Sometimes my imagination just slips into wild gear and vroom out comes some serious chop and channelling in a customised sense and pictured below is some grunt tools I will be using.



 This Matchbox King Size Number 12 Scammell Crane which had actually lost it's crane cabin and lifting gantry somewhere in PlayTime many moons ago. So my wisdom talks to me and  takes me to my well loved Junk Box for something that will enhance my desire.  While sorting through the maze of junk, saying to myself, will this do as I look and see if something can be done with this discarded Matchbox Super Kings Low Loader that had lost its rear wheels and the slip in front part sometime ago. I will need to attach some to pivot the tray on and something for the lifting gear of some sorts.



In the above picture I have fitted the hydraulic ram for the lifting mechanism and attached the eyelet hing bracket made out of flate tin strapping, the same stuff I used on the Foden Crane conversion. This was drilled and pop riveted to the diecast. Cutting out the opening on the body of the Scammell was actually started by drilling out the center holes then cutting with the Demerol, which was taking far too long. So out came something more powerful. Yes the small grinder just fitted the job. After the area had opened up, some fine trimming with the Demerol and files followed  the finalisation process for the hydraulic opening. The hacksaw was used in relieving some of the metal on-top of the engine box at the rear of the cab on the Scammell so as the lifting tray would sit down neatly. Well that is what I was trying to achieve.



Watch those fingers Jim.

 

Preliminary fitting of the parts and checking to see if this envisage contraption will actually work and it did, sort of.



Now for the stripping off the old paint and some body filling to do over the engine box in the lead up to the final painting process.



I have decided to skip the actual painting process as this has been covered so so many times and I haven't come up with anything new as yet. Just clean them up, first coat is the etching primer followed by two coats of base primer and then three top coats.

 

I think the Fun Ho Holden Ambulance or what ever it might have been like a old ex paddy wagon used in New Zealand. Anyway it is a little bit small on this recovery vehicle in match up size by the looks of it.  Anyway it is on its way to the paint shop for a little tidy up.



So that is it. I have come to the end of this series. Ops no I haven't as I have one more to do like a Foden box van for the roadside repair which is coming soon.

Enjoy collecting and restorations with some customisation wisdom from time to time as it is healthy for the brain. That's what I keep telling my wife.

 

Fantastic conversion Jim, Did you count your fingers? Like the lend lease Chev in the background, what brand ?

You can probably paint that Fun Ho plain white

 

I believe the 1941 Chevy 1/32 scale was and is produced by National Motor Museum Mint in America and probably made in China no doubt about it. A long time Pen Friend in America had sent me it with some of his other collections that he wanted me to have.

I thought the Fun Ho was supposed to be an ambulance wasn't sure. I think it would be a bit small to put some surfboards on it.

Yes the Chevy is from National Motor Museum Mint. There are still some versions of this truck available today, in US Army colors as a flat bed and also as a dump truck and low side stake bed. My son has the low sider and the dump truck in his collection, I have the flat bed as a fire department flatbed hauling a 1932 Fire Chief's car. Excellent details for the price, 25.00 USD for the 1941 Chevy flatbed with a Willys Jeep in US Army colors, or 14.95 by itself.

This is the only one listed in the catalog I have, there may be some others on their website. I haven't checked in a couple months myself.

Thanks Rob yes I would like to get one of these Pearl Harbor rigs for my military collection. I see there is a couple of stake and flat beds on eBay in the US at the moment at reasonable prices too. Actually they are really good in detail for the price too. Mine cost nothing thanks Larry

It's, as always, very inspiring to read about and watch your projects. Reminds me of fairy tales 'ugly ducklings' and so on... except I've yet to read a fairy tale involving grinders

I have a few of the National Motor Museum Mint models myself. They also have a base here in Canada, I did not know they were in the USA as well. They are made in China but it does not say by whom on the base. Most bases if not all, are made of plastic. They usually have opening hood and doors and some of the older cars have rumble seats that open too. Rubber tires and the details are very good for the $20 price tag or less on most models. I get their catalogue when it comes out and it comes from Ontario. Rob, where did your catalogue come from?

Out of Norwalk Ct. I get a catalog about every 6 weeks, sometimes sooner than that. I got the middle kids 32nd scale truck collection from them, and I have a series of 50th scale fire trucks they put out, mostly Corgis with a few from Signature that they had as the first release in the series. I've got a couple others from them as well. For the cost, you can't really go wrong buying from them.