Fire Chief's us-1 Stepside Chevy Truck

[AMH1955]

I finally finished the fire truck. Have to have a Fire Chief's vehicle, nothing better to do, or nothing better that I want to do actually, too hot outside for yard work . Maybe it should of been a Petty stock car Dodge Charger like the cops and the airport taxi use? I have more decals and a couple of those Dodge Chargers and paint, maybe next time. You have to clearance the underside of the bed to clear the motor, just keep scraping it with a flat chisel x-acto blade until it fits, gets nearly paper thin. I could of left the roll bar on but I like the look of the bed cover, could have both actually? hmmm. The grain on it is exactly the same as the Smith's Tire truck molded in bed cover. It's a hunk out of Carrera 1/32 slot car track, even blind squirrels can find a nut once in awhile.

 

[biddle]

You have to clearance the underside of the bed to clear the motor, just keep scraping it with a flat chisel x-acto blade until it fits, gets nearly paper thin.

View attachment 962

I like this truck a lot! Good job!

Do you want to sell the roll bar? I need one for my 8 Ball Truck.

Can you post a photo of your chiseled area?

For those not aware, Tyco also made these Chevy step-side trucks on the Tyco 440 X2 Magnum Chassis like the 8 Ball truck, but they don't have enough clearance on the truck bed area for the rear weight so the body won't snap into place. Since the Smith's Truck is rare and valuable, people are not likey going to modify it, so they use the 440X2 body trucks.

 

[AMH1955]

The motor just needs clearance back to the made in Hong Kong lettering. The weight has to be the same height as the motor and it will clear. Some chassis already have the shorter weight for some reason, I didn't touch the one in the pic. Otherwise it has to be filed down to that height. The chiseled area is from the cab back to that lettering. You just keep carefully scraping until the body fits, it does get pretty thin there but thick enough to be stable.
I was cloning a Smith's Truck before I found one, the pic is that. The blade I use is in the pic too.
Notice that the truck has the smaller front wheel opening to the rear, they used the larger command control front openings on the Smith's truck. so the wheels would clearance when they turned right and left on the command control chassis. The Smith's truck is molded higher in the rear and one other truck like it, none of the others are molded higher up, the reason for the bed cover look.

You can have the rollbar, on me, just send me your address and I'll ship it. out in a box.
You may have to touch up the black paint, they just painted the more common rollbar flat black on that truck.

 

[biddle]

You can have the rollbar, on me, just send me your address and I'll ship it. out in a box.
You may have to touch up the black paint, they just painted the more common rollbar flat black on that truck.

I recieved the roll bar today! Thank you so much for sending this! Truck is now restored to it's old glory. There was still a piece of the original roll bar in one hole that easily pushed through. I imagine a lot of these roll bars were broken during playtime back in the 1980s! I had to be very careful inserting it.

 

[AMH1955]

You're welcome. I love it when a plan comes together.
I want an 8 ball truck now, lol. Surprised the tail lights aren't painted red?

 

[biddle]

Surprised the tail lights aren't painted red?

I'm sure it was cheaper production this way.