Peterbilt wrecker. Decals are custom ordered from Modeltruckers. Enjoy!

I love it! A gritty working truck, just the right amount of weathering. Love the streak of exhaust soot on the trailer!

Thanks! They are a cool class of equipment. Even the little 1-ton stake trucks have those huge lift gates now- very distinctive.

Thanks, Brian!

Thanks, Victor! I love A&N's stuff- sure, they're pricy and a challenge to build, but they're incredibly well engineered and detailed. I have one more in my stash that I'll get to sometime, hopefully soon.

Thanks, Brian! Thanks, Jim!

Thanks! I should have brought the model to Burbank and shot it there, but my driveway is much easier!

That is looking great! Keep it up!

I lived in Southern California for a while a few years ago, where the entertainment industry is king. Film productions were a ubiquitous sight, and they always seemed like a big deal, blocking streets and sidewalks with crew, cables running everywhere, and fleets of specialized equipment and vehicles. I was always impressed with those vehicles; always meticulously clean, equipped with lots of shiny polished aluminum, belly boxes, and giant lift gates at the back. The biggest were full-sized Class 8 trucks, somehow seeming massively overpowered for their little box-truck bodies. A surprising number were older cabovers, usually Freightliner FLBs and Argosies, with an occasional Peterbilt 362 or “Darth Vader” 372. This build represents a typical one of these, from Universal Studios Transportation Department. It’s technically referred to as a “10-ton” truck in the industry, although the GVW is obviously much greater. It could be a grip truck, a camera truck or an electrical truck, equipped with a pintle hook to pull a generator. The cab is a first-generation Freightliner Argosy from A&N, the chassis is bashed from the parts box (since I knew it couldn’t be seen) and the truck body is cut down from a Moebius smooth side trailer. I scratchbuilt the belly boxes and side door, and the brilliant @Jürgen generously designed the lift gate from a couple of photos I gave him, and as usual for his designs, it printed perfectly, fit correctly and looks great. Thank you, Jürgen!

Very well done! Great period-correct detailing, I love the aluminum steer wheels/ steel drive wheels. I did one of these AITM conversions a few years ago, I did mine as a 3-axle 358 model, also 1965 with the stabil-aire suspension. A nice companion to the 359.

This is gonna be an awesome build, I’ll be watching to steal your ideas! 😆

Take a bow, my friend, you’ve absolutely outdone yourself! Super realistic down to every detail- I can almost smell the liquid asphalt looking at the pics! As someone who also specializes in builds you won’t find on anyone else’s shelf (although mine don’t hold a candle to yours) I especially appreciate how unique this one is. Congratulations!

What an amazing build! Completely realistic to every tiny detail. Congratulations on a job well done, you’ve outdone yourself! Now I’m looking forward to seeing the paver and a couple of rollers to finish those hot mix jobs!

I love that! And thanks for sharing that pic of your dad, baby you, and his beautiful 58 Chevy! Your next build… hint hint hint!