Shite in Miniature II

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Does anyone know a bit about Dinky Toys 25 series trucks? I see they ran from 25a to 25e and the initial run was prewar. I can't quite work out which years each type were produced. 

Anyone?

[RayMK]

21 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Does anyone know a bit about Dinky Toys 25 series trucks? I see they ran from 25a to 25e and the initial run was prewar. I can't quite work out which years each type were produced. 

Anyone?

I've got a few pre-war Dinky lorries and some of the post-war re-issues (1940s).  The main differences are in the casting of the underside e.g. whether partially open (mostly pre-war and or immediate post war issues) or mostly covered in on slightly later post war issues, together with a front bumper.   The link has some details. https://www.maronline.org.uk/dinky-toys-series-25-lorries/.

Values have varied hugely. I bought all of mine for 3d each in 1960 at a shop which sold a few every so often in Southsea where we lived at the time. Values (playworn) climbed to around £40 each in the late 1970s then gradually faded until the ebay era when most playworn examples were less than £10.  Optimists selling repainted and repaired examples in a reprinted replica box asked for lots more but sales are usually very slow.   

[MiniMinorMk3]

4 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I had a fair few Solido releases as a kid, which came with waterslide transfers - it was a huge source of frustration to me, as they just wouldn't go on cleanly, and always ended up lifting and cracking. The Triumph Spitfire with the large yellow transfer on the bonnet is the one the springs to mind most readily:

I just assumed I was really shit at putting on transfers, and became quite disheartened. I'd similar issues with Bburago 1/24 kits (Lancia Delta and Alfa 75), though not really with Scalextric models.

Looking at it again, I really had no hope trying to get a flat decal to adhere to the compound curves of a bonnet, with only a saucer of lukewarm water. I'd no idea at the time that specialist softeners existed, or products like DecalFix.

In a way, it's something of a vindication to learn that I wasn't the only one finding this challenging!

If you still have the Spitfire get a bottle of DecalFix and a small brush. Those decals will be flat on the body in no time. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

I've postponed progress on the R5 today and dug out another box of forgotten cars from the spare room as the purge continues. There's a bit of variety including some very rare and sort after (not) MoYs.

One of the interesting ones is the Y10, seen near the top right of shot. A Polistil release from the mid to late 1980s.

What we know as the Lancia Y10 was sold as the Autobianchi Y10 in Italy. This was the last car to use the Autobianchi name when it was replaced by the Lancia Ypsilon in 1995.

The shape has been captured well and the casting is quite good.

It even has a separate black plastic rear door moulding which you would think would open, but it does not.

The wheels are good and it has the correct white number plates that were introduced in Italy in 1985. 

The base is also plastic and riveted on, so if you wanted to do a colour change then drilling those would be required.

All together not a bad little effort, and better than a Burago of the same era.

[Split_Pin]

28 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I've postponed progress on the R5 today and dug out another box of forgotten cars from the spare room as the purge continues. There's a bit of variety including some very rare and sort after (not) MoYs.

One of the interesting ones is the Y10, seen near the top right of shot. A Polistil release from the mid to late 1980s.

What we know as the Lancia Y10 was sold as the Autobianchi Y10 in Italy. This was the last car to use the Autobianchi name when it was replaced by the Lancia Ypsilon in 1995.

The shape has been captured well and the casting is quite good.

It even has a separate black plastic rear door moulding which you would think would open, but it does not.

The wheels are good and it has the correct white number plates that were introduced in Italy in 1985. 

The base is also plastic and riveted on, so if you wanted to do a colour change then drilling those would be required.

All together not a bad little effort, and better than a Burago of the same era.

I've got the 1:25 version of this which I bought from a shiter in around 2016. It's also an excellent model and one of my favourites from my collection.

[flat4alfa]

22 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

I saw this in Snoopers, I've never seen it before

Well you see...  there were some Corgi Saints here, having a meet

The BIG one was meant to join them, but there was an incident in the car park

Simon Templar is RUBBISH AT PARKING

 

[bunglebus]

Here's mine

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

You've all heard of the Volvo P1800, well what about the P1900?

Only 68 were built in the mid 1950s. It had a fibreglass body. Assar Gabrielsson, who was the Volvo president, got the idea from the 1953 Corvette and thought it would be a good idea for Volvo. 

This model is from Triple 9, which is a brand of Premium Collectables.

It's a nicely detailed pieces that captures the shape very well.

The interior is nicely done as well.

Odd edition number, but I guess every one wants to copy the original masters of the LTD ED diecast, Minichamps.

[MiniMinorMk3]

There are time when you wish you had not started something.

Well for me it is the Record R5 Turbo. I made a start the decals and straight away there were problems. As can be seen here the number plate decals decided to turn into 4 number plate decals. Trying to line up those little bits was a pain, an a bit of it went missing.

Next to go on were the little Elf decals, which both split into two, along with the Bozian on the bumper, which turned into a threesome.

No problem with the rally plate on the rear window though, or the Galtier and Michelin.

But wait, the ones for the right side split into parts.

Time for another break.

By the way, I think I know what the problem is. The decal sheet was quite curled when I first got it out of the box. It does require a bit of flattening to cut the decals and I think this is what has caused the issues. Another lesson learnt, do not attempt to flatten decals before they see water. If the sheet is curly, try and leave it curly as much as possible when cutting the off the sheet.

The seven year old me never had that problem, because he just stuck the whole sheet in the water and some of teh decals just ended up floating about in the saucer, and some of the small ones, like the red triangle canopy warning, got left in the saucer.

[bunglebus]

Quick stop off at a Smyths - lots of premiums but not the new set with the Escort 

[flat4alfa]

Heller CLICLAC kit Renault Turbo 2.

Nothing like the accuracy of the Record model, or the Corgi(s) for that matter.

But, for a plastic toy representation at near 1:32 scale, it's fine for what was done to it and why I keep it

The Renault must have been scaled to fit the packaging, as is nearer 1/28. 

It has a mix of the decals Heller supplied, with some Scalextric.  Has opening doors.

You're thinking  - what's up with that rear axle track?  Well it's a slot conversion I picked up yonks ago.  It has lost its spotlights from bumper and roof, which were never were going to last long without being glued.  Even driver Pierre can't hold the steering wheel any more as that came adrift too.  

Heller pushed the boat out on these, releasing and re-releasing in various guises.  If anyone has the Goofy one, you can keep it

[MiniMinorMk3]

27 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

 

The Renault must have been scaled to fit the packaging, as is nearer 1/28. 

 

Talking of odd scales, in yesterdays mystery box was this Tomica Dany Jagwah.

It's a Series 2 LWB, and those markers on the wings (fenders) would suggest US spec.

But there's no markers on the back. Did they just use the US style front markers in territories that required side repeaters?

Opening doors. It's LHD, which I always find odd with Tomica Dandy models. Why do they not make them RHD, they drive on the left in Japan.

Opening bonnet too, but hang on, that does not look like a straight six, or a V12 for that matter.

A now for the big reveal on the scale. Most Dandys are 1/43rd, but this one is 1/49th! Looks like someone's nicked the rear wishbones.

I guess this is another case of scaling a model to fit a standardised box size.

It is a nice heavy model, and feels like it could crash into the skirting boards all day and still look good.

Overall a nice old model.

Unfortunately I do not have any Solido XJ12 models here at the moment so I could do a side by side comparison. So here's some pictures of a late Solido Hi-Fi 43 version.

 

[flat4alfa]

On 17/01/2024 at 17:52, eddyramrod said:

Anglias

Green is Spot-On, white and red is Vanguards, white and black is Dinky and is obviously my old Super, ETB 988E that I had in 1979/80.

If we assume Vanguards to be 1/43 and Spot-On to be 1/42, they look about right, but the Dinky is much smaller again.

Some measurements were taken.  Results just in!

SPOT-ON ANGLIA: 1:42

DINKY ANGLIA: 1:48

[danthecapriman]

I’ve started a project for one of my partwork 1:43 Leyland FG trucks. 
I have 3 of these so far so this one will be getting hacked about to resemble a car transporter truck. Something along the lines of this one. I’ve not decided on a livery yet but the basic truck will be similar.

I was going to scratch build the transporter deck but fortunately I have another partwork Pegaso truck bought cheaply to donate a rather nice one! Obviously there is a slight difference in length but most of that is the bed not the chassis.

Strip down. Here the FG chassis (grey) is actually bigger! The problem is though the cab design sits further back than the Pegaso cab and the the replacement transporter bed sits much further back on the chassis which looks quite odd.

This is just a quick mock up to show how it will sit. The wheelbase on the FG is quite short for the tipper body. With the longer transporter bed the rear axle is sitting too far forward. Obviously if it was a real truck with a load on it’d drive awfully with much of the weight too far behind the rear axle! Plus, it just looks wrong!

 

So it needs the chassis extended between the axles. Trying to move the axle back would be an arse as it’s all cast into the chassis with suspension springs etc too. So after a bit of fag packet maths and trying to decide exactly where best to cut, the razor saw was deployed! I had to chop the air tank off the side of the chassis as it was right in the way of the cut, but I’ve got the bit and it will go back on later.
No going back now.

 

I found some spare lengths of brass section and some nickel silver angle section left over from one of my model railway projects so these will be perfect for the chassis extension. 
This might be a bit overkill really but I figured it better to be too strong than not strong enough considering it’s likely to have a diecast car on the back.

I cut 4 lengths of the nickel silver angle, basically to create a C channel that fit in between the chassis cross members then glued them onto the original chassis on one half.

 

Then went for lunch while it dried. 
Once dry I lined up the other original chassis half in the C channel and, after measuring it was the right size and square glued that in position. 
It’s actually very strong now! The gap inside the C channel will be filled in with some brass strip and filled smooth so it looks original.

 

With that fully cured and rock solid here’s another mock up to show the difference.

The rear axle is now moved back almost by its own width. My measurement was a 16mm extension to the chassis which puts the axle about right when looking at pictures of real FG transporters. 
It just looks right now too, when a car sits on the bed the load is right over the rear axle rather than behind it.

Ive also modified the underside of the bed. Originally it had two short frame legs at the very back only which fit flush with the back of the Pegaso chassis. I’ve had to cut some plastic card strips to extend these to become full length of the bed, as without them the bed hits the wheel arch covers but also looks a bit too low. 
I’ve left everything to go off now, but the next task is to finish filling the ‘gap’ in the new chassis to flush it off with the original. Then glue the air tank back in place. I might refit the spare wheel mounting under one side (it was under the back originally). Or should I leave it off?? 
The transporter bed will get a rub down with fine wet & dry then given a coat of primer. 
Cab needs stripping down and paint removing, then the SAVA spec additional grill slots filling in.    
Interior needs swapping over to rhd. It’s a nice little interior unit on these! I used to play in an abandoned FG as a kid! It was an ex BR mobile workshop truck dumped in the corner of a field. The cab interior looked exactly like this! 
That truck is actually still there too.

 

That was actually a days work! Most of the time was wasted by having to keep looking for tools and bits & bobs I’ve packed for moving house. Incredibly frustrating!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

18 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve started a project for one of my partwork 1:43 Leyland FG trucks. 
I have 3 of these so far so this one will be getting hacked about to resemble a car transporter truck. Something along the lines of this one. I’ve not decided on a livery yet but the basic truck will be similar.

I was going to scratch build the transporter deck but fortunately I have another partwork Pegaso truck bought cheaply to donate a rather nice one! Obviously there is a slight difference in length but most of that is the bed not the chassis.

Strip down. Here the FG chassis (grey) is actually bigger! The problem is though the cab design sits further back than the Pegaso cab and the the replacement transporter bed sits much further back on the chassis which looks quite odd.

This is just a quick mock up to show how it will sit. The wheelbase on the FG is quite short for the tipper body. With the longer transporter bed the rear axle is sitting too far forward. Obviously if it was a real truck with a load on it’d drive awfully with much of the weight too far behind the rear axle! Plus, it just looks wrong!

 

So it needs the chassis extended between the axles. Trying to move the axle back would be an arse as it’s all cast into the chassis with suspension springs etc too. So after a bit of fag packet maths and trying to decide exactly where best to cut, the razor saw was deployed! I had to chop the air tank off the side of the chassis as it was right in the way of the cut, but I’ve got the bit and it will go back on later.
No going back now.

 

I found some spare lengths of brass section and some nickel silver angle section left over from one of my model railway projects so these will be perfect for the chassis extension. 
This might be a bit overkill really but I figured it better to be too strong than not strong enough considering it’s likely to have a diecast car on the back.

I cut 4 lengths of the nickel silver angle, basically to create a C channel that fit in between the chassis cross members then glued them onto the original chassis on one half.

 

Then went for lunch while it dried. 
Once dry I lined up the other original chassis half in the C channel and, after measuring it was the right size and square glued that in position. 
It’s actually very strong now! The gap inside the C channel will be filled in with some brass strip and filled smooth so it looks original.

 

With that fully cured and rock solid here’s another mock up to show the difference.

The rear axle is now moved back almost by its own width. My measurement was a 16mm extension to the chassis which puts the axle about right when looking at pictures of real FG transporters. 
It just looks right now too, when a car sits on the bed the load is right over the rear axle rather than behind it.

Ive also modified the underside of the bed. Originally it had two short frame legs at the very back only which fit flush with the back of the Pegaso chassis. I’ve had to cut some plastic card strips to extend these to become full length of the bed, as without them the bed hits the wheel arch covers but also looks a bit too low. 
I’ve left everything to go off now, but the next task is to finish filling the ‘gap’ in the new chassis to flush it off with the original. Then glue the air tank back in place. I might refit the spare wheel mounting under one side (it was under the back originally). Or should I leave it off?? 
The transporter bed will get a rub down with fine wet & dry then given a coat of primer. 
Cab needs stripping down and paint removing, then the SAVA spec additional grill slots filling in.    
Interior needs swapping over to rhd. It’s a nice little interior unit on these! I used to play in an abandoned FG as a kid! It was an ex BR mobile workshop truck dumped in the corner of a field. The cab interior looked exactly like this! 
That truck is actually still there too.

 

That was actually a days work! Most of the time was wasted by having to keep looking for tools and bits & bobs I’ve packed for moving house. Incredibly frustrating!

Lovely attention to detail, Dan. Looking forward to seeing the next step. 

[andrew e]

So having just had a clandestine Tat handover - well more accurately @bunglebus drove past my house on his way home 😂

Anyway in the ensuing sophisticated* tat chat, I cracked open some storage boxes and thought I’d post up some matchbox packing oddities incase they were news to anyone else!

I bought all these new as a kid, played with them (!) then replaced them 10 years later in the 90’s at toyfairs, the Granda I bought new in Zodiac toys Basildon though because it matched my dads!

All three are fantastic boxes - did Ford design them? Oh and an interloper too!

Then these fantastic boxes featuring Sir Rog 😎

Then a quick fact - my old shift partner was apprenticed at Wood & Picket Park Royal where he went to early Duran Duran gigs - Simon Le Bons brother was also an employee…

https://youtu.be/Fp4CR2HcHLQ?feature=shared

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve started a project for one of my partwork 1:43 Leyland FG trucks. 

 

 

 

Nice work on the chassis, that looks spot on.

 

58 minutes ago, andrew e said:

 

 

Zodiac Toys, now that's a blast from the past. I have a faint memory of them, maybe I went into their shops in Bromley and Croydon in the 1970s.

I found a web site here that about Zodiac. It has some old pictures of shop displays, mainly from teh 1980s.

Zodiac Toys | The UK's favourite Toy retailer remembered (1967-1990) (wordpress.com)

[flat4alfa]

Who did it worse?   The Sixth generation (1977–85) Chevrolet Impala

In the left corner, NOVACAR 109 Impala Police.  In the right corner, MAJORETTE 240 Chevrolet Impala, in a stated 1:69 scale

They are very similar, although the NovaCar is slightly slimmer at the rear

The NOVACAR is plastic bodied, the MAJORETTE is die-cast

MAJORETTE gets opening doors.   This blue/white colour was produced 1999-2000

While there are very close similarities, it does seem that the mould and die were not cloned from each other.  More investigation required...

Die-cast bases for both, slight difference in wheelbase

Majorette acquired NovaCar in 1989, so the Impala must pre-date that, you'd think?  Otherwise you might have expected there to be more sharing than just the Majorette wheel set.

Or could it be because the Impala line was finished in 1985?  'Impala' was rebranded as 'Caprice' (without 'Classic' appended) until the 1994 replacement generation body style, when the model name returned.  But no, the NovaCar was produced 1994-95 !

The Majorette was produced  on a long 24 year run 1986-2010, another odd decision to start and continue with the Impala model name and not run with Caprice instead.

Caprice just rang in, to say she agrees

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Zodiac Toys, now that's a blast from the past. I have a faint memory of them, maybe I went into their shops in Bromley and Croydon in the 1970s.

I found a web site here that about Zodiac. It has some old pictures of shop displays, mainly from teh 1980s.

Zodiac Toys | The UK's favourite Toy retailer remembered (1967-1990) (wordpress.com)

Crikey

Quote

Over the years Zodiac developed many of its own ranges, several of which contained items which are now collectables. Check out eBay for some great items, many in their original exclusive packaging. Names to look out for include the dolls, Rachel and Judy, action figure Tommy Gunn, many boxed games carrying the Zodiac logo and not forgetting ‘Midnight’ die-cast vehicles

I never made the connection!  I have a Zodiac Midnight range here, one of those Sze Toy No.70½ Vans

 

Oh, and this

[bunglebus]

 

 

[flat4alfa]

Penny has dropped now

Bought this one about a year ago off a market stall at an airshow.  Really just because NIB and the realisation I didn't have a representation of a Mercedes C126 on any shelf.  This 500 SEC looked smart enough to tick the box without doing a spend

Seen worse efforts and the colour really makes it.  Not only that, measured it to be accurate at 1:43 both in length and width (unusual)

Has opening doors.  Not sure how the boot lid got a chip though

S-EC 1228 was an genuine registration on the main brochure car

For a budget toy, the dashboard is fair enough effort too.  Probably deserves some detailing

I forget the brand who made it.  Probably passed around multiple Hong Kong factories I think

I was going to move this one on...

Can't do that now!

[flat4alfa]

S-EC 1228 modelled in 1:24 by Tamiya

Also produced in ....pre-painted gold !

[bunglebus]

3 hours ago, andrew e said:

So having just had a clandestine Tat handover - well more accurately @bunglebus drove past my house on his way home 😂

Fair exchange is no robbery

[flat4alfa]

Who's got one of these

Never seen one.  Measures to approx 1:50 scale

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Who's got one of these

Never seen one.  Apparently approx 1:50 scale

That's an Alme

 

[flat4alfa]

I remember the chat on those now

Never seen one in the wild though

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Had the unexpected experience of visiting a Tesco and picking through a case I hadn't seen before. Almost forgot what it was like....

I stopped myself getting too many (maybe I'll pick up one or two more on next Monday's milk run?), but I was happy to find this selection. Yes, I already have a Proton but it seems just to good to be true so I had to get another.

[andrew e]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Fair exchange is no robbery

 

1 owner from new too! £1.99 in Woolworths was probably a third of my paper round money in the mid late 80’s, I probably spent the rest on pick and mix 😂

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Fair exchange is no robbery

I had those sets as a kid! I remember the plastic lamp posts and signs more than anything else from them. They spent many years floating around in my big toy car box! 
I clearly remember the box style too.

[bunglebus]

The POLICE ACCIDENT signs look similar to what I remember as being inside my Dinky Transit