Ford LN 8000 COE crew cab

I had been thinking for some time that the LN 8000 race car hauler from AMT would look good with a crew cab conversion, particularly a '50s COE crew cab which would not entail quite as much shortening of the car ramp as would be the case if I lengthened a conventional cab (such as the LN 8000 cab). After all, your race team includes more than two people, right? The example below, found on the Internet, consists of two cabs with the second one mounted front to back.



Coincidentally, I have, in the parts bin, a Jimmy Flintstone F100 COE crew cab resin body, so I started fleshing out what would be required to mate the two. My spare '53 F100 kit would provide any needed bits like interior, etc. The conversion would entail shortening the storage lockers on the car ramp, but that would be easy.



As with all 'simple' plans, the devil is in the details. It turns out that the cabs are about the same width, but the front fenders need to be wider by 7 to 8 mm on each side if the F100 is to clear the truck tires. Also, the wheel well openings would need to be hogged out.



Finally, the cab sits nicely on the frame but the LN 8000 diesel motor does not fit in the engine bay, and a lot of work around the cab's inner fenders would be needed to get it all to coexist.



Members of the Model Car List on Yahoo Groups suggested finding a more appropriate resin body. The Rocket Fin website lists a 1953 C-600 cab from Mill City Replicas that would just need a second cab and some sheet styrene to extend it. And the F100 crew cab could go on an extended chassis from my '53 F100 kit.



Seems that Mill City Replicas has no online presence, so I sent off a letter (yes, an actual letter, with an actual stamp and everything). We'll see what comes of it. Meanwhile, I finally got my hands on a couple of cans of Testor's 1208C Light Blue, so it is back to the 917.