Epona_Rhi
Well-Known Member
Same here. This thread is beyond awesome. Watching with great interest!
Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Project: The Largest Ever
- Thread starter Ultimate Badass
- Start date
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- Tags
- car ecto ghostbusters
Same here. This thread is beyond awesome. Watching with great interest!
Eric Ardros
Sr Member
I've seen some full-size Ecto-1 builds done in the past, but never to this level of minute detail. Your attention to detail, in getting everything about it just so like on the screen-used original is awe-inspiring, dude. Awesome progress, so far! This is going to be one of the definitive replicas out there 
Tim Ueberrhein
New Member
what an awesome work, I hang in there and am curious how the construction goes on !
Monster Dave
Sr Member
Somebody call Munson!! lol!!
nitrox
Sr Member
I thought the exact same thing, him and boomerjinks!
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
So,
I have returned after a few long work days to add to my project thread. Someone said they couldn't wait for me to start on the roof...well...
While I haven't technically started on the roof build because I do not yet have the car here in Pennsylvania, that doesn't mean I haven't started on the roof in some shape or form. In fact, the very first Ecto-related thing I purchased was for the roof-rack...
Take a look at this picture:
See those yellow tanks? Those are what really started it all...my first purchase:
These are authentic WWII oxygen tanks, type A-6. Interestingly, as I obsess over accuracy, I know that a lot of people get this part of their roof-rack incorrect. Each type A-6 tank has an oxygen regulator attached. Typically, type A-6 tanks came with a Type A-15 oxygen regulator (as both of mine did). HOWEVER, the movie car has something that makes the build much more of a pain in the ass...
The rear type A-6 oxygen tank has the common type A-15 oxygen regulator, but the front A-6 tank does not. Instead, it has a type an6022-1 oxygen regulator, also known as a type A-13 regulator. To make things more of a challenge, there were three prominent companies that produced this type of regulator (Lion Mfg. Corp, the Peerless Corp, and Scott Aviation Corp). Of course, the movie car has a Lion Mfg Corp. version and this one is THE MOST DIFFICULT freaking thing to find. Well, AFTER TWO YEARS, I found one in pristine shape:
This thing is beautiful...and what makes it so important is that this regulator is applied so that its label is actually facing out, so someone could read it from looking at the side of the car if they got close enough.
OK, so the yellow tanks are covered. How about the other stuff?
Well, the most iconic part of the roof are the blue lightbars. Now, this is where a lot of people have failed. Most people use Code 3 XL bars because technically they are correct in appearance. These are tough to come by with blue lenses but it can be done fairly easily with enough effort. Now, that's not good enough for me. The movie car had two super rare Force 4 XL lightbars. Take a look at my babies:
THESE ARE INSANELY RARE. The Code 3 XL replaced the Force 4 XL's and are essentially the same, but then again, totally different and not as authentic. These Force 4 XL bars took me over 2 years to find (and I searched on a nearly daily basis). To put things into perspective, at some point, the front lightbar from the movie car was taken for another project and for years the Ecto-1 from the film sat on the backlot without a front lightbar. In 2008 or 2009 when Cinema Vehicle Services "restored" the Ecto they couldn't find a Force 4 XL lightbar to replace the original bar, so they used a Code 3 XL (unfortunately they used a 54 inch bar too, which looks absolutely retarded as the rear lightbar is only 48 inches).
Well, not only are my lightbars the movie-accurate Force 4 XL bars, but they have the exact internal setup as the movie car had. I keep saying "movie car" because the Ecto-1 as it exists now is not the same. Many things have been horribly "restored" and things have been painted incorrectly etc. I know people who have built nice Ecto replicas using the current Ecto as reference - I am building a true replica of the car as it was in the film...so this is a BIG deal to me.
I have studied all of this stuff so much that I can pretty much point out what is inaccurate with everyone's Ecto...it's kind of a shame, but helpful so that I do not make the same mistakes. I hope you guys don't mind my notes about minute details, because I'm going to point out a lot of stuff in this thread as I go.
I shall be back shortly!
I have returned after a few long work days to add to my project thread. Someone said they couldn't wait for me to start on the roof...well...
While I haven't technically started on the roof build because I do not yet have the car here in Pennsylvania, that doesn't mean I haven't started on the roof in some shape or form. In fact, the very first Ecto-related thing I purchased was for the roof-rack...
Take a look at this picture:
See those yellow tanks? Those are what really started it all...my first purchase:
These are authentic WWII oxygen tanks, type A-6. Interestingly, as I obsess over accuracy, I know that a lot of people get this part of their roof-rack incorrect. Each type A-6 tank has an oxygen regulator attached. Typically, type A-6 tanks came with a Type A-15 oxygen regulator (as both of mine did). HOWEVER, the movie car has something that makes the build much more of a pain in the ass...
The rear type A-6 oxygen tank has the common type A-15 oxygen regulator, but the front A-6 tank does not. Instead, it has a type an6022-1 oxygen regulator, also known as a type A-13 regulator. To make things more of a challenge, there were three prominent companies that produced this type of regulator (Lion Mfg. Corp, the Peerless Corp, and Scott Aviation Corp). Of course, the movie car has a Lion Mfg Corp. version and this one is THE MOST DIFFICULT freaking thing to find. Well, AFTER TWO YEARS, I found one in pristine shape:
This thing is beautiful...and what makes it so important is that this regulator is applied so that its label is actually facing out, so someone could read it from looking at the side of the car if they got close enough.
OK, so the yellow tanks are covered. How about the other stuff?
Well, the most iconic part of the roof are the blue lightbars. Now, this is where a lot of people have failed. Most people use Code 3 XL bars because technically they are correct in appearance. These are tough to come by with blue lenses but it can be done fairly easily with enough effort. Now, that's not good enough for me. The movie car had two super rare Force 4 XL lightbars. Take a look at my babies:
THESE ARE INSANELY RARE. The Code 3 XL replaced the Force 4 XL's and are essentially the same, but then again, totally different and not as authentic. These Force 4 XL bars took me over 2 years to find (and I searched on a nearly daily basis). To put things into perspective, at some point, the front lightbar from the movie car was taken for another project and for years the Ecto-1 from the film sat on the backlot without a front lightbar. In 2008 or 2009 when Cinema Vehicle Services "restored" the Ecto they couldn't find a Force 4 XL lightbar to replace the original bar, so they used a Code 3 XL (unfortunately they used a 54 inch bar too, which looks absolutely retarded as the rear lightbar is only 48 inches).
Well, not only are my lightbars the movie-accurate Force 4 XL bars, but they have the exact internal setup as the movie car had. I keep saying "movie car" because the Ecto-1 as it exists now is not the same. Many things have been horribly "restored" and things have been painted incorrectly etc. I know people who have built nice Ecto replicas using the current Ecto as reference - I am building a true replica of the car as it was in the film...so this is a BIG deal to me.
I have studied all of this stuff so much that I can pretty much point out what is inaccurate with everyone's Ecto...it's kind of a shame, but helpful so that I do not make the same mistakes. I hope you guys don't mind my notes about minute details, because I'm going to point out a lot of stuff in this thread as I go.
I shall be back shortly!
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Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
To continue with the roof, here are some more pictures for you guys to check out. Here is a picture of the sub-par restoration:
In this picture you can see two parts in particular. The first is a coaster siren, Federal model C5GB. Unfortunately, the company that "restored" the Ecto a few years back (as I've implied) didn't do a very good job. They cut corners. What you see in that picture is that they actually PAINTED OVER THE CHROME OF THE SIREN WITH CRAPPY SILVER PAINT. Really? How pathetic is that? Not only that, but they attached the front vent cover upside down. A lot of people think this is how it was on the movie car and even the Matchbox Elite 1:18 Ecto model has it on upside down (again, because people use references of the Ecto as it exists currently and fail to realize that it was different in the movie). Well, I am happy to say that I've actually got two of the C5GB sirens, and here is one of them:
Now, it doesn't end there. It turns out that these sirens could be mounted to various different types of bases. My buddy, who has what currently is considered the most accurate replica there is, has an incorrect base (I don't have the heart to tell him). I actually managed to track down the correct one (and, from my research I found that it rarely came with the C5GB). I do not have a picture of that base to post here and that may be a good thing, because I have to have it re-chromed, but yes, my C5GB is real chrome and has the correct mounting base. It also WILL NOT be covered in silver paint (idiots...).
The other part in that first picture that I had to source was this:
That is a Whelen HRDF 14/28 airplane strobe. Some people use the newer HR CFA because it's cheaper to find and because you can't read the label of the strobe because of how it's mounted in its bracket...but, yeah, I wanted the correct older vintage part. Like the Code 3 XL lightbars look exact to the Force 4 XL bars, the HR CFA looks exactly the same as the HR DF 14/28. Still, if I had gone with the newer model, I would always be annoyed with myself.
The last part I'm going to share right now is this:
Yes, that's the awesome spinning red light behind the front lightbar that you catch a glimpse of when the firehouse doors open in the first film to introduce the movie car...you know, like this:
...and this...
Anyway, the light is a Federal Model 19 Propello-Ray. I have two of these as well. And, you guessed it, like the siren it came with different bases! Well, each of my propello-rays has the correct base. My friend (who I mentioned already - the guy with the current most accurate replica) has an incorrect base...he's going to be annoyed if I keep pointing this stuff out.
OK, I don't want to bore you guys...I'll be back with more in due time.
- Adam
In this picture you can see two parts in particular. The first is a coaster siren, Federal model C5GB. Unfortunately, the company that "restored" the Ecto a few years back (as I've implied) didn't do a very good job. They cut corners. What you see in that picture is that they actually PAINTED OVER THE CHROME OF THE SIREN WITH CRAPPY SILVER PAINT. Really? How pathetic is that? Not only that, but they attached the front vent cover upside down. A lot of people think this is how it was on the movie car and even the Matchbox Elite 1:18 Ecto model has it on upside down (again, because people use references of the Ecto as it exists currently and fail to realize that it was different in the movie). Well, I am happy to say that I've actually got two of the C5GB sirens, and here is one of them:
Now, it doesn't end there. It turns out that these sirens could be mounted to various different types of bases. My buddy, who has what currently is considered the most accurate replica there is, has an incorrect base (I don't have the heart to tell him). I actually managed to track down the correct one (and, from my research I found that it rarely came with the C5GB). I do not have a picture of that base to post here and that may be a good thing, because I have to have it re-chromed, but yes, my C5GB is real chrome and has the correct mounting base. It also WILL NOT be covered in silver paint (idiots...).
The other part in that first picture that I had to source was this:
That is a Whelen HRDF 14/28 airplane strobe. Some people use the newer HR CFA because it's cheaper to find and because you can't read the label of the strobe because of how it's mounted in its bracket...but, yeah, I wanted the correct older vintage part. Like the Code 3 XL lightbars look exact to the Force 4 XL bars, the HR CFA looks exactly the same as the HR DF 14/28. Still, if I had gone with the newer model, I would always be annoyed with myself.
The last part I'm going to share right now is this:
Yes, that's the awesome spinning red light behind the front lightbar that you catch a glimpse of when the firehouse doors open in the first film to introduce the movie car...you know, like this:
...and this...
Anyway, the light is a Federal Model 19 Propello-Ray. I have two of these as well. And, you guessed it, like the siren it came with different bases! Well, each of my propello-rays has the correct base. My friend (who I mentioned already - the guy with the current most accurate replica) has an incorrect base...he's going to be annoyed if I keep pointing this stuff out.
OK, I don't want to bore you guys...I'll be back with more in due time.
- Adam
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OldSkoolEffects
Well-Known Member
You should get someone to CAD up the roof rack for you!
<.<
>.>
The photos don't do the size of this car justice; it's huge in person, and yet, I'll be relegated to the rear-facing jump seat.
<.<
>.>
The photos don't do the size of this car justice; it's huge in person, and yet, I'll be relegated to the rear-facing jump seat.
Did you win the lottery? That's pretty hardcore!
It's good to see that you found a body shop that didn't drag their feet, halfway through the restoration!
Looking forward to seeing it finished!
It's good to see that you found a body shop that didn't drag their feet, halfway through the restoration!
Looking forward to seeing it finished!
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I cay say I won a lottery because I am so ridiculously broke thanks to this project, but I sure feel like the prize is priceless...so yeah, I guess I did. Thanks guys! I'll get more photos up next week after this work cycle ends.
