Aaronw

Got some interior work done. I cobbled together a spreader, fire extinguisher and a resuscitator case from styrene and some bits of wire. None of this will be very visible once it is buttoned up so I wasn't too concerned with getting things too far into the details, just want to give the impression of stuff in the back. I boxed in the floor behind the seat to provide a flat surface, I think I'll also be calling that the water / foam tank. With as small as the car is it makes sense that they would utilize the space as well as possible. I'm guessing probably some sort of compressed air system rather than a mechanical pump. Close up of the spreader unit. Based on the one photo I've found it appears the mount tips back onto the deck to allow "easy" removal. These early spreader units weighed around 100lbs so there wasn't much easy about them. Cartridge type dry chemical extinguisher and resuscitator case.

The rule of thumb is based on the size of the opening (height x width), depth of the booth is for the most part unimportant. It is recommended that the cfm / square feet of opening = 100, a down draft should equal 50. So assuming an 18" tall x 2 feet wide opening (3 square feet) a cross draft booth should use a fan of at least 300CFM, a down draft 150cfm. This is a good article on building your own booth that gets into a lot of the theory so you can make good decisions. I used it to build my booth and have been quite happy with it. http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm

I have no idea what you are talking about, nope none at all. I just made this because I was bored...

I've read that they were really targeted at race tracks in the beginning, but the utility of the tools found a ready market in the fire and rescue service. I suspect the recue Gremlins may have been more of a marketing ploy to gain some visibility for the tools and by 1975 interested parties were well aware of them and ordering vehicles that were more capable. The Gremlin is an odd choice being so small, I'm just getting started on the interior and I'm already having a hard time finding room for stuff. Even one of AMCs small Hornet based wagons would have offered considerably more room for gear. Emergency! came out in 1972 and LA County a major fire department on the cutting edge was still using Portapower a hand powered hydraulic tool. I have a book covering the history of the show and it says that in 1973 Hurst donated a "jaws" set to the fire department in exchange for featuring the tool in some episodes of the show for publicity (the producers of the show wouldn't use anything in the show that the fire department didn't actually use). I imagine once they got that kind of exposure sales took off although they were still expensive. A set ran $7,000 in 1973 which is about $40,000 in 2016, based on an online inflation calculator. That implausibility of the thing is one of the aspects that attracted me to this. It really makes you go "Why?!!!"

and an '82 grill...

Any suggestions for a stock wheel / tire combo? I've still got a few of the $7 Walmart era kits, but will pick up another one or two.

I've been doing the trim on a '59 El Camino for a good 8 years now, half a sheet suggests you've been very frugal with it. Wow that thing has a lot of chrome, every time I think I'm done I find more .

In the early 1970s the Hurst company, better known for its racing products introduced a hydraulic rescue tool which became known as the "jaws of life". That product has become well known today. Less well known was their effort to market a rescue vehicle based on the AMC Gremlin. The Hurst Rescue Systems 1, combined an AMC Gremlin with a Hurst Rescue tool (power head and spreaders), medical and firefighting equipment including a 25 gallon tank of water and foam concentrate. In 1973 an HRS1 sold for $11,000, a new Gremlin sold for about $1900 so most of this cost was the equipment. Why they chose a Gremlin? We may never know, but as it makes for an interesting model I'm glad they did. Less than a dozen are known to have been sold, and only one is known to exist today. The remaining example is a 1973 model still owned by a fire department in Georgia which bought it new. There is not a lot known about these vehicles, most of the info being based on an article on the sole survivor. There are a few ads showing the car and the basic equipment. I'm starting with an AMT (MPC?) 1975 Gremlin kit. The real HRS1s were offered from 1972-1974, so I'll be taking a few liberties. I have not been able to find any good quality photos showing the interior layout, so I'll be relying on my best guess. I've got the body taped off and painted.

When you go into Home Depot here they have to put Prop 65 warning labels on lumber... not just the treated stuff either, plain old 2x4s are plotting against us. I feel sorry for those of you whose state doesn't care about them.

Neat I've had one of these on my to do list or quite awhile.

Thanks, I like these and it something different than a Mustang or Camaro. I like those too, but it is nice to have some variety. My Grandmother had a beige Olds Omega probably a 73 or 74.

Stock or at least stock -ish option?

If you look at frying pan splatter guards some use a very fine expanded metal. Others just use a fine window screen so you really need to look at different brands in person you can't just order one online. This kind of thing but I don't know if this one has the right type of screen. http://www.bakedeco.com/detail.asp?id=10122&trng=fgle&gclid=CjwKEAiAo7C2BRDgqODGq5r38DsSJAAv7dTP1tdNOzypiw_YGjiqHKh-MrsWwK63V6ewMQDUkfh1CRoC7uPw_wcB

Terry (Superpeterbilt) took care of me for tires as well as a heavier suspension both from the Paystar. I am planning on adding a stinger to the end of the frame. Alcoa wheels are quite popular locally. Most of the vintage logging trucks I've seen use them so I'll be using the kit wheels. They will need to be modified to represent the earlier type though. The kit wheels actually seem to be an odd combination of characteristics from both the older type and the modern type, not right for either as is.

From my perspective it isn't a matter of too smooth, but it is possible to be too glossy though and that is not including the honey dipped look. Some people do a very good job of replicating a factory look, others come across looking more like a custom, the paint is "too nice". This seems to be a matter of technique rather than a lack of skill and a lot of people like that perfect paint job look even if it isn't 100% accurate for a factory car. Sorry I can't provide examples as I don't have the ability to do either (I'm the scale equivalent to Earl Scheib, I'll paint that car for $0.7995), but I do know it when I see it on a model.

I'll check the fit, but since the Ertl era release included a Cummins I'm assuming this will work without much modification. I do expect a little work converting the air intake plumbing from the Detroit to Cummins.

Imperfect paint jobs on 1-1 cars allow me to sleep at night instead of stressing about my far from perfect paint jobs. I make the effort to do the best I can, but if I manage mirror smooth it was an accident.

Ok, I've had a slow start, mostly work but, a little bit of working some time in at the bench around a 1-1 project of mine. My wife went back to work part time which leaves me with my hands full on my days off, at least until the energy fades (and assuming I still have any left). I have managed to get some work done on the truck. I snagged the Cummins 250 out of a White Freightliner SD. Early 70s so Peterbilt was still painting the engines white before they went in the truck. I tried to keep the weathering on the engine to a minimum since this is going to be a newish truck, but also felt the need to break up all that white. The engine will be getting some more work before I'm done with it. I spent some time on the dash, and added service and trailer brake knobs from styrene, as they were lacking and are a fairly distinctive feature. I spent a lot of time debating the trucks colors, I finally settled on IH Red over Ivory, both Krylon colors.

B&N at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, CA had it when I was down there last week.

I was thinking it was a bit of an understatement.

Death metal goth tree frog in this case.

A big problem, at least for US trucks is everything changed after 2007 due to new emissions laws. Pretty much every diesel engine manufacturer had to start over from scratch. I think the Moebius IH trucks are the only kits released since 2007 and they have IH engines.

As improbable as that start up system sounds, I find it impossible to believe anybody tried to steal it. I know they are weird, but I kind of like these things. It reminds me of a happy tree frog. I'd love to get my hands on one of these for my summer drive to work, if I could get it cheap. I could do without the faux wood paneling though.

I'd be in for the W500.

That is really neat, a great looking truck. Several 1-1 apparatus makers have dabbled in heavy trucks so this is a very plausible what if.