Scratch built 1/25 scale FWD P-2 crash fire truck project

[Joev259A]

"Kuklinski's Principle of Appearance: A half-built scratch built kit impresses people with your skill; a completed scratch built kit looks just like any other model."   

 I have included a picture of my in-progress scratch built 1/25 scale FWD P-2 crash fire truck.  I have been working on this since March, 2020.  The body is more of less complete, except for the battery compartment (the opening on the lower, center of the body).   Everything is pretty much scratch built.  It's about 16 inches long, 5 inches high and about 4 1/2 inches wide.  The tires are resin from American Industrial Truck Models, and some parts from the AMT American LaFrance pumper kit (mainly just the seats).  The next "adventure" is building the transmission, steering, and engine  assemblies.  I have more pictures but I can't seem to download them.  

I have a question for you folks:  I need to scratch built two "straight six cylnder" gas engines.  Any suggestions on where these can be found, or modified?  I may have to scratch build these too.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Joev259A
I've uploaded more photographs

[ipmsusa2]

To download photos on the internet...at least if you are working with a PC...find the photos on the net, the place the cursor on the photo, right click to get a popup menu and click 'save image as'.  This will get you another window where you can select the folder you want to save the photo with the photo's name in the file name bar.  Click save and you're done.  Sounds complex, but it's really quite simple.  Hope I've helped.

[Joev259A]

Thanks.  I found the way of copying pictures from my files to this.

[ipmsusa2]

Nice work.  As for the engines you need, straight 6 engine blocks can be found in some of the older vintage Chevy car kits.  Now whether or not a Chevy Staight 6....also known as a Stovebolt 6...could form the basis of the 6 cylinder engine you need is another question.  Maybe, maybe not.

[Joev259A]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[littlealgie57]

I built a P-2 many years ago in 1/25 scale. Not as detailed with engines & opening doors. Tires are what I could find that are close. Engines for P-2? As I recall the engines in a P-2 were Continental like the O-11 had. Most of the model truck kits now days have a Cummings diesel engine. Leave off the injection & all diesel parts add intake with a carburetor. The rebuilt P-2 by Quality Manufacturing in Talladega Alabama. I worked there on the P-4 rebuilds. The new engine for P-2 was as I recall were Detroit Diesel 8 V 92 TA. I was at Firefighting school in Chanute AFB Ill. when the first proposed P-2 rebuild was unloaded from transport trailer. Allegedly the person who took the wheel & drove the new P-2 as normally would. The front tires came off the ground. Mostly due to no water or foam in tanks lightened the P-2 to have breakneck power. I have a facebook page blog with my many builds of " Model Fire Apparatus" by same name. Pictures are of My P-2 & P-4 along with a New Bright Simba crash truck. The next picture is the engine compartment on P-2. Weird? I found the listing for this build on a search for pictures of Crash Trucks. I tried to find this form on IPMS home page forms. Nothing.

[Joev259A]

Thanks.  I found what appears to be Cummings engines on EBay, and heavily converted them.  Building crash trucks are pretty easy since they're "slab sided."  I wrote an article for IPMS,  so we'll see when it's published.  A question--  what does the "P-" signify?   USAF never responded.