Shite in Miniature II

[Split_Pin]

My friend had a Chevrolet Caprice fire chief car, I presume it was just a siren or something.

[Split_Pin]

I have had a quick Google and it appears that there was a Routemaster bus that had a horn and a Superhauler-type Leyland Landtrain in Yorkie livery.

There was also a MK2 transit tipper but I cant work out what it did. However in the late 1990s I bought a reissued version of the transit in non electronic form. You pumped the roof beacon and some sort of ratchet mechanism raised the tipper.  It had the same colour scheme and black opaque windows as the original.

I regret selling my MIB yellow Maestro.

[sierraman]

I’ve got the full thing at home I’m the Edward Force book which is a mine of useless information like this. Here’s a summary IIRC of what everything does

Road Hog -Horn

Transit Tipper - has a jack hammer attachment that makes a noise

Leyland Roadtrain - remote control powered by some gubbins in the trailer

MG Maestro - lights 

Landrover - siren 

Radio Van - radio obviously

Routemaster

I think there was a HCB Angus Firestreak as well included with this

[Datsuncog]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

My friend had a Chevrolet Caprice fire chief car, I presume it was just a siren or something.

Aye. An absolutely horrible, jarring siren that makes you want to tear your head off, plus a flashing light on the roofbar.

My wee Radio Luxembourg van works nicely though - as far as AM stations go, of course.

1 minute ago, Split_Pin said:

I have had a quick Google and it appears that there was a Routemaster bus that had a horn and a Superhauler-type Leyland Landtrain in Yorkie livery.

There was also a MK2 transit tipper but I cant work out what it did. However in the late 1990s I bought a reissued version of the transit in non electronic form. You pumped the roof beacon and some sort of ratchet mechanism raised the tipper.  It had the same colour scheme and black opaque windows as the original.

I regret selling my MIB yellow Maestro.

The Transit tipper was part of a small range called Corgimatics, along with a Mercedes Skip Truck. The idea was added play value without batteries - think it was a series of ratchets and springs that worked them. There were probably meant to be more commercials developed for the range, but it didn't happen. Your 1990s one seems to be a direct re-make of the original 1982 toy.

I also regret selling my MIB yellow Maestro. Even though, as far as castings go, it was a bit rubbish.

[Datsuncog]

From the 1983 catalogue:

The opposite page showed the Caprice fire chief, the Chevrolet radio van, and the Road Maintenance Land Rover, where the Landie had no electronic element but the compressor trailer housed the 9V battery and generated a 'drilling' noise.

I didn't think the Transit tipper appeared in the Corgitronics range (Corgimatics, yes), but then all sorts appeared from them in '84 as they tried to liquidate stock, and some weird combos appeared. It's quite possible they found a load of compressor trailers but not enough Land Rovers, so just bucked the compressors in a box together with a Transit...

[Datsuncog]

On ‎3‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 3:20 PM, Datsuncog said:

It's from Mettoy's final fling, the Corgitronics range - the cash-strapped company's attempt to woo back the 80s kids who'd had their heads turned away from 'traditional' toys by the shift in the trade towards Atari and Star Wars. It was hoped that a range of cars that beeped, blooped and made drilling noises would add extra play value.

Trying desperately to keep costs down, Corgitronics mostly reused existing castings to wrap a 9v battery and some wiring - and thus the Starsky and Hutch Ford Torino was reborn in black and gold as a 'Road Hog' complete with beeping noises; the Land Rover 109 Wagon reappeared in both Police livery and also as a Road Maintenance crew bus towing a 'drilling' mobile compressor; the venerable Routemaster bus gained the same 'beep beep' horn; and a smaller-scale Leyland Roadtrain truck came with a motor in the trailer that powered it forward and back, while making reversing signal noises. The long-running Chevrolet van gained a small radio receiver and Radio Luxembourg decals, which was pretty cool. The range's sole brand-new casting, the MG Maestro (launched in tandem with the real car, as Corgi often did in the 1950s and 60s) came with working head and tail lights, in a nod to their 1960s heyday.

But it arrived a bit too late to make a significant difference. Mettoy called in the receivers in October 1983, having outlived Dinky by four years and Lesney by a year.

^^^^ My own musings on Corgitronics, from when I picked the Caprice up back in March this year.

I've had the Radio Luxembourg van for years; think that was a 1990s car boot sale find.

I had the HCB Angus Firestreak (broken switch after a fall from a desk in school), the Police Land Rover, and the MG Maestro (swapped for a Corgi Classics Scammell Highwayman, to my eternal shame).

The Torino Road Hog is a nice find, though.

[Split_Pin]

33 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’ve got the full thing at home I’m the Edward Force book which is a mine of useless information like this. Here’s a summary IIRC of what everything does

Road Hog -Horn

Transit Tipper - has a jack hammer attachment that makes a noise

Leyland Roadtrain - remote control powered by some gubbins in the trailer

MG Maestro - lights 

Landrover - siren 

Radio Van - radio obviously

Routemaster

I think there was a HCB Angus Firestreak as well included with this

There is also a roadworks genset trailer which looks pretty cool.

 

EDIT: Others beat me to it on the genset!

I love the idea of listening to 1215 and other crackly AM stations on the Chevy van, late at night.

[Datsuncog]

22 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Ah righty, so the XR3 chassises didn't get fitted in the end?  Do you still have them at all.  Either way yes I could do something with them., Aren't loft finds fun

I do have a built Aston on a Revell chassis and two boxed unmade Aston kits, as well as boxed unmade MGB; SO!  the missing pieces are already here.

The Miura; I do have one already and it is running well.  Will ponder what I have there

Not quite - the XR3 chassis were fitted to both Aston shells and used for years, and they handled much better than the standard Mk3 Escort (which was always a bit tall and prone to toppling over).

But, ultimately, I reunited the top and bottom bits of the Escorts whenever I sold on my various slot cars a few years back - sorry! These are just the Airfix kits, so mebbe not that much use,

[bunglebus]

Had a 1968 Hot Wheels Custom Eldorado turn up today - I have three now, an original worn one, this one, and one I'm Customising. I'll see how much I get spanked for replacement glass for this one.

 

20190611_132428 by RS, on Flickr

 

Remember Kidco LockUps?

 

20190611_132517 by RS, on Flickr

 

20190611_132532 by RS, on Flickr

 

HW Hi-Raker Corvette is looking much healthier now;

 

IMG_20190611_144613_656 by RS, on Flickr

20190602_183210 by RS, on Flickr

[Datsuncog]

^^^ Top job on that HW Corvette: I would never have guessed it was the same model. Very nice wheels and all!

I never had any of the Lock-Ups, either in Kidco guise or the Matchbox rebranding exercise (though had a couple of Key Cars).

They seem to turn up now and again in the market tat boxes, but they're always hideously battered. Yours looks pretty decent; good find!

[59Impala]

I have recently been suffering with 'can't be arseditis' and thus have not visited for a while. Nor have I foisted any of my recent-ish purchases upon you. Until now. So out with my old racetrack base from the Corgi Silverstone Gift Set and here are some of them. Corgi Ecurie Ecosse transporter was a wreck apparently so the guy restored it and for fun made the three Jaaaags into team cars. He also did the Commer race support vehicle. Nice guy too, does nice restorations especially of Spot-On stuff and doesn't charge a fortune for them.

 

[sierraman]

Here’s the Corgi Tronics. Got it wrong it was the Landrover that had the jack hammer. I’d wager that one is by far the rarest in its complete form. 

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

^^^^ My own musings on Corgitronics, from when I picked the Caprice up back in March this year.

Sorry, I should have done a search...

[morrisoxide]

15 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Remember Kidco LockUps?

That Datsun looks mint. I had a Dodge Monaco fire car that I got from my Cousin. I never liked it because he had lost the key and burnt the chassis trying to unlock it,  a fire car with actual fire damage!

Some new 50p finds. I have some plans for the Dodge/Renault truck things. I had the Fox Mustang as a kid, that was held together with blue tack and tip ex. I have loads of those Mercurys I just can't resist them.

 

I didn't realize the roof on the Stang was so tweaked. But strangely it still has the rear window, even though the side windows are shot. I do like it when the headlights are molded in with the glass.

 

 

[Datsuncog]

6 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Sorry, I should have done a search...

Nah, sure I manage to miss stuff all the time on here, and it's hardly like anyone's hanging on my every word (as I do blather on)

...just couldn't be arsed typing it all out again, so was lazy and quoted myself.

I really do like the Corgitronics stuff though; it was a brave effort to re-imagine what toy cars could be. In more favourable circumstances, it'd be interesting to think where they may have ended up.

[sierraman]

A bit like the Big MX Range Matchbox offered sometime in the mid 70’s. They had a power tool thing that turned a knob which operated a tipper ram or a winch etc. Again an abject failure but worth a bomb now. 

[sierraman]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mikepigottsdiecasttoysandmodels.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/matchbox-big-m-x/amp/

[Datsuncog]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

A bit like the Big MX Range Matchbox offered sometime in the mid 70’s. They had a power tool thing that turned a knob which operated a tipper ram or a winch etc. Again an abject failure but worth a bomb now. 

That's fascinating - I wasn't really aware of that range existing. The Mike Piggott article's a good read.

Must try to complete my collection of Matchbox catalogues - seems that 1972 and 1973 were the years that Big MX was featured, and those are ones that I'm missing.

Cheers for that!

[flat4alfa]

On 3/1/2019 at 3:20 PM, Datsuncog said:

The range's sole brand-new casting, the MG Maestro (launched in tandem with the real car, as Corgi often did in the 1950s and 60s) came with working head and tail lights, in a nod to their 1960s heyday.

I have this, didn't know it was part of the Corgitronics range, just a one-off; as the base doesn't have the Corgitronics logo

The bulbs have gone walkies, but it can be encouraged to light the way by popping a slim LED torch inside.  I might just replace the base with a slot car one (having wider wheels to fill the arches) and run 12v bulbs, especially as the proper Scalextric Maestro is worth more than I can bear.  Saying that, I paid way too much for it on an eBay shilling bidding war, as you do.

[sierraman]

I’ve only got one example from the MX range and that’s the coal truck but minus the hopper type thing it came with and the coal. I remember swapping it with another kid on our street who also had building bit from the Tractor factory. Wish I’d swapped him that as well now ?

For me the oddities like this from Corgi, Matchbox provide the most curiosity such as the ill fated Seakings or Corgi Cubs. 

[flat4alfa]

15 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Matchbox provide the most curiosity such as the ill fated Seakings

I pondered helicopters for the moment, remembering the Dinky Sea King, wondered what you meant so fired up the Google and found this:

This took me right back!

I'm sure I had one of those ships as a lad

[sierraman]

Yeah they were fairly limited in play value. They turn up occasionally now but values are next to fuck all for them apart from the scarce submarine one. 

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

I’ve only got one example from the MX range and that’s the coal truck but minus the hopper type thing it came with and the coal. I remember swapping it with another kid on our street who also had building bit from the Tractor factory. Wish I’d swapped him that as well now ?

For me the oddities like this from Corgi, Matchbox provide the most curiosity such as the ill fated Seakings or Corgi Cubs. 

My literal first ever toy car was when I was 2 or 3 and it was a Corgi Cub Police car. Absolutely dreadful thing but quite robust as I still have it and its in fairly good condition. I stumbled across a picture of a 2 or 3 year old me recently, scribbling on some paper at a table and the car is also in the picture.

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

I have this, didn't know it was part of the Corgitronics range, just a one-off; as the base doesn't have the Corgitronics logo

Oh, now that's interesting -  I honestly can't remember whether mine said Corgitronics on the base or not, but right enough, it seems the box didn't have the Corgitronics logo either:

The Maestro was shown amongst the Corgitronics range in the 1983 catalogue, and had a five-character code (C1009) which fits in with the other models in that range:

But by 1984, the overall Corgitronics range had been axed from the catalogue and the Maestro was shown along with the 'regular' cars - though still with the same Corgitronics Code. Maybe they knew the range wasn't selling that well and the plug was due to be pulled for most of them?

Also interesting that yours has quite a blue tint to the headlights; as I recall, mine were more of the clear type. 

I've never seen one in the AA livery shown in the 1984 catalogue either - possibly another casualty of that year.

 

Yeah, Scalextric Maestros seem to fetch big money these days!

[Datsuncog]

19 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

My literal first ever toy car was when I was 2 or 3 and it was a Corgi Cub Police car. Absolutely dreadful thing but quite robust as I still have it and its in fairly good condition. I stumbled across a picture of a 2 or 3 year old me recently, scribbling on some paper at a table and the car is also in the picture.

This one?

I've a bit of a soft spot for these too - especially the Fire Chief car, which as a kid reminded me a little of a Viva HC estate. There's a touch of Vauxhall Firenza to the rear lines on the police car too, I fancy,

[sierraman]

48 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

My literal first ever toy car was when I was 2 or 3 and it was a Corgi Cub Police car. Absolutely dreadful thing but quite robust as I still have it and its in fairly good condition. I stumbled across a picture of a 2 or 3 year old me recently, scribbling on some paper at a table and the car is also in the picture.

I think we’ve lived a parallel life, mine was a Corgi Cubs milk van in blue. They were a basic pre school range of cars, simple 2 piece castings. My youngest is two and she plays with Hot Wheels, she’d probably turn her nose up at a Corgi Cub if they were still available. 

[Tenmil Socket]

Also interesting that yours has quite a blue tint to the headlights; as I recall, mine were more of the clear type. 

 

Blue LED torch perhaps?

[Split_Pin]

42 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

This one?

I've a bit of a soft spot for these too - especially the Fire Chief car, which as a kid reminded me a little of a Viva HC estate. There's a touch of Vauxhall Firenza to the rear lines on the police car too, I fancy,

That's the one. My mum told me it was a Capri, probably because that's what our neighbours had. I think it looks a bit like a combination of that and a MK3 Cortina 2 door.

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Also interesting that yours has quite a blue tint to the headlights; as I recall, mine were more of the clear type. 

Blue LED torch perhaps?

Yes trick of the light, it's a LED torch that seems to have been picked up as blue by the camera

[Amishtat]

My Dad's just come over and brought some of his models with him including this. Made by a friend of my Grandad at Paxmans of Colchester for Dad's second birthday (1952) and it's quite a piece. Clockwork motor, four speed and reverse gearbox, steering and a handbrake.