Mat.T

11 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Hiace finished:

Seems that I started it back in May 2021. It sat for too long before I got back onto it over the Christmas holidays 

Great job on the hiace (and the sunny truck!)

I've been on the hunt for the hiace kit for years now never managed to track one down yet. I would love to do a scale version of my 1:1 Hiace

Heads up the offer is back 5w30 mannol energy 20litres is now £29.23 with the offer code BUYBETTER20

I've stocked up!

spotted YET1 on a Skoda yeti this morning

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=YET1&checkRecalls=true

These are the plinths they all to clip together. They look very lightly played with

My wife and I have been using toy cars to train my 2 year old son to use the potty. Each potty visit gets a sticker, 5 potty visits and 5 stickers gets a toy car. So far it seems to be working. So I've been looking for job lots of diecasts to use as potty prizes! 

I chucked a £5 bid on eBay for this lot and to my surprise won it for 4.71. the pictures were rubbish so I didn't know half of it was there.

Matchbox catalogue was a nice touch

A pretty good haul especially the motor show matchbox displays (shame about the missing BMW) the majorette Chrysler 180 particularly caught my eye. Most of these look to nice to give to a 2 year old though. Some like the 180 I think I will have to put in my own collection.

2 American cars at a local show. Mercury Tracer was on eBay a while back.

AMC AMX spotted on a walk in my village. It looked tiny compared with the modern Peugeot!

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Here’s a load more…

Anyone interested in or know about Micro Machines? I know one of the ones here is rare - the pink & blue Isuzu pickup.

Im almost positive I’ve got more of these somewhere. 
There’s a load of the monster truck ones too.

I sold off most of my old micromachines last year, some stuff seems to make good money some got no interest! I got £38 on eBay for the blue international suv and caravan combo like in your pic

some time this week

Different van but quite alot of the spare parts i've used would have come from the green van.

Some time in the early 80's:

I'm not very good at updating this thread! But removal of the steering rack and replacing the internal bush was one of the last big jobs. Disassembled new internal poly bush, fresh ep 90 and some new gaiters.

Once the rack was refitted I set the tracking. 

Refitted the final interior bits, reassembled the doors with new rubber seals.

And today for the first time in months the van escaped the workshop. Gave it a good 10 mile run, got a few thumbs up (and a few looks of horror!) Only a few failures one of which being the brake light switch which has completely fallen apart .

It drives really well and thanks to the diff ratio it gets up to speed pretty quickly! I've got various niggling jobs to finish but I can officially say the van is back on the road!

13 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Nice one - if the roof wasn't saveable you can get replacements off eBay -all orange though which may clash with your two-tone paint

Roof should be savable, I'm currently trying to paint it bright white.  Originally it would have been blue and orange which does seem an odd combination .

23 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Ah, the joys of parenthood. Some formative memories you're creating there, which will include a Cadillac Seville.....

Most of my old toy cars ended up Master SL's toybox, I've since reclaimed a few 😊

Nice work on the VW camper.

A Cadillac Seville bustle back, the ultimate shite Cadillac.

I'm sure I will be acquiring more hot wheels on future daddy son shopping trips. Now that I have an excuse to buy them!

My 2 year old has finally acquired his first modern hot wheels car. He chose the beetle with wood paneling, which also kept him quiet long enough for me to finish the shopping!

I had a rummage in my old childhood car box and found 2 of my well play worn hot wheels, which I have gifted toy sons collection.

Also found this lesney VW camper in the box. Very badly painted in humbrol so I had a crack at restoring it.

3 days in brake fluid had most of the paint off. Quiet alot of polishing sort of salvaged the glass. 

16 hours ago, Matty said:

Wasn't there such a thing as a Harvey Bailey handling kit for shadows and the like?

Harvey bailey kits are still available for early sprits and shadows. Totally transforms them handling wise.

Not cheap though! 

https://www.flyingspares.com/harvey-bailey-handling-package-silver-spirit-bentley-mulsanne-hbeksp.html

Excellent purchase, my boss owns a very early mulsanne turbo which we have spent many hours trying to get running right. in the end we sourced a nos carb after the original was found to be so warped it was unusable.

The suspension package is a very good thing early cars had the same floaty boaty suspension as the silver sprit. The package was probably uprated springs and dampers. Possibly even anti roll bars. All this became standard later on when the turbo became the Turbo R.

The head lining was completely ruined, we managed to get hold of a marina estate one and modify it. Still needs a clean bit it fits well.

Also now the undersealing has finished I can fit more nos parts from our stores.

Unipart Stirling shocks, certainly have a bit more resistance than the Original shocks!

Thanks for the comments, it still feels a bit odd working on this van on my own after spending so much time working and chatting with Keith about it.

Windscreen is back in now with a new rubber. The new rubbers come with a chrome filler strip which the original base model van wouldn't have had. So we are getting closer to delux spec!

I had to replace the wiper wheel boxes due to rot.(same as used on the triumph stag)

The original rubber/plastic bezels had split so I've modified some chrome mini ones to fit (again Delux spec)

Thanks to some nice kids from a local school my works Skoda pick up now looks like:

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/witham-fire-live-updates-warning-7320281

Kids set fire to a bungalow which then in turn set fire to the workshop belonging to a mate of my boss. Along with various other buildings and the field next door. The Skoda was inside along with a Bentley Mk6 project, tools livelihood his works van.

We had to put a spare set of wheels on the Skoda and drag it out of the way for the insurance assessor to look at. I can't believe how rot free it was! The search is on for a similar vehicle, decent small pick ups seem few and far between.

The van has made it into the work shop so I have been slowly putting it back together.

We have been collecting NOS bits and pieces to go with the stuff we already had in the back of the van.

both rear quarter bumpers are NOS. Rear lights too!

Couldn't find a new bumper so the original one got straighten. It then may have ended up with some rolls Royce chroming we were having done, by accident.....

Looks nice and shiny, probably a bit to shiny! All the chrome has been sprayed on the inside using the bilthamber wax.

Found some 7" Lucas h4 halogen headlights in the stores. To replace the candle sealed beams. Going to add some relays for these as I don't think the standard switch will handle the extra wattage.

New painted grill Vs original.

Trying to get everything lined up!

An sad update on this old van. My good friend Keith who has been busily welding this old van back together. Sadly passed away in march at the far too young age of 49. Having known Keith since about 2004 and shared a workshop for the last 6 or so years this has been a huge shock.

The funeral took place at a local church and pub for the wake. Keith was VW scirrocco mad and the funeral was very well attended with alot of sciroccos and other classics in attendance. I took my triumph Toledo which Keith painted in 2014.

Keith's pride and joy Mk1 scirrocco was on display out side the pub 

Keiths workshop has now been cleared and various cars Keith was working on have been reunited with their owners. Keith had all but finished the van and had started on paint prep.

we delivered the van to the chap who usually paints the Bentleys for my work.

this weekend it was returned back to us. Resplendent in its original colour!

Now we have just got to put it back together.!

Possibly of interest, registered Feb 1994. Belongs to a friend. 2.0ghia with 185k miles on the clock. Currently out side my mates workshop waiting for a new subframe and various welding body repairs Inc rear arches!

2 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Hang on, I didn't realise you were a dad now! Congratulations.

Certainly am, many thanks! That should say 16months not 18!  It's been a hectic couple of years! I should remember how old he is though!

Did recently finally finish this 1:16 Heller Citroen DS which has been waiting for the final fiddly bits for months. Not my best build. A very tricky kit to build with opening doors. Panel gaps are large but it looks good on the shelf.

My son has just turned 18months and has taken to pushing cars across the floor at high speed. I've dug out some old my old cars from my parents loft. Some corgis, Saab, Porsche, manta, transit and a nice superkings DAF!

I've only owned 3 estates.

Firstly my BMW 328i touring auto. Purchased for £300 did loads of work sorting various issues. Great car and nice colour. Drove for a year then sold to a friend. 

Next estate Vw polo 1.9SDi did about 40k in this.

Sold the polo on AS and got this Golf TDi to replace it. My current daily 

Both my golf daily and my other halfs pug 308 are rolling on a set of General ultimax. Which I'm really impressed with for the price.

My local mot/tyre place have started dealing in General Tires (not tyres!) After dropping the kuhmo tyre franchise.  I'm in the trade so they did them at trade price £36 each fitted for 195 65 15. Dunno what they are retail. But for that price they are grippy in the wet and after 8000miles on the golf are wearing well.

the generals also have an excellent warranty on them which they seem to honour readily.

https://www.generaltire.co.uk/car/service/accidental-warranty. 

I have also found kumhos to be good tyres although rather fast wearing but good in the wet. Same goes for nankangs! 

Down right terrible cheap tyres, green max, triangles and events!