Shite in Miniature II

58,793 · February 20, 2022

New set out in Smyth's, only bought one...and something else

58,793 · February 20, 2022

21 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

How does the baseplate on this one tie-in with the other HK-made Matchbox discussed on the previous page? I presume the plastic bodyshell is similar to the standard diecast.

I think they came as part of a set with track etc. I've got a couple and a Super GT with glowing windows that I can't find any info on

23,178 · February 20, 2022

Matchbox Army.

AEC

Two Ferrets

Ford 3 Ton

Saladin

Saracen

Antar and Tank

58,793 · February 20, 2022

Here's the Porsche I bought earlier

And the other thing - more Hot Wheels VW monster trucks

13,961 · February 21, 2022

Monogram '57 Chevy refresh completed:

Mostly the original brush-painted enamel lightly wet sanded and polished, new chrome trim done with bare metal foil, new wheels and tyres, parts salvaged from other kits and the rear axle and springs kindly sent to me by a chap on PistonHeads.

I like the mid '80s look it has with the Centerlines and straight paint, but still with a bit of '70s rake. It's how I remember 1:1s being built exactly at the time I first put it together. Certainly not one of my best builds, but it's great to see it on display again after 30+ years of sitting in the parts box.

42,276 · February 21, 2022

On 2/19/2022 at 1:17 PM, Spottedlaurel said:

Charity shop purchase this morning:

Complete with my almost finished '57 Chevy in the background.

How does the baseplate on this one tie-in with the other HK-made Matchbox discussed on the previous page? I presume the plastic bodyshell is similar to the standard diecast.

Still glowing after 40 years.

Quote

How does the baseplate on this one tie-in with the other HK-made Matchbox discussed on the previous page?

I presume the plastic bodyshell is similar to the standard diecast.

I don't think there's any tie-in between these Glo Racers and the rest of the Matchbox diecast range - from previous research rummagings, it seems that they were adapted from the defunct Powertrack range and made by Universal Toys in Hong Kong under contract to Matchbox - ironically, the very company that would buy up Lesney just a year or two later.

I'm still unsure which Hong Kong toymaker manufactured the four Japanese-designed Matchbox Superfasts - but it could well have been Universal.

There doesn't seem to be much commonality between the Powertack/ Glo Racer Datsun 280ZX and the standard MB67 Datsun 260Z 2+2 version, but I'd quite like to see them side-by-side.

Interestingly, the Datsun wasn't ever made available as a slot racer - possibly it was still in development at the time the Powertrack range was wound up, and only later brought in as a Glo Racer.

I waffled on a bit about the Glo Racers range a year or two ago.

On 5/23/2019 at 4:59 PM, Datsuncog said:

Just been doing a bit of digging on these, as nothing was coming up in my old Matchbox catalogues. Also, a Matchbox TR7 seemed... weird.

Seems that the Glo-Racers were derived from the short-lived Matchbox Powertrack range, a small-scale Scalextric/AFX/Tyco competitor, of which the TR7 was one of several cars available.

https://powertrackshak.blogspot.com/2008/02/triumph-tr7-pt-111-uk-143753-us.html

It seems at least some of the old Powertrack mouldings were shipped to Hong Kong not long before Lesney hit the buffers in 1982, and reused as the Glo-Racers range, with some minor modifications.

This appears to have been originally released as a Powertrack Racer:

Like this...

In this set...

This one wasn't - though maybe there was the intention to release it as a Powertrack car before the whole range was binned off, and losses cut?

Interesting stuff!

On 8/28/2020 at 3:00 PM, Datsuncog said:

Now, something a bit different - and I'd watched in horror as the other lad rummaged through the box like he was mixing cement, hoping that he wouldn't snaffle these. Thankfully he didn't, so I did.

It's a pair of Matchbox Glo-Racers, which were an odd short-lived range produced for Lesney by Universal Toys in Hong Kong, based on the Powertrack slot cars.

After the Powertrack range was discontinued in 1982, the moulded bodies were modified slightly before being paired with diecast bases to make a range of non-powered toy cars - with their gimmick being that the bodies would glow in the dark.

The BMW 3.0 CSL is based on the PT105 Powertrack car, and here called 'Light Beamer' (geddit?)

The Triumph TR7 is known as 'Quicksilver' and based on the PT111 Powertrack car.

Other than some toybox wear to the tampo print and a spot of damage to the B-pillar on the CSL, these are in pretty good shape.

50p each, if you fancy them! ***BOTH SOLD!!!***

40,631 · February 21, 2022

I read somewhere the Glo Racers were manufactured by a company called Lash Tameron then licenced Lesney?

58,793 · February 21, 2022

Just been into town, had a look in the Charity shops. Much as Oxfam is a bit expensive, our one does at least feel like a proper charity shop with loads of interesting stuff piled high to rummage through. Too many are going posh and just have clothes and books.

Dug these two out of a box of broken McDonald's toys and tatty Days Gone

Not bad for 99p each

Had to also stop at the Post Orifice on the way home which is conveniently located next to a couple more charity shops - and located a whole box full of interesting stuff for £9.99. Here's a quick overview while I sort out individual pics

That Phantom RS2000 is the pick of the bunch obviously.

Waiting on the doormat at home was a very conveniently timed Glo Racer 928

58,793 · February 21, 2022

A few out of that box

40,631 · February 21, 2022

Good find on the Skoda, saw £10 back on one a while back in similar condition on fleabay.

5,712 · February 21, 2022

1 minute ago, sierraman said:

Good find on the Skoda, saw £10 back on one a while back in similar condition on fleabay.

That Skoda is one of my childhood favourites.

40,631 · February 21, 2022

35 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

That Skoda is one of my childhood favourites.

It is mine, I recall finding one on a camping holiday as a kid in Cornwall which I still have somewhere. It’s a shame it only got used in one issue, it had special relevance for me as my grandmas neighbour had a 120 Estelle that I was fascinated with as a kid.

58,793 · February 21, 2022

More Matchbox copies located. Tractor Shovel fake

Real

#34 Formula 1. Fake:

Real:

and DeTomaso Pantera, by the same manufacturer as the Fandango etc copies I'd already found. Fake:

Real:

This one also looks familiar but I can't place it - Corgi copy maybe?

1,052 · February 22, 2022

16 hours ago, bunglebus said:

This one also looks familiar but I can't place it - Corgi copy maybe?

I remember Corgi doing a larger scale of the JPS in the 70s, but don't recall a version in Junior size.

58,793 · February 22, 2022

Another day, another charity shop bag. See anything interesting?

Sadly one of two at this parade of shops has closed suddenly.

5,712 · February 22, 2022

7 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Another day, another charity shop bag. See anything interesting?

Sadly one of two at this parade of shops has closed suddenly.

Have you 'bagged' another Skoda!

58,793 · February 22, 2022

5 hours ago, hennabm said:

I remember Corgi doing a larger scale of the JPS in the 70s, but don't recall a version in Junior size.

Funny enough, that ^ bag contains what I was thinking of, clearly not the same at all

And another Skud

Others include a Hot Wheels 32 Ford panel

Matchbox BMW

and Red Rider

Plus this Corgi Mustang - don't recall seeing slots in the base before, was there a version with side pipes?

9,188 · February 22, 2022

I had that Mustang Cobra, but with a very fetching green base. Looking at it now, it seems that the model doesn't actually depict any specific features that defines it as a Cobra and not any regular Fox-body Mustang.

58,793 · February 22, 2022

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Corgi Mustang - don't recall seeing slots in the base before, was there a version with side pipes?

Here's another with no slots, so I guess this came as a hot rod version too

Also found out this was one of the castings re-used as a Hot Wheels

42,276 · February 22, 2022

On 2/21/2022 at 11:55 AM, sierraman said:

I read somewhere the Glo Racers were manufactured by a company called Lash Tameron then licenced Lesney?

Ah, cool - I didn't know that.

A book I've had on my wishlist for a while is this one:

Toy Town: How a Hong Kong Industry Played a Global Game

Not sure how much specific diecast information there is, but I'm sure it's a fascinating story anyway!

40,631 · February 22, 2022

Just now, Datsuncog said:

Ah, cool - I didn't know that.

A book I've had on my wishlist for a while is this one:

Toy Town: How a Hong Kong Industry Played a Global Game

Not sure how much specific diecast information there is, but I'm sure it's a fascinating story anyway!

Basing my information from the back of one of the old rectangular Charlie Mack books

58,793 · February 22, 2022

So how many Corgis got this treatment? Mustang

Jag XJS

Buick Regal

Those last were apparently called "Jaguar Track Car" and "Buick Track Car (J9)"

10,244 · February 22, 2022

2 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

So how many Corgis got this treatment? Mustang

Jag XJS

Buick Regal

Those last were apparently called "Jaguar Track Car" and "Buick Track Car (J9)"