morrisoxide

Hey all,
I've barely posted anything on here for a couple of years (or indeed anywhere, I have pretty much canned all internet posting since Twitter turned into a bin fire) but I've got something interesting coming up and we all love a good collection thread so lets see how we get on here.
I've not left the country for several years now although I used to love travelling. Nowadays, an unenthusiastic-about-travelling Mrs_Bo11ox, a no-longer-valid dog passport, all the br*x*t bollocks and just the hugely increased cost of everything (particularly channel crossings), make the bar much higher for getting off shite island. But a few weeks back, after scanning Leboncoin and Wallapop for the 1000th time, I said 'fuck it' and decided to treat myself to a new old heap with a decent collection mission. I warned Mrs_Nuts that I was doing it and she'd just have to manage without me for a few days, which to my surprise didnt cause too much friction.
Since buying this book a few months back I've had a mega urge for one of these noisy, flimsy shitters and I've watched quite a few coming and going on those two sites. Messaged a few sellers but never reached 'critical mass'

 
This one had been on Wallapop for ages, located in Spain, but on French number plates. I like the later ones that look a bit 'end of the line' with the smooth doorhandles and later dash that looks like an Avenger. Also love the 70's colours these come in, bright oranges and metallic greens and whatnot (although most of the metallic-coloured ones all seem to have lost their lacquer years ago). Anyway metallic chocolate brown sounds good to me. 1300€ was the asking price.

Anyway I struck up a convo with the seller and he seemed decent, honest and that, didn't mind waiting a bit for me to collect. Sent a few videos by whatsapp which revealed an honest looking old motor, one rear wing in grey primer, and noisy but not unhealthy-sounding engine (theyre always noisy these things arent they, known for tappet rattle). He said it had belonged to his wife's parents from new but now he needed to move it on cos he was not big into old cars and it was just a hassle he could do without, although he was still bobbing about in it here and there.  

What about the logistics? Well the car is just outside Valencia. After some researching I found I could leave home (Derbyshire) at 8 am and catch a train to Stansted, then jump on a ryanair flight and be in Valencia by 6pm ish. Seller said he would come and pick me up from the airport so I could in theory be heading home the same day in my new brownmobile. So that all seemed alright as well. I'd been looking at a few old heaps in the S of France and seeing if I could get there on the train, its certainly doable but its a €250+ touch - this was a lot cheaper (albeit worse news for polar bears).

Still chit-chatting with the seller he sent me a few more pics where I saw one of the rear doors is a bit sad. But by now I had pretty much made up my mind to buy it anyway.

 
I had a ratch on Leboncoin and found someone selling a few Simca 1100 panels including 2 rear doors that was very close to my likely route North. Obvs these will need painting but I have recently bought myself a spray gun and am steadily learning how to use it (been spraying panels from my Mazda 929 with increasingly shiny results), so that's all manageable I think. 

https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/equipement_auto/2450559206
So, all the moons were slowly coming into alignment. The seller knocked 100€ off to cover the cost of some doors, and he also offered to leave the insurance on it for my journey home (!) and so we did a virtual handshake. I sent him €200 deposit and started booking some travel and some time off work.

So, heres the route.

2000km. I'm flying out on the Wednesday and need to be back at work the following Monday. Belpech is where I'm picking the doors up and Paulmy is the home of Mutha Bo11ox who I am gonna drop in on too. Got hotels booked for the Weds and Thursday nights and I'm hoping to do the Paulmy-Derbyshire leg in one go if I can, on the Sunday. Thats just under 600 miles in a day in a Simca 1100, I don't know if thats too ambitious or not but I'm gonna get moving at the crack of dawn and if the car has made it that far, I'm thinking it'll probably be OK. But will I? I'm nearly friggin 50 man. 600 miles in an 1100cc car with 4 gears and no headrests? Jesus. I doubt very much I'll be getting to work on time on the Monday.
Still, I honestly can't wait. I'll just have to down a big cup of the old 'getoverittaccino' from a roadside cafe or something if it all gets too much on the last leg. What I'm really looking forward to is the Thursday and Friday when I'm driving through Catalonia and the Pyrenees on my own, in the sunshine (hopefully), stopping here and there for a drink or a bite to eat or a leg-stretch or whatever. Seems completely blissful.

The seller later realised that French law says he has to sell the car with a recent MOT, pass or not. If he doesn't, he can't declare it sold at his end (actually I knew this myself but forgot all about it in the excitement) Being in Spain he can't take it for an MOT so now I have to do it!!!! I've got to drop in on an MOT station on the way home so thats another little job. (Seller is paying for it). I'm staying in a B&B near where the replacement doors are, so I'm takin it for its MOT on the friday morning.
Anyway thats the big mission. I am taking a check-in bag so I can bring some tools and I keep thinking of more and more things that I should take - 3/8 socket set, some screwdrivers & spanners, pliers, cutters, cable ties, tape, WD-40, spare points & condensor, mechanics gloves, head torch, jubilees, fuel pipe/hose, wire, photocopied maps, power bank, bluetooth speaker, sun hat, fuck knows what else. Got a week to think of more stuff as I'm setting off a week on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!!!
 
 

I’m fully subscribed to the classic car experience I’m afraid! No matter what they are far superior to modern crap.
Sure, you get some days where the weather doesn’t play ball and ruins things, other people on the road can be absolute cunts too, but my overwhelming experience of driving classics is a good one. 
In my last job I had a company Sprinter van and that attracted far worse driver attitudes than my classics hands down!
I love the way old stuff drives, feels and looks and tbh, once I’ve got the problems they inevitably have in old age sorted they’ve been perfectly reliable and no trouble. Maybe, as others have said, it’s the choice of classic that’s your issue? 
A Mini is something I’d love to have personally but generally I go for bigger cars just because it’s what I like, but you don’t get that intimidation when in something bigger, and generally they’re much more comfortable and better equipped.
My ‘go to’ car for anything is an 88 Volvo 740. It’s definitely a classic now imho but it’s also capable of being used for anything a modern car can do - commuting/domestic duty’s/tip runs/long distance runs, it never misses a beat but it’s also fun to drive! It’s got old car seats so they’re actually comfortable to sit in (unlike modern cars rock hard church pews!) a big engine that’s mounted the right way round, rear drive, big and square… it’s great! 


The Capri is a bit different, granted I’ve not used it much since doing a bare metal resto but I’ve had that car since 2001 when I passed my test. It was my dream car as a kid and once I got it, it fits me like a glove! I’d never want to be without that car! It’s hard to describe but it just ‘works’ for me without fail. Every time I get in it or use it I enjoy it, even looking at it I still don’t get tired of it. Somehow it always seems to bring out the best in other people too, on the road it always gets looked at or you get thumbs up. People talk to you about it. 


The Mercury… well… you can’t miss that coming can you!? It’s old sure, but it’s still bigger than most other cars (and vans!) on the road! This never fails to deliver either. Being the type of car it is from the US it’s enormous and superbly comfortable to drive. Almost as if it was designed to be driven all day long across a big country! 
But, it’s easily quick enough to drive in modern traffic, comfortable, you can baby it along and have a quiet relaxed Rolls Royce style waft or you can open it up and turn it into a roaring animal if you want to (and can afford the fuel!), there’s nothing like the driving experience these things offer tbh. Everyone on the road or out and about loves it too… like I said, you can’t miss a rig like this! In fact I can’t honestly remember ever having anyone tailgate me or behave like a twat while I was in it?!

 
Anyway, my advice is to try different things. Not all classics are the same - a long way from it. I don’t know where you are but there’s bound to be other people from on here near you. Maybe go try out their cars (if that’s ok!) or go to a few shiters meet ups and see if you can blag a ride or drive? 
It could just be that with age your tastes have changed a bit?

Cresta on eBay at the moment.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135036494138?itmmeta=01HWGKBQQY9GF5Q7ZCPB6V0CQW&hash=item1f70cd613a:g:F~cAAOSwXidmLUA0

Cresta on eBay at the moment.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135036494138?itmmeta=01HWGKBQQY9GF5Q7ZCPB6V0CQW&hash=item1f70cd613a:g:F~cAAOSwXidmLUA0

I do have the others in the range, just not sure where haha!
If you do have a few of them it's fun to swap the wheels around, you may have noticed my Rover was wearing wheels from a Hunter. I bought a couple of packets of wheels when I was a kid.

I put Rolls Royce wheels on my top chop Corvette

 

Cresta on eBay at the moment.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135036494138?itmmeta=01HWGKBQQY9GF5Q7ZCPB6V0CQW&hash=item1f70cd613a:g:F~cAAOSwXidmLUA0

Cresta on eBay at the moment.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135036494138?itmmeta=01HWGKBQQY9GF5Q7ZCPB6V0CQW&hash=item1f70cd613a:g:F~cAAOSwXidmLUA0

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126451960098?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=46-US5EbTtK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=svwv9r4orxa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Best for sale photo ever. Take my money 💰 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/815127600460167/

Not the owner.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116158581118?itmmeta=01HW8ZCPH541B8XYRAPN8C03GP&hash=item1b0b97497e:g:SNoAAOSwBg1mKW6P

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256492307814?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pt3695XJQOG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=QgFU-n0cQLe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Camper with free recycled bog roll.
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1718516

This doesn't look expensive for an old Yank at first glance. I love these Fuselage C-bodies

Annoyingly, though, it looks like it was wearing its original BEIGE paint until relatively recently. This guy has just primered it and made it look shit instead of fixing the fucked engine

Still, how complicated can one of these old V8s be, given it's basically a 50s design?
£4500
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/900374578530711/

Open it and have an evening of sheer indulgence playing with it over a few beers. No point storing it on the off chance it might* be worth £100 in 30 years, I’ve got my old Motorcity Construction site in the loft, box battered and probably missing no end of bits but it’s got great memories. If I’d saved it what would it be worth? £60-70, not a lot in the scheme of things. 

You may recall I snapped last month, after about a year of desiring one, and finally bought myself a Matchbox Action Drivers Airport Adventure set online?
And then, days later, found out that Toytown had one at pretty much half the price I'd paid?
Well, what's a boy to do?
Apparently, this...

Sigh.
I know. I know.
I'd love to blame 'being impulsive', but this involved a month of thinking and fretting first. Which suggests more deep-seated issues.
The idea was to give one to my niece for her birthday, and then keep one for myself.
The sticking point being that once assembled, these airport buildings are permanently locked together and can't be dismantled again.
Not a problem for kids, but a big problem for weird manchild collector types like me.
Even though I know it's completely insane to keep something like this permanently sealed in its packaging, because what then - sell it? After storing it for who knows how long?
I should point out that I've never made a profit on anything I've bought as an investment.
How long would I have to keep this? Thirty years? Blimey, I've had no luck selling that 31 yr old unopened Superkings fire ladder for half what I paid. The thought of keeping this set until I'm in my mid-seventies just so I can exchange it for 20 Googlebucks (or whatever barter system may be in operation) sometime in 2054 is utter, utter madness.
I should just open it, put it together, enjoy messing about with it.
But then I realised - the super-discount one from Toytown is broken. 
Ah. That may explain the cheap price.
The button that activates the light and sound function doesn't; plus it's all loose.
That, combined with a large dinge on a back corner of the packaging, plus the fact it was stored right up at ceiling height...
Yeah. It's taken a tumble and something's got busted inside. That's why it was discounted.
Now, that's not necessarily a problem. I really don't like the light and sound functionality, and so it'd make sense to gift the Amazon one that actually works, and then open the broken one for my own amusement.
Because hey, I'm not devaluing a future investment piece if it's sub-par, hey?
But I can't quite bring myself to open it. Yet.
I also bought a few Skybusters planes and a couple of cars too.

Because gift.
Probably.
Why do I just love to make things difficult for myself?
Anyhow, I also bought these loose Majorettes off Colin and at least they're a bit less complicated:

More pics of them later; they're actually very nice.

Not so much Tat Friday, kids, but have a tree pic anyway...

Buds are bustin' out and the Corolla has another year's ticket on it, so things ain't so bad.
In lieu of any Belfast market action, I don't think I got round to mentioning last Saturday's market action over at Ards.
I'd some errands to run, but after getting the needful I thought I'd stop off at Conway Square for a bit of a poke around.

Colin, who runs the Irish Tat Stall at St George's on a Friday, pitches up at Ards Market on a Saturday.
That's his pitch, just behind the meth van.
Only, funnily enough, it's renamed here to 'Mulligan's Models, Toys & Stationery', rather than 'Mulligan's Irish Gifts'

No saint statues, no Holy Water bottles. Considerably less leprechauns and shamrocks.
Hey, you gotta play to your audience in this strange wee land.

He did, however, have some diecast tat.

A few loose Days Gone, Majorette and unbranded rubbish were up top for a quid a pop.

Boxed Majorette trucks were new; I'd sooner see Matchbox Convoys though. Hot Wheels we've seen before; second-hand Corgi Classics buses and commercials gave me a nudge of nostalgia, from when I would have ogled them here the first time round, back in the early 90s.

Some Hong Kong Corgi buses were mixed in with new-release Oxford stuff.
There was also this 1/43 Transporter of uncertain manufacture:

Seems to be a partwork that had suffered a mishap. Ouch.
Other than that, most of the market was either stalls run by ancient old men selling sports socks and batteries, or else tastefully converted horse boxes vending artisanal sourdough bloomers for more than I've bought some of my cars for.

So I moseyed over to the shopping centre.

Toytown had rejigged their Mattel stuff, combining several shelves into one.

They must have found some more Matchbox out the back, as they deffo didn't have any Chevy Novas on the pegs a few weeks ago.
2024 J-case Hot Wheels were in the mix, but none I'm still looking for.

Still had plenty of MB Action Drivers sets, at prices less than online, but I have all these now.

9-packs reduced to £13 weren't bad value, though.

But, I didn't go for those.
Nor did I go for the Zamac special edition Hot Wheels.

No, I did something waaay stupider instead.

Sherpa

Camper to pickup.

Sherpa

Camper to pickup.

A question for those of you who are into model railways, as I have mentioned before Mrs Concern is working on a tram diorama of the film Meet Me In St Louis
and has been for months. She's a perfectionist unlike me and every bit has been made and remade several times and all the people have been cut into bits and put back differently several times.
This is it so far...

Anyway on to what she wants to know...
She's trying to make some railings and has got some suitable parts from trainset dealer at a toy fair, but she needs more and has no idea what this is. Made from stamped metal and size as per photo. Does anyone know what make this is or what set it's from or any info on how she can get some more the same?

Thanks for having a look and please let me know if you know what it is.

Celebrated* the Corolla's genuinely unexpected clean MOT pass with a smol raid on B&M opposite the test centre, since they're pushing a 20% off promo on toys this week.

(B&M's pushing it, not the MOT testing centre.)
I'd missed out on the red Alfa GTV6 last year; I think I managed to nab a white one, but an Alfa's gotta be red, no?
The VW ID Buzz is a distinctive-looking beastie, and I've started seeing more and more on the roads locally so a miniature version seemed appropriate.
The low-slung purple Firebird with the engine exposed is another one I had a sneaking affection for, but I couldn't quite pull the trigger on -  until today.
At the low, low price of £1.35 I don't think you'll find Hot Wheels mainlines in a high street store for cheaper.
And despite knowing very little about The Fast And The Furious (other than, for a bunch of supposedly professional drivers, that bunch seem to crash an awful lot), a neat-looking semi-premium '71 Nissan Skyline with nicely detailed front and back ends was too good to pass up.

I already have this casting as part of a 5-pack, but the badging and chrome window surrounds just knock this up another level.

I also took a spin through The Entertainer, and my delight at finding a Hot Wheels H-case opened and spread out on a table turned to chagrin as an older fella yoinked the last remaining BMW M3 Touring from beneath my nose.
They'd no red Audi Quattros or Jaguar Mk1s either; and although there were a couple of red Audi Avants on the table and on pegs nearby, I've a few of these already in different colours so I couldn't really be arsed.
If there'd been something else I really wanted so as to avail of the 'Buy 1, Get 1 Half Price' offer then I might, but... eh. I tried to get excited about the Ramchargers Dodge Dart and the Hirohata Mercury, but just couldn't somehow. Ah well.
No new Matchbox in there, either.
I tore through two branches of Poundland and another B&M store, but although there were a surprising number of Matchbox Mk1 Golfs in olive green, there was nothing really there I wanted.
Cash Converters was similarly devoid of anything new, too. Just the dregs of the Corgi Classics and EFE commercials from the other week, and the still-not-selling recent Matchbox mainlines priced at a laughable £4 a throw.
One thing I have noticed recently is the number of other oul lads like me rifling through diecast dump bins and pegs in supermarkets and discount stores; as well as the fella who trumped me to the Beemer, there were also two student-types doing the 'Mattel Squat' in B&M's toy aisle.
You know what I mean.

I've also noticed a couple of shop assistants asking me if I'm a collector, in recent weeks - which is new. Before, they just tended to ask if these little vehicles were for the kids (and, to my shame, I usually agreed). And they've been asking about Treasure Hunt cars, and how can Treasure Hunts be identified?
Hmmm.
I'm also being served up a lot of YouTube videos about hunting for Hot Wheels recently; I mean, that's not really a surprise as I started watching some of those gravity racing videos, but is there something dawning in the general public's consciousness that some of these little cars can be flipped for £££ so it's a good idea to snap them all up on sight?
Something to ponder, anyway...

This looks like it’s been painted with melted chocolate… anyone want it?

That's all very nice BUT I don't know how you keep your house so tidy  😮
My house is all boxes within boxes and will probably be featured on TV in the series on hoarders named HOUSE CLEARANCES FOR TWATS

Sherpa

Camper to pickup.