Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

20 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Having foolishly walked away from a complete set of Flying Customs on Wednesday evening, I felt a need to make amends.

I'd be interested in the ones @bunglebus doesn't want / has already sourced 

[sierraman]

Sheffield is a massive black hole for this type of thing. None of the B&M stock them. 

[flat4alfa]

The annoying thing here is the nearest one moved into a large premises vacated by Homebase.  

It's that large that it retained the outdoor garden centre area too...

The toys cover two full-length aisles...

I try to avoid it though as the typical shoppers in there have fleas.

[Datsuncog]

43 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I'd be interested in the ones @bunglebus doesn't want / has already sourced 

Sure thing!

There was another green Barracuda and a gold Custom Otto, which I left on the shelves.

Maybe they'll restock over the weekend...

24 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Sheffield is a massive black hole for this type of thing. None of the B&M stock them. 

Distribution seems really patchy, for some reason. I've been in four B&M stores across Greater Belfast now, and this is the only one that stocks the Flying Customs range.

[flat4alfa]

I can't think there would be many boxes to go around anyhow, they were supposed to be a Target store exclusive in the US

1) why are they over here on this side of the world, 2) where have they been sitting for two years, 3) arrghhhh

[Datsuncog]

13 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I can't think there would be many boxes to go around anyhow, they were supposed to be a Target store exclusive in the US

1) why are they over here on this side of the world, 2) where have they been sitting for two years, 3) arrghhhh

They seem to have arrived over in the UK via South Korea... this sticker is on the back:

Doesn't really answer your question, but I'd wonder if Mattel's usual distribution network was interrupted by the global shipping problems endemic during 2021, and Target ended up rejecting them as they were taking too long to arrive from Malaysia - so they first went to a distributor in S. Korea, before finally being sold on to a UK discount chain?

EDIT: Seems that Sonokong, the Korean importer, is partially owned by Mattel.

Sonokong - Wikipedia

[Datsuncog]

On the more upbeat side, ridiculously pleased with this.

I haven't bought any Oxford stuff for a fair few years now, but I'm very much liking this release.

Beige interior looks ace.

Some impressive detailing at this level of smolness - even if my potatocam is disinclined to capture it.

Worth £7.99?

Mmm. I liked them better when they were £2.99. But ain't that just the way of the world these days?

I'd love to see this done in 1/43, mind.

[bunglebus]

Cheers for getting those Flying Customs! I was surprised by a visit to a trip to the Practical Classics show at NEC today - I thought I was going there for work!

There were a LOT of diecasts...

This was all a bit overwhelming, and most prices were a bit keen - did find a couple of things to buy and a bit of a bargain too...

[quicksilver]

45 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

On the more upbeat side, ridiculously pleased with this.

I haven't bought any Oxford stuff for a fair few years now, but I'm very much liking this release.

Beige interior looks ace.

Some impressive detailing at this level of smolness - even if my potatocam is disinclined to capture it.

Worth £7.99?

Mmm. I liked them better when they were £2.99. But ain't that just the way of the world these days?

I'd love to see this done in 1/43, mind.

It's a nice wee thing isn't it? Looks a lot better than many Oxfords as they've finally managed to get the black printing right up to the windows rather than leaving a body-coloured gap. The next release will be better still because beige.

Now, wouldn't it be fantastic if they followed it up with a Montego? AFAIK nobody has ever modelled one in any scale.

[Jon]

22 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Now, wouldn't it be fantastic if they followed it up with a Montego? AFAIK nobody has ever modelled one in any scale.

I think it's a recent casting but Hachette have made a 1/43 Montego, which I'm sure a couple on this forum have bought:

[FakeConcern]

Is Steve Flowers a little old man working on his own and hand picking and packing each order himself?

Just got my box of bits from him, you don't get much for over 40 quid these days do you? Not complaining about Mr Flowers as I'm pleased to get the stuff at all.

The hand written notes and lists of models for sale are a high light!

[bunglebus]

Think it's just him and his wife.

I should get an order in for some bits myself 

[155V6]

9 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

[Thread bounceback Batman]

Found I seem to have one of those Corgi Motoring Memories after all

The Cortina GXL MKIII in that bronze / copper colour

It has surprisingly little presence up on a shelf, despite the colour.  I think all it desperately needs though is some detailing.

If it was Lledo interrim, then it predates the TV series Life on Mars by a good decade, a series that created a (expected) resurgence in the model and values especially.  Perhaps Lledo/Vanguards/Corgi were ahead of the curve...

As a child, I had the Corgi Whizzwheels Police one, main memory being of the siren sticking out the front.  

 (library)

Still got it somewhere, but it's a paintless and stripped-back wreck with broken screen pillars.  And I'm not sure the siren would still be on it, that looks pretty brittle.

But once again, Like the MGB, why wasn't the MKIII Cortina modelled to death in its day, at ~1:64 scale by either Lesney/Corgi/LoneStar/Siku etc.  Surely they would have been strong sellers?  Was it a Ford not being helpful thing or just (in its day) seen as too common and not worth modelling?  Matchbox jumped from MKII to MKIV for example.

The nearest I found were the Taunus TC GT Coupe from Shuco in 1:66

and the Polistil Taunus pair in 1:64

But no Cortinas.

Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

There is a Polistil Mk3

Also a Playart 2 door

[FakeConcern]

So now I have some tyres I can finish my first two Corgi restoration projects..

Here are the subjects a Corgi Austin Seven and Corgi Morris Mini Minor...

The Morris came with the transporter, I'm pretty sure and was light blue originally

I think the Austin is my first ever Corgi Mini that my dad got me soon after he bought a new Tartan Red Austin Mini in 1964...

Looking a bit sad here with both screen pillars missing and lop sided roof

B pillar also cracked on both sides

Must have been several colours after its original red

Stripped ready for my attempt at restoration

And the Morris (black and red in first pic)

I fabricated the pillars for the Se7en out of some sprue and bent the roof back as much as I could until I noticed it was starting to crack above one of the B pillars! A bit of P38 and primer later

I polished the glass as much as I could bearing in mind its pretty brittle now. The interior came up well with a wash. Shame the red paint (Renault Capsicum Red) is a bit orange peely as it was too cold and wet really when I did it. I may flat it down and give it a polish later although it actually looks much better IRL than in the pics

On this one I managed to prise the rivets apart and it pushed back together without glue

The Morris is painted in some random blue paint I had again when it was wet and cold. This is one I'd taken apart when I was a kid, by sawing and drilling out the rivets. I couldn't work out where the steering wheel had gone until I remembered using it for Mrs Concern's Swordfish speed boat! I robbed one off a Jag MkIX for the boat and got the original back. Unfortunately Mrs Concern managed to knock the box of Mini Bits over and that wheel got lost (haha) so I robbed one from a Corgi Ford Classic!

Here are the two together

Slight crack on the rear screen on The Morris

The roof is not quite the right shape so the glass won't sit up tight on the Se7en

Pretty pleased with these as budget restorations, I only bought the tyres for them everything else I had already

I know they're no where near as good as some I've seen on this thread recently, but we all have to start somewhere. Can't wait to do some more now!

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

Is Steve Flowers a little old man working on his own

He was 73 last month.

According to the Companies House file

[sheffcortinacentre]

10 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

[Thread bounceback Batman]

Found I seem to have one of those Corgi Motoring Memories after all

The Cortina GXL MKIII in that bronze / copper colour

It has surprisingly little presence up on a shelf, despite the colour.  I think all it desperately needs though is some detailing.

If it was Lledo interrim, then it predates the TV series Life on Mars by a good decade, a series that created a (expected) resurgence in the model and values especially.  Perhaps Lledo/Vanguards/Corgi were ahead of the curve...

As a child, I had the Corgi Whizzwheels Police one, main memory being of the siren sticking out the front.  

 (library)

Still got it somewhere, but it's a paintless and stripped-back wreck with broken screen pillars.  And I'm not sure the siren would still be on it, that looks pretty brittle.

But once again, Like the MGB, why wasn't the MKIII Cortina modelled to death in its day, at ~1:64 scale by either Lesney/Corgi/LoneStar/Siku etc.  Surely they would have been strong sellers?  Was it a Ford not being helpful thing or just (in its day) seen as too common and not worth modelling?  Matchbox jumped from MKII to MKIV for example.

The nearest I found were the Taunus TC GT Coupe from Shuco in 1:66

and the Polistil Taunus pair in 1:64

But no Cortinas.

Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars

& Matchbox didn't release the MK4 model until the real one had gone out of production which always seemed odd to me?

[sheffcortinacentre]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

Sheffield is a massive black hole for this type of thing. None of the B&M stock them. 

Your not kidding I've given up trying to find even basic matchbox & hot wheels.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

Shame the red paint (Renault Capsicum Red) is a bit orange peely as it was too cold and wet really when I did it

I heat the the paint cans up under the hot tap, and heat the casting before and after painting with a hair dryer. Keeps the cold and damp at bay.

Nice work 🙂

[sierraman]

5 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Your not kidding I've given up trying to find even basic matchbox & hot wheels.

Entertainer in Meadowhell has loads! 

[sierraman]

Anyone got any way of restoring scuffed plastic wheels?

[FakeConcern]

13 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I heat the the paint cans up under the hot tap, and heat the casting before and after painting with a hair dryer. Keeps the cold and damp at bay.

Nice work 🙂

That's a great tip! I put the paint on a radiator and kept the bodies indoors for long enough to warm up before spraying in the shed, but I'll defo try your tip next time. Watch this space as they say.

Edit; any tips for reproducing the missing pillars better than my attempt?

[flat4alfa]

17 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

That's a great tip! I put the paint on a radiator and kept the bodies indoors for long enough to warm up before spraying in the shed, but I'll defo try your tip next time. Watch this space as they say

Hair dryer use in a dusty shed might not be a good idea on fresh paint.  Don't ask me how I know

[flat4alfa]

Quote

I would have had one of each of those anniversaries

[flat4alfa]

34 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Anyone got any way of restoring scuffed plastic wheels?

Use a heat gun to rejuvenate faded and oxidized plastics

A mild abrasive, such as toothpaste on light scratches

Wet micro-grit Sandpaper on deep scratches, then polish and polish and polish

Pick out the hub cap decoration with a chrome paint pen from Molotow

[flat4alfa]

On 3/23/2023 at 6:02 PM, 155V6 said:

I saw this on a shelf in Sainsbury's just now

Of course,no stock to be seen 🙄

Went tonight

No sign they had ever stocked them, no shelf placement label or hooks

But did see this deal for @bunglebus

[bunglebus]

37 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

any tips for reproducing the missing pillars better than my attempt?

I've seen split pins used as they have about the right profile. It's not something I've had much success doing, I end up with lumps of superglue that get in the way of the glass etc

[bunglebus]

50 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Anyone got any way of restoring scuffed plastic wheels?

As well as the above I've painted them after sanding with black acrylic 

[flat4alfa]

Spent over 2 hours this evening touring B&M big stores.  Went to three of them in two counties. 

STILL NO FLYING CUSTOMS

But in one, did find this situation

 No price. Checkout had them as £2

Just look at this.  This was the sole stock.  Big store too, with 'garden centre'

 Nothing else on shelves

But looked the other side and saw these ...on the mainline price pegs. 

The checkout lady with a bad hair life rang them up as £1.99.  I explained the situation on the rack.  Discount was obtained to £1.69 without a quibble.  The trouble is, it meant this sort of thing has now happened

Doh.

[flat4alfa]

Went to an Entertainer on the way to another B&M experience

Found my first Hot Wheels white/blue Escort in the wild!  It was on its own with a red Sierra too.

Sainsbury provided this

Don't quite know what came over me.  Maybe it was The Way.

As at full price too, it's pretty likely going back to be refunded once I've woken up tomorrow with some sense.

[flat4alfa]

So, anyway, spoils* were the below:

Top-bottom:

New Kitt to try out the transoliteing. '69 Chevy pickup as never had the casting .

Lotus a nice colour.  Moon Eyes matt black Fleetline seemed unsual.

Bought the Escort as I thought someone on here was still after one.  Miura a nice colour.

Sierra was the only one seen so thought it might be sought-after. Charger have already but though why not, for swapsies

Mercedes was found on the floor tucked under the shelves and needed saving.  Kangoo as never seen one before in the wild.

STILL NO FLYING CUSTOMS