Shite in Miniature II

[sierraman]

[sierraman]

[bunglebus]

Sweet I'm a big fan of the blackwall era stuff. I can see a Custom Volkswagen redline lurking at the back too.

I reckon the 90s was the doldrums for toy cars, I was too busy playing with full size ones at the time, but every now and again some neon monstrosity finds its way to me

Matchbox Pontiac Firebird Racer

[Dodgem driver]

10 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

The Challenger R/T looks a mega-bargain for £20 - 1/18 scale on that one?

Great detail, and they've done a good job with the eyepopping Panther Pink paint. Thanks for sharing!

It's actually 1/24 scale, which makes that level of detail even more incredible.

Never got that sort of detail on a 1980s Burago model when I was a kid!

[sierraman]

Just now, bunglebus said:

Sweet I'm a big fan of the blackwall era stuff. I can see a Custom Volkswagen redline lurking at the back too.

I reckon the 90s was the doldrums for toy cars, I was too busy playing with full size ones at the time, but every now and again some neon monstrosity finds its way to me

Matchbox Pontiac Firebird Racer

I don’t know that one there is from an era for me when I was getting my action at the car boot/jumble sales, not often did I get a new one. I can remember in about 1997 eating my own body weight in Bernard Matthews Turkey Dinosaurs to get the on pack offer of a Matchbox Rhino Rod. The excitement of it coming through the post!

The 90’s were golden era for me, the catalogues you used to get, ticking them off as you got them. I went off diecast when I’d be about 14 becoming temporarily distracted by women and beer until I got to around my late 20’s and I had kids and a chance visit to Poundland and discovering they sold Matchbox. The magic of buying diecast again, my eldest has grown out of it now but youngest still loves going with Dad to Tesco to get the latest mix. It’s nice to see them enjoying the escapism it brings. 

[Dodgem driver]

4 hours ago, RoadworkUK said:

believe Highway 61 kinda sorta is a high-end spin off from American Muscle; the castings were by Ertl, and there were various levels of detail applied to them. The American Muscle 'Elite edition' range was a kind of earlier precursor to Highway 61. I think Auto World has taken over from the whole Ertl shooting match.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! 👍

I looked into Highway 61 online and it's apparently part of the Greenlight brand. Some mighty fine models they make too. I believe I recently bought a Greenlight caravan, or camper in 1/64 scale. I'll dig it out to check. Think I've got a couple of other 1/64 Greenlight models too. 

The Challenger is 1/24 scale and incredibly detailed for that scale.

I've got various diecast bits and bobs on the way from ebay, will share them here when they turn up.

[bunglebus]

Funny enough there was a kid with his dad chosing Hot Wheels in Smyths, I did warn the dad it's a slippery slope, and he'd end up in his 40s with thousands of them...

[Dodgem driver]

11 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Welcome aboard!

Those are two very nice finds - the Corvette doesn't look like it'd be much fun to use as a phone for long conversations, what with the wheels digging into your head and all, but it's a nicely detailed model. Are you able to check if it still works?

I seem to recall similar novelty phones (Porsche 911, maybe?) where the headlights and taillights flashed and the ringer made a car-horn noise whenever a call was incoming. Weird but kinda wonderful.

Yes, novelty phones were definitely a thing in the 1980s. I just found this on ebay, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255699010155

Mercedes shaped phone. Was tempted to buy it, but I've got too much shite already. 

There's also a Porsche 928 phone from the same era. It came in red, white or black as I recall.

Might try the Corvette phone and see if it still functions. Curious to know what the ringer sound is. A beeping horn I'm guessing. The seller at the stall was selling his own model car collection and he said he bought the Corvette phone in New York whilst on holiday. Be interesting to see if it does work on UK system. Plug connection looks the same. Might try it.

[sheffcortinacentre]

I remember the Merc SL phone seem to recall a  testerossa too.

[eddyramrod]

Yes, my mate had a Testarossa in red.  And outside on the drive, a mk3 Granada (one of several successively).

[Split_Pin]

I think I have said this before, but there was never a time that I wasn't into diecast. However apart from on here and at home I have tended to keep quiet about it since I was around 13. It probably showed through in some way though as women were never interested in me until I was in my 20s😅 Even then I remember a horrible ex I had was being picked up by her friend from our home and her disdain at my shelves of cars as she came into our living room was significant. Thankfully my wife doesn't mind and built me a 'toy room'.

[sierraman]

The wife actually bought me a load of Matchbox for my birthday. I mean let’s be right there’s worse hobbies you could have, it’s fairly harmless!

[Datsuncog]

Another lunchtime laptop lovely - the IXO(?) Ford Sierra 2.3 Ghia.

One of the Argentinian partworks I hoovered up indiscriminately last year, and looking nice in metallic blue.

Shape looks pretty bob-on; the much-derided jellymould styling well rendered along with the Ghia rubbing strips. Dunno if the red inserts are a South American thing, though.

Bit* of roughness around the bumper and sidelights; licence plate is a smidge cockamamie also.

Reasonable stab at underside detailing, too.

Nope, it's not as good as the Vanguards Sierras, and probably couldn't be mistaken for a UK example, but it was fairly inexpensive and I kinda like it all the same...

[sierraman]

The arches look wobbed up like pretty much every Sierra I remember!

[RoadworkUK]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Another lunchtime laptop lovely - the IXO(?) Ford Sierra 2.3 Ghia.

Dunno if the red inserts are a South American thing, though.

They are. They're actually side indicator repeaters; note that the ones that would be below the Ghia crest in the UK are absent. Also note that the headlight washers are represented – an extremely rare option in the UK.

Of course I'm mildly obsessed with Sierras;  I was rather abnormally excited when I discovered this model, being that it's a very close approximation of the A reg 2.0 Ghia in Glacier Blue that my Dad had when I was little. I actually think its a more accurate rendition than the Vanguards XR4i, which looks a bit... overinflated, somehow. The only aspect of the partwork that I dislike is the wheels. They attempt to capture the Aerofoil style, but end up a bit blobby and unconvincing. I'd be very tempted to swap a set of Vanguards XR4i / Ghia pepperpots on, if, like, I started crapping money.

[sheffcortinacentre]

5 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Another lunchtime laptop lovely - the IXO(?) Ford Sierra 2.3 Ghia.

One of the Argentinian partworks I hoovered up indiscriminately last year, and looking nice in metallic blue.

Shape looks pretty bob-on; the much-derided jellymould styling well rendered along with the Ghia rubbing strips. Dunno if the red inserts are a South American thing, though.

Bit* of roughness around the bumper and sidelights; licence plate is a smidge cockamamie also.

Reasonable stab at underside detailing, too.

Nope, it's not as good as the Vanguards Sierras, and probably couldn't be mistaken for a UK example, but it was fairly inexpensive and I kinda like it all the same...

Those are the frt/rear side marker lights.

[MiniMort]

Been faffing around with my new models, respraying a few of them. My detailing is still incredibly a bit rough and ready but on the whole I’m quite pleased with them.

I think I need to come up with some kind of background and make a diorama for them…

[eddyramrod]

A secondhand garage could help you there.  Charity shops, car boots... they can be found.

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, MiniMort said:

Been faffing around with my new models, respraying a few of them. My detailing is still incredibly a bit rough and ready but on the whole I’m quite pleased with them.

I think I need to come up with some kind of background and make a diorama for them…

2cv at speed in the background is a nice touch though

[MiniMort]

9 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

A secondhand garage could help you there.  Charity shops, car boots... they can be found.

That’s actually a good idea. I’ve got quite a bit of excess wood too - I might even be able to build my own

[Tenmil Socket]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

2cv at speed in the background is a nice touch though

Exactly what I was thinking 😆

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, MiniMort said:

That’s actually a good idea. I’ve got quite a bit of excess wood too - I might even be able to build my own

This winter I’m going to go for it, once I’ve got my shit in order with the house renovations which should* be coming to a close for the time being. Some 12mm ply seems the easy solution. What could recreate brickwork though? 

[RoadworkUK]

White paint over 50-grit sandpaper for that authentic 1960s pebbledash appearance.

[sierraman]

31 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

White paint over 50-grit sandpaper for that authentic 1960s pebbledash appearance.

I’d want it to look as much ‘run down car lot’ as possible a bit like the Jetberg Garage in castle gresley. 

[Remspoor]

4 hours ago, MiniMort said:

I’ve got quite a bit of excess wood too

Too much information 😉

[eddyramrod]

58 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’d want it to look as much ‘run down car lot’ as possible a bit like the Jetberg Garage in castle gresley. 

Grey or beige paint in that case, perhaps with some graffiti?  Try a craft/hobby shop for brickwork, I'm sure it'll be available scaled either for model railways, or dolls' houses.

[sierraman]

20 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Grey or beige paint in that case, perhaps with some graffiti?  Try a craft/hobby shop for brickwork, I'm sure it'll be available scaled either for model railways, or dolls' houses.

Chunks of render falling off. 

[Isopon]

On 08/04/2022 at 14:44, Isopon said:

Bought this lot from the charity shop today:

Vauxhall still has its tailgate:

Total cost? 10p each. Couldn't he happier, also picked up some other (later) diecasts for the same price but these are by far my favourites. Absolutely not going to sell them.

 

Since buying those from my local charity shop, Its sent me down a slippery (diecast) slope. Only bought a few (hundred) more since.

Anyway... Here's a piston popper I finished today:

Really pleased with it, one of my better restorations

[sheffcortinacentre]

Loads of how to make garages etc on YouTube 

[Datsuncog]

I got sidetracked wiring up lights in the garage over lunchtime, so neglected to post today's laptop-cheering diecast pics... a thousand apologies.

It's... the Lesney Major Pack No.2 Bedford TK tractor unit with York Freightmaster box trailer.

This was another market find, albeit the tractor and the trailer turned up several weeks apart. But that was ok, as I think I only paid 50p for each component.

Even with the rear doors missing, I still think it'd warrant more than a quid in most dealers' purviews.

It's in that 'just nice' condition where it looks fundamentally clean, and displays very well, but isn't so minty that you feel guilty breathing too close to it.

I've never heard of Davies Tyres, but I'll assume they were a real brand back in the 1960s, as Matchbox stuff tended to model genuine commercial liveries.

There's a bit of damage to the waterslide transfers, but not so much to make it look unduly tatty.

The underside is very orange too. I understand this one came in a few different colourways over the years, but this was the first and the longest-lived version.

It's a testament to the Bedford's flexibility that a truck designed in the 1950s was still being built into the 1980s (and later, if you count the AWD version).

They were the default coal lorry while I was growing up, so a slightly tatty TK always raises my spirits somewhat.

A belated Happy Friday, kids.