Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

Dinky Toys #157 BMW 2000 Ti Lux 

It is not quite a looker

It has more bloat than a Fat Boy having a Wipe Out

But there could be a reason for the gawkiness, it contains some devilish wizardry

To light pollute the neighbourhood

Thanks to @danthecapriman allowing a deal on this, one model that has escaped my fondling up until now.

I think I wore him down, to be fair.

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Dinky Toys #157 BMW 2000 Ti Lux 

It is not quite a looker

It has more bloat than a Fat Boy having a Wipe Out

But there could be a reason for the gawkiness, it contains some devilish wizardry

To light pollute the neighbourhood

Thanks to @danthecapriman allowing a deal on this, one model that has escaped my fondling up until now.

I think I wore him down, to be fair.

Thats brilliant! What was wrong with it in the end? Or did I just have crap batteries!?

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Thats brilliant! What was wrong with it in the end? Or did I just have crap batteries!?

Perhaps you didn't have quite enough devilish wizardry, I don't know

[flat4alfa]

9 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

One of yesterday's finds was this Matchbox Turbo 2 with a wonky wheel,but with a full complement of tyres.

I have this one from a car boot sale last summer sans tyres!

Fixed!

Still works too!

There was a similar* tyre swap back here too, but because this Peugeot motor was borked.

So will a Matchbox Turbo 2 tyre fit a Matchbox Speed Rider?

Well that doesn't look promising, the wheel design is quite different

Well I never, we have some fitment.  Most unexpected.

But for how long though?  Will the tyres spin on the wheels and leave it standing?  Or will the tyres just fly off and clout the skirting board?

Well let's just add a battery cell and see

FFS !

[flat4alfa]

4 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Had the 12" of Stick 'em since new

Ought to dig it out and surround it with Corgi Regals, for a photoshoot

Could not find

But did find a LP with some Fat Boying that was able to stand-in for it

The Regals showed up en-masse

It was chaos

[Datsuncog]

7 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Here’s a weird variation I was totally unaware of, until today, with the Corgi Jr’s Buick Regals.

Spot the difference?

Why did they do this?? The chrome bumper & interior car is one I got ages back, the other I got in the big mystery box job-lot. Strange they made the bumper & interior in flat grey plastic instead.

From my understanding, this wasn't exactly a choice by Corgi to use chrome on some and flat grey plastic on others - the truth of the matter was that by the time Mettoy went under in 1984, things had been tricky with the company for a while.

Production machinery at the Swansea factory was becoming ever more worn and temperamental, and the vacuum machine used to create metal plated parts (brought in during the early 1960s) frequently went offline for days at a stretch.

A number of Juniors models from the early 1980s can be found with or without chrome plating, the latter seemingly assembled during 'off days' when the grey injection-moulded interior/ bumper/ grille assemblies couldn't be plated, but were put together with bodies and bases anyway.

I don't think the unplated examples are super-rare or particularly valuable, but they're a bit less common and slightly unusual.

I love the Regal casting, and for years it was the archetypal 'American car' in my head. I had maybe a dozen Juniors versions - a mid-green one like that above; a pale metallic silvery-green one; a deep chestnut brown one; a metallic bronze Kojak one; a yellow one with jacked-up rear suspension and one the same shade with a lower ride height; a flat mid-blue police cruiser; a metallic blue police cruiser; a white with black roof sheriff's car; and a very late black and white police cruiser with a full-width light bar on the roof, from the mid-90s Mattel era.

The only thing which confused me was that I never seemed to see a real-life car like my Corgi versions on the American TV shows I loved so much in the mid-80s.

It was only years later that I twigged that the Buick Century Regal (to give it its full name) was quite an uncommon high-end model, and was unlikely to have been used by police departments as patrol cars.

Although the Corgi Juniors version is pretty good in terms of capturing the 1:1 Regal's shape and styling touches, it doesn't seem to quite replicate the 'feel' of the real thing somehow - by which I mean the Corgi toy comes across as rather better looking and purposeful than the real thing, which I dunno.... just seems a bit frou-frou by comparison, with all its chrome bits and whitewalls. 

Anyway, here - have a few pics of my very own 'custom' Buick Regal, done up like a pizza delivery car using what I believe was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles temporary tattoo.

The stickers on the side were rendered in ballpoint, and referenced a Majorette Renault box truck I owned that had 'Pizza del'arte' tampo printed on the rear, and I figured this sounded plausible enough as a pizzeria name...

This was long before Pizza Hut or Domino's began plying their wares locally, and really I only knew of pizza delivery from US films... so it's a crude but kinda special-to-me model.

Though I got rid of all my other Regals a few years back, I kept this one for nostalgia reasons.

That said, I did find quite a tidy Superman 'City of Metropolis P.D.' Regal from the market late last year:

Most of my old versions had the red lamp punched through the glazing unit and rattling round inside, so I couldn't pass up on this...

[andy18s]

22 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Sometimes when you’re going through these bulk boxes you find some true horrors. Piss poor repaint jobs, damage that is inexcusable, even ugly models.

But then once in a while you find something that surpasses all that and will give you nightmares for weeks to come.

Like this!

What an ugly ugly little bastard this is!!

I have it in 1/18 if you really want 1....

 

[eddyramrod]

7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I love the Regal casting, and for years it was the archetypal 'American car' in my head.

The only thing which confused me was that I never seemed to see a real-life car like my Corgi versions on the American TV shows I loved so much in the mid-80s.

It was only years later that I twigged that the Buick Century Regal (to give it its full name) was quite an uncommon high-end model, and was unlikely to have been used by police departments as patrol cars.

Look carefully, especially at the side profile...

Buford's Le Mans is built on the same architecture, so a very close relative.  See also...

1976 Chevy Malibu, as used by LaRue and Washington in Hill Street Blues.

And here's the Oldsmobile version, the Cutlass.  Although on screen we've seen all the first three used as police cars, in reality the only really likely one would be the Chevy, as the base-priced line.  Saying that though: a small Sheriff department such as that of Buford T. Justice, might have been able to cut a local deal with, say, a Pontiac agency; or might even have been able to hang on the coat-tails of a neighbouring City or Highway Patrol order.

Before I got rid of most of my MB-size cars, I painted a Juniors Kojak Buick in pale blue, to match the Hill Street car.  Somehow I managed to let it go a couple of years ago along with most of the others I had; I've kept the Kojak car, a Metropolis squad car and a yellow taxi, which was a genuine issue.  I have a 1/36 Kojak which I've repainted, but somehow not one in the original bronze.  Something to look out for at the fair on Sunday!

The archetypal American car of my youth would probably be the 1965-7 Ford Galaxie, being one I saw often on the cop shows.  But then I'm older...

[RoadworkUK]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

Look carefully, especially at the side profile...

Buford's Le Mans is built on the same architecture, so a very close relative.  See also...

 

Obligatory mention of the Robocop 6000SUX:

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

 

Whilst browsing ebay, I discovered this gem:

 

Why would anyone buy that when you can invest in this lot, sell them off at inflated prices and get yourself a Lincoln into the bargain. There's 63 vehicles in this lot. If it goes for top estimate, with commission it will cost you around £325. All you have to do is put 20 of the ones you do not want on Ebay for £20 each, and get the rest for free.

Matchbox Regular Wheels large group of mid to late 1960's issue (vectis.co.uk)

 

Check out the rest of the auction here, there is a good mix of boxed regular wheel, boxed superfast, unboxed lots, Superkings, pre-production stuff. Something for evryone. Beware though, looking at toy auctions can become very expensive and take up years of your life, you have been warned.

Matchbox Magic (vectis.co.uk)

[MiniMinorMk3]

12 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

To light pollute the neighbourhood

 

I've always been a fan of the Dinkys with lighting features.

Dinky 160 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE has brake lights on the rear.

A rare survivor in the bubble box

Nice and clean

Couple of casting blemishes

Some minor chips on the arches

Nice clean battery slot.

Casting looks rough at the rear

Typical fast lane Mercedes brake testing

[flat4alfa]

Both the NSU Ro-80 and Mercedes 250 SE met up earlier for a flash together

They both have stropped working!  But were fine when last tested and put back up on the shelf.  I blame poor wizardry.

Must put them back before the Polizei realise they are on cloned number plates too

[Jon]

5 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I've always been a fan of the Dinkys with lighting features.

Dinky 160 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE has brake lights on the rear.

A rare survivor in the bubble box

If this is still accessible, could I ask a favour? I think there's something missing at the rear end of mine, internally between the battery and the bulb; a bulb holder, perhaps. 

Can't seem to find any photos online for reference and the instructions sheet I did find an image of had so much artistic licence to the drawing dimensions, it wasn't any use!

[flat4alfa]

Here we have the Lesney Matchbox Hendrickson Tractor and trailer, sold as the M-9 Major Pack named Inter-State Double-Freighter

Thought this one unusual, the cab especially, as can't recall seeing before.  Sadly one trailer is missing, hopefully one will turn up.  But at least in the meantime the tractor has less load to pull!  I think a cab repaint is deserved, but the trailers I think should be left as they are.

Despite my cluelessness, it seems to have enjoyed a long run, 1962 though 67, yet in just the one livery of Cooper-Jarrett Inc Motor Freight Line of Chicago.  Scale approx 1:100

And it was a real thing.  Here is one of that fleet used by Cooper-Jarrett for relays on the NY turnpikes, always pulling double trailers.

Hendrickson utilised this International Harvester 'Emmerville' COE cab onto their own chassis/suspension and were powered by the big 2-stroke 14L V8 Detroit Diesel.  The freight trailers were also their own.  Hendrickson have been going since 1913 and are still around today, remaining a global chassis/suspension producer for bus and truck manufacturers.  Which is nice.

[eddyramrod]

You can often see old Matchbox toys in things like Thunderbirds; that Cooper-Jarrett combination being one such.  It appears on the airfield where Zero X is assembled, among others.

[danthecapriman]

While I was messing around sorting that big box of stuff out I got these out of my own collection while looking for something else.

3 different variations of the Corgi Jr Jaaaaaaaaaag xj6. Silver & red are standard but with different wheel types, green is the rockets version. Cadillac is also a rockets. I was playing  examining the smoothness the rockets roll with compared to the standard ones. The rockets are so much free-er and smoother.

[Metal Guru]

On 07/02/2023 at 09:37, andy18s said:

I have it in 1/18 if you really want 1....

 

I take it that is a “bad”model of a PT cruiser? If so it’s a lot better looking than the real thing.

[Split_Pin]

No that's a concept,  presumably of the PT. Maidstone released quite a few concept cars replicas in the 1990s, the 1993 Porsche Boxter is lovely.

I have a 'proper' PT Cruiser in 1/18 but I can't recall who made it.

[sierraman]

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

No that's a concept,  presumably of the PT. Maidstone released quite a few concept cars replicas in the 1990s, the 1993 Porsche Boxter is lovely.

I have a 'proper' PT Cruiser in 1/18 but I can't recall who made it.

Didn’t Maisto make one? 

[Split_Pin]

Yeah I think that's what mine is, been ages since I have seen it.

[MiniMinorMk3]

17 hours ago, Jon said:

If this is still accessible, could I ask a favour? I think there's something missing at the rear end of mine, internally between the battery and the bulb; a bulb holder, perhaps. 

Can't seem to find any photos online for reference and the instructions sheet I did find an image of had so much artistic licence to the drawing dimensions, it wasn't any use!

You need this type of bulb and a AA (not AAA) battery.

[danthecapriman]

Another day. Another box full of miniature treasure arrives!

Someone stop me!

[Datsuncog]

On 2/7/2023 at 12:46 AM, flat4alfa said:

Will the tyres spin on the wheels and leave it standing?  Or will the tyres just fly off and clout the skirting board?

Well let's just add a battery cell and see

FFS !

Matchbox showed some impressive attention to detail by duplicating real-life Corvette handling characteristics...

 

[flat4alfa]

11 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

You can often see old Matchbox toys in things like Thunderbirds; that Cooper-Jarrett combination being one such.  It appears on the airfield where Zero X is assembled, among others.

Oh hello Matchbox 63b Airport Fire Tender, with your usually-missing ladder, for once!

[flat4alfa]

51 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Another day. Another box full of miniature treasure arrives!

Someone stop me!

Talking of which, there's one!

[bunglebus]

Birmingham charity shop moochings

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Another day. Another box full of miniature treasure arrives!

Someone stop me!

Skybusters I see. Are you having another sale? 

[bunglebus]

Dinky Herald. Twenty squids tho

Just fifteen for this!

[danthecapriman]

20 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Skybusters I see. Are you having another sale? 

Yes…

Just sorting everything out into sizes/manufacturers then I’ll start putting them on my sale thread again.

[danthecapriman]

Been after one of these for a while, but not wanted to pay eBay prices.

Corgi Rockets Capri!! Nice little bonus finding it in one of the job lot boxes.