Shite in Miniature II

[Lord Sterling]

15 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Now, I might not have been entirely wrong in my assumption:

Is yours in any way similar to this Schuco example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164596373140

What originally made me think yours was Gama was your description of the domed gel BMW badges. Those appear on all my Gama 1/24 BMWs  regardless of age and indeed they also appear on my similarly scaled Schuco  E36 M3. I'm almost certain that this is simply a rebounded Gama. A tenuous link but a link nonetheless!

Hmmm. Interesting. The badges are not domed gel badges, they are just tiny stickers hence why I was able to rob one off another BMW model.

But I do have domed gel badges on the X5 which is actually a cheapy one, quite crude in some places. I found a tiny BMW sticker and stuck it on the X5s window. Obviously many years later I stuck it back on the 740i as that might be where it originally came from.

The bonnet badge on the 740i has a tiny silver frame to it which indicates (to me) that it came from the 1/24 Z4.

Interesting how that BMW 740i you put up in the link is sold as a 'Schuco'. It is indeed the exact same car albeit a differsnt colour and wheels but the same build. 

[bunglebus]

I wish I could share the Facebook videos, this guy puts dozens of LEDs in Matchbox SpeedKings that flash in various patterns, crazy stuff

 

[flat4alfa]

No need to go onto FB

[bunglebus]

On 3/20/2021 at 9:53 AM, Datsuncog said:

Indeed - Kadett E/ Mk2 Astra, in post-1988 facelift guise. Matchbox modelled the GTE in police, rally and (rarer?) road versions for their 1-75 range

 

[RoadworkUK]

That GTE (along with the Sterling) is from what I regard as absolute peak Matchbox era. They were just such gorgeously weighty, beautifully observed things in the second half of  the 80s.

[155V6]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

 

Interesting* fact time,the livery on the middle one is based on the John Welch Rallycross car.I can see his yard from my girlfriend's house,where I'm standing right now,behind the fence in the middle of the picture

[AndyW201]

Almost certain Gama did morph into Schuco, I've got the Calibra from both and the casting is identical, the Schuco has better wheels and interior and has the facelift V-grille though.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, RoadworkUK said:

That GTE (along with the Sterling) is from what I regard as absolute peak Matchbox era. They were just such gorgeously weighty, beautifully observed things in the second half of  the 80s.

I like the last of the standard wheel cars right up to the end of the 80s. The Tyco era cars felt decidedly cheap in comparison. There have been a few good ones since then, but it's only very recently that they've started making really nice cars again

[AndyW201]

56 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

That GTE (along with the Sterling) is from what I regard as absolute peak Matchbox era. They were just such gorgeously weighty, beautifully observed things in the second half of  the 80s.

I got so excited when I first saw the red GTE in a local newsagents with a few more Matchbox. It was a great rendering of the MK2 Astra's shape, and it was the fact that the Astra was an everyday car, really appealed to me. As said, it was a great era for Matchbox at that time.

[flat4alfa]

Went to a big Tesco for the first time since December.  Matchbox bin was pretty empty; Hot Wheels bins (now two of them) full to brim

In a weak moment these found their way into the basket.  I think I got a bit confused looking for Plymouth Saveloys 

So I ended up with toy cars I don't need and some bogside reading material.

I shouldn't be allowed out on my own

[bunglebus]

90s low point Matchbox 

It's the wheels as much as anything else, just awful. The Viper ones are sort of nice just on the wrong car, and the stance is terrible

[RoadworkUK]

^Ugh!^

[Datsuncog]

I pretty much gave up on Matchbox in the mid-90s due to 'those' wheels: the Mondeo saloon and Escort Cosworth were decent castings, but the wheels just ruined 'em...

[RoadworkUK]

13 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I pretty much gave up on Matchbox in the mid-90s due to 'those' wheels: the Mondeo saloon and Escort Cosworth were decent castings, but the wheels just ruined 'em...

Ironically, although the casting wasn't up to much, they suited the Ford Probe in facelift guise quite well...

[Split_Pin]

I completely forgot about Matchbox as soon as Corgi Classic Cars  released the Morris Minor Saloon in 1988 and away I went. I therefore missed out on a few nice MB up until about 1991 such as the Alfa Romeo SZ and Ford Fiesta Courier.  Apart from the Ford Probe, nothing else interested me after that until I the Mercedes W123 Estate hit the shops a few years ago. I was more interested in a Paul's Model Art Mondeo and Bburago made a nice Escort Cosworth.

[RoadworkUK]

My 1/64 collecting days were on the wane when I got my first 1/18 Bburago E-type, natch) , and my playing with them  ended abruptly when I left primary school.

And that's an interesting thought. I was playing with toy cars, particularly on The Mound in the school grounds, where there were loads of little hollows and channels and "roads" to drive them around, until the very last knockings of year 6. I can't even imagine what kind of fate would have befallen me if I had attempted to play with toy cars in year 7; as it was, being unsporty, bespectacled and prone to getting on with my work in lessons, I was a soft target for bullies as it was.

[sierraman]

I quite liked those type of Matchbox, I suspect they’ll never be ‘valuable’ like the older ones perhaps but they represent the era as much as anything, I had the Rapid Slam track as a kid round this time, not sure what happened to it but it was great, I think I had most of the Motorcity sets, they lacked the realism of the Corgi track but they came in some good themes like a building site and the truck stop. Going back to the Corgi Autocity, I still have the Car Ferry Port!

[155V6]

10 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I quite liked those type of Matchbox, I suspect they’ll never be ‘valuable’ like the older ones perhaps but they represent the era as much as anything, I had the Rapid Slam track as a kid round this time, not sure what happened to it but it was great, I think I had most of the Motorcity sets, they lacked the realism of the Corgi track but they came in some good themes like a building site and the truck stop. Going back to the Corgi Autocity, I still have the Car Ferry Port!

Corgi Car Ferry Port is on my list of things that I don't really need,but would quite like to have 😎

[Split_Pin]

Managed to pick up a black Vanguards Sapphire GLS on ebay for £19.08 free postage after being outbid on a red one. 

It must be coming from China as the estimated delivery is early April. I'm in no rush though.

[bunglebus]

New toys!

First up, a couple of Majorettes, including a Sonic Flasher - it sort of works but is clearly dying. Shame they riveted it together so you can't change the battery

Standard ones does at least have opening doors

I dropped a bit of a bollock here, thinking this was one of the big XJ220s that a few others have posted, but it's not - 1:40 scale Maisto. Still pretty well detailed

Saw these on Facebook locally this morning so went and grabbed them. Not normally a scale that appeals to me, but I can't resist a BTTF Delorean. They're about the same size as a Micro Machine

Quite a few K50-53s have gone through my hands, I grabbed this because the rear fireman was still in place (looking for the ladder - anyone?), however it's amazingly good, so I'll be moving my current one on

(insert helmet joke here)

The last is in the worst condition, but is the best of the bunch in my eyes. Late-night BIN listing on eBay saw this Dinky Mercury Cougar winging its way to me

Oh and Hot Wheels 5 packs are £5.50 with a Clubcard at the moment, typically they were low on stock but I bought the Corvette set. Might get the Exotics too if I see it

[bunglebus]

Oh and another birthday present from the Mrs arrived a few days late - T-shirt with some of my creations on it

 

[155V6]

Something a bit different.I've seen these before,but they've always been a bit pricey for me.I saw this one on a banger racing model Facebook page,not a bad price,so snapped it up.

Tekno Ford D Series Recovery Truck

Rear view,ramps slide out,winch works.Wheels have been painted black,should be grey.Not sure what to do with them yet

Doors open

Cab tilts to show the engine

Time to put a car on it,I thought this Gama 5 Series would do nicely

Front end,I'm not 100% sure the livery is original.Most of these seem to be in Fire Service livery.I did find a picture of one in this livery,but looking at the damage on the box,it looks like it's this one before the wheels were painted 😆

Detail on the base,there is suspension & it steers the opposite way if you press down on one side

[bunglebus]

Two spare wheels, bonus.

Wheels need to be silver

[Noel Tidybeard]

spare wheels on fleabay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TEKNO-DENMARK-NEW-OLD-STOCK-FITS-FORD-D-800-SPARE-WHEELS-TIRES-1960-70s/203306748346?hash=item2f5606c9ba:g:WHMAAOSwkwFgMj5O

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TEKNO-DENMARK-NEW-OLD-STOCK-FITS-FORD-D-800-SPARE-WHEELS-TIRES-1960-70s/203306749198?hash=item2f5606cd0e:g:WgsAAOSwN3BgNDRB

[155V6]

10 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

spare wheels on fleabay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TEKNO-DENMARK-NEW-OLD-STOCK-FITS-FORD-D-800-SPARE-WHEELS-TIRES-1960-70s/203306748346?hash=item2f5606c9ba:g:WHMAAOSwkwFgMj5O

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TEKNO-DENMARK-NEW-OLD-STOCK-FITS-FORD-D-800-SPARE-WHEELS-TIRES-1960-70s/203306749198?hash=item2f5606cd0e:g:WgsAAOSwN3BgNDRB

Thanks,already seen those.If I bought both sets,it would cost nearly as much as I paid for the truck 😯

[RoadworkUK]

Quite a long time ago, I bought a 1/18-scale Jaguar S-type on the basis that A) I'm rarely disappointed by a big Maisto model, and B) I can't help myself. It arrived and has been sitting on the shelf over my desk being studiously ignored for months. This was pretty incredible restraint on my part, and I could only hold out for so long. On Sunday it came out of its box; the straps were undone (it was BNIB and I scored it for like seven quid or something) and I had a proper perve at it.

And, you know what? It ain't at all bad.

Typically, for a budget model, the headlamps are held in place by prominent mounting studs, but if you employ a bit of imagination you can take them for bulbs and reflectors. So that's what I'm doing. OBVZ that doesn't account for anywhere for the indicators to go, but meh.  

I suppose a demerit for the slightly imprecise casting around the bonnet leading-edge shutline, but it's not quite as pronounced as it looks in the pic. What really is good, though, is the grille, which is a proper, see-through, slatted thing.

Proportions are pretty much spot on. Arguably the rearmost pillar isn't perfect to the nth degree, but it's right enough to be representative of the breed. Another positive is that, while only the front doors open, they're extraordinarily tight-fitting when closed. Those are panel gaps that the actual 1/1-scale machine would be proud of.

The graphic on the B-pillars is great, too, and the wheels are almost improbably crisp, in the way that Maisto excel at. The tyres are branded, too, being Goodyear Eagles. 

Inside, we're not talking AUTOart levels of fidelity, but equally we're talking a fraction of that quantity of cash. This is quite a kind angle to look at it from, actually; the steering wheel and instruments look great and you can't see the broad expanse of Milkybar-coloured (and textured) plastic that makes up the floor and seats, nor that the graphic for the satnav screen is a bit shonky. This all said, the actual S-Type dashboard has an element of shonk to it anyway, and Maisto's petrochemical wood effect is actually quite convincing.

Better still, though, are the mirrors. They're just brilliant.

Finally, a quick look under the bonnet. The engine is simulated by a moulded plastic plate with what is actually just the relief of the top section of an AJV8, but it's masterfully done, with attention played to the labelling of the lids for various fluids. A quick glance at any Google pic of the underbonnet realms of the 1/1 confirm everything to be in its right place.

One feature that has me pondering is the two silver labels above the inner driving lights; they read something approximating "Demyastr Waster darchltd Zakt vin Datum" None of that means anything to me, and could actually be a kind of Maisto lorem ipsum for want of anything better to write. The presence of the word "datum", though, has me wondering if these were stickers that were part of the prototyping of the pre-production car, and which made it through the process of 1/18 miniaturisation.

Overall, the model isn't without its weaknesses, but it's otherwise overwhelmingly representative of the type, and almost uncannily good in some areas.

A must-have for anybody destined to fill their attic space up with unnecessarily detailed models of fairly mundane subjects.

[Noel Tidybeard]

if you look close there are indicator and sidelight bulbs modeled into the outer light

[RoadworkUK]

1 minute ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

if you look close there are indicator and sidelight bulbs modeled into the outer light

Well bugger me. There are as well. That's quite good, isn't it.

[Noel Tidybeard]

it is a decent old hector

 

the x-type is nace but rocking horse poo rare & £££

[Split_Pin]

Nice views on the Maisto  S-Type, can't disagree with any of that. Mine is not as nice a colour as yours (being gold) but its slightly playworn making it not unlike some of the 1/1 examples. I have the X Type too which I prefer as its a slightly more everyday car. Plus its had a questionable respray in black at some point, keeping up appearances with my shabby S Type!