warch

sensory overload

I've been keeping my eye out for one of those Majorette Escorts since they were mentioned a few weeks ago, think it might be a while before Europe gets them. In the meantime, more Matchbox sneaky peekys 

Well well well, looks like Majorette's dropping a Mk2 Escort into the range soon.

Be interesting to compare it with the recent Hot Wheels release (assuming someone here can find one!)

Hot Wheels one is nice but I've only ever found this version 
 

That pick up looks great. 
Not many companies have done pick ups.
The only two I have had  1/43rd are these

 




 
Two that have alluded me over the years are the one from Spark, always very pricey when seen at fairs and shows. Rarely do they show up at auction.

The other one is from Ebbro. I have never seen one of these in the UK.

Can’t agree, they work just as well as any small, cheap ‘Everyman’ car ever did. They are actual car sized as well and they can travel at 70mph all day long. Technique is needed for different cars. If you don’t learn the one for the car you are driving then everything is crap.
my unpopular opinion is that all French cars are better to drive and more fun than anything built in Germany. Often more reliable as well, this comes from my time working at a bmw dealer, all I can say is don’t believe the hype 

Today the VXR8 went for proper 4w alignment.

This all went well until the nearside leading lower arm on the rear axle (which is adjustable on the HSV variants of the VE Commodore) sheared. The garage had tried penetrating oil, heat, and then sheer force to get the outer adjusting nut to free off (having already successfully managed the inner), and the arm gave way instead 🤦🏻‍♂️
Got a lift back home, then had the fun* of extracting the spare arm off the spare subframe (lucky I bought that…) which put up a fair old fight. Fortunately it came around to my way of thinking before I went full fat gorilla on it. Back to the garage, dropped the replacement arm off and let them get on with it. Collected the car a few hours later and it drives so much better, but still isn’t exactly perfect. There was an adjustment bolt on one of the rear arms that they were understandably reticent about messing with, having already had the experience with the leading arm, so it’s good enough for now. With the spare rear subframe available to refurbish and fit later this year it’s something I’ll live with, once that is all on everything will be new and easy to adjust.
Back home and it got treated to a bit of an engine bay wash and brush up:

A close up of the vital details:

I have to be honest and say I’m pretty satisfied with how this has turned out, it was a proper wreck when I bought it and now it’s a damn good car. The cosmetics still need attention and the clutch can judder a bit away from standstill, but they can wait for now.

I’ve had the misfortune to drive a lot of seventies and eighties Fords when they were in current production….age has not improved them

My wallet smiled   changed from around a 30 mpg Montego estate to a 50 mpg BX - 150 miles a day, five days a week. Even at 1995 prices I was happy.
(But yeah - unrefined diesel by today's standards. Changed jobs and swapped it for a V8 Range Rover. Which leads us to the next fact opinion:
Land Rover: The Best 4x4 By Far
(best said in a plummy accent for full effect)

And Bullitt is a slow and boring film other than the chase scene.

I'm trying not to add stuff from the other thread, it ain't easy...

My brother, who is in his mid forties and therefore technically not a giffer has loads of tin signs stuck to the front of his house. I always make a point of asking him for parts for my BSA every time I visit.

Kraftwerk Autobahn
 

Its actually not reduced at all, love the sound stories LP's - I inherited my grandads 60's ones - the ones with murray walker doing the commentary are ace, he even knew when to shut up and let the sound of the bike just be. If youve never listened and youre a petrol head, then you really should, it actually is the music of our people
 
 

Not a car but worth posting as possibly the least interesting album ever (for the record I love watching the TT)

I imagine the drama and excitement of the TT is reduced somewhat by following it via audio recordings of someone fenging a bike flat out with commentary over the top.

@Spottedlaurel happy birthday!
Had my weekly pilgrimage to Morrison's to get my unhealthy food stash for the Scotland truck run.
I was pleased to find my local store has  started doing diecast again, with Hot Wheels and Matchbox mainlines, along with some 1/43 Jada Star Car things, (KITT, BTTF DeLorean, F&F etc). Sadly the Hot Wheels and Matchbox were still old cases, the HW was the batch that Aldi got in months ago, and the Matchbox was that batch that has been everywhere since 2023, yep, the one with the green Ranchero and the blue Nissan Sentra... But it was encouraging all the same, that particular Morrisons has been one of my more successful hunting grounds over the years.
It wasn't all bad news though, they had some Matchbox 5-packs in, and they looked like pretty new ones. I was going to get some pics, but loitering around Berwick Hills Morrisons early on a morning taking pictures of toys isn't the best of ideas... There were some nice packs, including a "British Roadways"  one, with a Trafalgar blue-ish  Minor saloon, The new Coffee Cruisers one isn't bad either, but this is one pack I couldn't leave behind,



The Skyline GTX is still one of my fave castings, not a bad livery either,

Not sure about the colour on this one, but I've been after one of these spaceship Civic Type Rs for yonks now, so it's nice to finally get one,

First Matchbox Impreza too, though I've got quite a few Hot Wheels ones,

The Mazda 3 looks quite sharp in white,

Great colour scheme too on the 4-Runner.

One of Sunday's finds was this down at heel Corgi rockets Volvo.



A quick scrub with some soapy water and some wheels I found* at the back of Smoll Eddy's lockup later we have this..


Slightly less down at heel Corgi rockets Volvo.
😁
 

I really don’t think the Escort is there deliberately. Looks like they took it in a hurry and didn’t notice the background.

Extra point for a Ford Cortina.