Leaderboard

Hey y'all, Been away from you too long, working on what I thought was an impossible project that I almost gave up on. I'm now ready to begin posting an amazing (and frustrating) journey to build the most accurate Cooter's Tow Truck ever done. Maybe. First off, there were several tow trucks used over the series. Here's (mostly) when each appears: -Season 1: Brown Chevy, simple tow rig -Season 2: White/Blue Ford with Red Holmes wrecker -Seasons 3-4: Big Yellow Ford -Late Season 4 through 7: White/Blue GMC with Red Holmes wrecker By far my favorite is the GMC. There was also a similar White/Blue Chevy with a much wider wrecker rear that showed up in a handful of episodes mid-series. THE PROBLEM: Not only is the MPC kit of Cooter's Tow Truck completely fictitious, but there is NO kit or conversion available in existence to make the correct Holmes wrecker (everything aft of the cab). This would be the most ambitious scratchbuilding project I've undertaken to date. Let's begin with a photo of my target subject, the GMC with Holmes wrecker:

Going to be building my 2nd 1/25 General Lee. My first build I did not add a C.B or the Antenna. Could anyone possibly help me with a "build sheet" for scratch building the Cobra C.B and the RadioShack Antenna. I'd sure appreciate it.

Did you notice how Homer told Rosco that the "Duke boys just robbed me. Picked me clean as a chicken.", yet Rosco immediately upgraded the crime and told Boss "You know, there's nothing like starting the day with a good armed robbery." Homer never claimed that the Dukes were armed, he just said that they'd robbed him. BTW. A bit of Dukes trivia: In which other episode does Homer Griggs make an uncredited cameo?

Mars (Where Ziggy Stardust's spiders were from)

You are right. This is a great episode. There is a lot I don't like about modern times but you are correct that it is good that we have cracked down on drunk driving. Homer Griggs' store just kinda popped up out of nowhere since Rhuebottoms has always been the place to go. But in the Georgia episodes they even showed a Western Auto hardware store. I bet every town had one of those.

insects (bugs)

This is exciting. We always love to see these builds and hope you post a lot of pictures of the progress. I can't help you but I'm sure somebody else will.

Rosco will throw you UNDER the jail.

In the episode "Daisy's Close Call" (S6 E19) Cooter is seen using a tool box from the rig. I can't see it in any other episode, so, being Hollywood, it probably wasn't there at any other time, not being a true "working" rig. Still, I thought it would be a great, even necessary, addition. I estimated the size at about 20" x 8" (when he carries it to the truck it is indeed fairly slender). From some angles the grime from being handled by a mechanic is visible. Appears to have a silver or light colored handle. I scratchbuilt it in an evening, primed it and painted it the next day. The same day I scratchbuilt a crowbar, and added a hammer and a wrench that came with the two junkers from which this project began. The wrench was finished in Alclad stainless steel, then grime strategically added. All the tools were made to appear worn and heavily used. Finally all this was added to the wrecker bed, including an extra length of chain visible in the episode "Happy Birthday General Lee".

Scratchbuilding the winch was a challenge since a lot of it was guesswork. As far as the brace/frame (not sure the correct terminology), I discovered I didn't have to guess the width; apparently it should be the same width as the chassis frame, which makes sense from an engineering standpoint. Then, the more I built, the more extra details I'd discover in the photos. This was a long, long process. The tow booms were heavily modified from those in the MPC Datsun Monster Truck kit. Both ends were totally scratchbuilt to bring it all together, after careful study of my reference photos. The booms will be removable until after painting. The thin bar atop which will support the rotating beacon also has two round "shoulder" lights. These were made from slices from a clear styrene rod of the appropriate diameter. Wires were added from various thicknesses of copper wire.

The entire chassis has a very toylike appearance, with almost every detail molded right on as one piece. So it was completely cut apart down to the basic frame and rebuilt. Front suspension was improved a bit, rear suspension completely rebuilt, and exhaust system with mufflers was scratch built. This would have to be mostly redone a second time when I realized the wheel base needed lengthening to accommodate the Holmes wrecker. I won't tell you what I said when I realized this.... The interior was made as dirty and grimy as possible, as a working country tow truck would be. Scratchbuilt CB radio installed.

There is a long out of production kit of a GMC pickup truck. I found one built junker on Ebay, along with a very similar junked Chevy pickup. Between the two junked models, I had enough salvagable parts to begin. The better of the two cabs was treated to multiple paint strippings and sanding. The engine was rebuilt, but without the air cleaner and upper parts; the hood will be sealed shut for this. An opening was made in the forward bulkhead to put a radiator, as it would be slightly visible with this type of grill. There is a ribbing pattern that should be on the rear of the cab. This area was thinned, then the ribbed pattern built with styrene. After priming it was airbrushed white and blue.

I started working on another General Lee model. This is the 1/25 scale MPC Snap Kit General Lee. I started by re-shaping the rear window. It's basically a rectangle in the kit so I made it a bit larger and rounded at the top and also changed the angle to be a bit more steep. I added missing window trim under the side windows and made the rear wheel openings slightly smaller in the rear. The body is painted 1975 Corvette Flame Red which was the color most used on the General Lee(s) in the TV show. The paint is from Gravity Colors. The decals represent the early Georgia car which is my favorite look. In a few days I'll spray the clear coat on the body. I worked on the interior a bit. I scratch built arm rests, pedals, window rollers, center console, head rests automatic shifter and a roll bar. This kit comes with a stick shift but the General Lee was always shown on screen with an automatic. I also modified the transmission on the chassis to resemble a 727 Torqueflite automatic. The interior had an armrest molded into the center console which I removed. I also added a strip of molding along the upper part of the door panels. Much like the MPC glue kit General Lee, the dashboard sat too low and level. I raised it up and angled it a bit. The interior tub sat to low and too far forward when it was attached to the inside of the body. I removed the mounting tabs and filed down the sides so it fits up to the top of the doors and moved back a bit. I had to then move the dashboard forward. The grill inserts in the kit are for a later year Charger, much like the MPC glue kit. I scratch built new grill inserts using some ribbed styrene sheet. The push bar is scratch built to resemble the early style push bar. I'll get the parts in primer and start painting them. Thanks for looking in! IMG_8605 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8606 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8609 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8633 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8660 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8678 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickIMG_8683 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8692 B 30 C 10 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8694 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8696 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8699 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8701 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8711 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8712 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8717 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8723 Small by Michael Scarola, on FlickrIMG_8735 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr