Shite in Miniature II

41,496 · February 5

Never seen a scale model of one of these though. The second Lancia Beta, an Autocarro, 1950 - 61

A two-cylinder, two-stroke, 42HP Detroit Diesel could be had in these - I bet that was a right hoot.

The first engine in these was an unusual U-shaped four cylinder petrol. I bet(a) that sounded just as dramatic as well

4,661 · February 6

8 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

I'd be interested if you're putting an order in and they have more than one available. Had a couple of 1:1s on the road in years gone by....

Have had quite a bit of diecast come through the door lately (I'm expecting a couple more this week) so might have to wait a few weeks! Seems to be a few on eBay,

4,661 · February 6

11 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

It’s really nice! I’ve not seen one in this country, yet. That one was from a seller in Italy I get quite a few from. Definitely from the Mexico set. The colours a bit, err, Marmite, shall we say! I always remember the saloons in white, red or silver seemed most common.
My parents had a metallic blue Y reg coupe version for many years.

Theres also a JDM style version made by First43, available in a more realistic silver or red. A lot dearer but it looks more detailed.

My parents had a metallic dark blue B11, but a 2 door saloon, B829 MPY. it was the first brand new car they had, they had quite a few Nissans after that.

Later on, in 1990, when I was doing a training scheme at a local Rover dealer, I saw CKK 517Y, an immaculate metallic green Sunny 4 door in the compound. They had just got it in as a part ex, and after some enquiries by the mechanic who I was working with, the sales manager said I could have it for the £500 they gave for it. I was just a few weeks from turning 17, so my dad drove it home. Sadly it didn't work out well (for me anyway), as my sister passed her test a few months before me, and my parents sold her the Sunny from under my nose, for the trade price I paid for it. Relations were strained in that house for some time, I can tell you...

24,070 · February 6

2 hours ago, AndyW201 said:

Theres also a JDM style version made by First43, available in a more realistic silver or red. A lot dearer but it looks more detailed.

My parents had a metallic dark blue B11, but a 2 door saloon, B829 MPY. it was the first brand new car they had, they had quite a few Nissans after that.

Later on, in 1990, when I was doing a training scheme at a local Rover dealer, I saw CKK 517Y, an immaculate metallic green Sunny 4 door in the compound. They had just got it in as a part ex, and after some enquiries by the mechanic who I was working with, the sales manager said I could have it for the £500 they gave for it. I was just a few weeks from turning 17, so my dad drove it home. Sadly it didn't work out well (for me anyway), as my sister passed her test a few months before me, and my parents sold her the Sunny from under my nose, for the trade price I paid for it. Relations were strained in that house for some time, I can tell you...

My parents one was a dark metallic blue coupe, that still had both Nissan and Datsun badges weirdly, NBP 504Y. They bought it after my mum passed her test, as a used car. It was only meant to be a cheap run around but it actually turned out to be a really good car. They kept it years and went all over the place in it. It drove to Yorkshire and Cornwall no end of times!
The only problem it ever had was one time the carburettor got blocked up with a batch of dirty fuel. It was faultless other than that. Towards the end though it started suffering from the dreaded tin worm! Sills, door bottoms and the bulkhead all started rusting out. They patched it up a few times but the rot in the bulkhead was the killer as to fix properly it needed the engine and everything removed really. At the time it wasn’t worth it so it got rolled into the garage and left for a year or so, then traded in for a Vectra saloon! Of all things. I remember being really pissed off they did that to it! It didn’t see the road again unfortunately and I believe it went straight for scrap.
Shame as it was a nice car to look at still, you wouldn’t know it was as rusty as it was looking at it.

36,404 · February 6

Day 2 on the five Porsche Project.

Another model was opened.

This one is the Joest Racing Spirit of America Porsche 956 that was driven to 3rd place by George Follmer, John Morton and Kenper Miller in the 1986 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Guide pictures...

and big decals. This model will be almost totally covered in decals when done.

The results of Day 2.

The Valvoline car is back together. At the front the nose has had it's two piece decal fitted and the headlamps have been painted white for a day time look.

At the rear the wing is back on and the decal joins have had some touch-ins.

Also the air intake has been painted and refitted and the radiator opening have been painted on the sides.

On the Obermaier car the base decals have been competed...

and the rear wing attached.

The Spirit of America was pulled apart, the dash done, the rear wing done and the large decals that covers the rear and sides put on.

This took around 30 minutes of careful application with plenty of Micro Sol.

It has gone on fairly straight with only some minor curves on the right side of the roof.

24,070 · February 6

Yet more Ergomadness today!

Decided to make a start on the tipper box. I spent a while last night looking at pics of the various styles and types of tipper bodies these trucks had just for a few ideas really of how best to go, and how the body actually fitted and worked.

Ive built a second chassis style frame and glued that to the bottom of a piece of 80 thou plastic card, which is now pretty strong and shouldn’t twist. The second ‘chassis’ style frame under the floor is also to lift the tipper body up higher over the wheels.
Sides and end of the box are slightly thinner plastic card sheet, as I didn’t want the thickness that’s visible around the top of the body looking too chunky. Otherwise it might look like the body was made from armour plate!
The end behind the cab is taller as most of these do have a small cab protector shield fitted in one style or another.

Inside the box is reinforced with some styrene L angle sections. You won’t see these once there’s a load inside.

This afternoon I’ll make the tailgate up. And also start adding the reinforcing ribs to the box sides, which should make it look a bit more realistic and take the plain-ness away.
Also need to make up the double rear mudguards that usually seem to lift with the tipper body.
Im not sure if I’ll try actually making it tip though! It’s a model rather than a toy!

While I was looking at pics of these, it’s surprising how many of these are actually still working for a living in Malta! Many are absolutely battered to hell but still going. Just goes to show what a decent climate can do.

7,043 · February 6

that ixo montego would be fairly easy to do some vaiation with- smooth later rear lights, alloy wheels, rear spoiler, red boot infill panel, modify the front grille for the "rover" look from '89

22,193 · February 6

Been a while since I found something new.

Roadkill Rotsun,and the Forza Mk2 Escort.

Escort was found stashed behind some Hotwheels track sets with a Mainline Yellow submarine,away from the main displayThought is was the Holden first of all,was happy see it wasn't. :mrgreen:

4,661 · February 6

Had to get in a bit of late night shopping on the way home last night, first day driving the recently-acquired W202 as well.

Amazingly, our local Tesco, a barren wasteland when it comes to fresh diecast, actually had some newer Matchbox in!

Now I'm not anti-modified cars by any stretch, I've owned quite a few, but it has to be said that Matchbox are really knocking it out of the park lately with nice, standard looking releases with factory colour schemes and graphics, etc. This F150 being a good example. A lot of the time, I'm starting to prefer the Matchbox releases over Hot Wheels. Just a shame Matchbox are even harder to get in my neck of the woods...

This is the first of the Renault Kangoo casting that I've bought, it's the first livery of it that I've liked.

For a smol commercial vehicle, it's nicely finished and detailed.

Shame they don't do the Mercedes Citan version but you can't have everything...

Have to say, like, they do love their modern SUVs...

Saying that, I'd rather see a case full of real cars like these than a case full of airport tugs, speed cameras or fantasy shite like mobile toilets or dildos or whatever...

This is a casting I've not seen before, this another example of the Matchbox version being far more attractive than the Hot Wheels IMO,

Of course, my favourite find was this,

What a little sweetie! I think this just pips the silver GTi to be my favourite version of the Golf. No Volvo alas, but I was chuffed just to find some newer releases.

Some new Hot Wheels too, but after a hoik around, I didn't find much. Doesn't look like this case is one of the classics ..

I've now got this, and the Turquoise one. I know they're both Barbie branded releases but this Corvette casting is a really nice one.

First time I've seen this 'Cuda in the wild too, with the new wheels,

Let's hope, as @bunglebus alluded to in an earlier post, that Entertainer taking over Tesco's toy supply might mean newer stuff appearing more regularly. Not that our Entertainer is much use on that score...

19,514 · February 6

This arrived over the weekend

I have never had this one despite seeing it in the matchbox 1987 catalogue and having much want. In fact of the new releases that year I only got the jaguar xj6.

I am waiting for something else to arrive frlm the same era but the royal mail are not doing well.

24,070 · February 6

Tipper body is almost done. Just a few details to add really.
Reinforcing strips all added. This end is up against the back of the cab, and still needs the cab roof protector making and sticking on. I’ll add a couple of closing sections on down the sides too, then a couple of lengths of round tube in the middle going down to the chassis to look like the hydraulic rams for lifting the tipper.

Still need to build the rear wheel arch’s too.
But I’ve added two dummy hinge plates which actually now help align the tipper and chassis perfectly. Also cut off the diecast battery box and air cylinders from the chassis, I’m going to swap the fuel tank to the other side and probably fit battery box and spare wheel (if I can find one!) where the fuel tank was originally. The front axle was slightly too wide for my liking so I’ve chopped a tiny amount off one end, now with the wheels refitted they tuck under the new cab much nicer.
Forgot to take pics, but I’ve also made the tailgate and fitted that with a tube & rod hinge across the back of the tipper.

It’s getting there, albeit slowly!
Still to do:
Make rear wheel arches for tipper body.
Make rear halves of the front wheel arches.
Make cab interior.
Make cab door mirrors.
Filler & sand down cab roof back section.
Make new fuel tank.
Refit and/or make new - exhaust, prop shaft, rear light assembly/bumper.
Make new front bumper.
Make cab roof protector.
No doubt loads of other stuff too!

50,456 · February 6

I'm in Manchester this week, stopped at a Tesco nearby for a few bits and there was a new case

Found the regular Treasure Hunt near the top, a couple of Protons and RS2000s - and this

It has been 1609 days since I last found a Super Treasure Hunt in the wild. I think I'm slightly in shock

22,193 · February 6

Congrats on that $uper,I've never found one on a short card!!

Some great finds on here the last couple of days 😁

February 6

4,661 · February 6

So, the last few other bits found recently,

At the B&M next door to Tesco, I found a few of these F&F editions. I managed to get all 10 of the last collection, but these seem to be it for this one. Naturally the Skyline 2000 GTX was nowhere to be seen, but these aren't bad models in their own right, barring the Crass & Spurious connection,

I was pleased to find the Datsun, as it seems to be another sought-after one.

Being a semi premium (but without real riders wheels) edition, these do have a nice bit of tampo detailing.

And I do always love a '70 Charger,

Smyths, as usual had nothing apart from a dozen or so each of the Boulevards that no one wants, shit loads of the £9.99 Jay Leno sets (that seemingly no one wants, though I'm tempted to get one just for the Mercedes renntransporter thing), loads of empty shelf space and a load of mainlines from 3 or 4 cases back.

However there were a few of these, which have always intrigued me,

And, after I ignored the silly generic castings, I found a few that seemed to be the desirable ones. Apart from the Focus. Predictably that one had sold out.

Again, semi premium, so as well as the neon tampons, you also get all the light, grille and badge detailing. I just wish they'd bring this Golf out as a nice, normal factory spec mainline...

The Civic EK9 is one of my favourite current castings,

50,456 · February 6

Big Pink Slips in Asda. Bargain

22,193 · February 6

4 hours ago, Bren said:

This arrived over the weekend

I have never had this one despite seeing it in the matchbox 1987 catalogue and having much want. In fact of the new releases that year I only got the jaguar xj6.

I am waiting for something else to arrive frlm the same era but the royal mail are not doing well.

I gave one of mine a going over with a weathering kit,to give the impression it had just come off a muddy forest rally stage!

50,456 · February 6

Went a bit silly with mine

22,193 · February 6

Very eastern European.

4,661 · February 6

That Skoda was my favourite Matchbox release at the time, just for the fact they actually did a Skoda 130, probably the Hot Wheels Proton of its day.

Mark, one of my mates at school was a fellow model car nut, rally car fan and loved Eastern European cars, (his dad had had various rear engined Skodas and his brother had a Polonez Prima). He must have had at least 50 of those Matchbox Skodas at the time, most with different rally liveries added by him. I've always wanted to do a road version with one as a 130LSE with vinyl roof, probably in the Terracotta colour the posh versions always came in.

12,918 · February 6

Only paid £1 for my MIB Skoda back in 2007/08....

Skoda Estelle, Rover 800/Sterling and Simca/Chrysler Alpine

12,918 · February 6

53 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

So, the last few other bits found recently,

At the B&M next door to Tesco, I found a few of these F&F editions. I managed to get all 10 of the last collection, but these seem to be it for this one. Naturally the Skyline 2000 GTX was nowhere to be seen..................

I'll try and remember to drop into a local B&M tomorrow - there was plenty of the Skyline around here a few weeks ago.

29,421 · February 6

49 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

Skoda 130, probably the Hot Wheels Proton of its day

This x1000

I remember being both awe-struck and dumbfounded at finding one in 'The Rummle' in Crail on my holidays in about 1987 or 88. I couldn't believe they'd make a car like that which at the time was the butt of many jokes. I stupidly swapped it some years later but I have bought 2 from Sierraman to salve my conscience.

37,076 · February 6

I don’t know how you’d do a standard one unless you could find a way of grinding the engine cover down to remove the spoiler.

17,205 · February 6

My childhood 'restoration' involved a small flat piece of card taped to a cocktail stick, which gave me an opening 'normal' boot and actually didn't look totally shit. I think my one got painted sort of 'desert sand' colour which was the closest I had to beige. Once a 'shiter...

38,751 · February 7

Quite pleased to find the previously profiled Hot Wheels Nissan multipack down in Home Bargains today, for a fairly reasonable £7.99...

(I say reasonable - for some reason, it's still more expensive to buy this 5-pack than to buy 5 individual mainlines off the adjacent pegs at £1.49 each...)

Rare to find a pack where every model's worth having, though! This is the first 5-pack I've bought for a long, long time.

12,918 · February 7

@AndyW201 it's your lucky day. Popped into B&M, they had just one 1971 Skyline left so I got it for you.

Had a look at the HWs etc. Scattered in several locations through the store, and evidence of the fairly recent case including the older Land Rover, but nothing that I felt I had to have. A few Matchbox dotted around, but still the AMC, green Ranchero etc.

50,456 · February 7

Another day, another Smyths.

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise that there are lots of Thundercats left, and no Escorts

4,487 · February 7

On 05/02/2024 at 14:39, bunglebus said:

These...well. they were a job lot and one especially piqued my interest.

First up, 80s poster favourite

And another that's a bit more up my street

Things are definitely improving here

However this was the one I really wanted to have a good look at, and it does not disappoint

Which mark of Escort is this supposed to be exactly? Body says 3/4 but those headlights look like 5 to me

None have anything on the base. They do say if you're proud of your work you should sign it