Ford C series fire engine

[bitner]

This is a project I've been wanting to do for a while and finally got started. I've got about 4 different C series fire engines and tankers that I want to build, and this is the first.

I used the reissue Ford stake bed truck for the basis, with a frame shortened about an inch off the rear end. The AMT ALF fire engine body fits perfectly on the chassis, along with the fire pump underneath it. I replaced the kit rims with resin two hole Buds, and the light bar is off an old Monogram funny car/police car. I used lead free solder for the hose reel lines, and the hose in the bed is from a Revell Pete fire truck.

I used Tamiya Italian red over metallic silver for the paint, and used the kit decals to create the markings for an engine assigned to Powers, Oregon, a small town near where I went to high school. I doubt they ever had a truck like this, but I wanted to use a small town fire dept. for it. All my future C series units will be painted similar.

I apologize for the lousy pics, I'll try and get some better ones at a later date.

Cheers:

Bill

[Scalper]

Nice job. Toronto had a lot of them, I miss them.

[Jim B]

Looks really nice, Bill. I like the added details to the storage area, booster line, & hose bed. Great job all around.

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

Beautiful!

Looks very similiar to a mid '70s Ford C/Thibault that my hometown ran during that time period.

[mackinac359]

Looks good.

Tim

[Danno]

Nice job, Bill.

Very good conversion.

[cargostar]

Makes me want to dig out my Hy-Ranger.....

Great job!

[Aaronw]

Very nice, C cabs make great fire vehicles.

With all the ways they have offered the C cab and Louisville kits I'm kind of surprised AMT never offered them as fire engine kits. The ALF conversion you did is fairly straight forward and makes an accurate commercial cab American LaFrance engine. I think it would only require longer frame rails, and the box truck ones might even work, so it would not take a whole lot on their end.

I have one nit pick for you, and it is a common one with this kit. The nozzles on the hose reels are really for 2 1/2" hose, reel lines are typically 3/4" to 1", and rarely 1 1/4" at the largest.

AMT has that wrong on the instructions. They would be more accurate standing on the tail board or on the end of a hose load in the back.

I set up this website for modelling fire apparatus. If you go into the builders reference section I have lots of photos showing how equipment is mounted if you need ideas.

http://modelfireapparatus.com/

Edited June 13, 2011 by Aaronw

[Guest Johnny]

There is one of those just down the street! A BBQ stand uses it for a rolling billboard!

Sad part was it was a still working fire truck that a city had retired and the guy that bought it out bid a small town that was in need of a newer fire truck. He took it for 800 dollars more than the town had to spend.

Word is that town has since shut down their FD and now depend on another towns FD 14 miles away!

Really cool build! The little town I lived in out in the NE corner of Colorado had two of those Ford Fire Trucks!

That was in 1990 and both were in perfect condition!!!

[chuckyr]

Great job!

[cowboysevens]

WOW !!! what a great job, that ford looks right at home and you have done some super detail to it. im looking forward to seeing the next of your series. iwhen my dad got back from veitnam he was a fireman for a couple years in avenal cal. and i think i remember seeing pics of like this, lol i was to small to remember then. thanks for sharing this one with us

[Kostas Parchas]

Nice and clean build!

Kostas.

[Edsel-Dan]

The island my grand parents lived on in the Ohio River outside of Pittsburgh had a Ford C pumper.

it was a canopy cab with a bench in the back. The canopy did not follow the C's belt line though,

it dropped straight down instead of widening. I started a build, but this was WAY back. even before

I did the rough drawings. I got a NAPA issue of the Box van. I need to dig that out & get back to it.

I made some ROUGH drawings of her last time I was up there. it was sitting in a Scrap yard.

Wish I had the $$ at the time,I would have bought it.

I believe it was a Young, not an ALF though.

It had a Windshield above the rear cross bar for tail board riders.

Not allowed Now though!!