Mr Lobster

One of each pls if you still have any left!

Big Twingo, meet small Twingo. Now, question is, anyone know where I might get some 1:18 scale wheels similar to the ones on the big one.

Twingo now has moderately effective brakes. Only moderately though as they are pathetically small to start with. An upgrade would be an idea but... meh. Set of tyres and a service next I suppose.

A proper shame - been a subscriber to RC since the relaunch and really enjoyed it Wonder what happens with my subscription now then. It was probably the nearest thing we'll see to a modern incarnation of Jalopy I guess. I suppose, looked at it objectively it's not a massive surprise as it is very niche but I find that comparable mags - Modern Classics, PC etc leave me a bit cold and I rarely bother with them. Be a shame if Classic Van & Pickup has gone too, not something I bought often but enjoyable when I did. I suppose we'll just be left with a small selection of mass market magazines dealing with old cars now. And theres only so many articles about MGs and E Types I'm interested in (=0)

Oh, hello. Bank Holiday Barnfind...

If the rear suspension mounts aren't rotten then that looks pretty cheap. The rusty bits sound largely cosmetic and there's not much you can't get for them. Front corners of chassis like to rot ( behind triangular panels ) and can be a bit if a bugger to fix but overall, if it's not rusty then get it bought. 1108 Motor and standard carb is tuned for economy but is ok enough otherwise.

Basically, yes. Business is very difficult and there's no realistic sign that 2019 will be any brighter. Number of reasons - consumer confidence amongst them but theres an amazing lack of anything really good that will really grab people and get them spending.The higher priced super cars do sell but I do sometimes wonder how. Horses for courses though. Its not difficult to work out what would sell - and it isn't, despite how many people tell me they'd like to see them, 1:43 Metro, Maestro and Montego models - but seemingly only Oxford are listening as the 1:76 range is consistently excellent. But you've got to sell a lot of 1:76 Oxfords before you start troubling the taxman. But otherwise, there's very little that excites me generally. Solido will be ok, Norev 1:43s are generally good news (though I've heard little of new stuff from them for beyond mid 2019) and other smaller ranges - Odeon etc as they are nice, niche lines but there's nothing at all that screams 'volume seller' at me. I had a look at the 2019 Revell catalogue last week. They're back to doing diecast again although its largely re-issued 1:24 US stuff and the inevitable 1:18 Isetta thus far. Again, not that much to get excited by. Overall, 2019 worries me. I'm hoping that we see a couple of good partworks come through that might do decent numbers because otherwise it looks a bit bleak.

And they would be were it not for the UK importer and their insatiable greed. See also Solido.

We get sent an invite every year. Trouble is, as much as it might be interesting, it equally seems a bit hard work shlepping all the way there and back again when i reality most of it will arrive on emails this week anyway. That and its cold, expensive and i CBA. Theres not a lot I've seen that really pushes my buttons though in terms of exciting new stuff to sell in large numbers. I mean theres a few that will sell but nothing that gets me that excited. That NZG transporter looks nice but will be an absolute fortune. On a personal basis, theres a few that might make me twitch a bit and end up with one of - Solido R4 vans (either Renault Service or La Poste livery), Otto Saviem Renault Service car transporter, plus theres some nice new 1:76 scale Oxfords due later this year (including an R4 - full list here), still wanting Otto to do a Mk1 Twingo though. Hopefully 2019 is the year..

No, sold locally so the end of its AS adventure. I'll add a final part to the story in the next day or two...

Thanks! Lap belt, I think. However, its sold now. I'm somewhat sad really as I actually really liked it and its been a cracking car so I'm going to miss it a bit. Onwards and upwards though!

Exhaust is some sort of performance exhaust, stainless steel I think. Its not particularly loud though - gives it a nice burble at idle but won't upset the neighbours. Otherwise, yes its standard.

Now with added pictures... Last two pictures show the slightly dented n/s doors - enough to write it off but otherwise no problem and the o/s/r wheelarch which is a bit bubbly but my no means anything more than superficial. It'd be an easy job to sort once the weather improves.

Well, by way of a sort of conclusion to the above, in the end I bit the bullet and decided to sort the brakes properly and splashed out on a new caliper and since then everything has been A OK. And obviously a fully operational car with no issues isn't something that should be tolerated so despite of some misgivings on my part, its for sale (as much as I like it, I really want a Twingo and I should probably do that before the border closes and DVLA don't try and do me for bringing immigrant cars in or something) So heres the gen... 2001 Mazda 323F 2.0 Sport MOT'd August 2019 125k miles Drives absolutely spot on and everything works! Good stuff - New o/s/f brake caliper, front anti roll bar bushes, front shock absorbers. New rear tyres (decent ones too, Firestones iirc), fronts are MichelinM&S with about 3mm of tread. Cambelt due approx at 145k. Had a tiny amount of welding for MOT last August but all good otherwise. Two keys, tow bar, sunroof that both works and doesn't leak etc etc. Set of roofbars in the boot in case you need to move ladders, drainpipes and severed giraffe head and necks. Less good stuff - Been a Cat N write off - old dear backed into it in a car park, lightly denting n/s doors which was enough to write it off. Hardly visible in reality. Crunches into 3rd gear sometimes, especially if rushed. Not caused any issue for me and previous owner said its been like that since 55k with no ill effects. Normal amount of chips, scratches that you'd expect but not a rusty typical Mazda. I'm reckoning that I'll bang it on eBay this weekend at £575 but shiters price is £525. More pictures this weekend once it stops raining. Located in Burnley, close to junction 12 of M65. Station collection if you fancy getting the train here. PM here or O785O 656633.

Wrong eBay UK seller then obvs In other miniature news, (and also Death On The High St news) today was the final day of trading for St Martins Models in that there London after 50 something years.

Yes. But you must do it. Also, I'm kinda wishing I had the space etc to do it myself. Looks good in a wife-will-never-approve-of-this way.

You're probably right. If the weather is in agreement tomorrow I'll see if it can be cleaned up a bit. I was just trying to be lazy and fix it without actually having to make much actual effort.

A month or so on from the MOT and we've managed about 1500 miles in this frankly impressive old bus. Well, up until Friday anyway. Sat in traffic on my way home on Friday I got the distinct feeling that somewhere around it the breaks were sticking on as it seemed to not roll as it should. And upon returning home, the considerable amount of smoke emanating from the o/s/f wheel does indeed suggest a slight issue. I'm presuming that the caliper is sticking / seized although have done nothing whatsoever to investigate as yet. I don't really want the probably considerable expense of a new caliper if it can be avoided. Is it worth taking it out on my local test track* and giving the brakes a good old standing on to see if that my free them up or do I need to just accept that,as with so many things in life, its just going to cost money?

Well. When I say 'Inspector' I actually mean 'MOT man' and when I say 'calls' I probably mean 'taken to his place of inspection' but whatever, I like the title and we've not had an update on this in ages so here goes. After six months and 3.5k miles theres surprisingly little to report. Only expense has been a couple of tyres but otherwise it continues doing its thing. Its been completely reliable if slightly thirsty in the way that a 2.0 petrol Mazda will be but otherwise its been a nice thing to drive and looks respectable enough. But with the end of August brings drawing in of the nights, falling leaves and the expiring of the MOT. So in it went... And it's not too bad. Tiny bit of welding on one sill, couple of bulbs need replacing and both front shock absorbers are leaking. The reality is that this will cost more than the thing cost in the first place or is really worth but its too nice and useful to scrap for what are only minor bits so its getting fixed and then set for some more (hopefully) uneventful motoring.

I've known VW are very protective of their copyright too. A few years back they had a big go at anyone and everyone using Beetle / Camper images without a licence on stuff like tea towels, mugs and all that sort of thing. That.s why you tend to see a lot of unlicensed VW stuff doesn't have an actual VW logo on the front. Most manufacturers are reasonably sensitive about their copyright and logo being used though - they get a decent income from licensing manufacturers who want to use that image etc so if someone uses it without a licence they can get a bit litigious. Some more so than others, Ford are pretty happy to licence more or less anything, VW very much less so.

Shocked. RIP DaveNumbers.

*cough* https://www.lobsterdiecast.co.uk/shop/1984-citroen-c25-pilote-r470-campervan-143-scale-partwork-model-altaya/ 10% off to tat botherers who use code CCW18 at checkout too. Just saying... */cough*

I'd love that but common sense, such as it is, has to prevail I suppose. Really hope someone will save it.

The majority of mine are now dead. There's a handful that might have survived the great weighbridge in the sky or that I'd even like back... Sold to the James Hull collection and subsequently to JLR so still around albeit seemingly never used since I sold it. Hoping it might turn up at a Brightwells Auction when JLR dispose of a few more of the collection. Proper R11 Electronic with everything working. Sold it when they were worth buttons and I'd lost my old car mojo. Still around though. Unlike this, which sort of replaced it... Alfa seemingly died in scrappage in around 2009. Body was mint and mechanically it was pretty good after I'd spent way too much on it. Electrical bits were exactly as you'd expect though. Technically not mine but I really liked this one. First car I'd been able to pick and spec to how I wanted it. Did 28k in the six months I ran it. Deceased now though. Amazingly, R11 Electronic #2 is still about too. Recently seen on eBay looking sorry for itself. The one I most regret selling is this one. Seemingly dead now but if it wasn't I'd have it back in an instant. As for a few others. Nothing but memories and the odd photo now

Theres one or two. But tbh honest I'm chuffed to bits with them regardless - Monday night challenged oldest Lobster_child to a game of Top Trumps. He was somewhat blown away when he discovered that our van was included in the cards