Shite in Miniature II

[MiniMinorMk3]

Another good Spanish maker is Mira. Here's some examples.

Chrysler 1500 GLS

Citroen CX 2400

Ford Fiesta Rallye

Mercedes 450 Policia

Seat 1200 Sport

Seat 128

Seat 128 Rallye

Seat 131

 

[bunglebus]

I thought I'd done a Who Did It Worst? for the Renault 17, but no. Somehow the existence of these rather excellent looking cars passed me by until fairly recently. 

It seems red and orange are the default colours for these, with only Zylmex bucking the trend with blue. The others are Majorette, Matchbox, Polfi, Lido and an unknown using the same body. I have to say despite not having any opening parts, the Majorette is my favourite 

[bunglebus]

4 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Another good Spanish maker is Mira

Absolutely, some lovely stuff made by them. Still on the hunt for more of their Matchbox castings 

[barrett]

14 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Another good Spanish maker is Mira. Here's some examples.

Seat 128

 

I've been after one of those road-going 128 3Ps for a while. There's one on ebay but it's just a few quid more thanb I'd want to spend, really. I should probably just pony up as they don't come around very often.

[bunglebus]

How's that for timing - postman just brought this Mini-Mira Lamborghini Countach. Normally I'd be wary of screaming copy when it's a subject covered by many manufacturers, but being as I've already found half a dozen Matchbox-a-like Miras, I think I can count this as definite cribbing 

[barrett]

7 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

How's that for timing - postman just brought this Mini-Mira Lamborghini Countach. Normally I'd be wary of screaming copy when it's a subject covered by many manufacturers, but being as I've already found half a dozen Matchbox-a-like Miras, I think I can count this as definite cribbing 

 

The clue is that neither of them bear even a passing resemblance to the real car. Always wondered who signed off that Matchbox to begin with, it just looks like a generic 'supercar'.

[Split_Pin]

Pilens 1/43s are great models, I only have the Seat 124 Sport but its MIB and satisfies my Mira habit for the time being......

[MiniMinorMk3]

43 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I thought I'd done a Who Did It Worst? for the Renault 17, but no. Somehow the existence of these rather excellent looking cars passed me by until fairly recently. 

It seems red and orange are the default colours for these, with only Zylmex bucking the trend with blue. The others are Majorette, Matchbox, Polfi, Lido and an unknown using the same body. I have to say despite not having any opening parts, the Majorette is my favourite 

 

Solido did a couple of good 17s in 1/43rd.

[MiniMinorMk3]

And talking of Spanish models, another is Joal. Not as good as Pilen and Mira, and covered the same subjects.

CX

Seat 132

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

16 minutes ago, barrett said:

The clue is that neither of them bear even a passing resemblance to the real car. Always wondered who signed off that Matchbox to begin with, it just looks like a generic 'supercar'.

The Matchbox casting was based on the original prototype, which did not have the scoops on the rear quarters of the production car.

[Split_Pin]

I tried another branch of Tesco and Smyths today for the Escort, no dice. I'm just going to have to wait until the madness dies down a bit!

[eddyramrod]

Now then!  As I was saying about a parcel arriving...  I was very happy to do a deal with @AndyW201 for some old Vanguards, this is what I got (all boxed).

I started dismantling the Granada, and one I already had, so that the red one can eventually become a model of my late mate Dave's first one, going back to 1985.

Bit more to do, because in order to get the window set out, there are two rivets holding the dash and windows in place.  I'd also like to find some better wheels for the yellow one because the set shown are from something else, and are slightly oversize.  The Cortina has only one axle, wearing a pair of Minilites and I don't want it on Minilites, so what I really need is a source of scrap Vanguards for spears or reapers M8.

I had a little win on ebay too...

1950s Corgi Morris Cowley for s&r.  I'll be drilling and stripping this to respray it, but probably not until the weather improves.  I didn't let the seller post this, I collected it in person, because he's only in Ulverston!  Better than that, he has a stall on the indoor market where he sells used diecasts!  Most of his stock is mint/boxed and priced accordingly, but he also has a 50p scrap box, which obviously I had a rootle through.

I mean... I've got no use for this really but it was in such good condition that I couldn't leave it behind.  Most of what was in the box was smaller: Matchbox scale, but mostly no-name I think.  If anybody really wants I'll go back and shoot some snaps in a few days.

There's paintwork progress to report too!

Grey Jag is now green enough to resemble the one I'm driving   But also...

The Hidden Treasures Marina has had a little frontal touching-in, to resemble the red Marina 1.8 saloon I was driving in 1986-8.  When my parents bought it in the summer it was all one colour - conveniently the same red as the Vanguard - until I smashed it up the backside of a Fiat (Tempra, IIRC) on my way home one day.  It was hastily repaired using a bonnet and grille from a Coupe I had broken for parts and the chap who did the work for me gave it a quick blow in what he happened to have, which was Harvest Gold.  Fortunately he just painted the (blue) bonnet and one wing.  Maybe I should get some more of these: they've done a decent-looking one in the same red, which would make the "before" picture, and another in any colour would do for me to paint as "after," because over Easter 1988 I brushed it in Crown Field Poppy.  The first time I saw the HT, I knew it could and eventually would come to represent the "during" look, and now, at last, I've got one!

[andy18s]

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

Most of what was in the box was smaller: Matchbox scale, but mostly no-name I think.  If anybody really wants I'll go back and shoot some snaps in a few days

As if you have to ask!

[RoadworkUK]

2 hours ago, andy18s said:

I've seen those Bova Futuras around on eBay for a while but can't quite bring myself to pull the trigger because I don't collect model buses.

[sheffcortinacentre]

I've some mini Mira taunus TC 3's ( Mk5 cortinas).

[eddyramrod]

33 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

I've some mini Mira taunus TC 3's ( Mk5 cortinas).

That's very interesting!  How mini is mini?  What sort of scale are we looking at here?

[AndyW201]

Oh man, seeing all those Mira/Pilen/Joals takes me right back to holidays in Benidorm in the early '80s. I always had to bring a few back. Problem was, I didn't appreciate the delicacy of them and subjected them to the type of play that my other cars got! They didn't last well under hard use (much like the real things in most cases...) The Mira Seat Bocanegra and Pilen 124 Sport were my favourites. When the a pillars broke off the 124 and the suspension collapsed, it was toast sadly...

Well, had a tiring day traipsing round the shops. Asda, George at Asda, Tesco, Smyth's and Entertainer. No Escorts to be found so sod it.

Did find the Patrol, blue Quattro and blue '70 Firebird at Entertainer and they were on 3 for 2, so the day wasn't a complete loss. So last weekend and this weekends Hot Wheels haul has filled in a few gaps. 

Need the green  2018 Camaro to set this Then & Now pairing off.

A pair of GT3s, Love this casting,

Love this, reminds me of going to a few of the World Finals at Santa Pod throughout the '90s

[Spottedlaurel]

I forgot about the Patrol! Did manage to nip into a couple of local supermarkets tonight, nothing super-exciting but also got the green '81 Camaro plus grey Toyota Van and a modern-ish Impreza WRX.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

That's very interesting!  How mini is mini?  What sort of scale are we looking at here?

About 1:64

Mine is just a Mira rather than Mini-Mira, but my Mini ones are the same size as this

[eddyramrod]

I see, thank you.  Too small for me these days!

[eddyramrod]

Having said that... one thing I am looking for is the MB Mercedes 450SEL.  I don't mind whether it's plain, taxi or police, because it's going to get painted brown...

Yes, another one for the Ronin set.  Didn't someone make an E34 in a similar scale too?  Again, it's only to paint black...

[Split_Pin]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

About 1:64

Mine is just a Mira rather than Mini-Mira, but my Mini ones are the same size as this

I've got that and unless mine is actually a different model, I'd say it was bigger than 1:64. Certainly appreciably bigger than my MB Cortina (which is the greatest Superfast of all time) and quite an odd size. I really like the fact that it's a MK5 as prior to me finding it on ebay about a year ago, I thought this last phase of Cortina had never been modelled at the time.

[AndyW201]

7 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Having said that... one thing I am looking for is the MB Mercedes 450SEL.  I don't mind whether it's plain, taxi or police, because it's going to get painted brown...

Yes, another one for the Ronin set.  Didn't someone make an E34 in a similar scale too?  Again, it's only to paint black...

Yep, Matchbox did. You may fall lucky and find a black one...

[bunglebus]

Guiloy Taurus is also a MK5

[warch]

I might have to get a Patrol, I had a go in a real one once, incredibly rare in the UK. I forget which engine, think it was a straight six but it sank on the springs when you revved it. 

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Guiloy Taurus is also a MK5

That looks like the same casting 🤔

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

That looks like the same casting 🤔

The #5 car and the beige one are the same car before and after. Mira and Guiloy castings are definitely different 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Some more recent 1/43rds

IXO Chrysler Simca 2 Litre

IXO Talbot Matra Murena

Kyosho Lotus Europa JPS

Detail Cars Fiat 600D

 

Detail Car Ford Bathtub

 

 

[bunglebus]

Anyway, today was toy fair day today, so I jumped in my submarine(!) and headed off. Yet again my nemesis had paid for early entry and showed me a carded Hot Wheels P-911 I would have loved to find

Think it was the rarer version with gold Wheels too goddammit.

I picked up some others though

Doesn't seem to be a lot of love for this era Matchbox, just £1

I always see loads of Matchbox and have to rack my brain as to whether mine are in better/worse condition. Don't think I have this one though

Not sure if this counts as red or orange - either way it can go in the back of a K-6 Pick-up Truck

Toe Joe has its toe hooks

Charger was retrieved from the bottom of a box of junk

Paid a couple of quid for a decent Draguar though

Turbo 2

Crazy fool

Pulled this out of a £1 tub

I sold my last Matchbox Plymouth Trail Duster as it didn't interest me, but for some reason decided I needed this version today

This is cool though, Dinky MK2 Cortina is I think complete other than one mirror - £3 

Onto a few oddballs, this is small scale, slightly larger than Matchbox and made by Lucky

Similar scale, Buddy L

Holly 

Found another version of the HW Matchbox DeTomaso Pantera 

And a Sunny