Shite in Miniature II

[danthecapriman]

Here’s a recent buy. With… a story!

It’s nothing exceptional. Just a Matchbox Cortina mk2. But, it’s in almost mint condition. Never been played with. 
The story from the lady I got it from was back when these were new, her friends dad was the manager of a toy shop. Unfortunately the shop was destroyed in a big fire. Most of the stock was burnt to a crisp but everything that wasn’t fire damaged was soaked from the water used in fighting the fire. 
Afterwards when the place was cleared all the old stock went into big skips with all the burnt building etc, but he went in and managed to save some of the best surviving toys before they were thrown out. 
Which included this Cortina! Its box was a soggy mess but the car itself is perfect. Afterwards it was wrapped in tissue and put away in his loft. He recently passed away and now the family are cleaning out his things.

Yes I did over pay for it (but it wasn’t horrific pice!)but it really is lovely and came with a nice little back story too so I couldn’t say no.

Even the wheel treads have no wear and you can see that raised bit down the middles of each wheel from the mould. A shame it’s not boxed but it’s probably one of the absolute best condition models of that age I’ve got.

[bunglebus]

IIRC there's an unusual variation on those, think on some the line around the boot is raised, on some it's a depression. 

Can't remember which is the rare one though!

[AndyW201]

21 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Good news.

These were still available!

Some variance between the wheels as depicted on the box and what's actually in the box, but these seem in fine fettle other than some light surface dust.

Handy that you say the Consul's only needed as a donor...

Wheels and spotlights are fine, but there's some damage to the front corner in several places, a wiper's been torn off, and it's filthy.

Plus the box is quite torn in places.

But - I guess it's cheap-ish, and it maybe doesn't raise the same moral quandary to tear into an already damaged model?

Oh yes!!!!

Aye, I remember back in the old days of Vanguards' when, as mentioned by MMMk3, usually the box art was of a rough prototype, it was always a nice surprise to find the model inside was much nicer finished and detailed and with far more accurately done wheels, as can be seen with the A35 and especially the Rover which, for one of the super early Enfield era Vanguards, has pretty well rendered early P6 trims modelled. Most Vanguards of that era had a pretty generic steelie and chrome hubcap combo.

The Consul is absolutely perfect for my needs. Consuls in rozzer spec are still relatively cheap compared to the civilian versions, but I've always been on the lookout for a dog eared sub-tenner example as I have an aversion to pulling apart a mint and boxed model. Still not sure what I'll be doing with it. With this one being in GT spec with front spots and GT steelies (as opposed to those weird wheels fitted on the prototype on the box!), I've always wanted to do a LeMans Green GT, as the one Vanguards modelled in a box set years ago were riddled with zinc pest and most have disintegrated. Or use as a donor for the spots and wheels for the Purple velvet Granada I have already (which lost its GT wheels long ago to a Daytona yellow Consul base model). My Onyx green Ghia could also do with a replacement baseplate as it was bent up at the front corner from new and had to be bent back. If I do strip it for parts, the remains (shell, interior, glass and slightly bent baseplate will be offered up for sale for £notmuch!

Thanks to Tim for going back to the market and getting these for me. I'll fire off some funds shortly. 

Not often a Tat Friday has my name all over it, but this week's was a classic!

[flat4alfa]

5 hours ago, 155V6 said:

There was only one type of car that I had enough of to fill them

Aha!  Corgi VOLVOS

Legend. 

[flat4alfa]

Went charity shop and in the 20p bin was this

Shocker!

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Here’s a recent buy. With… a story!

It’s nothing exceptional. Just a Matchbox Cortina mk2. But, it’s in almost mint condition. Never been played with. 
The story from the lady I got it from was back when these were new, her friends dad was the manager of a toy shop. Unfortunately the shop was destroyed in a big fire. Most of the stock was burnt to a crisp but everything that wasn’t fire damaged was soaked from the water used in fighting the fire. 
Afterwards when the place was cleared all the old stock went into big skips with all the burnt building etc, but he went in and managed to save some of the best surviving toys before they were thrown out. 
Which included this Cortina! Its box was a soggy mess but the car itself is perfect. Afterwards it was wrapped in tissue and put away in his loft. He recently passed away and now the family are cleaning out his things.

Yes I did over pay for it (but it wasn’t horrific pice!)but it really is lovely and came with a nice little back story too so I couldn’t say no.

Even the wheel treads have no wear and you can see that raised bit down the middles of each wheel from the mould. A shame it’s not boxed but it’s probably one of the absolute best condition models of that age I’ve got.

I love stories like that. 

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I love stories like that. 

I do too. Gives things a bit of character and individuality I think. 

[RoadworkUK]

That XR4i is the same as the one I got circa age 8 and played with HARD.

My mum taught at a primary school, and after school I used to play cars with my friend Tim, wazzing the XR4i and his K162 Texaco Cossie from one end of the hall to the other. I can still hear it on the sprung pine floor now.

Seeing it MIB is amazing.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

[bunglebus]

I've got a not terrible Cossie it can live with

As I said, there were two so the other might be there next week?

Only just clocked that they're different!

[quicksilver]

Have some Maestros as it's their 40th birthday this year. The beige one was a bit of a challenge to get hold of: a lot of places sold out very quickly so I had to wait a few weeks for restocks, then Amazon lost my original parcel and it had to be replaced, but finally it's here with its red sibling.

[andrew e]

Happened on here en-route to  deeper Devon earlier, this is shears a good sign - a knackered Marina coupe:

This fantastic Alfa RC!

And this terrible yet great bike!

[sierraman]

I have a few of those XR4I, the white one, the total pace car, the black and the plum coloured one as well as the powder blue one that you don’t see too often. 

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, andrew e said:

knackered Marina coupe:

Chelmsford registered, that's ventured a way from home

[andrew e]

Never noticed the registration! Turns out the Asian Highway Motor Rally was a real thing!

https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/202772/

 

[bunglebus]

A few 50p finds from this morning, off to the toy fair now

[egg]

I've restored this Matchbox BMW from a recent DC haul, in the unlikely event anyone wants it for the cost of postage (which would be £3 unfortunately due to height) it's available, as I won't keep it, I just wanted to save it from it's fate in Alan's 50p tray emporium....

As found by DC

[bunglebus]

Funny enough there were three of those in a 50p box this morning, two red and one blue - considered making a proper cabrio out of one but they all had broken glass. 

Here's what I came back from the toy fair with

[Tenmil Socket]

5 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Funny enough there were three of those in a 50p box this morning, two red and one blue - considered making a proper cabrio out of one but they all had broken glass. 

Here's what I came back from the toy fair with

 

1 hour ago, egg said:

I've restored this Matchbox BMW from a recent DC haul, in the unlikely event anyone wants it for the cost of postage (which would be £3 unfortunately due to height) it's available, as I won't keep it, I just wanted to save it from it's fate in Alan's 50p tray emporium....

As found by DC

£4 for the Escort?

Good job on the BMW!

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, egg said:

I've restored this Matchbox BMW

How did you do the rivets?

[bunglebus]

Called into Asbo on my way home and found the Tooned Golf treasure hunt on a long card. Lucky they didn't have anything else I wanted at £2.40, the robbing bastards

[bunglebus]

Here are some of the more unusual bits I scooped up today

I quite often find the other Matchbox Chopper but this is the first time I've found this one

This is tatty, but what's with the crest on the door? 

Laser Saaab

Very tidy Holden, only found one other of these, the hearse version

[Dick Cheeseburger]

This thread is a nightmare. I've never had any interest whatsover in postwar diecast... until now. Currently trying to pull myself away from hitting the BIN button on a 1948 Dinky truck. 

Damn you! 🤣

[bunglebus]

43 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

£4 for the Escort?

Yes indeed! Box isn't perfect but the car is

[Dick Cheeseburger]

2 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Here are some of the more unusual bits I scooped up today

I quite often find the other Matchbox Chopper but this is the first time I've found this one

 

Love it. This is yet another memory jog - I had one of those! Mine's long gone, assumed broken in the 1980s. 

[bunglebus]

Corgi camper was £2 more than the Escort and he wouldn't budge on the price. It does have the rear doors, which are a lot harder to replace than the tyres I suppose

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Love it. This is yet another memory jog - I had one of those! Mine's long gone, assumed broken in the 1980s. 

Stingeroo seems to be the common one 

[egg]

49 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

How did you do the rivets?

They are fake, drilled out 2.5mm holes in the model than inserted with a dab of superglue.

Sadly admc_code3 has stopped selling on eBay - and was a good supplier for stuff like this and replacement push-in axles.

[bunglebus]

Here's my weirdest find today, Roxy Toys of Hong Kong plastic MK1 Cortina with a FWD friction motor

I obviously don't have enough of these Majorette recovery trucks

One day I'll find one of original Lone Star Cadillacs, but this late Impy will do for now

[Tenmil Socket]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Yes indeed! Box isn't perfect but the car is

Bargain, nice find. I always thought the beacon on these was of comedy scale!

I guess the doors were painted separately from the body on this version?

Have you ever restored any Escorts of this scale?

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Bargain, nice find. I always thought the beacon on these was of comedy scale!

I guess the doors were painted separately from the body on this version?

Have you ever restored any Escorts of this scale?

Nope I've had a few and my interest in them comes and goes. Had a very nice green one but that's gone now I think

Did do a Junior a few years back though