Stepjam

Try fultonhistory.com and see if you can find newspaper articles.

Stepjam…don't know if this helps, but..I was on 12 Engine that night. We grabbed a good hydrant off Groshon, and stretched all the way up to the back of the building. We then humped a single 3 1/2" supply line all the way up the fire escape (via a fire escape hook..remember those?..) and broke out an upper window & made entry w/some donuts & S/P kit in hand. Hooked up w/another engine Co. & operated two hand lines off that supply with great effect. Before the fire came in, we did some in-house training and the Capt. that night just had us go over that fire escape hook and what it could do..
RIP Chief Webster.. he was cool under fire & a great guy...

I posted your request in the internal YFD alumni forum. Maybe it will help. I wasn't working that night but remember hearing that it was a difficult fire. Chief Webster was a great tactician, a great Chief. He would frequently gather us at challenging locations to preplan. He was a great model for developing officers.

A tiny investment that pays huge dividends.

I find it hard to believe that the FF's refused to respond because they were not dispatched. I'm thinking there might be more to this then meets the eye.

Sorry, guys, I'll have to disagree. It's not Band-Aid repairs, it's. not an improper use of the bidding process. I was at the original dedication of the training center and it was one of the greatest things the county could do for the fire service.
So what happened to it? We wrecked it! Not once but over and over. Instead of following NFPA guidelines that allow for a maximum of 150lbs of Class A combustibles, we torched much more than that. We spalled the concrete and warped the steel doors and window shutters. All of this not for actual knowledge snd skills to be gained, but just to say {to no one who gives a crap) how macho we are because our fire was bigger than yours.
If you are not getting enough runs and want your helmet look salty, put in in your Barbecue grill and don't wreck a perfectly good Training Center again.

A tiny investment that pays huge dividends.

Yes Chief, those are defintely the buildings. I had completely forgotten about the standpipe connections; there was one on each landing and they were vandalized on a regular basis. The brass "Croaker" nozzles on the hoses had all been stolen. Yes, the buildings were at one time very beautiful, when originally built the courtyard had a large working fountain. The entry hallway in our apartment was twenty five feet long, and we had ten foot ceilings. I can remember when we first moved in, the lobbies were actually furnished. This was in the early 70's, and the neighborhood and building was in decline even then. I was shocked and saddened to hear that such a devastating fire had hit this complex, and I can remember wondering "what if" when I lived there, because it was such a difficult building to approach.
It must have been a hell of a job.

I posted a similar query on the Facebook YFD page, and a few guys commented. They couldn't get an aerial over it, and undertook very aggressive roof operations as Chief Flynn explained. One guy mentioned that it was caused by bad wiring, and another said that the management now vents the clothes dryers into the old dumbwaiters-another fire waiting to happen.
When we were kids, we spent a lot of time running around on that huge roof. It was the biggest open space in the neighborhood, lol. I had no idea that the whole complex had a common cockloft, so it could have been much, much worse. Kudos to YFD for stopping it at one building.

I am trying to find some historical information or newspaper articles about a very large fire that occurred in Yonkers, at 106 Highland Avenue (Riverview Gardens) on March 1, 1994.
This particular address is part of a connected complex of seven six-story apartment buildings, built during the 1920's. I believe there were forty eight apartments in the building. What makes it interesting to me is that I once lived in that complex, and it was purportedly "fire proof," at least as far as 1920-era codes dictated. Although the building was of very robust construction, it was gutted. I have done all kinds of searches, including the archives at the Journal News (earliest available is 2002) and the NYT. Nothing.
The fire was sufficiently damaging and displaced enough people that it qualified affected persons for Federal disaster relief via the SBA. I moved out of Yonkers long before this fire occurred, but I heard that it was deliberately set in the basement dumbwaiter shafts and went right up to the roof. I also know that this building would be difficult to approach, since three of its exposures are inaccessable to apparatus.
Anyway, maybe a forum member is on the job in Yonkers and remembers it? Thanks.

I have never sat down and taken inventory, but off hand I would say that I have about one hundred or so Code 3's. Not all of them were bought for display, probably half were picked up cheap as parts donors for kitbash projects. I never limited myself to Code 3's, I also like Corgi and Matchbox, and I have a lot of older diecast from the 1960's in my collection. The only thing I limit myself to is size or scale. I have nothing larger than 1:43, and nothing smaller than 1:64. Right now, my entire collection is packed away.
I also have a lot of lesser-known makes in my collection, such as Tekno (Danish), Conrad (German), Dinky (British), Replex (French), Solido (French), Minichamps (German), Siku (German), Tomica (Japanese), RAF (Russian), Lledo (British), and Ashton (American). Here are a couple of pictures of my wall cabinet. As you might be able to see, there are very few Code 3's displayed. These were taken ten years ago in my old house:

I have never sat down and taken inventory, but off hand I would say that I have about one hundred or so Code 3's. Not all of them were bought for display, probably half were picked up cheap as parts donors for kitbash projects. I never limited myself to Code 3's, I also like Corgi and Matchbox, and I have a lot of older diecast from the 1960's in my collection. The only thing I limit myself to is size or scale. I have nothing larger than 1:43, and nothing smaller than 1:64. Right now, my entire collection is packed away.
I also have a lot of lesser-known makes in my collection, such as Tekno (Danish), Conrad (German), Dinky (British), Replex (French), Solido (French), Minichamps (German), Siku (German), Tomica (Japanese), RAF (Russian), Lledo (British), and Ashton (American). Here are a couple of pictures of my wall cabinet. As you might be able to see, there are very few Code 3's displayed. These were taken ten years ago in my old house:

I remember reading somewhere that the floor of the store was covered in concrete and tile, and that the members may not have known that the wooden floor beams that supported it had burned through.
A tragedy, may they all rest in peace.

I have never sat down and taken inventory, but off hand I would say that I have about one hundred or so Code 3's. Not all of them were bought for display, probably half were picked up cheap as parts donors for kitbash projects. I never limited myself to Code 3's, I also like Corgi and Matchbox, and I have a lot of older diecast from the 1960's in my collection. The only thing I limit myself to is size or scale. I have nothing larger than 1:43, and nothing smaller than 1:64. Right now, my entire collection is packed away.
I also have a lot of lesser-known makes in my collection, such as Tekno (Danish), Conrad (German), Dinky (British), Replex (French), Solido (French), Minichamps (German), Siku (German), Tomica (Japanese), RAF (Russian), Lledo (British), and Ashton (American). Here are a couple of pictures of my wall cabinet. As you might be able to see, there are very few Code 3's displayed. These were taken ten years ago in my old house:

I remember reading somewhere that the floor of the store was covered in concrete and tile, and that the members may not have known that the wooden floor beams that supported it had burned through.
A tragedy, may they all rest in peace.

I have never sat down and taken inventory, but off hand I would say that I have about one hundred or so Code 3's. Not all of them were bought for display, probably half were picked up cheap as parts donors for kitbash projects. I never limited myself to Code 3's, I also like Corgi and Matchbox, and I have a lot of older diecast from the 1960's in my collection. The only thing I limit myself to is size or scale. I have nothing larger than 1:43, and nothing smaller than 1:64. Right now, my entire collection is packed away.
I also have a lot of lesser-known makes in my collection, such as Tekno (Danish), Conrad (German), Dinky (British), Replex (French), Solido (French), Minichamps (German), Siku (German), Tomica (Japanese), RAF (Russian), Lledo (British), and Ashton (American). Here are a couple of pictures of my wall cabinet. As you might be able to see, there are very few Code 3's displayed. These were taken ten years ago in my old house:

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.

For those of you who remember the classic American LaFrance Century series, and who were as deeply disappointed as I was by Code 3's awful attempt to replicate them, have I got a "kitbash" for you!
To my eyes and many others, the Code 3 model wasn't even close to the original LaFrance. In fact, Code 3's botched Century, followed by an even worse 900 series tiller, are what put the first nails in their coffin. The most obvious flaws with the Code 3 were that the cab had a flat roof, a flat nose, and a straight windshield. A friend on a hobby board that I belong to suggested "squeezing" the Code 3 cab in a vise to get the roof curve. So I figured "why not?" and tried it.
The vise certainly improved it, but I had to fashion a brow over the windshield to catch the tapering effect of the Century's classic lines. Next, I had to grind down the original cab (the Code 3 was too tall) and widen the doors by filling the gaps in the casting, and scoring new ones with a razor saw. Finally, I had to scratch build a whole new windshield. Anyway, I have been pecking away at this master for a while, and it's just about ready for resin casting.

This is a factory-fresh Code 3, which any old time buff can see is a disaster.

This is after I stripped one and gave it a squeeze in a vise, then added the stiffener around the rear of the cab and the brow to the roofline, over the windshield.

The cab is beginning to look better. I filed down the original windshield, but ultimately would replace it with a scratch-built one.

This is the new nose and roofline, and the new scratch-built windshield. I am going to vacuum-form a new windshield from this one, and thus have a nice clean copy. The crappy one-piece clear parts that were headlights have been removed and the holes filled in. The front nozzle and trash line tray have also been removed. I dumped the clunky and out of scale original bumper, the new bumper is scratch-built.

A lot of adjustments were necessary to get the modified cab to work with what's left of the original Code 3 model. With installed wipers and new body mouldings, the cab is ready for casting. The windshield with the wipers will be vacuum-formed as one piece.

These are 2.4mm Swarovski crystal rhinestones, which on the final casting will serve as headlights. They are a big improvement over the plastic parts that Code 3 originally used. The "jewelled headlights" were one of the things about the old Corgis that really charmed me as a child.

I haven't cast or painted it yet, but I was curious to get an idea of how it will look. This is a simple photo manipulation using Windows Paint.