Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

Got an extra 240 and Maxima for repainting, thought I'd grab a few shots of them while the sun's out

[Split_Pin]

They're really fun castings those. I've still to find the Maxima.

[bunglebus]

 I have another if you get stuck - it's on eBay but I can send it at cost no problem 

[Datsuncog]

Bit pushed for time today, but after all the tiny stuff this week, have some pics of my Corgi #1142 Ford H-Series Holmes Wrecker...

Not mint or complete,and I'm still furious with myself for dropping it and damaging it, but it's pretty nice all the same.

It's also massively heavy, and has so many components to it.

Engine detail's pretty good, and the separate vertical exhaust adds an extra level of realism.

Chassis and underside is also really well done. This is an absolute cracker.

Corgi shifted over half a million of these between 1967 and 1974, after which a simpler version of the back end lived on with a newer Berliet cab up front as the #1144 Wrecker for another few years - and the casting for the towing rig ultimately made its way into the Corgi Classics range in the 1990s, mated with a Mack B-series cab.

Replacement bits for this are on my 'one day' list - but until then, it's more than good enough to enjoy as-is.

Happy Friday, kids.

[bunglebus]

Can you imagine if they sold toys like that now? Facebook mums up in arms because there's a tow hook stuck up little Cameron's nose etc

[warch]

I must get my very own Homewrecker one day such a fantastic toy. Does it have working suspension like my Corgi Landrover (which actually has better suspension than the vehicle it was a model version of)?

[Datsuncog]

37 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Facebook mums up in arms because there's a tow hook stuck up little Cameron's nose etc

In fairness, that's probably exactly what happened with the missing hook...

😬

[Bear]

I discovered a 2012 series of Hot Wheels and it ended e-Bay-dly.

[Datsuncog]

5 minutes ago, warch said:

Does it have working suspension like my Corgi Landrover?

It really is a stunner - and yes, there's a reasonable amount of suspension travel:

Though maybe not quite Land Rover levels of travel!

[warch]

I love toy cars with working suspension or steering and other play features like the tilting cab, such a rarity in the modern model car scene.

[warch]

D to the muthaf**king P! Oxford Diecast go full 80s shite as of next year with this (in the best* colour too).

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, warch said:

I must get my very own Homewrecker one day such a fantastic toy. Does it have working suspension like my Corgi Landrover (which actually has better suspension than the vehicle it was a model version of)?

I agree.  I can't quite understand how the Holmes has passed me by all these years, especially as I had the same cab on the Express Service artic.  I really should put more effort into finding one.  Anyone care to bet on my chances of finding anything halfway decent at a price I can afford?

[warch]

19 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

I agree.  I can't quite understand how the Holmes has passed me by all these years, especially as I had the same cab on the Express Service artic.  I really should put more effort into finding one.  Anyone care to bet on my chances of finding anything halfway decent at a price I can afford?

I’d be happy with quite a scruffy one, it sort of suits the sort of vehicle it is (notwithstanding that most real recovery trucks are immaculately kept). I like the little boiler suit clad mechanics who came with it too. 

[Remspoor]

17 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Bit pushed for time today, but after all the tiny stuff this week, have some pics of my Corgi #1142 Ford H-Series Holmes Wrecker...

Not mint or complete,and I'm still furious with myself for dropping it and damaging it, but it's pretty nice all the same.

It's also massively heavy, and has so many components to it.

Engine detail's pretty good, and the separate vertical exhaust adds an extra level of realism.

Chassis and underside is also really well done. This is an absolute cracker.

Corgi shifted over half a million of these between 1967 and 1974, after which a simpler version of the back end lived on with a newer Berliet cab up front as the #1144 Wrecker for another few years - and the casting for the towing rig ultimately made its way into the Corgi Classics range in the 1990s, mated with a Mack B-series cab.

Replacement bits for this are on my 'one day' list - but until then, it's more than good enough to enjoy as-is.

Happy Friday, kids.

I had one as a child. Long gone unfortunately . I still have the mechanics which came with it. Photo of them with other figs some time ago on this thread. It is a cracking model. This along with the Mercedes truck and trailer both Corgi and dinky were on top of their game.

[barrett]

It's been a while since I had a girl back to mine, and tbh I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be about it these days. Not due to the 'lockdown weight' I've put on or the bedsheets overdue for a change, but because seemingly every flat surface is now covered in toy cars. I don't think it's possible to spin 'oh, but I only collect unusual and rare-in-the-UK 1960s European diecasts of interesting makes' into a sexy come-on. Fortunately this thread is my safe space, and I don't want to have sex with any of you, so let's have a look at what's new.

First up, it's Mebetoys A-64 Porsche 912!

Pretty nice, eh? I'm not a Porsche guy really, but I appreciate the oddness of the 912 and I suspect this is the only period miniature version of that model.

Typical opening bits and Italian quality build. This one has a (broken) roof rack fitted, hence the holes in the roof, but it looks better with it removed. I'm not sure what the original model would have been as all the references I can find are of the standard car, although other Mebetoys came with a canoe on the roof so perhaps it was that. One corner of front bumper missing (the bumpers are cast metal, not plastic!) but otherwise nice, and not bad for a fiver.

Next is Pilen no.203 Renault 16

This is just the old (French) Dinky model with no changes from the original, but I like the turquoise colour, and it can join my 'cars wot I've owned' shelf. It was very cheap.

It also came with this rather knackered Pilen Citroen SM which was due to go in the bin, but now it's arrived I can't quite bring myelf to get rid of it.

Mainly because it has an intact headlamp cover, which must be a rarity. There's another on ebay with good paint which is missing the headlamp cover so I might 'have' to buy that one and make a good one out of the pair...

This is the Corgi toys model, with simplified door design to exclude the chunky plastic window surrounds/door handles. Like all Pilens of this era it has accurate wheels for the real thing, and the front end is a bit better resolved (on the Corgi the lamp cover is yellow plastic). The suspension has collapsed, giving an accurate SM stance (ie, broken).

If anyone has a knackered Corgi version with intact rear windscreen please speak up, ditto if anyone wants this wreck once I've liberated some spares from it. Right, that's it. I'm officially a SICKO who will die alone and I won't even have a wife who can throw all this shit in the bin when I die.

 

 

[sierraman]

My wife takes the piss out of me, lightheadedly of course. Strangely enough I’d married her before she was aware of the diecast, it only reignited when I rediscovered a load of them in my parent loft. So my advice would be drop a kid out with them, buy a house and get married then drop it in that you secretly collect model cars.

[junkyarddog]

2 hours ago, barrett said:

due to go in the bin,

Nooooo,lots of spares left on that!!!

No,I don't have a full box of broken stuff just for that purpose,no siree!

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, barrett said:

Mebetoys A-64 Porsche 912!

Damn, missed that. I really like 911s and especially the earlier ones. Definitely on my want list now.

Yes I know it's a 912.

[Split_Pin]

I have always been blatantly open about my diecast with my wife, they're omnipresent but she doesn't mind them. She built me a toy room mainly so they are holed up in one part of the house though! My son has no interest in cars at all though, he is more of a sport lover.

[eddyramrod]

You can always leave your collection (or non-collection, as applicable) to your local car museum or toy museum, or even to a fellow Shiter if you feel so inclined!

MrsR tolerates my models with a fairly poor grace (having bought me my first two 1/18s!) and completely dismisses the wide-ranging selloff that I've been doing for several years now; she manages to carp about every new addition as if it's the end of the world, taking the food out of her very mouth, occupying so much space she can't even sit down, etc etc.  She is, obviously, totally wrong.

There have been additions today, but that's for later...

[andrew e]

Roll up bargain hunters!!! Mind you it might be a bargain???!!!

[bunglebus]

About three times what I paid for mine

[sierraman]

This will probably make you sick then, I picked one of those up at a car boot about 6 years ago for 50p. Went straight on ebay. 

[eddyramrod]

This morning I met up with @Jon and his beloved at the Lakeland Motor Museum.  And, er, this happened...

...which might be a bit easier to follow in these, after I got home...

Nissan truck and Holden ambulance, as Jon kindly offered upthread.  The ambulance really is tiny!

By request, since he can get them Down Under and I can't here, not one but a pair of Dodge Diplomats.  I knew one was dressed as a police car, but not that it was a Thelma & Louise tie-in; that's gone straight into my film and TV collection.  The other one will be getting painted, and in a black-and-white police livery too, to match the Plymouth Gran Fury (same car apart from badging) that I once owned.

Now... bonus time!  Get a load of this!

Also going straight in the film and TV collection, but at 1/18 scale, a Greenlight 1967 Chevrolet Impala!  It comes from a very successful show called Supernatural, of which I've seen about half an episode, but the Impala.... ooooooooooooooh yes please!  They go way over budget on ebay (I know, I watch them), but Jon said this one didn't, because the box could be better and he thought the model was flawed in some way... damned if I can see it!  It looks damn good in my cabinet, that's for sure.

Jon is an actual Gentleman.  If you have dealings with him, feel confident.

Oh and now I need another 67 Impala, cheap and scruffy enough to paint blue.  Go on, name that film...

[Split_Pin]

Can't wait till he makes his way up to Scotland!

[eddyramrod]

He's on his way, but the route is a bit meandering

[bunglebus]

More new 5 packs. Still staying on the pegs until there's an offer on

 

[bunglebus]

On 15/09/2022 at 06:50, Split_Pin said:

I love looking back at these mad releases. Majorette released a few crackers such as a dayglo green Mk2 Golf and the pink and white MK2 Transit Minibus. Matchbox got in on it too with their dayglo versions of regular castings. 

I think this is the best/worst example I have

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Unexpected HW find in a local Co-Op today:

Apparently part of the 51st anniversary range (at least a couple of years old?). They had at least three others on a strip on one of the food aisles, Master SL noticed them. I was busy looking for bread sauce or something. Think it was £2.50 (the HW, not the bread sauce).

Made up for the disappointment of the charity shop where I often pick up old postcards and diecasts having closed at 3pm (really, on a Saturday?).

[eddyramrod]

13 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Oh and now I need another 67 Impala, cheap and scruffy enough to paint blue.  Go on, name that film...

Any scale will work: 1/18 preferably, but 1/43 and even 1/64 would be fine, I'm only going to paint it.  Nobody thought of the film yet?  Do you need more clues?