Texaco Wrecker

[Dandydan]

I'm building this replica of a wrecker my Dad ran for a few years back in the late 70's into the mid 80's. If all goes well it'll be a Christmas gift this year.

[Dandydan]

I started using a Bigfoot cab and chassis, and the Midnight Cowboy wrecker body, as that was the closest to the Holmes body on Dad's. The first problem I encountered, and got solved here by some helpful folks, was getting two different colors out of the same can on my base coat. I was perplexed to say the least.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Dandydan

[Dandydan]

After trimming the rear flares, lots of sanding, and covering it in a coat of silver, both halves matched pretty well. The wrecker body is going to be yellow anyway, but there's a yellow stripe that starts on the front, and I wanted to make sure the yellows were going to match over the same whites. The drivetrain is mostly stock except for the exhaust, which I made out of solder after watching some guys on here. For my first stab at it I was pretty happy.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Dandydan

[Dandydan]

I got some resin Budd style wheels from BNL-I was extremely pleased with the quality and how quick they came. The only downside was they're 4WD wheels and Dad's wrecker wasn't-but that only required a little trimming to hollow out the hub area.

So this is the early mock up-thanks for looking!

Edited November 11, 2013 by Dandydan

[Edward Gore]

Fine progress. The same white drying in two different shades is weird. Probably because you didn't use a primer first. I think the cab was blue plastic and the bed was black plastic ?

[Eshaver]

DON'T Glue the crane down YET !!!!!!!!!

[Dandydan]

I actually did prime-sandable gray is what I use most of the time. Until you just mentioned the colors, I just remembered it was the Destroyer I used for the cab-not Bigfoot. I guess red is notorious for bleeding through, but after sanding, shooting silver, and re-priming with whire primer I'm pretty happy.

[Dandydan]

DON'T Glue the crane down YET !!!!!!!!!

Not much is glued yet Ed-lol! Lots of dry fitting is one thing I've learned. I've taken a little poetic liscense on the stock boom to make it look more like the one on the truck-pics of that coming soon!

[cobraman]

Cool idea. Good luck with your project.

[Edsel-Dan]

I believe the boom from the SnapTite Tow Truck is a Holmes.

The recently re-issued one. Blue on the box. Last Orange, and

Originally "Captain Hook" black

I like this one.

[the goon]

Lookin' good.

Mark

[Chris guthro]

Very cool! Nice detail on the frame

[Dandydan]

Thanks Mark and Chris-I appreciate the compliments! I got some stripes laid out on the cab-hopefully everything will look as straight after the paint as it does with just the tape on it...

Edited November 18, 2013 by Dandydan

[Dandydan]

I got suggestions from several people about using the boom and winch from the snap together kit as it is a Holmes that appears to be correct for what I'm trying to replicate. I'm all ears when it comes to suggestions from you guys, so I picked one of those kits up and started cutting and swapping. I ended up using the Midnight Cowboy body, and used the boom, hydraulic rams, and winch from the the snap together kit. I'm glad I did because it looks way better than my first attempt at moifying the original set up.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Dandydan

[Eshaver]

See what happens when ya listen to somebody that spent too many years in the business ?????????

[Edward Gore]

Nice. Looks like any minor problems are getting solved along the way

[kilrathy10]

This is one good looking model in the works....I'm liking everything you're doing with this one.....

[Jzaaijer]

Great job. Hope you'll get it ready by Christmas! That would make an awesome gift!

[crazyrichard]

nice !!!!

[Dandydan]

Thank you all very much! I made some minor adjustments to get the three-lever controls from the Holmes set up onto my body, and added BMF to the hydraulic rams and some wire that I thought looked pretty close to accurate for the cable.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Dandydan

[Dandydan]

The decal work was quite interesting and sometimes very trying, as this was my first time attempting to make my own. I used some crude methods I thought would work, but in the end turned that portion over to my brother (Moparian). He worked, what is in my opinion, magic. I just wish they laid down a little better, but I'm pleased for a first go-round making our own.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Dandydan

[Eshaver]

Dan, how long did you're dad's wrecker stay that clean and scratch free? My 79 Ford E-350 with a Holmes 500 crane was never that nice . Shoot, I was too busy runnin AAA Virginia motor club to wash it very often .

[Dandydan]

Lol-it really never looked that good Ed. I spent many weekends growing up in the wrecker in the infield of our local dirt track un-tangling cars and picking them out of the weeds so you can imagine how it looked most of the time! The guy that Dad worked for had another one that had the same paint scheme as the Indy pace trucks-I'm lucky enough to have a picture of Dad driving that at the previously mentioned dirt track-I'd love to replicate that one someday!

[slusher]

Dan the wrecker looks great and you are doing some awsume work friend. Its going to be a great grift...

[Dandydan]

Thanks for the compliment AND the help on this one Carl!