Amt Ecto-1

[BOSWELL891]

With some of the talk about Cadillacs and AMT rereleasing the ghostbusters ambulance I have just been wondering is it possible to build a stock ambulance out of the Ecto-1 kit?

[Dr. Cranky]

Although I've always been tempted to do it and have not done it, I think you could.

[HotRodaSaurus]

I would think a set of light bars and some decent wheel covers should sort it other than some hole filling etc. The Monogram Cadillac convert or sedan is good for a few detail parts.

[Eshaver]

Cole , the answer is a definet YES! I did , but to tell you the truth, I never ever took pictures of it . I did it as a period Volunteer rescue squad Ambulance such as we had here in Richmond Virginia . You'll spend some time doing some minor scratch building . You can raid the 0-2 tanks from a AMT 53 Ford F-100 kit an so on too. By all means sir , lights , action !!!!!!!!!!Ed Shaver

[Rob Hall]

I got stock hubcaps and a rear bumper from the Modelhaus years ago to do mine as a stock ambulance..

[Art Anderson]

AMT's Ecto-1a (or for that matter, the Polar Lights Ecto-1--the earlier version of the Ghostbusters ambulance) is a 1959 Cadillac/Miller Meteor Limousine Ambulance, and yes, it can be modifed back to stock. The biggest modification would be to the roof; getting rid of all those mounting points for GB stuff, and then adding the faired-in red flashers at each corner of the roof (pretty easily done with Evergreen Styrene Tubing and a bit of putty, BTW).

Ecto had a pair of strobe flashers in the grille, which didn't exist in 1959, but I believe the Revell '59 Caddy grille will fit either of the Ecto kits fairly well, perhaps a bit of fiddling with bodywork up front to get it just right. If you want a truly stock rear bumper, I'd opt for the Polar Lights kit, as the AMT kit has a modified rear bumper with a wide treadplate step cut into it. Also, molding in the tailfins is necessary to make this body shell look right, and the Revell Caddy has the inner taillight fairings which are omitted in both Ecto kits (this could make painting the body with an airbrush virtually a requirement, in order to reach the right spacing between fin and upper bodywork.

Modelhaus has the correct '59 Cadillac full wheel covers (There was no way the Eldorado cast-aluminum alloy centered wheels would have worked on a professional car, brakes would have been too small).

Art

[Dr. Cranky]

Thank you, Art, more wonderful information about this kit and the possibilities.

[Chuck Most]

And if you want to lose the molded-in headlamp lenses and the divots molded into the grille mesh patter for the front mounted lights, the Monogram '59 Eldorado piece will fit with minimal fuss.

[BOSWELL891]

Ok thanks for all the help guys