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Shite in Miniature II


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6 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Does anyone have any recollection of these models? They seem to ring a bell...

Yes, they were superb.

I bought a blue MN12 Ford Thunderbird and a yellow third-gen Camaro from a little toy shop / post office / chemist in Polperro, Cornwall. I must have been about ten.

I didn't realise they were plastic until I unpackaged them, but the mouldings were crisp enough to have me wondering why all smallish models weren't done the same way.

The small scale (1:72?) was a bit annoying, though (Further edit: oh yeah it says 1:87 on the packaging. I'm surprised, they don't seem that small to me, as in smaller than 1:76/OO gauge)

EDIT –  Not my pic, but these two:

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12 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Does anyone have any recollection of these models? They seem to ring a bell...

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.539ddcac8935f20edf4300bea305878b.jpg

I've got a few of those in my 1/87 collection.The transporter arrived last week,so I was looking for some cars to put on it 😀

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I don't know when they stopped making the Monogram cars,but some of the castings ended up as Herpa models,these are from a 2002 catalogue

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Incoming!

It's arrived!

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Finally, after pre ordering back in January last year, I have the Vanguards XR3i in the newly launched MK4 guise.

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As can be seen, this version is gloriously bASe, kudos to Corgi for making the first XR3i release in this guise. The shape of the MK4 is captured well. Main complaint is the fit of the rear bumper where it meets the rear arches. The bumpers appear to be seperate plastic pieces on this. 

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The fit can be seen here. I may see if I can glue the corners to the edge of the rear arch. The tail lights look better than they look in the photo, and the badges and bootlock look good, along with the early rear spoiler.

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Front end looks good, nice to see gingercators fitted, and the right font on the number plates! It's often good to see Corgi cast the bonnet seperately, however the fit doesn't seem to be 100% on this casting. Still, it is a representation of a 1980s Ford...

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Interior looks decent. Dashboard and steering wheel are done well.

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Love those wheel trims! Apparently the real car this was modelled on is a proper base example, with a sunroof, but without alloys, central locking or electric windows.

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So, I set the XR3i free from its display case. Instantly I wasn't keen on how it sat, it seemed way too low at the back,

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Normally this wouldn't bother me, I'd just drop the front to match! But the baseness of this car made me want to get it up to normal height. So for the first time, I set about raising the suspension on a Vanguards model! Apart it came,

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Bit different this one from previous releases. The nice underbody detailing is gone, along with the hidden screw fixings, which used to be a nice touch.  Only screwed in at the front now too, the rear of the baseplate is held in with a tab now. Interesting to see only the Corgi logo too, no Vanguards logo. The fact the baseplate says 'Escort Mk4' though gives hope that we may see some non-sporting variants from this casting.

There was a fair bit of upward movement between the rear axle and the suspension rods, so I fashioned a packing piece to go between the interior tub and the rear axle,

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Also closed up the gaps on the rear bumper. Reckon it looks a bit better now.

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On 1/7/2021 at 6:08 AM, bunglebus said:

Did you have a flat en-route or did someone pinch the spare?

Even in quasi-real time travelling adventures, there are ne'er-do-wells who nick your spares, it seems!

 

On 1/7/2021 at 7:24 AM, flat4alfa said:

Of course I had to look that Douglas DC7 up

First glance, I thought the slide was coming off the wing! 

http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/misc/steakhouse.htm

On the same subject, here's a McDonalds I've driven past many a time:

douglas-dc-aircraft-part-mcdonalds-resta

 

So, after trying out the Jeep but wanting something with a bit more panache but still very American, I traded it in and got something to amply portray a man fast approaching 40:

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A useless pick-up, of course! But rather than a lifted double cab rolling coal which is the modern way, in days of yore it was about reduced bed sizes and lairy stickers, accurately portraying your inner persona. Behold, BANDIT is in town! Lock up your valuables and small goods!

 

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News of old light-fingered BANDI being about (stealth mode stickers on this side) travelled to the local tune-up shop, who promptly stored their coop safely out the way. A Valiant effort, I'm sure you'll agree.

 

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Then a quick stop at a motel, catering for likeminded tradespeople.

(Fun Fact: I drove past this motel in 2017 and took a photo of the excellent sign, which still looks just the same, albeit more weathered. Sadly, it was amongst the many images I inadvertently deleted, although I have a hard copy hanging on the wall in the hallway).

 

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The following morning I exited the swanky hotel I stayed at (slept in the cab, under the stars - totally my choice) and did a slow drive-by of the parked cars, to see if there was anything worth pilfering.

 

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Pulled over for a quick rest - and also undertook a visible sneer at the two old grandads who'd opted for the dull old wide body pick-ups. They're such squares, man!

 

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Time for a nice spot of lunch but we're on a budget today, so off to the store to buy some Twinkies. Of course, the pockets of my armless denim jacket were bulging with undeclared goods, as per my newly adopted nature. I really do stick it to the man most effectively, sometimes.

 

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Finally, off to watch a trio of adult shows - "Fixed vs Floating Mortgage Pros and Cons", "Hints & Tips For Effective Chest Freezer Defrosting" and "Embracing Male Pattern Baldness & Excess Ear & Hair Growth".

(All joking aside, how depressing a concept is an open air cinema showing adult films?! Just a bunch of men turning up in their cars alone and an equal amount of 12 year old boys hiding in the bushes. Nasty.)

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6 minutes ago, Jon said:

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A Gremlin, out in the open!

We're led to believe (by motoring writers) that it was a failure, but they sold 671k of them in eight years.  Compare with 642k Austin Allegros produced during its own ten-year production life

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Can't do any painting while the weather is so crap, but I stripped and sanded the Gus's Gulper body

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And tidied up the tyres. I'm not restoring the base as it's pretty nice and CBA with drilling all the rivets out. I'll touch in the black paint instead

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Got these ready and waiting 

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