Shite in Miniature II

[RoadworkUK]

 

On 1/20/2023 at 6:20 PM, quicksilver said:

My username comes from my own fleet, nowhere near the same scale as the big ones and I don't bother with things such as timetables and vehicle rosters, but it gives a better reason for my collection to exist and adds more interest than just a random collection of models. I've never heard of that fleet though so it's possibly not an MBF member.

I bloody love that.

In a way, I can actually relate. When I was 11 or 12, when I should have been out and about investigating what the hell "girls" were, I instead invested rather too much of my spare time "designing" coaches. And, of course, if you do that, you have to choose a livery, so I did. For whatever reason, Clearwater Tours took my fancy.

Top one here was my vision of what a double-deck Plaxton Excalibur might look like:

[flat4alfa]

6 hours ago, quicksilver said:

That Kenworth is an obscure Corgi, 1/76 scale, produced for the 2002 James Bond series and never seen again

Thanks.  I did wonder.  Now I know, I will see it in a clearer light!  Will hold onto it a while longer and just pop it into small scale shots for the sake of it.  Looked it up - could this hold the record for size of packaging for a 1:76 scale single model?!

The scale is questionable.  If I've read it right, the 1986 Kenworth W-900 B is 102in (2.6m) across, wheel to wheel.  Quick calc makes that approx 1:86.  Hmmm...   so against a Hongwell Mercedes 280 SL (sold as 1:76) :

Against a Lone Star Mercedes 230 SL (stamped 1:86) :

Well I know which I would go for...

Either way, bought it, not just because it was 99p, but also because a teenage moi was amazed by the engineering to get one to pull that wheelie in the film.  Being filmed 1988, it wasn't CGI, the stunts were done for real:

Quote

It still has the original 1 ton counterweight mounted on the fifth wheel assembly extending approx 5 feet behind the frame rails. The rear suspension was also modified to allow for extra travel. The truck does pull wheelies under its own power. Ive seen and driven this truck  [source: https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_6710-Kenworth-W-900-B-1989.html]

Which probably* means the chassis should be chopped and rejoined to make it permanently do this sort of thing:

Two Lone Star 1:86 Corvettes popped over to check out the scene.  Yep, going to stick with a scale nearer 1:86.

Apart from that wheelie effort, earlier on in the film sequence the Kenworth does this:

Quote

A rig was devised to tilt the tanker on its side but proved unnecessary. “The tanker driver (Rémy Julienne) appeared on location — no crash helmet, seat belt or anything,” remembered 2nd unit special effects supervisor Chris Corbould. “He put a ramp up and he just drove up, and he put the tanker on its side. It was quite amazing.”  [source: https://www.007.com/licence-to-kill/]

He did that in one take.  RIP Rémy Julienne.

[flat4alfa]

Later, two other big rigs heard about the commotion and popped over to take a look...

To the left was the Majorette Ford CL-9000 (stamped 1:86 underneath) which brought along a tanker load to try

To the right was a Matchbox Kenworth K100 (Aerodyne cab, because upper windows) dated 1983.  The cab width measured to.... approx 1:86!  Did need to do something about that 'Dr Pepper' AMX load it normally carries, which is way out of scale to match.  So, a Lone Star (1:86) Citroen DS showed up...

...and got ferried home instead

That's better.

Always had a thing about the Ford, because of the massive shiny grille.  Also, the COE Kenworth cab is famous* for being the TV series star truck in BJ and the Bear.   https://www.imcdb.org/movie_78564-BJ-and-the-Bear.html

Unlikely you could make that show today, not with that title anyhow...   Not only that, a Ford CL-9000 makes an appearance in one episode too

And AMT produced a 1:32 scale model kit of the Kenworth as a TV show tie-in

The one @eddyramrod build as a lad now lives here, albeit somewhere safe in a box waiting in the queue of restoration jobs to do!  Must get back into the loft where all the project boxes are, but it's soooo cold up there...

[AndyW201]

A combination of two weeks off work sick, just before Christmas, and being about 152 days into January so far has led to not being able to have many diecast splurges as yet. However I had to go into Tesco earlier for something. As usual MB singles amounted to about 6 airport tugs and two Packard convertibles. 5 packs were fresh stock though!

Having owned a few brown Mercs over the years (and especially owning a boring grey one now), I had to have this one. Its unusual also to find a multipack where I like all the cars in it.

Not sure if a '62 Beetle would have been in service on the Autobahns at the time, but it's a bonny thing.

The 2002 looks great in this colour, Very much like the metallic blue they often came in.

Giulia in a fetching shade of Caramel.

This was the reason for getting it though! I was chuffed to find it is metallic brown. With the beige interior, it brings back fond memories of my old Nutria brown 190.

[bunglebus]

On 19/01/2023 at 23:51, junkyarddog said:

Got myself one of these today, same series that has the red P6 - of course none of those left.

£8.99 now in Smyths 😐

[bunglebus]

A few insta pics. Looks like the Opel is indeed an Opel

[flat4alfa]

I think there must be an area distribution thing as the big Tesco near me in Bedfordshire has closed the Matchbox line and reused the shelf where the box used to be.

 

[sierraman]

54 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I think there must be an area distribution thing as the big Tesco near me in Bedfordshire has closed the Matchbox line and reused the shelf where the box used to be.

 

Supposedly the deal ended this month with Tesco, who as bad luck would have it are the sole retailer. I don’t know who the new one is or if it’s been renewed but this sort of stuff takes an age to settle so if they haven’t renewed then it would be another period where apart from the odd batch at retailers you wouldn’t see them until they found a retailer, if they do at all. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

17 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Later, two other big rigs heard about the commotion and popped over to take a look...

To the left was the Majorette Ford CL-9000 (stamped 1:86 underneath) which brought along a tanker load to try

To the right was a Matchbox Kenworth K100 (Aerodyne cab, because upper windows) dated 1983.  The cab width measured to.... approx 1:86!  Did need to do something about that 'Dr Pepper' AMX load it normally carries, which is way out of scale to match.  So, a Lone Star (1:86) Citroen DS showed up...

...and got ferried home instead

That's better.

Always had a thing about the Ford, because of the massive shiny grille.  Also, the COE Kenworth cab is famous* for being the TV series star truck in BJ and the Bear.   https://www.imcdb.org/movie_78564-BJ-and-the-Bear.html

Unlikely you could make that show today, not with that title anyhow...   Not only that, a Ford CL-9000 makes an appearance in one episode too

And AMT produced a 1:32 scale model kit of the Kenworth as a TV show tie-in

The one @eddyramrod build as a lad now lives here, albeit somewhere safe in a box waiting in the queue of restoration jobs to do!  Must get back into the loft where all the project boxes are, but it's soooo cold up there...

Still have my kit (built).

[flat4alfa]

5 hours ago, AndyW201 said:

Not sure if a '62 Beetle would have been in service on the Autobahns at the time, but it's a bonny thing.

Of course I had to go and take a look, out of curiosity

Autobahn patrol cars were also convertibles, this film clip from 1961

Not sure when the dark green was replaced with the lighter green, moving the Polizei script to the flanks, but it was between this 1967 magazine depiction

and the Wolfsburg museum 1303

I wonder why they didn't portray the earlier colour scheme and signage as on this 1959 1200

As Wiking did for 1:87, amongst others

But I suppose we are talking about Mattel Matchbox here..

[MiniMinorMk3]

Looking at dates on these Minichamps (usually accurate), it looks like 1972 was the change from dark to mid green.

[junkyarddog]

Today I've done a buy.

The most I've ever spent on a single Diecast item!!

Can you tell what it is yet?

Ok,I'll put you out of your misery. 

Mint and boxed Corgi Volkswagen Toblerone van with Trans-O-Lite!

It wasn't cheap,but I had to have it!!😎

It's a real departure,I normally don't go for mint and boxed!!

You can see I'm still sticking*to the new year resolution😂

[junkyarddog]

Continuing on the theme of not buying anymore diecast tat,is this rather nice Corgi Escort van in Dunlop livery.

Date on the box says 1984.

As you can see the new years resolution is still going well *🙄🤪

[FakeConcern]

I've never even heard of the Toblerone VW van, looks great though!

[ETCHY]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

A few insta pics. Looks like the Opel is indeed an Opel

I'm liking the Kadett coupe a lot !

[bunglebus]

11 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Autobahn patrol cars

And of course

[bunglebus]

13 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

That is gorgeous. Not too worried about boxed but mint is a great thing to have.

Swap 4 broken Xbox 2nite M9?

[bunglebus]

Off on work missions again. Typically all the Entertainers seem to be having stock takes and no deliveries, but they do have these 

"All the Lamborghinis are gone though" said the bloke.

Am I bothered though, not interested in modernz

[flat4alfa]

On 1/21/2023 at 12:00 AM, danthecapriman said:

I don’t have the Zephyr, though I would like one.

I have three 

1 blue, 1 green, 1 in primer

[bunglebus]

Zephyr MK3? Mine are battered (but with wheel variations)

Don't know what colour this one started as

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Zephyr MK3? 

It was a response to Zephyr IV

I now realised the Matchbox release was in fact the upgraded Zodiac IV !

[bunglebus]

That makes more sense with it being square like a MK2 Tincorner

Fat wheels

Somewhat dog-eared narrow Superfast

Regular wheels

 

[junkyarddog]

Smoll Eddy's example has seen better days🤪

[Split_Pin]

I have a fat wheels Zodiac for spares, free if anyone wants it. Its missing the bonnet and front axle but the rest is decent.

[bunglebus]

I think like the fat wheel Mercury Commuter, it's quite unusual - worth fixing with a donor

[Datsuncog]

Making an utter mockery of Lunchtime Laptop show'n' tell conventions, it's true - but here, have some Chinese Corgi repro loveliness, albeit very late in the day.

This month's Corgi Model Club release - the #419 Ford Zephyr Motorway Patrol Car.

Oh, it's nice. It's very nice.

(Less out of focus in real life, honestly)

With police decals and various bits of kit shown in the back too.

Having had the Oldsmobile Sheriff's Car last summer, it's great to finally get a British police car in the range.

Bumpers and lights are just painted on, but they're nicely done - as a replica of a 1960 release, this pre-dates the chrome plated plastic components that soon widespread in the Corgi range from the mid-60s on.

The box illustration is nicely rendered too, even though the aerial's now mounted on the other wing.

This particular model's one I've been anticipating, as I have a comparator...

Yup, and not just an original version - but one which belonged to Cog Sr, and is his only surviving childhood Corgi after his older brother rather callously flogged all his toy cars without permission to a second-hand shop, probably for beer money.

The Zephyr survived only because it had been lost under a sideboard, and came to light years later when my grandmother was moving house.

So it's kinda special to me.

As well as having the earlier flat spun hubs, I'm also surprised that the original lacks the 'Zephyr' lettering on the bonnet which the repro boasts.

I'm also not sure whether the original has become very discoloured over time or was always more of a cream-colour than pure white.

The roof beacon's also quite a bit bigger on the new version.

But other than that, it all looks like a faithful reproduction.

So yeah. Although I've skipped a fair few of the more recent Corgi Model Club releases due to disinterest/ skintness on my part, this was one I really wanted. It hasn't disappointed.

[flat4alfa]

Bit spooky the Mercury gets a mention, as I found this out earlier, didn't know I had it!  Anyway, gave it a papping

It's not a Fire Chief, that's something like a Bull's head on the hood. 

The Fire Chief was the Park Lane sedan, sticker on the 1974 're-sticker' is similar colouring but of a helmet and axes.

Which of course means that repro Fire Chief stickers need to go onto a repainted in red Police Car Wagon!  To create a 'Missing Link' variation to photograph, put up on the web and make old men in Connecticut have a fit

[flat4alfa]

51 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Although I've skipped a fair few of the more recent Corgi Model Club releases due to disinterest/ skintness on my part, this was one I really wanted. It hasn't disappointed.

Not surprised that is really smart.  For a moment there I was going to re-subscribe!

Glad you posted that.  Hadn't realised about the tools in the back!  Made me have a dig.  

Ok, looks like the white was in fact a white not cream, although the lighting/cheap mobile phone metering has pulled a yellowing out in the first photo that isn't really there in the flesh!

Will see about painting this first I think, rather than buy another (famous last words).  Had thought about making it a civilian, but the cast-in siren and light don't deserve being cut out.  They did a civilian casting variation anyway?  So perhaps opportunity* to do in a blue to match the Commer Police van?

The Spot-On Zodiac agreed

So much so, it was lit up with excitement at the prospect

[bunglebus]

Police

Civvy

Lacks the siren cast in on the front.

Both look as though the base has been altered to update the name (Motorway Patrol Car/Estate Car) so I wonder if there's a third, earlier version that had the ZEPHYR lettering on the bonnet. Corgi Model Club are normally sticklers for accuracy where they can

Edit - found this one on eBay

Also found one with the lettering and larger beacon

[flat4alfa]

10 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Now that's thrown me.  I had assumed the outer bumper device was the siren louspeaker and the inset device the pass light.

Like these

So what is on the Corgi Zephyr then?  Big blue light and a bell?  A flat design large electric bell?

It also seems odd this Zephyr IV from almost a decade later would be fitted with a pair of Winkworth bells from another era

Corgi's own advertising drawing shows an old Winkworth on the other side too

This Zephyr III wears a trio as well

What a racket