Spottedlaurel

Ex- @BorniteIdentity Avensis SR had an MoT today, not immediately great news but it'll depend how weldable it is..... Most of it seems to be the back of the sills and rear inner arches. For something that's done 282.5k there's a lot it didn't fail on, so hopefully they can do something as it'd be great to get it to 300,000 miles.

The big Asda in Ipswich has some funky HWs display with illuminated signage. But still nothing too exciting in it whenever I've looked....

Earlier tonight I had to go and collect four youngsters who'd been enjoying St Patrick's Day drinks nearby. It seemed only right to use the Carina E, a natural for such taxi duties? Made a bit of a discovery on the way: I knew the HRW worked OK, with every element still doing its thing - not bad for an old estate car. As it was a bit damp I thought I'd give the other switch a try, which I believe is for a heated element or two in the front screen. I don't know whether it did anything in that regard, I think it's more intended for snow/frost, but I discovered that's how the heated door mirrors are operated. Everything else I've had with heated mirrors they just work off the HRW switch, and I'd just assumed they didn't work any more. Result! Perhaps even better was that there was no vomiting, so I didn't have to apply penalty charges.....

Managed to get some quality time in on the small stuff this weekend...... Had a major sort-out and putting away session on the 1/64-ish stuff following numerous recent purchases. They live in a variety of boxes on top of the 'display' case in the garage. Had a worrying moment when I couldn't find the Moving Parts Land Cruiser recently sent to me by @Datsuncog then I found it in the box with other stuff he'd found for me. Also had to go for a much bigger box for Toyota/Lexus when I found another box full. HW Premiums and modern Majorettes take up a lot of space.... Then I managed a decent session on the Fujimi Nissan 240ZG build: Took a lot of masking to paint the arch flares and front valance.....

I remember seeing this set on a stand at a local toy fair 16-17 years ago, even then it was £500 and the seller was confident he'd get it.

Beyond his short oval racing prowess* Derek Fiske is a well-known name round these parts, from his car/van hire and garage business: I rented this one back in 2002, a friend hired something similar from them more recently. *He moved on from stock cars to National Hot Rods, winning the world championship in 1975.

I used Hycote Bermuda Blue not long ago, was surprised to find that on the shelf but it was perfect for what I needed. It's surprising what old colours Halfords still sell. When I popped into one after Christmas they had a few of the Ford "Signal" colours available, in new style tins too not the £3 clearance ones that I usually get for models.

A sea of beige and brown, somewhat cramped, not quite as chintzy as you might imagine: It's a bit plusher as it's the 2.4, the 2-litre was more basic. Seats are big and squashy, people who sit in them who are only used to modern stuff comment on how comfy they are.

Needed to nip out and buy a tray of eggs, was going to take the Carina E but as it was a decent day I thought I should give this old thing a bit of an airing: Just taxed it the other day, need to get my £nil's worth. Other than shunting it out and back into the garage it was its first drive of the year. Felt like the battery was starting to get a bit low when I turned it over without the choke (my usual habit if it's been sat for a while, to get some oil around), but once the choke was pulled out it started fine. Drove the same as ever, after 15+ years (the longest I've owned any car, by some margin) I'm pretty well in tune with it. However it's probably time for a proper MoT and a bit of a service this year, just to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. This will be the year it turns over 100k - I'm just over 500 miles short of it at the moment. In extended fleet news, Miss SL's BF got new wheels for his MR2, they look much better than the old aftermarket alloys. It's been his daily driver since his LS400 ran out of MoT. Interesting to think that these two were on sale within 10 years of each other - the Laurel just about staggered into the '80s, but it's much more a car of the 1970s (more like the '60s in some regards), and the MR2 was launched here in early 1990.

That's the one. Saw a lot of 5-packs today, but not that one with the VWs.

Phew, finally at the end of a long day. Had a meeting up in Nottingham and managed to find a bit of time before/after to do a bit of shopping. First up a little haul from Mark's Diecast Models in Stapleford: These were all £5 each. He had others, like the jacked-up Dodge Challenger which I'm already wondering why I didn't get... Cararama Lexus GS and RX, 007 partwork Toyota Crown and this rather nice Skyline C211, which was a bit of an indulgence but my fuel expenses for the day should cover it. Haven't yet tried the lights function, but it's a great looking model. Then from various branches of Poundstretcher, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and The Entertainer: It's possible there may be the odd duplicate, but there were others I was very pleased to find so it all evens out. By coincidence I found that Yenko Corvair today, but unfortunately it was the only one in the series with no sign of the black Skyline. There were Whatsapp communications with @bunglebus at this point...... Having received the Moving Parts Land Cruiser from Tim just yesterday, I then found one myself in The Entertainer but I managed to resist it. I was tempted by a Matchbox "Retro Cars" 5-pack there, as it had a nice metallic blue version of the '70s Honda Civic, but there weren't enough others in there to justify it.

Always nice to turn up at work on a Monday morning and find a package that's turned up over the weekend: Thanks to @Datsuncog for this batch. Will be interesting to compare the Land Cruiser with the older Matchbox version, plus ancient Majorettes. Majorette Golf Mk3 is a rather chunky, lumpen thing, even more so than the 1:1. '69' plate is from Rhone department, not a Parisian '75' registration like the older Majorettes often wore. Tailgate doesn't seem to want to open, and I don't want to force it and snap the hinges. Nothing in the boot anyway. Also got this Aoshima kit at a decent price off eBay:

Looks like a very decent buy for the money. SE+ is top-spec, similar to the estate we had some years ago. Good to drive too, it was just niggly stuff and an MoT failure that meant ours had to go but a subsequent owner kept it on the road for several more years. The brush script font on the dials is something I remember:

As was my first XJ-C, that I had when I was 6-7. I have a memory of it being given to me as a birthday or Christmas present, wrapped in kitchen foil. It was the '70s, maybe there'd been a strike at the wrapping paper factory?.... Sadly that one hasn't survived, so instead I have a decent blue version (minus some of its rear bumper) picked up by @Datsuncog, I think from a Tat Friday sale: Bits and bobs purchased yesterday: Golf from the Co-Op on a strip, only other one they had was a Camaro convertible. The boxed MBX had gone. Iveco, Volvo BM tractor and tanker trailer from the charity shop, remainder from a secondhand pram and toy shop that for some reason I had never previously visited. At both places I could have bought more Britains stuff, but it takes up a fair bit of space. Fuel tanker is pleasingly hefty, steering works. Would be nice to get a replacement cab for the tractor, but it's still tidy and the rear linkage/towing arrangement is functional so it can be put to work. Truck by Lone Star, complete with graffiti:

Interesting. Doesn't seem to have had a new V5 issued, so was it just being transported to have work done?

This tidy 1.8 GLX I saw back in 2015 is still taxed and tested, showing 101,376 miles when MoTed in October '23. And relating to the low-spec V6 Mondeo chat, is this one of them? My photo from 2014. DVLA lists it as purple and being on SORN, but it's not where it used to be parked and there's no keeper change showing so it could well be that it's been scrapped and DVLA not updated.

Blimey! I saw the Space Cruiser in Norfolk back in 2016: Great to see it still about. But, that Granada! Fantastic to see one without chrome arch trims, wheel embellisher rings etc. Such a clean design.

Nice to find somewhere like that, never know what you'll stumble across there. Thinking of which, I must find an excuse to visit the little shop in Stowmarket again at some point soon. In the meantime, I'm off up to Nottingham next week and I wondered what there might be up that way. The Entertainer and Smyths are pretty close to where I'm going, and on the way home it looks like I can drop by a place called Mark's Diecast Models in Stapleford. Doesn't appear to have a website, but has a lot of stuff on eBay: marksdiecastmodels | eBay Stores Any recommendations for other places while I'm up that way?

Limited numbers around 1986/87: They also sold (or at least offered) a big panel van and trucks up to 7.5t.

Like this Mk1 I saw back in 2002? Inevitably it doesn't look like that any more....

I do like that. Back in the '80s I used to daydream about having one with a V8, I think inspired by one I saw in Custom Car, and it still seems like a pretty good idea now. Maybe a '90s small block Chevy with fuel injection?

Some great work going on with the diecasts everyone! I've done disappointingly little with my current kit build over the last week or two, just some tedious masking on Sunday which I haven't yet completed. Made some purchases though: Could have been one for the Cars You Never Knew Existed thread - it's a Kia Brisa, also known as Mazda Familia (or 1000/1300 to us). Contains several grilles and tail panels including the Mazda set-up, which is probably the way I'll go with it (one day). Also received a package from @bunglebus: I'm not over-excited about the F&F thing, but they are some nicely detailed diecasts. The Land Cruiser is part of this range: Neon Speeders are a bit lairy, but nice subject matter. Others in the range: Which differ from this lot shown on the back of the Nissan GT-R R35 that I got last week:

Nissan 300ZX and Honda Civic CRX!

I've only ever used TS sprays on plastic, but I don't see why they wouldn't be good on primed metal. I think they do several ranges now, some for airbrushing and others for RC bodies as you say. I think there are also some for military/aircraft use, but they may be similar to TS and just need a coat of clear of you want a glossy finish. With the TS pearls/metallics you would ideally apply clear to get a decent finish. You can get a shiny coat from it you spray it fairly 'wet', but I've always applied clear. That could be their TS13, Mr Hobby gloss clear or Halfords. What's nice about the TS sprays is the scale look of the metallics - using an automotive metallic can look a bit like metalflake! That being said I've had no great issue with Halfords mica paints, but I suppose they contain finer particles than a normal metallic.

Is it TS60 Pearl Green? if so I used it on this kit: Really nice colour, suits a lot of stuff from the 1960s-90s. I can recall there being a metallic green on some 504s, your choice looks good on it! TS58 Pearl Light Blue is a great colour as well.