This forum is for collectors of emergency vehicle models to discuss any aspect of the industry. Feel free to post comments on current releases, future models, items for sale/trade, or items wanted.
For those that want to see out of the box pics, I have posted 14 photos on Fireengines.net, for those who do not like to visit that site, the photos are also on my site at www.policecarmodels.com
Click on the "Shipping - Ordering & More" section, scroll down, click on "SO / OS", scroll down to the bottom of the page---
I think that people's expectations are so high these days that when a Code 3 model isn't perfect, they complain about it. They think back to 1997 when the first Code 3 Seagrave pumpers came out and compare them to today, and so their expectations keep growing.
Look at a Code 3 Seagrave from 1997 and compare the hose in the hosebed and the pump panel to a 2010 C3 model: No comparison! The tooling is fantastic compared to 13 years ago. They've come a long way!
When I look at a Code 3 model, or Matchbox, or even one by TWH, I keep one thing in mind: They're a TOY! OK, maybe not exactly a toy, but you know what I mean. They're not going to be exactly, 100% perfect, like the prototype, but close. And that's what we have to live with.
I don't think it has anything to do with expectations other that to see that basic things are done right. I agree that the level of detail from C3 when it started was not what it eventually evolved to but that is not the issue with this piece. Fundamental mistakes like the windshield wipers and size of the scaling ladders are things that should be picked up at the design stage and corrected. That's just plain sloppy work.