Help needed with fire engines

[flatcat]

Hello

 

These have just arrived from ebay, and I should have been posting them in the customs gallery, but unfortunately they are here.

They are so bad not even Bill could save them

They look rather good in photos, which is why I paid quite a bit for them, but they are infact very sad engines

I think restoring them is out of the question, as the two fire engines have been spray painted, including the wheels, and what I thought were cool blue lights on the listing were infact lego 

Here are some pics of them:












A cover plate has been glued in the roof, which I broke trying to look under it, to find that there was nothing underneath








Trust me they look much better in photos. The greys are all discoloured, bits are broken, bits are glued etc etc.

Please please please is there any way I can make these look presentable, ie making them original as possible?

Is it possible to remove the spray paint?  Get spare parts?

A very upset Damo

[playmo1989]

where are they from?? i've never seen them these yellow stickers seem strange?

[flatcat]

where are they from?? i've never seen them these yellow stickers seem strange?

Oh, sorry - I didn't actually say - they are customs which someone has done very badly


BTW, I forgot to mention they came with some nice Klickies and accessories

[playmofire]

I noticed the 3177 fire car on eBay and had a quick look at it but that was all, although, as you say, in the photos it looked very good.

One question is, do you want to keep them?  Is there anything in the description which suggests that they have been mis-described (although you have a problem with the one that's been damaged)?

I assume that the paint is cellulose or acrylic and either can be removed but it's a long job and results can't be guaranteed.  However, Bill may have other ideas as he is more experienced than me in this area.

[flatcat]

I noticed the 3177 fire car on eBay and had a quick look at it but that was all, although, as you say, in the photos it looked very good.

One question is, do you want to keep them?  Is there anything in the description which suggests that they have been mis-described (although you have a problem with the one that's been damaged)?

I assume that the paint is cellulose or acrylic and either can be removed but it's a long job and results can't be guaranteed.  However, Bill may have other ideas as he is more experienced than me in this area.

You will have seen the prices I paid for them, which wasn't bad, but by the time postage was added then

I would like to keep them - I wasn't expecting your master craftsmanship, but then I wasn't expecting them to be this bad, but hopefully something can be done. I must say I do like the yellow striping, and as you know the seller said it came from Halfords, but I haven't seen anything in there like this, but I suppose this could be a couple of years ago judging by the dust

As you say, they do look good in the photos, but up close I just can't live with them the way they are.

[Wolf Knight]

A good clean up will help to begin with..!

Search the ''how to'' thread for diassembly and cleaning and sticker removal and cleaning...thats a start....

[playmofire]

Certainly, as Panos suggests, a good "wash and brush up" is the place to begin.  Then if the spray painting is reasonable a polish up with the car polish might help.  I would be careful about removing the striping as that may remove the paint as well.

[Ali Baba]

Don´t forget to complain to the seller, if he misrepresented the state of these items. Some people think they can get away with anything. But be polite, but I trust you will. I do and I can be quite adamant. I usually get my money back, or part of it.

Perhaps, if the paint is not too thick, you could repaint it again. Sand down the bad bits, lightly sand the rest and respray?

[flatcat]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I think the first job is definately to dismantle them, and see what we have, altough looking at Rasputin's guide it may well be a case of easier said than done.

What is the best way to remove paint do we reckon, although I will probably end up respraying them
Although the painted outriggers really are a problem as they don't outrig being painted

[flatcat]

Well I got the ladder truck aparts very easily, just the two low bins remaining.








I had plans thought out last night on how I would customise this into a great construction vehicle, but that just isn't possible now


The other one will not come apart, as the clips have been painted and are very nearly about to go. With the back broken on this one, I have just bought a load of rubbish



However, with a clean it may look presentable.

Does anyone have replacements for these two bins, and the reels that go inside, as it would look much improved.


Oh well, £20 I won't be getting back