Cannonball Run Transcon Medi-Vac Ambulance

[spencer1984]

You ever have one of those models that fought you the whole time?

I started this some 15+ years ago with a new Cannonball Run kit and a rebuilder Dodge van for the correct body/bumpers/grille. Well, mostly correct...even though it had the right front end, the taillights were wrong and as far as I know MPC never made a version with the proper sliding door. So I filled in the hinged doors, filled in the taillights, and cut out the sunroof. I got it as far as the white base before it all went sideways and had to go in the purple pond. Then that happened again. And again. I think I ended up stripping this about 4-5 times before I called it "good enough."

Along the way, the process of stripping and repainting it ened up ruining the body work I did so I cut out the side and made a new sliding door from the left (doorless) side of the later body. I also ended up losing the side trim, door sill, door handles, and badges.

The sill and some of the drip rails (damaged long before I got it) were repaired with styrene and the trim was made from chrome craft paper and Hasegawa's Matte Black Finish for the rubber strips. The door handles were pulled from a couple of Revell Dodge Charger kits, and the corner markers were more chrome paper with transparent paint for the lenses.

Graphics were custom decals that I drew up in Illustrator, based on a combination of the original sheet and movie stills. The tires were out of my parts box, mounted on Fireball Modelworks wheels. No idea where the sunroof came from, but I vaguely remember stealing it from some other kit because it looked the part.

There's not much interior to speak of but I did add carpeting, window cranks, and a privacy curtain. Exterior window trim was done with a combinatiion of BMF and chrome paint. The same was used to repair the grille and bumpers, since they were pretty beat up after so many years. The headlights were drilled out and replaced with aftermarket lenses from Barchetta.

Because there was no way to really see the engine, I replaced the kit-supplied motor with scrap bits from my parts box and a set of scratch built Cherry Bomb mufflers/aluminum tubing pipes.

It took way too long, and it ain't perfect, but at least I finally have the latest addition to the Burt Reynolds collection finished! Now I need to get to work on the CBP...

Edited Monday at 05:41 PM by spencer1984

[kelson]

Nice work and dedication to getting it done!.👍

[Jim B]

Nice looking ambulance.  Well done.

[WillyBilly]

Outstanding!

I love the dedication to get it done and done right no matter how long it took.

[spencer1984]

Thanks, guys!

4 hours ago, WillyBilly said:

I love the dedication to get it done and done right no matter how long it took.

I don't know if it was dedication or madness, some days it seemed like a pretty fine line 😆

[WillyBilly]

6 hours ago, spencer1984 said:

Thanks, guys!

I don't know if it was dedication or madness, some days it seemed like a pretty fine line 😆

One person's dedication is another person's madness. It is all about perspective.😉

[Dragonhawk1066]

Looks awesome! One of my favorite movies!

[Chuckyg1]

It may have fought ya, but you won. It was worth the fight.