danthecapriman

Learn something new everyday! I’ve always called the GAZ 13 & 14 a ‘Chaika’ said as it’s spec in English but I’d guess that is actually not right then given the Russian spelling? How do you say it in English? ‘Sayka? The cabinets are off eBay. You can get them in black & white like mine or wood effect. If you shop around a bit you can find them fairly cheaply despite some sellers prices! The doors are glass too which I find much better than plastic. 1/43 stuff fits well in them and you can change shelf heights, which was why I wanted these ones - my trucks wouldn’t fit in some cabinets available! Saying that, the MAZ and KRAZ artic transporters only just in width wise! The trailer is very wide around the rear axles.

I haz bin acquiring a few more 1/43’s. Russkie's first! SSM ZIL 157 flatbed. GAZ 14 limo. IXO models GAZ 12 And lastly an impulse buy. Another GAZ 13, but a much older diecast model from ‘Yanka’ made in USSR. Never heard of them before but it’s a nice casting and has opening doors and boot. Now a capitalist pig dog automobile! NEO Volvo 760 GLE. Really nice model and the interior looks spot on too. Ive also got a Volvo 780 coupe and Volvo 244 coming from France & Germany yet to arrive. And a ZIL 131 military mobile generator set and URAL 375 command truck coming from Russia... I also decided to get a couple of cheapo display cabinets for my 1/43 stuff. I’ve been buying them and then they just sit in their boxes under beds or on top of wardrobes etc, not really being seen. Now I can put them in these and appropriate them a bit more!

It was a 2.5 and died in 1983 by the looks. Bloody nice car though!

Lovely! Good old Volvo driving back and running well too after it’s lay up. Id polish the fuck out of it too!

There used to be a guy near here with a Cortina on his drive. One day I walked past and there was a sign in the windscreen saying ‘no, it’s not for sale so don’t fucking ask’! People must have been bothering him rotten over it!

I’ve never had the balls to do this. Probably missed out on stuff as a consequence but I just think I’ll look a bit of a twat doing it! The other thing is of course, I don’t like it one bit when people do it to me. I’ve had loads of people knock the door about my cars but it really worries me someone’s been nosying down my drive and then coming in to look/ask about it. I’m sure with most people it’s innocent enough or genuine interest in the cars but you just don’t know these days.

Fuck me! That is absolutely stunning. What a lovely colour, really suits the car.

Great pics! I’d expect a 16 or other similar ‘wild card’ stuff being good for actually racing, being pretty good handlers. Not so good at hitting stuff or getting hit!

They didn’t seem particularly well used by the banger boys. Maybe that said a lot? There’s an old video on YouTube I was watching of racing in the early 90’s I think and there was one on track. Pretty sure it was Surrey Street squad (white with red spots paint job). I’ll try to get a sneaky pic of it in the next few days. It turned up just before Xmas and has been sat there unused since but it’s often blocked in by a van making it hard to get a pic, or the number plate, but it’s a T reg. from what I can see it’s been badly painted in a flat blue but there’s patches of it peeling off and it looks to be silver underneath. I’ve no idea what spec it is either. Could well be a good source of spares if nothing else though? Leave it with me...

There’s a 1979 16 that’s turned up on a driveway round the corner from my house. It looks reasonably solid from what I can see but it looks to have been stood for some time previously to turning up here. The driveway and house it outside of belongs to the local banger racer though...

Got a few more 1/43’s recently. Sticking with the Soviet theme! First is a GAZ Volga M24 from IST. I’m impressed with this model tbh, really nice looking and good finish. Next one is one of my favourite cars, GAZ 13 Chaika. Looks a really nice model too, still in its blister pack - should I open it though!? Still yet to arrive are an SSM models ZIL 131 tractor unit and a ZIL 157 flatbed, both military trucks. And a GAZ 12 limo and GAZ 14 Chaika. I’m particularly looking forward to the 14, it looks a really nice model from the pics. I need to look at getting a few suitable display cabinets for these, and my 1/43 American cars to go in. Trouble is though some of the 1/43 trucks are a bit big to go in some of the cabinets!

It’s one of those practice makes perfect things imo. I do loads of towing at work and having to put trailers into some seriously awkward places to get jobs done, I’ve gotten pretty good at it now but that’s only because I’ve just got stuck in and go for it. Some of the other lads I work with doing the same job hate it and avoid it at all costs. I tend to do it for them instead but I keep telling them you won’t get good unless you do it lots... they don’t listen though! Most of the problems they have are because they’re going too fast and can’t keep control of the trailer. That B+E course I did through work was an absolute god send though for people like us lot. It’s come in handy for shifting cars on trailers so many times for me since doing it! And I didn’t have to pay for the course or test either! Win.

You got to do your B+E license? I did mine through work years back, watching some of the other guys doing it was hilarious!

It does still look good underneath. I did do quite a bit of metal work underneath it when it was mine, although I do seem to remember it did have a few bits here and there needing attention. How’s the lacquer peel looking now!? Can’t be much left on the roof by now! The wheel arch and boot lid handle were getting scabby when I had it so I’m not surprised they’re worse now! I did look out for a new rear arch but the estate arch is different to the saloon ones and not so easy to source anymore. You might be able to use a saloon arch, cut it down to about mid way to get the door shut side sorted then finish the bottom rearward section with sheet metal? That was going to be my plan for it anyway. And there was (no idea if still on there...) on eBay, a brand new old stock tailgate. I don’t remember it being cheap though! Anyway, great to see the old beast again, I’m well happy you’ve got it still and it’s going to be ok! Keep us posted about it.

Yay, my old Granny! How is it nowadays? Didn’t it have a few engine issues? It still looks fine. I still really miss it too.