Johan Fire Rescue Ambulance

When it came to subjects nobody else would touch, Johan had it all over the competition. While the other kit makers in the '60's tended to stick with sporty subjects, Johan wasn't afraid to dive into less-glamorous subject matter. A great case in point is this light commercial subject.

The box art shows the ambulance in a natural setting- in front of a structure fire as two EMT's (or whatever they were called in the '60's) attend to a patient. I have no idea what that red rectangle with the jagged edges is supposed to be, but it is present on both the kit boxes in my stash. Also note the logo, at this point Johan was still spelled as Jo-Han, which was a contraction of the company founder's name, JOhn HANley.

The kit depicts a 1966 Cadillac. To be specific, it is a 1966 Miller-Meteor (MM) Limousine Ambulance, built upon Cadillac's Fleetwood-based Series 75 Commercial chassis. Jo-Han did a fine job in capturing the high roof and looooooooooooooooooong body. Though the inset cross on the D-post is not shown in M-M literature, the rest of the body looks like the version depicted in M-M literature of the time.

Jo-Han kits of the '60's are often put down due to their noticeably-shallow interior tubs. While this one is still a tad shallow, it's not as bad as some, and engraved detail is decent, by the standards of a '60's kit tub.

As was typical in the '60's, most underside detail is molded in place, though in this case the front suspension (with posable steering) is done separately.

Jo-Han kits, especially the later ones, were known for being a little "flashier" than many modelers would prefer. This runner contains the dash, inner wheels, front suspension, hood, and some of the engine bay details. Though nothing here is particularly ground-breaking or exceptional in terms of detail, it's consistent with a mid '60's tool, and very workable.

Here we have the main engine castings, along with the seats and the rear compartment divider wall. The engine is particularly simplified, with the heads molded into the intake. Again, nothing unusual for a Jo-Han kit of the period.

With those high windows providing a nice, clear view of the interior, you would hope that Jo-Han would at least refrain from skimping on the details there. And they didn't- here are the jump seat cushions, rear door opening, and both sides of the opening rear door. The base of the stretcher is also included on this runner, as are all four of it's wheels.

A small runner contains the radio equipment- speakers/base, microphone, main unit, and cable.

The chrome sprue is dominated by parts for the stretcher, siren, and flasher bases, but a nicely-done grille/bumper assembly also resides here. The headlights are molded in with their bezels.

In an era where most kits had a one-piece glass unit, Jo-Han did the windows separately. Separate clear red tail lamp lenses and flasher domes are also included.

Tires are nothing to write home about, and old Jo-Han tires are known to split when the wheel halves are inserted, so you may want to raid the spares box for some better alternatives.

Jo-Han instruction sheets were always simple and straightforward, and this one is no exception.

Jo-Han decal sheets were always a little below the norm, though this kit has a more cleanly-registered sheet than many. A pity it fused itself to a paper flyer during it's long stay in the box. Little wonder why modern kits come with decals protected by waxed paper or sealed in a plastic pouch.

This kit also included a flyer for Johan's 2002 product line. Oddly, while this was dated 2002, the back of the decal sheet seems to indicate it was printed in 1992. Johan was taken over by Kentucky businessman Okie Spaulding, and much of what Johan was selling up to 2005 or so was left over from the Seville years of the early '90's, so it is possible the kit was molded (and decals printed) in 1992, but not boxed and shipped out until ten years later.

Jo-Han kits aren't going to be getting easier to find any time soon, and they did some really great subject matter. Though these kits can fetch pretty decent money, I felt I got this one at a bargain price at $45. The black-plastic Hearse (which shares many components with this ambulance) can go for insane cash.... when you can find one for sale. Despite it's rarity and crudeness in spots, I'd still wholeheartedly recommend this kit to anyone with an interest in emergency or light commercial modeling subjects, or to anyone who just has to have something not too many others have on their shelves.