Shite in Miniature II

[Spottedlaurel]

@Datsuncog I may have missed the opportunity today, but if you see this boxed Majorette RR again I'd have it for up to £10.

Ta.

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

 

Taking a spin round the other stalls, the Irish Tat Stall had a few new things, including this Oxford Diecast Friary Cresta PA:

 

That Oxford is a model of the Queens private car. Here she is with Chaz sitting on someone lap.

She also had a later one

[Tenmil Socket]

17 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

 

 

 

It is a Siku.

1:55 SIKU Grove Peterbuilt 359 Conventional Semi Truck With Lowboy

You have got  bargain according to this link

Buffalo Road Imports. Peterbilt lowboy GROVE white TRUCK LOWBOYS Diecast model Siku Diecast scale models (constructionscalemodels.com)

Might put it back on eBay with a postage option. 
Although the seller isn’t replying to messages 😩

[flat4alfa]

It gets better

Siku don't list the white one on their online museum

 

What you have there is a Code-2 !

 

Yee-haw!

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

@Datsuncog I may have missed the opportunity today, but if you see this boxed Majorette RR again I'd have it for up to £10.

Ta.

 

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Could I nab the red partwork VW Kafer Beetle @Datsuncog assuming it’s not too much?

Sadly, I had to scarper off around 9.15 to get myself home and logged on. Very tedious stuff.

Will do my best if they show up again next week, or even on subsequent weeks - we all know how these wares can disappear for months and then suddenly reappear again!

[eddyramrod]

@Datsuncog was there a price on the Oxford Cresta Friary?  I'd really like one, if it's going to be something I can afford.  And assuming it's 1/43.

[RoadworkUK]

23 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

@Datsuncog was there a price on the Oxford Cresta Friary?  I'd really like one, if it's going to be something I can afford.  And assuming it's 1/43.

I think that £23.99 sticker is the stallholder's.

[flat4alfa]

They are £23.95 direct from Oxford Diecast

https://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/search?type=product&q=friary&pf_t_by_scale=1%3A43

[Datsuncog]

23 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

@Datsuncog was there a price on the Oxford Cresta Friary?  I'd really like one, if it's going to be something I can afford.  And assuming it's 1/43.

Yes, it was indeed priced up at £23.99 - sadly no cheaper than its list price on the Oxford Diecast online store. Seems to be a new colour release, in Imperial Green.

Might be a while before they hit bargain territory, I'm afraid.

Still - cheaper than Vanguards these days?

[flat4alfa]

Plenty to choose from in Imperial Green

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=VFE003+Oxford+1%3A43++vauxhall+Cresta+Friary&_sacat=0&_sop=15

[MiniMinorMk3]

Not a new colour.

This first one I acquired was in 2017

It was the third colour variation of teh Friary estate to be released.

Other variations include..

and

and

[flat4alfa]

You might want to start a collection

(NEC lighting once again making camera colour metering go awry)

This is the same car, the one-off Viceroy Estate built for Queenie in Balmoral Green.  Kept at Sandringham for ten years until passed to Queen Mother when it ran plate WYN 1S.

Which got me thinking.  Was the Vauxhall Viceroy ever modelled in scale?  Even as a saloon?

[flat4alfa]

MYT1 and MYT2 reassigned for the funeral in September 2022

[FakeConcern]

5 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I think I might know the @FakeConcern interest in the Whizzwheels Mini Marcos!

The rarest Mini Marcos to get (or to replicate) is the last of the line blue with red interior Whizzwheels version.

Which was only ever released as part of Gift Set 20 for late 1971, with the Scammell Tri-Deck Transporter

Reproduction decals for either are available

https://blacksquaredecals.co.uk/Corgi-305-Mini-Marcos-GT850

https://blacksquaredecals.co.uk/Corgi-341-Mini-Marcos-White

Haha! You know me so well it seems...

I alteady have a spare Golden Jacks Marcos and some suitable Mini Whizzwheels to make blue version.

I also have all the other cars in those colours.

[eddyramrod]

Thanks Guys.  At that price it's going to stay where it is!

I knew it wasn't a "new issue" and that other colours had been offered; I just haven't come across one I could afford yet.  (It's difficult enough to get a Vanguards saloon at my price levels!)  Nice to see the variations though.  Also, thanks for the 1/1 pics.

I would have a use for a scrap Mini Marcos too; either wheel type, it won't matter.

[bunglebus]

Back from my morning mission to Burton Upon Trent, I was quite restrained and bought just a single car

I got back to work just as my boss was unloading the lorry from a job in Frankfurt (that I should have been on) and handed me a mysterious brown paper bag

As well as a Proton and T2 for DC, there was also a Maisto that he'd spotted, which bears more than a passing resemblance to his own red 325i

A mystery model

Which aren't much of a mystery if you decode the numbers - #1 and #2 had gone but #3 was the one I wanted the most anyway

A Majorette T3 in a new colour

And the Golf I'd so far failed to track down

There was also some German Dunkel (dark beer), so I might partake in a few of those later, as it seems my Mrs has put up with me for 5 years today without ever complaining about my diecast obsession 

[bunglebus]

In the post I received some dangerous chemicals 

Etch primer as recommended to get the paint to stick to the Corgi Escort, and hydrogen peroxide for getting plastic bits un-yellowed. 

I've been using a product called Carawhite which came in a bottle with a home made label and no info on it's strength, I do know H.P. is the active ingredient, and to be fair it's not done a bad job turning this

Into this

With several days under a UV lamp (actually an ex-nail salon nail curing unit), but I think it can be improved further. 

Should have worn gloves though as I've bleached my fingertips...

[bunglebus]

Talking of Graffic Traffics;

[Datsuncog]

Well, there were a few more items of interest on the stall which I photographed at the point of exit but hadn't the time to edit and post up - presented here for your delectation.

First up - confirmation that the boxed stuff was going out the door at a fiver today.

I sprang into action to secure the New Ray Saab before anyone else could bag it.

Looking at the stall again, it seems the red Beetle's already gone.

These fairly crude 'Pure Cuban Classic Car' had no maker's name visible, but plenty of Havana Club branding on the bonnet/ roof/bootlid:

Presumably some sort of promotional item that came free with rum, once upon a time.

Magazine partwork Cadillac Eldorado was better proportioned, but not quite my era.

This Citroen 2CV had comically misaligned headlights giving it a pronounced boss-eyed look, but that probably wasn't the best reason for picking it up...

Not bad at a fiver, as probably easily fixable.

But not today.

Some of the loose stuff had been emptied out too:

German-release Lesney Super Kings 'Londoner' bus with Berlin transfers had the Londoner name deleted from the base - and also the entire casting flipped, to make it into a left-hooker.

Matchbox Specials Mustang III racer was a little down-at-heel, but seems to be one of the less common models from the range.

Legendary pull-back 'VOIKSWAGENS' LT minibus...

Am I right in thinking that 'TT' logo stands for Tins Toys?

Same manufacturer seems to be behind this Van Hool (?) coach:

Post-Mattel years Corgi refuse collector, being mostly a mild update of their late 70s original Shelvoke & Drury Revopak just about hanging on into the dot-com era, with Biffa's web address reproduced on the doors.

I was tempted, but decided it was a bit chipped. Think I'll hold out for a decent original version.

If anthropomorphic planes were your thing, you'd have been in luck today...

Also a few Superfast era Lesneys in okay shape and a Majorette Ford Econoline in Cadburys Creme Egg colours - nothing all that uncommon, really.

So, some interesting stuff and at slightly more moderate prices than last week's scalding - I dunno, maybe Market Blokey got the same letter I did to say his electricity was going up by another 15%, and decided it was gonna be the diecast fondlers who took the hit?

And that was more or less that...

[Datsuncog]

Oh, except for Alan.

I don't feel I've quite managed a full market experience until he finishes setting out his wares.

This involved spending rather more time than I otherwise would have done over at the Charity Stall, appreciating just how many filthy DVD copies of Matrix films and copies of Norton 360 for Windows XP I could have acquired for 50p.

Eventually, time became pressing and I had to go before he'd finished setting everything up neatly...

Eh. Looks like I needn't have bothered.

Oh well.

Roll the credits...

[RoadworkUK]

Yeah, I'd (inevitably) home that Corgi Hong Kong Metrobus tri-axle Dennis Trident if it were to reappear in the fiver section at some point.

[danthecapriman]

No worries on the red Beetle @Datsuncog👍 it’s not one I can’t live without, I just fancied it really.

 

[Datsuncog]

So, there were a couple of small purchases made today:

The Saab floppytop was picked up for @Split_Pin, and seems to have never been out of the box before.

It's really quite nicely done.

I'd expected a screw to be holding the model to the base, but no:

I last saw these little metal clips, which hook round the axles, on a Herpa Trabant.

Not many clues about the maker, but I'll take it on trust that it's a New Ray!

Sadly, the website 'saabexpressions.com' seems to no longer be with us.

Will pop that in with your other items, dude!

I also thought this was a reasonably appealing little thing...

Majorette VW Golf MK3, in slightly chipped but otherwise not bad condition.

I speculatively grabbed this in case @Spottedlaurel might fancy it - but if not, expressions of interest will be entertained, for the £1 it cost me!

And then, I got this for myself...

Seemingly, I'm far from immune to all the Ergomadness from the past few days...

I've seen the EFE Leyland Ergo before in rigid tanker format, but as an articulated box van - no, seems to be a new one on me.

Even though it dates as far back as 1997, apparently, when I ought to have been pretty au fait with the full EFE catalogue and release schedule, as there were no end of middle-aged sad-acts quizzing me on it every Saturday in the shop.

And now I'm the middle-aged sad-act.

Surprise!

Didn't see that coming.

But I do quite like this, despite the assorted chips it's suffered while stuffed in the suitcase.

Reminds me of the thrill* of visiting my first Tesco, in Windsor c.1991, when I believe they were still using that logo (or something very similar).

Some online efforts to identify this model seem to call it a Leyland Beaver, but my tired old eyes can just about make out the word 'Buffalo' on the grille just above the nearside headlight, so... I dunno.

It needs a good scrub, as it's quite dusty too.

In fact... MrsDC's out with her Yarn Harpies tonight, so it could be an ideal opportunity for some terrible films, some beer and a tub of warm soapy water...

 

 

* No, really. There were no branches of Tesco in NI until about 1998 or so, and it felt so glam compared to our local Stewarts and Crazy Prices stores (which were pretty much on a par with Netto)

[Datsuncog]

So! Is that us?

I think it kinda is.

Ah well. If some of the items from this week pop up again next week, we're gonna have a good ol' time of it.

Until then... Happy Friday, kids.

[danthecapriman]

I’ve been really getting into the trucking spirit lately!

That 1:43 Leyland FG model really sparked something…😬

   
Then I spotted this rigid ovloV F88, so that came home with me!

    
And I got a second hand bargain on an artic F88. The trailer came separately in one of my French orders. 
This F88 is actually a duplicate of an identical one I’ve already got, this one’s got the odd mark on it and the box/case is a bit battered so I’ll likely strip and repaint this one.

     
And then this monster arrived from Spain! 
Leyland Super Hippo. You can just see the magazine these come with, which is all in Spanish and of course I can’t read much of that.

[bunglebus]

40 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Legendary pull-back 'VOIKSWAGENS' LT minibus...

Ah that's one of the early ones where they got the spelling (almost) right

 

[Datsuncog]

2 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Ah that's one of the early ones where they got the spelling (almost) right

Clearly, the manufacturing shift from Hong Kong to China did not improve matters much...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

MYT1 and MYT2 reassigned for the funeral in September 2022

Ringers, the numbers were still showing as VW Caravelles on the day of the funeral.

Just checked and they still are ! It seems JLR jumped in with an opportunistic product placement for the funeral knowing millions would see them, the Palace just stuck the plates on for the day and the Rangies went back afterwards, any Range Rovers you see being used by Royals since are not that colour.

[danthecapriman]

On the projects front…

The first FG has been waiting on a replacement prop shaft. I couldn’t find anything suitable laying around at home so I bought a bulk pack of assorted styrene tube/strip/rod/box sections. I’ll always find uses for stuff like that but there was a perfect diameter length of tube in that that was slid over the cut ends of the metal original prop. 
Then it got masked up and primered.

    

 

The Ergomatic project has been taking a bit longer than I thought. It’s also more difficult than I thought! 
Started off by just laying some bits of plastic out to get a rough idea.

Then made a slightly crude cab floor and basic shape panel for the cab back wall. 
Then over this is some suitably sized sections of thinner plastic overlayed and wrapped to start building up the shape of the pressed steel original. Cab roof needs an infill panel for the indent where the ladder holder bracket used to be. Made up from plastic card and sanded to shape.

 

    
Most of the time is taken by the glue drying! Because the plastic card needs to wrap around the curved corners you have to hold it still with tape while it dries or it keeps springing back straight. 
Next job was to cut away some of the excess, top and bottom.

And make up some little bits for the section of roof I’m missing. These need trimming to shape yet.

   
So far the only snag has been one of the tubes I cut in half to do the curved corners has bowed in slightly at the top. Possibly caused by all the glue softening it up, so it doesn’t fit properly now against the metal cab. I’ve cut a strengthening piece to fit between them both and glued that in place which has cured the problem. You shouldn’t see it either as it sits up tight against the cab interior roof.

Theres still a bit more trimming needed, and the cut out for the back end of the engine & transmission needs doing. 
Once I’ve got the roof sorted I’ll add some more bits as required to create the pressed steel shaping on the top half of the back wall, then drill/cut out the windows. 

Im also going to try making the cab wheel arches a touch wider, as they seemed on the real trucks. I might also drill out and file out the mesh casting in the cab foot step so it’s see through.

Its slowly getting there though.

 

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Same manufacturer seems to be behind this Van Hool (?) coach:

 

Not a Van Hool but something much rarer, a Volvo C10M. This was Volvo's flagship of the early 80s, bodied in Switzerland from stainless steel by Ramseier & Jenzer and mega expensive, so only ten were sold in the UK. One of them saw out its days as a school bus for my secondary school, quite a comedown for a luxury touring coach. The model I suspect is a smaller-scale copy of the 1/50 Joal version.

The New Ray Saab is nice. I have one in that funny metallic greeny-yellow Saab offered at the time.