David G.

Yeah! That and placing the injection points on the tops of the bumpers! ? Arrrgh! David G.

That is awesome Gary! I love the beacons on the sleeper as well as all the other details you've added throughout the build. Watching this project come together has been a true pleasure. Thanks for taking the time to share it with all of us. David G.

Wow, thanks for the mention Jim, I appreciate that. I'm also glad that you found the WIP helpful. If I had to do that bead wire replacement today I think I might try some styrene rod. Evergreen makes it as thin as .5mm (.020"). Which should be just about the correct thickness and a little easier to work with than either bead wire or solder. It would seem that I've learned a few things since that I posted that WIP Your solution to that problem looks like it worked out very well. I admire you attention to detail, I didn't even notice that the headlight bezels were that out of scale. It looks like you're well under way for knocking those into shape as well. Keep up the great work on this Jim, I'm really enjoying following along. David G.

Hi D.W. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. It sounds like things are kind of hit and miss with them. Which I guess is rather common with many resin vendors, I don't have a lot of experience with that segment of the hobby. Thanks, David G.

Hello Everybody! The work on the AMT Surf Shark ambulance conversion continues and here is the proof! I had to do a little work on the rear bumper. The chrome coating on it was rather rough in a number of places. In fact, most all of it was in pretty bad shape. The underlying lacquer coating didn't go on well and needed to be filed and sanded smooth. I brush-painted the resulting bare spots (there were many) with Molotow chrome paint. The results aren't perfect but I think I can live with it. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and feel free to comment if you wish. David G.

Thanks for the tip D.W. I got the gurney I used in this build from Three Inches Under and I was a bit disappointed with it. For the time I spent repairing, cleaning up and adjusting that one, I could have built my own. As I did for my Ecto-1 build. I thought it would be quicker and easier to buy one and assemble it but now I'm not so sure. I also ordered a casket and a prep table from Three Inches Under as well and those look to be in better shape. I'll know more once I start to work with them. Based on that, I hesitate to order from them again. Do you have any direct experience working with Three Inches Under that you'd like to share? Thanks again, David G.

Hi Jim. I certainly agree with you on the Plymouth's nose casting issue and I'm glad to see that you're working to correct it. Many builders, for whatever reason just don't. I built one of these a few years ago and this was probably the biggest challenge I had in doing so. The other was getting the body / interior assembly to fit properly on the chassis. I could get either the front or rear to fit all the way down but never both at the same time. It kind of see-sawed back and forth. I eventually just split the difference. If you're interested in all the gory details, here's a link to the WIP. In the end it came out pretty good. May you have the best of luck with yours. David G.

Thanks Alan, based on your advice I took a few minutes and watched the unboxing segment. AMT has made some excellent changes and additions to the kit. I can certainly see one or two of these in my future. David G.

It looks like your "silk purse" is coming along nicely Bob. David G.

Looking good. David G.

Thanks for your response Bart. It's a really cool looking kit and your rendition of it is excellent. I may have to see about getting and building one for myself. David G.

It does have more eye-appeal with the changes you've made. Subtlety is the key. David G.

Thanks for sharing the photos John. It is a recognizable rendition though rather blocky and toy-like. To bring it up to what I would consider acceptable would take more work than I'm capable of. Or at least willing to currently take on. I do like the mistranslation on the box, "Best oner car in the world." Did they mean "one", "owner" or "motor"? it seems like they hit on elements of all three words. Thanks, David G.

Thank you Randy. Yeah, the gurney was a bit of a challenge but I'm glad it's in there. Thank you for your kind comment Alan. In addition to making a newly tooled gurney, it looks like they retooled the interior to make room for it too. Add to that some new emergency light options and additional interior apparatus and I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on one or two when they hit the shelves. I do plan to watch that video but it runs about an hour and that's kind of a stiff time commitment for me right now. Thanks again for your kind words. David G.

Excellent build, great light effects and detail! I really like the open-panel details. Does the kit come with all those details or did you add them yourself? David G.

Very cool! David G.

A great start! I love the raked windshield and dropped top. David G.

Thank you very much David, for your kind comment and your support and encouragement during the build. David G.

Wow! It may not be brain surgery but it seems like the next closest thing! ? Impressive work so far! David G.

Hello Everybody! Just a quick update on the ambulance. This is the final detail work on the dashboard. It includes a blackwash to bring out some of the details, several coats of clear acrylic on the instrument cluster and some general cleanup. All I need to do now is finish up the radio head and mount it after the dashboard is in the car. As always, thanks. David G.

Yes indeed. But mine won't be quite as detailed as that. David G.

Hello Everybody! I just realized that I haven't yet posted my traditional Display Case photo for this build, so here it is. Now this build is finished! Thanks for your indulgence, David G.

Thanks for the information John. I did some searching for the Fujimi kits and they seem rather expensive given the questionable quality and odd scale. They seem to be leaning more toward the collector's market rather than the builder's market... for those who make such a distinction. In either case, they're a little too dear for this builder's market. Still, it's good to know that they're out there. Thanks again. David G.

Thank you Carl. Thanks Greg, I guess that great minds think alike. I have an AMT Police Interceptor that, years ago I built as a daily driver. I dug its leftover radio head out of the parts box that should fit nicely between the bottom of the dashboard and the floor. It's in the Purple Pond having its chrome removed at this very moment. Thanks for your question John. This edition has the grille with four slots for clear dog-tooth style lights, which are included. Thanks, David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's another update as I begin to move more to the core of the build. The first round of detail painting on the dashboard. Yeah, I made the numbers on the speedometer visible. Because... details! And here's the whole mess in test-fit mode. I've painted and detailed the steering wheel, got some of the basic interior paint scheme started and managed to get the gurney to fit satisfactorily. That's it for this round. Hopefully, I'm done with the side missions and can get on with the rest of the build. Thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.