Tom Hall

Sometime back in the early 1980's I started to build a Holmes 1801. Nobody knew then that the 1801 was not going to sell well due to cost and how much it weighed. You could buy three 750's for the cost of an 1801, I read. I believe only 11 or 12 1801's were actually sold. I usually begin a build with the wrecker unit itself before moving on to the wrecker body, then building the truck chassis to fit the already done wrecker/body combination. I never finished the build when I lost interest so put all my completed work into a box and put it on a shelf...then into a closet...then into my backyard shed where I store my stash...of models, nothing else! Anyway, I went out to that shed and started rummaging through things last fall and found a box which I opened there it was patiently waiting on me to get off my...butt and decided this needs to be finished. I was looking to use some super singles I had crafted from those plastic Italeri tires. Here in my rural neck of the woods farmers are always getting their equipment stuck in their fields and calling a local wrecker company to pull them out. The company kept an old 750 around for that purpose because it was light and didn't sink too badly into a wet field. My pea brain thought maybe my fantasy wrecker company could do better so since I had that half-done 1801, a resin KW C500 hood laying around, and a KW kit also not doing anything I ordered me a front drive axle from STS Supply and got to work. I also read this..."if you think a 750 pulls hard, you should see an 1801 at work". I decided a 6 by 6 Holmes 1801 equipped wrecker on flotation tires would be just the ticket for a wet farm field. I say it's an 1801/kinda because I chose not to use the sheaves that would allow the wrecker to make 90 degree pulls off the mast. The 1801 did use a mast similar to the Holmes 750 and since I can build a 750 mast blindfolded that was easy. I made a few mistakes doing this only because I didn't research eras correctly but I will own up to them. I modified the doors of the cab to resmble more modern cabs but that modification would not have been available with that C500 hood. Also, since I am a dyed in the wool fan of those 8V92 Detroits I scarfed one from another kit, which also is wrong on this build for several reasons...but as they say "it's my build".

Sometimes I get lucky. Thank you.

Thank you.

I was watching large car wrecker videos on YouTube. Not only do I find them entertaining but a source of inspiration as well. I watch Pepe's out of LA, Wilcox Garage based in Willard, Ohio, and Sumter Wrecking from Sumter, SC. Each company has unique operational areas and challenges which makes it even more interesting. Sumter Wrecking in South Carolina has an old Holmes 750 mounted on a 1985 Freightliner they use to pull farm equipment out of the Carolina clay because its relatively light weight means it won't get stuck like a heavier rig might. I decided my fantasy fleet needed a similar unit. Being from an agricultural county here in Ohio means we have lots of farmers with lots of wet fields sometimes. But I wanted my wrecker to be a 6 by 6 on flotation tires to maybe keep it from getting stuck. I started a Holmes 1801 wrecker 25 years ago and never finished it but I did save all the parts I scratch built. According to tow truck operators back in the day they described the pulling power of an 1801 like this..."if you think a Holmes 750 pulls hard, you should see an 1801 at work". STS Supply supplied the C500 hood and the front drive axle which I modified to make it poseable. Not hard to do once you see how STS molded the part. The body of this particular model came from AMT's 'Big Stick' kit. I modified it and stretched it with Evergreen Scale Models styrene sheets and shapes. The '1801' was pretty much done but I did change some minor things to improve its appearance...meaning I got better 25 years later. It's still a WIP but will be done soon as the weather breaks. Queenie hates it when I paint in the house and MomNature hasn't warmed up enough to paint outside....***sigh***.

I have a thing for trucks that 'work' for a living. Not to demean over the road units with all the chrome and flash because hauling 40tons cross country takes a strong rig in its own right. Let's just say I like trucks that get down and dirty when doing their jobs. I also like large car wreckers. I am a retired truck driver with 42 years experience, and I am also a model builder with 66 years of experience. I love to scratch build and modify whether it be a 1/25 scale '58 Impala with a chopped top or a fleet of large cars. I rarely build model cars now because of my love of large cars. I have a fantasy fleet of wreckers that I started several years ago, and this is the latest addition to that fleet. I purchased a T800 resin hood from STS Supply and got started. This model is your basic 4 axle wrecker/recovery unit that is not modelled after any particular manufacturer like Challenger or Miller Industries. I like to use another fantasy company called W.A.G Engineering. The W.A.G. stands for Wild Ass Guess! That means I have a basic idea of what I want to build but with no plans to go by it becomes a build as you go thing. With the exception of the kit parts you see the entire wrecker body/unit were built using Evergreen Scale Models sheet plastic and various structural shapes, all in styrene plastic. I like Testor's in the orange tube to hold it all together. I decided the wheel lift was going to be modelled after a Zack lift unit I saw installed on a 1:1 wrecker. I like all my 'important' parts to be poseable.

Thank you.

The inspiration for this build came from a real wrecker/recovery Peterbilt owned by a company just a few miles from where I live. I watched the wrecker in action and was amazed at the capability it exhibited. I knew I had to build one albeit on a KW chassis cause in my world there are only two large cars made...KW and all the rest! Anyway, the real rig weighs 102,000 pounds and that's why it has 5 axles. Here in Ohio where I live it has a special permit to operate on highways throughout the state. Since I can be in WV or Pennsylvania in less than 20 minutes I'm assuming the company, Marlboro Towing, has similar permits in those states as well. The model is almost entirely scratch built using Evergreen Scale Models styrene plastic sheets and structural shapes. The only kit parts used were the frame, rear axle assembly, the cab/interior, a few other odds and ends. It's worth noting the hood is entirely scratch built with the exceptions of the GMC General fenders I had laying around. The entire wrecker unit is scratch built. The wrecker rotates and will travel a scale 7 feet on the frame, front to back.

Thank you. The resin cab was supplied by eBay vendor 2007frontier. He shows it as still available. The casting was the entire cab and hood assembly, all in one. The heaviness of the casting made separating the hood from the cab impractical. I did put an engine under the hood, so to speak but only detailed the lower half since the upper half would never be seen. I did take the time to make a 6V71 Detroit-Diesel by cutting away two cylinders on an 8V71.

In answer to Gary Chases's question... I documented the build, from beginning to end, on Facebook's group "Tow Truck Model Builders"

Garden variety Cummins.

THank you. Resin cab was a bit of a challenge because of the thickness of the casting.

Thank you. The model also turned out to be quite heavy...in plastic no less.

Winter project started November, 2023...estimated finish date April, 2024.

Built almost entirely with left over parts from other kits. Holmes 750 style wrecker unit entirely scratch-built.

Modelled after a real wrecker used by a local towing company. Real wrecker weighs 103,000-pound necessitating 5 axles and special permits to operate in most states. Boom rotates 360 degrees and is poseable. It has a scale 8 feet of travel on the frame. Model is almost completely scratch-built using styrene plastic sheets and structural shapes.