Shite in Miniature II

[Junkman]

You have better charity shops than we do!  Nice haul, well done.

 

Thanks, but I wish. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[Junkman]

Look what Hasegawa has announced for release in Autumn:

 

 

1/24 plastic model kit.

Preorders can be placed here: http://www.hlj.com/product/hsghc20

[Matt]

You call those Miniature? Get on my level.

 

 

Anyone know what it is exactly? It's a miracle that it's even still in someones possession as I've had it for what must be getting on for ten years and my cousin had it before that when he was young so it must be from the early or mid 90's at the latest. How it hasn't been lost in that time is beyond me.

[Jon]

I know exactly what that is: A Micro Machines Insider.

 

 

Here's some further pics of your Insider:

 

http://toysfromthepast.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/261-micro-machines-insiders-collection.html

 

They were tiny versions of Micro Machines that emerged from a hollowed out standard sized version. As a result of this added complexity* and decreased amount of plastic, you only got two sets of Insiders in a pack, for the same price as a standard set of 5 Micro Machines. Had a couple of these when I was a kid, along with many, many regular ones. In fact, I have one of those plastic sweet jars you get from newsagents filled to the brim with badly proportioned miniature vehicles, stored somewhere at my folks' house, along with numerous folding up street scenes and towns etc. that I played with.

[Junkman]

A 1956 Thunderbird Micro Machines Insider, to be exact.

[Matt]

I know exactly what that is: A Micro Machines Insider.

 

Here's some further pics of your Insider:

 

http://toysfromthepast.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/261-micro-machines-insiders-collection.html

 

They were tiny versions of Micro Machines that emerged from a hollowed out standard sized version. As a result of this added complexity* and decreased amount of plastic, you only got two sets of Insiders in a pack, for the same price as a standard set of 5 Micro Machines. Had a couple of these when I was a kid, along with many, many regular ones. In fact, I have one of those plastic sweet jars you get from newsagents filled to the brim with badly proportioned miniature vehicles, stored somewhere at my folks' house, along with numerous folding up street scenes and towns etc. that I played with.

 

Thank you! I feel kind of obliged to try and buy the 'outsider' that it would have come with now!

 

A 1956 Thunderbird Micro Machines Insider, to be exact.

 

Christ, so that thing could be nearly 60 years old? Any idea how long the series ran for?

[Junkman]

Christ, so that thing could be nearly 60 years old? Any idea how long the series ran for?

 

Nah, Micro Machines were a 90s thing.

[RedSparrow]

Seriously?

[eddyramrod]

Seriously true, I remember them.  However, then as now, there was nothing but licensing to stop them making models of classic cars rather than contemporary types.

[Split_Pin]

I had loads of Micro Machines in the late 1980s. I liked the deluxe ones, only 3 in a pack, all the doors and engine lids opened. I still have a Ferrari f40 one from that time. I bought some more of them about 2 years ago. A black JAG XJS from the first edition of one of the first releases of MicroMachines called the European Collection, a Mercedes SEL from the equally early Rally Collection and 2 early Deluxe models, a Mustang SVO and a Camaro. I had an Insiders playset, with a building in the standard stout opening up to form a smaller playset. If you have a magnifying glass, you can spot an early MM by '1988' under the baseplate, which will be diecast on wary standard cars. They will also have fished wheels with spokes. Later ones had smaller fanblade style wheels.

[Partridge]

I had a froggy Ford Scorpio made my Micro Machines...really wish I had it because they seem very, very, very rare.

[brickwall]

We had Micro Machine races at school. Many a 10p was gambled.

[DVee8]

I have some new ones from the kids for my birthday

Corgi junior leyland terrier weetabix

A Corgi Junior E-Type

A corgi junior whizzwheels De Tomaso Mangusta

A Corgi junior Captain America Porsche 917

Corgi junior growlers Ferrari 512S

Corgi Junior Land Rover wrecker truck

A Corgi toys The Chevrolet experimental car

And last a Corgi Buck Rodgers Starfighter

[eddyramrod]

Happy Birthday!  Excellent haul there.

[Ghosty]

Yep - that's a good one. I have the Weetabix truck, along with a box set of a yellow Routemaster, an XJS and a Volvo artic.

Think they had a deal going on with Nestlé in the '80s as the Volvo also comes in a Mars bar livery.

Also have the E-type, in blue with a yellow interior.

 

Mum's just bought herself a maroon Dinky Mk2 Jag - no pics because she has something like OCD and I can't touch anything of hers on pain of death, even then I don't know where it is.

[mercrocker]

It was my birthday yesterday......I received this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made in Hong Kong (OK Toys)

Already have a police car version but now I can play cops and robbers....

[Junkman]

Who of you actually play with their toy cars?

I do, for one.

[eddyramrod]

I'll admit it, yes... I do too.  Why do you think I go to the trouble of restoring a garage?  I've got another, smaller one in my lockup that MrsR knows nothing about yet...

[Junkman]

I'd love to have a garage. But seeing the going rates, I will have to make one myself, I'm afraid.

 

On a different note, I got this today from Watadung:

 

 

 

Many, many thanks again!

[Junkman]

And I bought this at the Chodmolestly Castle jumble today:

 

[eddyramrod]

The garage I've just done cost me eight whole English pounds.  The other one cost me much less.  If you'd be happy at Matchbox scales, we can come to some arrangement for it.  I have literally not started the restoration yet.

 

Nice Chevy!

[mercrocker]

I think I might have to do some modelling this winter.  Seen a nice Revell T25 camper van.....

[Junkman]

The garage I've just done cost me eight whole English pounds.  The other one cost me much less.  If you'd be happy at Matchbox scales, we can come to some arrangement for it.  I have literally not started the restoration yet.

 

Nice Chevy!

 

My eyes are way too dim for Matchbox size nowadays, but cheers a zee for the offer!

That Chevy is quite nice, but being Revell, not entirely without its issues.

 

I think I might have to do some modelling this winter.  Seen a nice Revell T25 camper van.....

 

I still have an ancient issue of that Revell Camper. Not a bad model considering how old the tooling is.

Again, in typical Revell fashion, there are a few issues, though. With some care, it can be built into a

very nice model, though.

[mercrocker]

Bit like the  real ones then.....

[Junkman]

For every Revell kit, and most Japanesish stuff, first of all, you need this:

 

http://www.bare-metal.com/articles/panel_scriber_%20introduction.html

 

Believe me, this is the answer to many a prayer.

[Guest yelookinit]

And I bought this at the Chodmolestly Castle jumble today:

 

This is a good kit, i have built this a few yrs ago!

[Junkman]

This is a good kit, i have built this a few yrs ago!

 

It's not a bad kit, but in typical Revell fashion, it has several unnecessary inaccuracies and inconveniences.

 

- the windscreen header is too arched. It was flatter on the real car. Unfortunately, this severely compromises the overall appearance of the model.

- The door and lid shut lines are not moulded crisply enough - they need to be rescribed with a panel scriber. Revell will never learn this.

- The boot area between the finlets is recessed in the decker panel area - it should be flush with the rear wing crowns.

- Revell went to great lengths providing separate plated parts for most of the trim and emblems, but they cast the horn ring integral with the steering wheel - and cast it badly at that.

- The area around the a-pillar and vent windows is moulded vague and inaccurate.

- The roof drip rail is moulded too vague.

- They replicated the headliner, but as a result, there are transverse sink marks in the outer roof surface. This will be a bitch to get smooth and then not 'ghosting' through the paint.

- The front door shut line should continue all the way down to the bottom, i.e. the front wings and the sills should have a gap between them. Those gaps are also missing between the rear wings and the decker panel.

- the windscreen and back light are compound curved, whereas they were only curved left to right on the real car, top to bottom they were straight.

 

Especially the inaccuracies of the overall body shape are inexcusable. They had 60 years to get this right, and their first 55 Bel Air kit from the Sixties is actually better in this respect.

 

[Junkman]

Actually, I might whack off the roof and graft one on from a 57 Chevy snap kit, which is surprisingly accurate.

 

[Guest Facelifted75]

lol you guys need girlfriends!

[Junkman]

Nah, they are difficult to paint and don't respond well to panel scribing tools.