Shite in Miniature II

[Supernaut]

I ventured into the loft to look for something for the Secret Santa and got distracted.

 

Check this out! I remember the transporter and all the cars except the BMW Z1 being obtained in the 90s by my dad through the use of Esso points.

 

[Felly Magic]

All 4 shapes of Vaz 2108 series in right hook flavour. That car transporter and load is superb Supernaut.

 

[59Impala]

Some of the stuff that I treated myself to in recent months, not helped by the fact that I entered this world many years ago in the month of October therefore I am obliged to purchase myself birthday presents. This endeavour is not helped by the local toyfair being held in September which is just another excuse to part with some wedge. So here are some Spot-Ons which I love, they were difficult to find in shops back in the 60's. The Fiat 500 is quite hard to find but somehow three have decided to nest with me. The Mk10 Jaaag is bloody hard to find so I was pleased to get the restored gold one at the toyfair. The Commer van is also hard to find in nice condition and this one is original. Also some Corgis and French plasticity just to keep JM and Egg on their toes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zut alors un autre!

With the Chevron B23 racer

 

 

[mercrocker]

As always, Mr Gullwing, a fine display!    

[RayMK]

I used to seek out Spot-On s because their suspension set up was more realistic than the hard as nails Corgis and short travel Dinkys.  You are right though, they were difficult to find and usually only stocked in hobby type toy shops rather than major highstreet chains. Price was a problem as well. I ended up with a Fiat 600 Multipla, Bristol whatever number it is, Humber estate car, Landrover LWB, a pre-war Bentley and a suspensionless pre war MG (pre-war by model depicted, not age of model).  The Multipla and Humber bit the dust ages ago but I may still have odd bits e.g base plates and wheels.  The Bristol is more or less intact unless it originally had windows.  They've gone. The Bentley (green, of 'blower' type appearance) even came with spare wheel trims.  Mine is in very good condition and the trims are somewhere.  The Landrover will articulate its axles on uneven surfaces without loading it and I remember this being a very satisfying feature.  I'll add these to the list of models that I'll photograph one day. 

[mercrocker]

And of course the constant scale which was very pleasing to a somewhat obsessive child...... 

 

The only survivors I have are the Multipla (which was very badly repainted with spare Humbrol after an Airfix kit failure) and the Alpine.   The Sunbeam got its hardtop broken on holiday in Swanage in 1965 and was never played with again.   Somehow it remained in my possession until the day when replacement parts became available and is now resplendent with correct weather protection and new bumpers along with its original paint! 

 

I have managed to amass another dozen or so in my comparatively affluent middle-age as a reminder that my life has not been completely wasted.

[Felly Magic]

I feel atm that I am hitting a rutt collection wise, there is nothing really out there atm that I am wanting, just picked up the Strathclyde plod Ashtray, which will become a boggo Merit. I wish one of the mainstream manufacturers would do some Austin Rover stuff, they could get plenty of versions of the Metro for instance. 

[RayMK]

I like what you have been doing, particularly the one make or one model themed line-ups.  

[Felly Magic]

Cheers Ray. Just wish there was a more local model shop, naff all round here

[Junkman]

A kind of short while ago when you reached my age I promised you good people that I'm going to post my recent* 1/24 scale acquisitions.

A new job with new responsibilities on a tight schedule has hitherto prevented even me to enjoy the loot as much as I wished for.

 

However, tonight, with the invaluable help of Conrad, we managed to do all kinds of electrickerily wizardry to share the proceeds.

The terminally cool Studebaker was just an interlude, so please, grab some beer and popcorn, because this is going to go on for a while or two.

I will leave you alone with the pictures, but I'd appreciate any comment you may want to contribute.

 

Let the games begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[eddyramrod]

I want a Simca Market like that one!  One I can drive, I mean, the model is glorious.

[Spottedlaurel]

Very nice, they all look crisply detailed and well-proportioned.

[mercrocker]

An immaculately curated array of prime shite if I may say so.   

[Junkman]

I almost forgot, should you wish to obtain the odd shite from the series, this is where I get them from: https://www.journaux.fr/auto-vintage_vehicules-miniatures_7_1_458398.html

[59Impala]

Thanks for the link JM, I just bought five models from them, four 'camping cars' and the AEC Regent Greenline bus, remember going to Brands Hatch on those and to school on the regular red London Transport version. Good prices too, must keep an eye out for the Bedford CA camper and snap one up. Those 1/24ths are a bargain with some nicely different vehicles but I must stick with my main theme of 1/43rd scale with some exceptions. Stude is gorgeous btw. Remember seeing one of those in the infamous Barnsley scrapyard, on top of a stack with one of the rear doors about ready to fall off.

[Felly Magic]

Bloody hell JM, pure filth there!

[MarvinsMom]

these are recent additions to the collection.

 

first off a Corgi Hillman Imp. i have a Dinky one already, so i have been keen on adding a Corgi one too match. The Dinky one has an opening bonnet and boot, with jewelled headlamps. The Corgi one has painted headlamps, though i think later versions of this model did have jewelled ones like the Dinky version. It does however get an opening back window, like the real car did, and a folding back seat. There was once a suit case, thsi is long gone. 

 

then for almost the same money as i gave for the Imp, Kerry bought this. This is a Matchbox (england) Hardly Dangerous, even says so on the fuel tank! so the problem of the diecast bikes not fitting in the cabinet are solved by getting different (smaller) motobikes.....

 

its not one of the 75 series models that i remember, not that i remember that many!

 

here it is in its new home, see, its just the right size! i think its closer to the 1:36 cars in scale instead of the 1:43 ones. incedentally the Metro MG 6R4 is also one of Kerry's, she got it for a couple of quid at a toyfair several years ago. It is i think out of so partwork series, and its lost a wing mirror at some point (hence white it was a couple of quid!) but she has always had a soft spot for the rabid little psychopath thing. She got a ride in one round the grounds of Gaydon museum, again a couple of years ago.

 

fianlly i bought this sad little thing. oh dear, what ever happened to this?

 

the next time you ee this, i hope it will look a whole lot better than this! i'm thinking gloss black, with new glass and tyres, a la "Rodney Mini" my black mini 1000. now ok, this old Corgi is a model of a mark 1 car while Rodney Mini is a mark 3, but at 1:43 scale the differences wont matter, not to me anyway!

[stuboy]

Bought this recently, 1/43 scale very happy with it

[Junkman]

I wouldn't be really me if, even after yesterday, I'd be unable to serve you people a 1/24 scale aftershot.

 

It's actually a genuine BMW spare part, part number and all.

 

 

 

You know something is special when it comes in a styrofoam sarcophagus.

 

 

 

And low and behold, it sure doesn't disappoint this time either!

 

 

 

 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

DSCN8512.JPG

 

the next time you ee this, i hope it will look a whole lot better than this! i'm thinking gloss black, with new glass and tyres, a la "Rodney Mini" my black mini 1000. now ok, this old Corgi is a model of a mark 1 car while Rodney Mini is a mark 3, but at 1:43 scale the differences wont matter, not to me anyway!

 

ayyy, snap!

 

 

Also in my recent acquisitions to repaint pile. 

[bunglebus]

Not sure I can bring myself to pay £15 odd for a model of my car, in almost the right colour

 

[Mr A Lawrence]

What am I doing wrong?

 

I've done a few restos so far without any problems but now I'm trying to do a corgi mini, I've used the same stripper and the same paint as before but it won't go on the mini without looking shit.

 

I've stripped it twice now and washed the stripper off with warm water and left to thoroughly dry as ive done before but it ain't working.

 

Help!

[eddyramrod]

What are you stripping it with?  Tried caustic soda?

[hennabm]

Re the Corgi Imp; there was also the rally version the same colour but with number 77 on it IIRC.

[eddyramrod]

Yes, and for many years it was offered as a police car, but still with the rally plate on the front, just left blank.  A variety of liveries appeared!

[mercrocker]

107 was the number on the rally Hillman and this one had twinkly spot lights but cast headlamps as per the standard Imp.   The Police one was actually a Sunbeam and used the plastic Monte plaque from the equivalent Sunbeam rally version (this car was the Number 77)  to bear the "Police" transfer at the front. 

 

 These rally cars had the full array of head and spot lamps all jewelled, the police car only had single headlamps, each side of the correct Sunbeam front logo and again these were jewelled.   Sunbeams also had correctly represented rear cooling vents in the upright of the engine cover - a nice detail that contrasts with Corgi's less strenuous efforts to correctly model their Mini Coopers which all had standard Morris radiator grilles, until the "Magnifique" which had a chromed plastic grille insert.  

[59Impala]

I also bought that blue Corgi Imp fairly recently, may even be with a box. The usual problem with them is that the rear suspension collapses due to over enthusiastic playing with the way that it's used to lower the back seat if I recall correctly. Finding one that isn't sagging at the rear is a major plus. I also have owned the bronze-ish version from new, think it may only have come with the transporter gift set, I got that for Xmas circa 1965/6. There  were three Minis, a Cortina estate and a Rover 2000 in maroon, again that may have been that colour only in the set. The transporter was pulled by an American Ford, same one as the Holmes Wrecker and the Express Delivery truck. Corgi and Dinky were really good back then for car mad boys such as myself.

[mercrocker]

If I remember correctly, the Rover 2000 was issued separately in maroon but later on and with the later type "spoked" Corgi hubs.  We are talking non-Monte Carlo 2000s here of course....I seem to recall that the Cortina Estate in that H Series Ford Gift Set was red and of course came with no golf entourage in that Gift Set.   The bronze Imp I think was also issued separately but maybe not at the same time as the Gift Set. 

 

Corgi did a later Car Transporter set with the Scammell Routeman cab and dropped the price slightly to reflect that cab's cheaper construction - the Ford was quite ornate with its twin air horns, swivelling mirrors and access ladder etc.  It also tilted, of course, with the detailed engine.   The Scammell also came with 3 Minis (I think it was only the Minis that could fit 3 on the lower deck) along with the Sunbeam Rally Imp, the Saint Volvo (with red decal rather than waterslide transfer on the bonnet) and another special colour model - the orange MGC GT.    There were a handful of plastic cones included as well so you could play-act the blocking of a busy High Street whilst you unloaded the front MG at the local dealership. 

 

The trailer part of the outfit also came as a tri-deck at certain periods with a 1-2-3 formation of cars.  

 

I still have my Scammell Gift set but unfortunately the rally cars (there was a Mini Monte Carlo as well) and the MGC got sold off to various friends who also collected but had more money than me!    Regrets?  I've had a few.....

[Datsuncog]

I also bought that blue Corgi Imp fairly recently, may even be with a box. The usual problem with them is that the rear suspension collapses due to over enthusiastic playing with the way that it's used to lower the back seat if I recall correctly. Finding one that isn't sagging at the rear is a major plus.

 

The suspension on mine broke both fore and aft, giving it an unusual stance...

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, it went off for treatment at Dr. Mercrocker's Hospital for Ailing Diecast, where I believe it's now convalescing well.

[mercrocker]

Yes, the Dr. has attended to the Imp and a temporary splint from the offcut of a cable tie has been glued in place!   It enjoyed its time in the cabinet but is currently awaiting further surgery as the action wasn't quite right and it looked like it was sagging on the other side!