Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

The website where I found the other plastic Kellogg's cars had a blog, not updated since 2020, but also an email address - worth a shot!

Apparently they were given away with Shreddies

[Split_Pin]

I'd have just loved to find a MK1 Escort in my breakfast as a kid, those are ace!

[FakeConcern]

Thanks @Split_Pinfor alerting me to this Saab, I got one super cheap on ebay and here it is with the caravan. I hadn't noticed before how it had faded on one side from being in the summer house...

[bunglebus]

6 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I'd have just loved to find a MK1 Escort in my breakfast as a kid, those are ace!

I want to find a complete one now but I bet they're rocking horse poo territory. That "Sand Flea" Beetle from the Frosties promo is also rather excellent, at least I know what to search for

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, FakeConcern said:

Thanks @Split_Pinfor alerting me to this Saab, I got one super cheap on ebay and here it is with the caravan. I hadn't noticed before how it had faded on one side from being in the summer house...

Kees?

 

[sierraman]

I had a metallic blue one years ago of the SAAB, think it’s long gone though! 

[stuboy]

Got this nice renault 21 of bay of eee .. love it

[bunglebus]

Just now, sierraman said:

I had a metallic blue one years ago of the SAAB, think it’s long gone though! 

 

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, stuboy said:

Got this nice renault 21 of bay of eee .. love it

I was in a model shop in Spain a few weeks ago, they had those in red. I agree it’s a fine model, I think they were around €70. They had a fantastic Renault Fuego GTX that was almost a work of art. 

[flat4alfa]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

the SAAB

Tried to sell one of mine, but Leo wont let them out of his sight and scares me off

[bunglebus]

One of those is the same car pictured above. Think a custom black version is called for

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

One of those is the same car pictured above. Think a custom black version is called for

What was supposed to happen was to tamper with one of them and do a variation on this theme(a)

[bunglebus]

Had a few other arrivals - some will have to wait until tomorrow for pics but for now, a Zamac Chevy Nova Wagon

Matchbox Commer is very happy looking

And a Budgie Packard Convertible. This is a fairly early issue (pre-63) as it has metal wheels. Missing windscreen should be a frameless orange piece, pretty easy to fix. Missing driver, not so much

Just need to work out where it was made

 

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

Thanks @Split_Pinfor alerting me to this Saab, I got one super cheap on ebay and here it is with the caravan. I hadn't noticed before how it had faded on one side from being in the summer house...

It's great isn't it? I love mine.

[flat4alfa]

36 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Budgie Packard Convertible. This is a fairly early issue (pre-63)

Might be earlier early, as it's a model of the 1954 Packard Caribbean Convertible

Dinky did this one I have here, no.132, produced 1955-61.   Driver also escaped, spooky.

Not that fond of it though, it's quite squished looking. 

 

Quote

pretty easy to fix. Missing driver, not so much

Fear not, as Steve Flowers Pops, under his 'Oddments' > 'Budgie Benbros' section,  says:

14 Packard driver (small car)

£0.45

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

What was supposed to happen was to tamper with one of them and do a variation on this theme(a)

Surprisingly, Leo's back was turned for a minute.  A deft plan was hatched.

 

+

=

Result: Fail. 

Need photo paper.  And better printer.  

[quicksilver]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I just found that one too, with some companions

Good to see some more about these coming to light. I have a green Capri made from the same plastic as your Escort. The seller said it was a Shredded Wheat giveaway but that's all I've managed to find out. Not a bad model and quite close to OO scale.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Might be earlier early, as it's a model of the 1954 Packard Caribbean Convertible

Came out as an Esso in '57, then as an identical Budgie all the way to 1970! You could get it in Metallic blue from '68, and '63 onwards have plastic wheels and the screen colour became blue for a few years.

I don't remember finding any Budgie cars at jumble sales etc as a kid, and even now I only have a few, the Beetle and crude split window kombi and a few others. Don't think they ever had a great market share

[Datsuncog]

Bit of a hectic day today, but did manage to swing by the market this morning - a bit later than usual, I'm afraid.

It was not, sadly, a result for those of us seeking 1/76 models of Chinese buses - the bus section had been price reduced, and hence somewhat depleted.

Sorry about that, kids.

Matchbox and Hot Wheels tubs were also back in force, with seemingly minimal takers:

There were, however, a substantial offer of Code 3 renderings of - well, just about anything that could have a Chipperfields Circus print-out glued on.

This has clearly been someone's prized project, with considerable effort put in to build up an entire fleet of custom trucks, trailers and auxiliary vehicles using all manner of materials.

Original 50s and 60s Corgis with substantial modifications mix with later Corgi Classics models, with 70s Matchbox and modern no-name caravans thrown in for good measure.

This Corgi Bedford TK horsebox conversion into a toilet block trailer was particularly detailed with stalls and urinals constructed of plasticard, though - like many here - also quite damaged, probably through being hauled around.

Someone's put a lot of work into these.

Scale accuracy clearly wasn't as important as simple enthusiasm.

Not really my thing, but I can appreciate the hours of work that must have gone into this collection.

There were also some loose Lesney and similar on offer today.

Some nice pieces, though nothing I really really coveted - even at £2 each.

Matchbox Mustang wasn't bad, and the Husky Sunbeam Alpine was decent too, despite the loss of its windscreen.

The Corgi Juniors 'Old McDonald Truck' was a decent effort to beat Hot Wheels at their own game - but not exactly successful. Not that common, I understand.

Lone Star Ergomatic Fire Turntable might have been a smidge more appealing with the turntable attached.

Still nice, though.

Guisval buggy was unusual too, though possibly missing a hood or something?

'Buggy Skoda' - well, okay.

This oddity was also on the stall - apparently found wedged into one of the Chipperfields trailers.

Going by the lightness, and the corrosion, it seems to be a cast aluminium model of a Jaguar XK150 - with some sort of guide pin and motor fitted.

There were no maker's marks visible anywhere, and it was also tiny - like 00 railway scale tiny.

I've really never seen anything quite like it.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

The one model that really tempted me this week was this Corgi Bedford TK Simon Snorkel Fire Ladder.

Not mint, but in 'nice enough' condition - and one of Corgi's most popular Major toys, to be found under many a Christmas tree during the 1960s.

At £10, it was a fair enough price - and the platform even still went up and down as intended.

But I didn't. I probably should have, but I didn't.

Instead, I headed off to look round the rest of the market - and was surprised to find that Alan had some rich pickings at his eponymous emporium.

Well, relatively speaking.

£2 for a Buick Regal stripped of most of its police bits, or £3 for a Mercedes 240D with half its grille busted off - all front and centre.

Or a Days Gone van decorated with a cheerily anachronistic Dan Air livery.

The caravan showed up elsewhere on the stall - possibly originally supplied with the Merc.

Also at £2.

This mid 70s Batmobile (small scale, but with the later disc wheels) was unpriced, but likely to be similar coinage:

More delights were waiting on the 50p tray, too:

Amongst the rubbishy no-name plastic tat were a fair few Matchbox and Corgi items well past their fortieth birthday.

This Super Kings Ford A-Series with trailer -but without the boat - was probably worth having, at the price;

So of course, I didn't.

I did however come away with these smol Corgis, for less than the price of a wanky coffee:

The Leyland Terrier box van is almost pristine - paint and wheels look like new, while a weird brown mark should clean off.

Launch version of the Mk3 Escort also in good order.

Triplex SD1s usually arrive with the fragile blue tampo printing all scratched to buggery, and missing the rear screen. Unusually, this suffers from neither of these maladies.

Penguinmobile isn't really my bag, but it just looked so damn clean.

Likewise, the Jokermobile/ Healer Wheeler looked un-played with:

Although seemed to have some mild corrosion to the paintwork also.

The 007 Aston DB6 is my pick of the pops; although missing it's little ejector seat dude, it's still in fine fettle.

Some loss of chroming to the base, but overall a very tidy example.

I don't really know why I bought these rather than the Tat Stall Lesneys, but hey - sometimes I've very little idea why I do the stuff I do...

If money was no object I'd have likely cleared both stalls but, like many a young street urchin, window shopping was pretty much the height of it this week.

Ah well.

Happy (belated) Friday, everyone.

[sierraman]

If the Ford powerboat transporter is still there next week could you grab it?

[bunglebus]

5 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Guisval buggy was unusual too, though possibly missing a hood or something?

'Buggy Skoda' - well, okay.

Please tell me you picked that up!

[Split_Pin]

I knew you'd say that 😂

Good choice of purchases @Datsuncog, the crystal green Escort is the one of the nicest colours it came in in my opinion.

I've also lost count of how many of those Terriers I have too. The real truck was built in Bathgate which is very close to where I grew up so I always used to nab a variation. I've sold a few over the years but I'll no doubt reacquire more!

[quicksilver]

7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

There were, however, a substantial offer of Code 3 renderings of - well, just about anything that could have a Chipperfields Circus print-out glued on.

This has clearly been someone's prized project, with considerable effort put in to build up an entire fleet of custom trucks, trailers and auxiliary vehicles using all manner of materials.

Original 50s and 60s Corgis with substantial modifications mix with later Corgi Classics models, with 70s Matchbox and modern no-name caravans thrown in for good measure.

This Corgi Bedford TK horsebox conversion into a toilet block trailer was particularly detailed with stalls and urinals constructed of plasticard, though - like many here - also quite damaged, probably through being hauled around.

Someone's put a lot of work into these.

Scale accuracy clearly wasn't as important as simple enthusiasm.

Not really my thing, but I can appreciate the hours of work that must have gone into this collection.

The curious finds continue. There is a chap in NI who owns a huge model Chipperfields circus so maybe he's disposed of some of his vast fleet. Ideal starter pack for someone who wants to start their own circus.

7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

This oddity was also on the stall - apparently found wedged into one of the Chipperfields trailers.

Going by the lightness, and the corrosion, it seems to be a cast aluminium model of a Jaguar XK150 - with some sort of guide pin and motor fitted.

There were no maker's marks visible anywhere, and it was also tiny - like 00 railway scale tiny.

I've really never seen anything quite like it.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

 

My first thought was Triang Minic Motorways but they had plastic bodies and the only Jags they did were a Mark 2 and an E-type. Perhaps it's someone else's rival product or an aftermarket replacement body for a Minic chassis (or something else entirely and I'm barking up the wrong tree).

[MiniMinorMk3]

15 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I'd have just loved to find a MK1 Escort in my breakfast as a kid, those are ace!

Being a kid in the '70s I had load of excitement finding stuff in cereal boxes like those cars. Also Shreddies was one of our regular daily starters.

16 hours ago, bunglebus said:

The website where I found the other plastic Kellogg's cars had a blog, not updated since 2020, but also an email address - worth a shot!

Apparently they were given away with Shreddies

 

Here's the rest of the models actual subjects.

Jochen Rindt Lotus 72 as driven in the 1970 German GP

1970 World Cup Rally winning Ford Escort, this lead to the Mexico model being built.

Roger Clarks Rallycross Capri

It was also modelled by Corgi and was one of the first of their Whizzwheels range, that originally had red hubs.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Today we continue with the ADAC theme.

Schuco BMW R60

Schuco BMW Dixi

Schuco BMW Dixi

Schuco BMW 600

Schuco BMW 600

Schuco Hanomag

Schuco Mercedes-Benz 170V

Schuco Opel Astra Caravan

Schuco Opel Olympia Caravan

Gama-Mini Opel Kadett

[andrew e]

I have a few 80’s Gama’s they always look nice, that one especially.

[MiniMinorMk3]

They're sturdy feeling models and usually have opening features, a bit crude by todays standards, but better than contemporary Dinky and Solido stuff.

[flat4alfa]

14 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Going by the lightness, and the corrosion, it seems to be a cast aluminium model of a Jaguar XK150 - with some sort of guide pin and motor fitted.

There were no maker's marks visible anywhere, and it was also tiny - like 00 railway scale tiny.

I've really never seen anything quite like it.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

I hope you bought that slot  car!!  There is cash waiting here for it!  Never seen one before, but I do know a bit of the potted history on them, hence my daft enthusiasms.

It's a Playcraft 'Highways' (of Northampton) and late-fifties.  They were the genesis for H0-scale (1:87) slot tracks as the majority of subsequent manufacturers adopted the track gauge, slot type and other aspects.  Although to be correct, they were aligned to the British 00 (1:76) scale to sit alongside the model railway system.

Playcraft was part of Mettoy, who in-turn sold the slot car side to Aurora USA, the very same firm who developed into the massive (in US market  anyhow) A/FX system popularity which still runs a national championship even today.  Aurora sold these as their 'Vibrator' series and ran to mid-sixties in this chassis format still retaining the British 00 scale (yet marketing them as H0).

And why so enthusiastic?  Because it used a unique, vibrator drive system based around a 20v AC door 'buzzer'.  Yes you read that right.  Unfortunately, Wrenn (of Basildon) ripped-off Playcraft by patenting an identical system as their own, which is why Mettoy had to dispose of it to a foreign brand.

[Zie]

The knowledge on this thread is outstanding. 

As much as your all a bad influence, it's fun learning about stuff I didn't even know existed. 

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

54 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

 

Playcraft was swallowed by Mettoy, who in-turn sold the slot car side to Aurora USA, the very same firm who developed into the massive (in US market  anyhow) A/FX system popularity which still runs a national championship even today.  Aurora sold these as their 'Vibrator' series and ran to mid-sixties in this chassis format still retaining the British 00 scale (yet marketing them as HO).

 

My younger brother had Aurora AFX in the 1980s. Some of the cars had magnets in the base and would not come off the track. One of my favourites was the Datsun 510 Sedan.