Shite in Miniature II

[FakeConcern]

@flat4alfa did anyone find a die cast model of the Mini Scorpion in my post above?

If not, that should be your Mini project.

[155V6]

3 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I did not know that!

I got them off Dr Retro Pandamonium

Then you might be pleased to hear Doris took it out for a run just now

Hot Wheels called it the Racing Stocker, but it's clearly a gen-2 Buick Regal

Mine says Mountain Dew Stocker underneath

[sierraman]

Had a really enjoyable evening restoring the ex @bunglebus MG Maestro, got the lights working as well. Silver just seemed ‘right’ for the age. 

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

@flat4alfa did anyone find a die cast model of the Mini Scorpion in my post above?

If not, that should be your Mini project.

I didn't respond because my eyes were sprained.

It's gopping!

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, 155V6 said:

Mine says Mountain Dew Stocker underneath

It seems to have a history of identity crises

[andy18s]

6 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Actual prices - £9.99 each.

I really didn't think they'd be on the stall for more than an hour or two, but this is the third week they've been there.

Unless he has a few dozen of each colour and just keeps replenishing...

Hmm,that's the price of them on the bay of E.

I wouldn't want to piss you about for the sake of a few pounds so unless it's something ridiculous like a fiver for the pair,it's not worth the hassle.

However,if anymore Opel Mantas turn up,boxed or otherwise then feel free to scoop them up...

[bunglebus]

3 hours ago, warch said:

Dimachinni Veloce,

I like it - puts me in mind of a lost 70s supercar concept

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Blimey, there's a question. Looking at model shops on Google Maps I'd say it may have been Sheffield Transport Models, which looks to have closed in the last year or two. It was certainly a small shop, I remember that much.

Can’t think where that one was, only similar one was Road and Rail on Abbeydale Road. 

In other news the local Morrisons is stocking Matchbox, didn’t buy any as it was only the crap one left. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Always liked the broadspeed GT fastback mini, like the 6 wheel beavertail elf/hornet.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i may* have been silly and now have 5 corgi marina coups

[danthecapriman]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I've got a pretty nice example of that pickup - should be a Hi-Raker with adjustable height rear suspension 

My Frontrunnin' Fairmont isn't as nice as yours though

I didn’t realise the Dodge pickup was adjustable!! I’ll have to have a play look tomorrow…

[bunglebus]

Lots of Hi-Rakers to find, the Split Window '63 and 3-Window '34 are my favourites

Got the 40's Woodie

and Vette Van too

 

[Spottedlaurel]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Can’t think where that one was, only similar one was Road and Rail on Abbeydale Road.

https://goo.gl/maps/UL1PBzQhupNgYeL26

[Richard_FM]

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

Had a really enjoyable evening restoring the ex @bunglebus MG Maestro, got the lights working as well. Silver just seemed ‘right’ for the age. 

I had a yellow one, where the lights stopped working after a few days so my Dad exchanged it for a Rover SD1 police car which is still at my Mum's house.

One of my friends had one, which he recoloured black with a marker pen.

[sierraman]

34 minutes ago, Richard_FM said:

I had a yellow one, where the lights stopped working after a few days so my Dad exchanged it for a Rover SD1 police car which is still at my Mum's house.

One of my friends had one, which he recoloured black with a marker pen.

I have a yellow one but this one had been stripped, was originally red. The electrical contacts are pretty sturdy but if they’re corroded then it’s a case of a strip down to remove the corrosion. 

[andrew e]

The hiraker woodie was a favourite as a kid 👍 Loving the La France fire engine and the 72 Vette and Pro stock T bird are in the look out list 👍

Finally the Twingo can’t wait to cross the channel Tim!

[Spottedlaurel]

This week's HW purchases:

Sierra came from a small, independent toyshop last weekend after having trawled through the big Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Smyths in Ipswich where there was pretty much nothing of interest.

The remainder were from a restock in another Tesco later in the week. They weren't there on Monday (with the possible exception of the Jeep), but by Thursday PM a few more things had arrived and there was just one each of what I wanted.

Had been contemplating going to a toy fair down in Ipswich tomorrow, but after a rather extravagant January with the Brentwood fair trip plus a number of kit purchases I'm trying to be good (this month at least). There's a small one on in Needham Market next weekend which I'll probably go to instead. Got some decent things at reasonable prices when I last went to it.

[MiniMinorMk3]

17 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

I really must rein myself in despite deciding not to do it again I've another model I don't really want and no idea what to do with.

While Mrs Concern was haggling over the Pride of Dover, I picked up the fire engine thing remembering seeing it in the catalogues when I was a kid, but never seen one irl.

The seller saw me and offered it for £10, so I put it down he gradually reduced the price in steps down to £5.50 and without having any idea what it was worth I bought it doh!

The La France was always one of my dream Corgis. I never got one as I always spaffed my pocket money on smaller cars.

 

 

14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I like it - puts me in mind of a lost 70s supercar concept

That puts me in mind of a Bitter CD, with the addition of Countach arches.

[MiniMinorMk3]

So what to do with these three that came from  @bunglebus 

First up the green Matchbox had a wash and the red tape was removed from the roof.

The other small scale stuff quickly came along

and dragged it off to the shelves for display.

The Clubman and Cooper were washed.

The plan for the Clubman is to make it into a model of my 1275 GT that I sold a few years ago. As the car had a Britax Weathershield sunroof, filling the holes in the roof will just be a case of sticking a bit of vinyl over them.

Now for the Cooper. Well I have this barn find car

which washed up OK.

I can hear some saying thats to good to be a donner, well it's like one of those you get at Copart, the front looks OK, but the rear is not so good.

A quick comparison of the roofs show that the windows should fit (or be made to fit) quite easily

For now I have not decided if I'm going to keep it as a rally car or make it into a model of my Innocenti Mini Minor Mk3.

In the end the rest of the works Coopers came down for a look

and for now it will be hiding at the back on the shelf with them until I decide what to do with it..

 

 

[bunglebus]

New Morrison's just opened near me - lots of quite new Hot Wheels but no space for Matchbox 

[flat4alfa]

Post Lady has been

Corgi Polizei Volkswagen with the turny steery roof light.  Was surprised how different it is compared to the Driving School one, nothing is common.  All these years I assumed one was a development of the other

[AndyW201]

Bunglebox arrived today!

GR8 Sellar, would buy smol shite from agen etc...

Chuffed to at last get the blue Matchbox Capri. Cheers to @bunglebusfor selling me a spare, only way I d get one as my local Tesco is so utterly sodding hopeless...

As has been mentioned before, this one really appeals as it's a fairly authentic colour, and for once, it's a fairly humble 1600 model rather than a GT or RS of some sort. 

Hot Wheels Prelude is nice in white, a colour scheme only available in the Nightburnerz 5 pack.

The Matchbox Merc W124 is one I've been after for a while. It dates from the era that I consider as peak Matchbox, but this one passed me by at the time. Its a nice tidy example, just needing a bit of touching in at the bottom.

So, a bit of black Sharpie on the bumpers and sills..

The Jag XJ40 was another favourite of mine from the time. This one's had a bit of a clean up, I might see if I can dig out a metallic red touch up brush and tidy it it a bit more. 

There are a few more MB from the time that I'm still hunting for, Saab 9000, BMW E34 5 series, Cavalier GSi, Merc 500 SL and Merc W140 S Class, (thankfully I found one of those in Datsuncog's sale thread), but people on eBay want all the money for them. (Tenner plus post for unboxed and playworn? In the fucking sea with you...)

Trofeu 1/43 Escort is missing a rear axle and base has been hacked about a bit at the back, but I'm sure I can do something with it!

Thanks to BB for a cracking deal.

[MiniMinorMk3]

48 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Post Lady has been

Corgi Polizei Volkswagen with the turny steery roof light.  Was surprised how different it is compared to the Driving School one, nothing is common.  All these years I assumed one was a development of the other

The Polizei is based on the Safari Rally Bug.

The driving school car is based on the later WhizzWheels casting which has the more upright headlamps of a 12 volt 1968 onwards Beetle.

[bunglebus]

6 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

The Polizei is based on the Safari Rally Bug.

The driving school car is based on the later WhizzWheels casting

They are kinda all the same casting, just modified, a lot

[Split_Pin]

17 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

There are a few more MB from the time that I'm still hunting for, Saab 9000, BMW E34 5 series, Cavalier GSi, Merc 500 SL and Merc W140 S Class, (thankfully located in Datsuncog's sale thread), but people on eBay want all the money for them. (Tenner plus post for unboxed and playworn? In the fucking sea with you...)

I completely agree, definitely peak Matchbox. The Superkings releases of around that time were similarly decent.

[RoadworkUK]

Local tat / collectibles / "antique" haven The Manningtree Emporium is always worth a mooch around. It's split into a multitude of displays curated by several local "dealers".

Diecast-wise, there's much evidence of the time-proven paper-label and hilarious price routine, along with plenty Lledo to ignore.

For a quid, though, I brought this home today:

Regular-wheels Matchbox Studebaker Lark Wagonaire. A bit short on paint, but otherwise in fine condition. And the sliding roof is present and correct.

Should have a plastic huntsman figure and his dog, but I'm really not bothered. If I was brave (or even merely competent), this would be a prime candidate for a resto.

But I'm not.

[bunglebus]

27 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

Trofeu 1/43 Escort is missing a rear axle and base has been hacked about a bit at the back

Yeah dunno what happened there 

[bunglebus]

New Matchbox Insta post

[flat4alfa]

5 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

New Matchbox Insta post

50p Honda please

/ oops sorry wrong thread

[barrett]

Well, I popped over to Arundel today. Was going to celebrate 40 years of the Peugeot 205 by driving mine, but the battery is helpfully dead, so I had to do it in the modern. Shame, as there's a really nice bit of road I was looking forward to blasting down.

Anyway, it happened

Yes, the plinth is covered in red flock material, which mimics the interior. I had no idea these had this feature

This features probably the most complex construction of any Politoys car I've seen. The base is slotted, not screwed, and underneath we have a detailed sump, prop, twin exhaust pipes... weirdly the rear leaf springs are individual, seperate parts and should give some genuine suspension (but it doesn't work too well in practice)

Sadly this odd method of construction has led to a bit of damage (perhaps from the factory as it looks like this has rarely, if ever, been out of the box before). The front axle is clamped between the two halves of the engine, but something is amiss and when you put the car on a surface, the axle slides upwards, pushing the top of the engine up too, which lifts the bonnet a fraction

Annoying! Otherwise it's totally mint and very handsome

The underbonnet detail is great, although I'd live without this for a bonnet that closed tbh. Ah well. There should be a small bonnet stay which props it open but unsurprisingly this has disappeared. Bonnet stays open fine on its own though.

And that's that. There were some other bits in the shop - a later Touring (Lamborghini) Flying Star for a tenner, which was probably worth it but I don't really like the model (it's one of the very late Export range with ugly generic plastic wheels and low detail) plus some proper MIB Dinkys etc including one of these, which was a new one on me

Also the worst-organised selection of records I've ever seen in any shop (stacked end-on, not facing you, but with the spines at the BACK of the shelf so you have to flick through every one individually sideways to see what they are. Infuriating!)