Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

13 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

It was built for Steve Saunders, one of their photographers, with mk2 Granada rear lights which reduced the number plate aperture significantly.  In fact Steve's SCS 1 plate fitted the space neatly

Now I remember!

[Spottedlaurel]

20 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

You remember correctly sir!  It was built for Steve Saunders, one of their photographers, with mk2 Granada rear lights which reduced the number plate aperture significantly.  In fact Steve's SCS 1 plate fitted the space neatly.  The opera windows were tall, narrow and inclined forwards, predating the Sierra XR4i.

I had no idea the kit had filled-in rear windows; surely it's now crying out for a distressed appearance and Republic of Ireland plates as seen on dozens of farms around Dublin?

Glad it wasn't just a figment of my imagination - I have a good number of early SM issues, hopefully I'll find it one of them.

Aha, as I type BB has beaten me to it! I'm not seeing too much wrong with that - I couldn't build a completely faithful replica, but it would certainly be the starting point. Also want to do something similar with a Mini, based on one I remember running around our village at about the same time.

ER, I quite like the idea of your Irish farmer's van too, but I don't have the weathering skills necessary to do that idea justice. That being said, the rusty, weatherbeaten look would suit one or two of my kits rather well, so perhaps that's something I should learn.

[RoadworkUK]

22 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

As I've just experienced (yet again) this very day!  I've been watching a 1/18 Bullitt Mustang, and just about decided not to bid as it's already the wrong side of £40 and I can't justify that, even to myself.  So this afternoon, what did I find?  Another one, finishing in 20 minutes, and only-just over £40.  So I put in a bid; if nobody else did it would be mine for £41 plus post.  Of course with seconds to go somebody did.  Bummer. 

I never will understand why anybody ever puts a bid in at any time other than the last five seconds if they really want something on eBay. Any earlier and all it achieves is pushing up the hammer price.

Real auctions last 30 seconds. The last 30 seconds is where the action is on eBay.

[junkyarddog]

37 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

it's now crying out for a distressed appearance and Republic of Ireland plates as seen on dozens of farms around Dublin

That's the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw it!🤣

But not Dublin plates,needs Clare or Kerry ones to be really authentic,or maybe Cavan or Louth,somewhere up near the border for extra shite points🤣

[Richard_FM]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Just sayin...

I remember a Golf like this was one of the cards in a Top Trumps set my brother had.  There were a few modified Golfs on the other cards.

[Jon]

Hi everyone. Excuse the radio silence from me awhile, as I've been busy zipping about the country these past few weeks, eeking very close to the 3000 mile limit of the insurance of my borrowed Merc, with a week still to go. (To those of you STILL waiting for a parcel from me, I promise to get them sent out tomorrow or Tuesday - see excuse above).

I've also had chance to take a peek at my childhood stash of die casts but more of that later. So far, I've only sorted/tidied them, not looked at them properly!

But I have been busy procuring. Only one example tonight before bed time and not a subject I'd usually choose - but it was only £4 at a boot sale!

What a Bobby Dazzler! I'll freely admit that it being boxed was a major draw. First impressions are that it's fairly late for a rubber wheels Corgi but it seems quite fresh.

 

Rear confirms that speedwheels were indeed a thing by this point. Perhaps very early 70's?

 

Box was thankfully easy to open without damaging the box flaps (huh-huh) and it looks to be mint!

 

All present and correct at the base.

 

I like the detailing of the clippie out back but I imagine it'd be quite alarming to see someone with that shade of yellow hair in real life.

 

There's a driver also but no passengers. I suppose they'll perpetually remain separated, and at the service of nobody. Ah well, back in the box they go!

However, find me a more pleasant way of spending £4, than faffing around with mint/boxed 50 year old die casts - even if they are a bus. I spent more on a very mediocre coffee, the other day.

EDIT: I noticed the advert above the cab mentioned Corgi Classics, which I'm sure were a short-lived venture the first time round, and over by the very late 60's?

[bunglebus]

Funny how it goes. My mate was sending me a few eBay links on WhatsApp to dodgy old sonic controlled Porsches and the like, then this, totally not KITT of course

Something very familiar about that policeman!

A bit of Google-Fu, and we have the brand - Fu Shin toys

[Split_Pin]

That looks like a rework of Hong-Da Toys cars. They made the Mercedes and Kitt, both had light and sound but no driver. I have the Merc, still in brilliant condition and I'm hoping I can find a toy museum that will want it.

[sierraman]

42 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

That looks like a rework of Hong-Da Toys cars. They made the Mercedes and Kitt, both had light and sound but no driver. I have the Merc, still in brilliant condition and I'm hoping I can find a toy museum that will want it.

Without the grille it looks more Nissan Bluebird? 🤣

[quicksilver]

9 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Funny how it goes. My mate was sending me a few eBay links on WhatsApp to dodgy old sonic controlled Porsches and the like, then this, totally not KITT of course

Something very familiar about that policeman!

A bit of Google-Fu, and we have the brand - Fu Shin toys

I love how that has 'Secret Police Car' written all over it and completely misses the point of what 'secret' means.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Without the grille it looks more Nissan Bluebird? 🤣

I think the first time I spotted it folks had it down as Japanese, Crown maybe?

[MiniMinorMk3]

15 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

 

This looks well-proportioned and nicely detailed, certainly better than I'd expected of an old AMT kit. I have a vague recollection of a Golf project car put together by one of the magazines, maybe Street Machine, back in the very early '80s. If I'm right it was a metallic green with a padded vinyl top and opera windows - that's the sort of thing I have in mind....

I remember that as well. It kind of pre-empted the body kit look.

A quick look on the interwebs suggest that you'll find it in the May 1980 issue 

[Split_Pin]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I think the first time I spotted it folks had it down as Japanese, Crown maybe?

It says Mercedes on the Box, it's a W123 280CE.

[junkyarddog]

Just to play up to the recent Irish stereotype that was recently portrayed around these parts. 

"Tarmac your drive Sorr?"

"Do ye like dags?" Ect.

Siku VW M•A•N truck towing a Siku Caravan.

Yesterday's diecast show find.

 

[junkyarddog]

Also found this rather nice Corgi Mercedes 123 Ambulance. 

Never seen one before.

 

[andrew e]

Those Corgi bona/binz ambulance are a variation rabbit hole - don’t get sucked in! I don’t think there’s any crossover to the saloon either.

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

It says Mercedes on the Box, it's a W123 280CE.

Yeah, it just caused a bit of confusion when I first spotted it as to what it was supposed to be, probably my dodgy pics

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Also found this rather nice Corgi Mercedes 123 Ambulance. 

Never seen one before.

 

 

28 minutes ago, andrew e said:

Those Corgi bona/binz ambulance are a variation rabbit hole - don’t get sucked in! I don’t think there’s any crossover to the saloon either.

Well mine has different decals for sure

 

[155V6]

21 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

Well mine has different decals for sure

 

So does mine

[Spottedlaurel]

4 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Also found this rather nice Corgi Mercedes 123 Ambulance. 

Never seen one before.

Mine's the same as yours, but with slightly different placement of the stickers on the B-pillars:

A weighty thing isn't it?

[morrisoxide]

I couldn't resist this bag of cars for £8. 

 

I thought I saw a Mk 5 Cortina in blue (I've never a blue one) in the mix, but turns out it was a Mercedes 450SEL with a dent in the roof. The F350 is one I have been after for a while.

The Growlers Can Am car still makes the Click Click Boink noise I remember that sounded better when pushed slower. 

These where in the same shop, very nice heavy castings with some kind of poster in some. I guess they came with a magazine? 

I should have got at least the Autobianchi  or the Multipla.

Spotted these in Poundland for £2.50 each I should have got some of these too. 

 

P.S. the big Tescos near me has had no toys in for weeks now. I went in yesterday and has signage saying "coming soon The Entertainer" So I guess they are taking over the toy section of Tescos.

[sierraman]

5 minutes ago, morrisoxide said:

I couldn't resist this bag of cars for £8. 

 

I thought I saw a Mk 5 Cortina in blue (I've never a blue one) in the mix, but turns out it was a Mercedes 450SEL with a dent in the roof. The F350 is one I have been after for a while.

The Growlers Can Am car still makes the Click Click Boink noise I remember that sounded better when pushed slower. 

These where in the same shop, very nice heavy castings with some kind of poster in some. I guess they came with a magazine? 

I should have got at least the Autobianchi  or the Multipla.

Spotted these in Poundland for £2.50 each I should have got some of these too. 

 

P.S. the big Tescos near me has had no toys in for weeks now. I went in yesterday and has signage saying "coming soon The Entertainer" So I guess they are taking over the toy section of Tescos.

Will be popping in Poundland then!

[bunglebus]

56 minutes ago, morrisoxide said:

These where in the same shop, very nice heavy castings with some kind of poster in some. I guess they came with a magazine? 

A couple of unusual ones in that bag, what's the Topolino? Also haven't come across that Husky with the tower.

Those magazine partworks have been popping up at the toy fairs, I'd like the Beetle but I either find them at £3-5 but with all the interesting cars gone, or £10 a pop, so £5 each is alright. The Multipla looks pretty funky too. It's the folded up box behind some of the cars

[morrisoxide]

33 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

A couple of unusual ones in that bag, what's the Topolino? Also haven't come across that Husky with the tower.

Those magazine partworks have been popping up at the toy fairs, I'd like the Beetle but I either find them at £3-5 but with all the interesting cars gone, or £10 a pop, so £5 each is alright. The Multipla looks pretty funky too. It's the folded up box behind some of the cars

The Topolino is Noddy & his car a Morestone product, some ones painted it a nice shade of blue. I didn't know what is was until my dad saw it and got all nostalgic about it, he had one as a small child (it's now his). It used to have a Noddy figure driving. 

Ah the folded up box thing makes sense now.

The Husky F350 is usually the blue tow truck I don't really know what its supposed to be.

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Will be popping in Poundland then!

They where in Wakefield Ridings if that helps.

[bunglebus]

Yup only ever seen it as the always-tatty tow truck...

...also available as an early Corgi Junior...

...and an early Whizzwheels...

...or not quite as knackered camper

The platform is from this

 

[AndyW201]

Mail call today. One I've been eagerly awaiting for a while.

Hmm...

At long last! As a kid of the '70s, this is the  model, of a car I have idolised since childhood, that I've been waiting for. In recent times, Team Slot have done a slot car version, and Model Car Group have done a version of their lovely 1/18 scale RS in the right colours with Doyle's reg number. But I've always wanted it in 1/43 and this one is an absolute belter!

It is the brainchild of Tony from the Professionalmania site. He's had a few commissions done before, mainly based on the old 1/36 Corgi Capri, with various sets done, including nicely done code 3 gold versions, with specially designed packaging and a few dioramas, all in extremely limited runs. This year being the 45th anniversary of the series, Tony wanted to have another silver and gold Capri set made, but based on the Vanguards casting. Sadly Corgi got there first, so with the new RS2000 casting having been announced, he decided to have a replica of PNO made instead.

Along with the X-Pack RS I got earlier in the year, the standard bodied RS is a great casting. Tony went to great lengths with Corgi to get this one bob-on, for example getting the pin stripe painted on at the right height, stopping short at the tail lights. Corgi's own Signal yellow release has the stripe too high...

Even has the correct GB sticker on the bootlid. Fellow nerds will know that the real car was originally on Ford's press fleet, it's real registration number being  PNO 672R and given later plates for the show, along with the vinyl & sunroof. So the model has the correct-for-1977 F O R D lettering on the bootlid with the RS2000 decal on the right.

(The attention to detail even went to tampo printing a tiny radio aerial base on the driver's side wing, to replicate the one on  the real car, which Corgi's own RS didn't get.)

The RS casting doesn't have a sunroof cast in, and one of the most noticeable features about the real car was the specially fitted  Hollandia sunroof, to let more light in when filming, so it just had to have one. Corgi have done a pretty good job by simply printing a shiny section onto the simulated vinyl roof. 

Being an earlier Custom-spec car, it has the correct Scheel roll-top seats, rather than fishnets.

So, I have model versions of UOO 303T and PNO 641T together at last.

Apologies for all the pics, but I think the packaging deserves a few too, as it is superb. (Designed by Tony as well). It also came with a miniature version of the original design cell and a specially designed version of the Vanguards collectors' card.

[sierraman]

10 hours ago, sierraman said:

Will be popping in Poundland then!

I went in Meadowhall at the weekend but didn’t see any, I’ll try some in town. 

[Datsuncog]

On 10/17/2022 at 3:19 PM, junkyarddog said:

Also found this rather nice Corgi Mercedes 123 Ambulance. 

Never seen one before.

 

This was mine - early '90s Mattel-era reissue

Sold on here during the 2018 clearout.

The numberplates are waterslide transfers from a Scalextric set; a lot of my 1/36 Corgis received these when I was about ten or eleven, in the name of realism.

 

Yes, that noise you can hear is me kicking myself.

[bunglebus]

Still seeing lots of FB posts of new Hot Wheels in Tesco, and now Morrison's. Called in as I was going past, new box but of course the MK1 Escorts are gone. As I'm walking out my mate messages me saying he's just been in that same Morrison's and bought the MK1! Bar steward.

Asda also had two 2023 A cases - MK1s similarly AWOL.

Got a few others though

[sierraman]

I get how perhaps you’d traipse about to get a particular model, done it myself, but from what I’ve read on here the boxes get picked over by people to sell on eBay. I’ve checked prices out there and they must be making £1.50 a model profit, if that. It hardly seems worth the effort to stake out Tescos, knock the diesel off and I’d guess they’d be working at a loss?