Accessories and parts for modification of emergency vehicles

Modifiers corner! Post your latest creations, your "how to" tips and tricks. Custom model and parts development too.
Post Reply
caprian280
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:12 am

Accessories and parts for modification of emergency vehicles

Post by caprian280 » Thu Dec 13, 2018 7:22 pm

Hi all.
I am looking at modifying some london ambulance models and london fire brigade models with flashing lights.
The light bars are poor on the models so i was looking to buy some new ones to fit and then put the leds into them.
The models are oxford diecast 1/76.

Does anyone know any good websites for modification parts/code 3 parts please?
Cheers for any help.

FrenchToast
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:43 pm

Re: Accessories and parts for modification of emergency vehi

Post by FrenchToast » Tue Dec 18, 2018 1:08 am

caprian280 wrote:Hi all.
I am looking at modifying some london ambulance models and london fire brigade models with flashing lights.
The light bars are poor on the models so i was looking to buy some new ones to fit and then put the leds into them.
The models are oxford diecast 1/76.

Does anyone know any good websites for modification parts/code 3 parts please?
Cheers for any help.
Can't provide any direct help, but at 1/76 scale the complexity of the lights is limited. I have seen some pretty impressive stuff, such as at the Hamburg model "city."

If the battery is housed in the car, that is a big limitation. If you are running wires into the car from below or via rails (like the Hamburg model), that opens some possibilities.

Nevertheless you're looking at 3mm LEDs and smaller, possibly fiber optics if you want complexity or don't want to black out the windows. You might be able to find LEDs roughly the actual size of a scale lightbar and use them as such. Novelty keychains sometimes do this (i.e. a taxi light would be the actual LED).

When I've done lighting I sourced the LEDs and resistors on Amazon, of all places. However, for really special LEDs or extra small ones you might look at a specialty electronics site such as Mouser.

You'll want a soldering iron, liquid electrical tape, solder (I think it is all lead-free now?), wrapping (or small gauge) wire, and a wire wrapping tool to wrap the wire around the square LED lead/post. Properly wrapped wire generally does not come off, but when I've done it I always soldered it and insulated it as well.

For flashing lights you'll need some sort of relay or circuit board.

Post Reply

Return to “Custom Models, Repairs & Parts Development”