Shite in Miniature II

[Jon]

I'm sure* that like everyone here, we've acquired an unassuming old book filled with interesting illustrations, which you'd like to show others but are unsure of the context with which to do so. No real need to have written this first part of course, as We've All Been There.

 

Anyway, without further ado, here's a Matchbox SD1 I found at a 2nd hand sale yesterday, which for some reason I couldn't resist:

Made in Macau, which likely pinpoints its date of manufacture. Not sure if the siren goes missing on these or not but I thought it fortunate that it's still there.

 

Less fortunate is the means by which the casting has been added to add the beacons and block the sunroof from the much preferred civilian brown version. It's a proper messy effort, so I'm wondering if it was nicked from another MB casting?

 

It's ages since I've seen an OG brown one, so am not sure if any casting lines on the sides have been eroded over the years, either for police decal placement or worn out dies? Indeed, the clearly visible front and rear casting lines render this far from MBs finest hour. I also reckon that cutting the shell south of that black sill line would work wonders visually.

 

Then we arrive at the bluff rear end, and all the flat expanse of nothingness below the tail lamps - all to aid a tow bar that presumably Matchbox never utilised in an SD1 twin pack set?

The Corgi Juniors SD1 casting is certainly not perfect (the tow bar is a hideous mess) but the general shape and dimensions win hands down.

That said, despite all that, I covet the brown version and regret selling a mint/boxed one, back in the 2010 emigration cull. And if I merited everything on scale accuracy, I'd only buy modern resin models - but here I am, scrabbling about buying low value decades old diecasts, instead. And I'm OK with that.

Except, I would've preferred said purchase and surreptitious tuck into my pocket not to coincide with the exact moment I met and was introduced to one of my wife's colleagues and her family. Not sure why I find this type of stuff toe curlingly embarrassing but there you go! Connotations of Peter Pan syndrome? Or generally being a wrong'un?

Had I just bought a PlayStation game for instance, I reckon that'd be much more socially acceptable.

[bunglebus]

I don't think the Ess Dee Won ever had especially strong door shut lines

It is a bit "heavy" looking compared to the shape of the real thing but I can't say exactly what it is that's wrong

[Datsuncog]

My own blatherings about the smol SD1 models a few years ago...

The tl;dr summary is that I concur with @Jon.

Also, I note there seems to be a casting warp on the rear panel of his Matchbox police version too - interesting that it wasn't just my later jam-sandwich example with that flaw.

[flat4alfa]

Knew about Bernard 

Didn’t know about Mack absorption 

[J R Hartley]

Some of mine.

Bburago Ferrari

 

[J R Hartley]

Majorette Capri

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Anyhow, boot sale stuff

These came out of the box of overpriced stuff I mentioned earlier - but where are they clipped from?

 

 They are from Corgi Junior backing cards

I want this one, NOW!

 

[J R Hartley]

Corgi Escort

 

[Datsuncog]

14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

As you lot are good at mystery cars - who made this Sierra?

Guisval Sierra?

That's awoken a long-buried memory of being on holiday in Majorca in 1988... there had been a touristy knick knack shop in the holiday apartment complex which had closed down, and was mostly emptied except for a small number of toys and other bits of rubbish still scattered over the tiled floor... I could make out about a dozen small cars by peering through the dusty window, of which a white Sierra with rally stickers was one... there was also a fairly large (like 1/24 scale) red and cream plastic Mk1 Capri, complete with a trailer and boat.

Yes, I spent most of the holiday trying to work out a way to get into that shop...

[bunglebus]

Correct - plastic doors are an odd touch.

Talking of rarer Sierras

[danthecapriman]

Bagged myself a set of Polistil Volvo’s the other day. 
I’ve already got a mint boxed estate in light metallic blue, but never had the saloon version.

They’re not in bad condition really, just odd wiper arms/mirrors missing. 
Im tempted to strip the estate and one saloon down and repaint them. The estate will go into Green Blue metallic as my 1:1 scale version of the car is and the saloon Gold metallic like my old saloon was.

Got these too.

Sierra is the early made in Britain type, one I was missing from my collection. This one’s really good, box less so but it’s still there I suppose! 
Transit is also really good. Complete and fully working. 

[Datsuncog]

I'm going to have to blame @sierraman for making me aware of this:

Some weighty reading (288 pages), but fascinating stuff in the two or so chapters I've read so far! Lots of pics and information taken from staff publications that I really wasn't aware of before now.

Not cheap, but worth tracking down if you've an interest in such matters...

[danthecapriman]

Here’s a few more acquisitions too…

Corgi Golden Jacks Rover. Missing spare tyre cover from boot lid.

 

Assorted Spot-On’s, and a Corgi bubble Cambridge.

[bunglebus]

Can't remember if one of you steered me in the direction of it, or it just popped up on eBay, but I got some more bedtime reading 

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Talking of rarer Sierras

 

Here's a rare 1/43rd Sierra by Motor-Pro of a 1991 Sapphire Cossie in Northumbria Police livery.

And here's one for the Vanguards fans, a decertified plain police Sierra ready for some code 3 action.

[bunglebus]

It's hard* to contain my excitement when I stumble across bags of treasure like this

[bunglebus]

A few bits I spotted at the weekend, didn't ask prices on any of it...

Except this which I thought might be wanted by someone - £15

Lastly I found another Dinky 914 with the titchy wheels

[Tenmil Socket]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Here's a rare 1/43rd Sierra by Motor-Pro of a 1991 Sapphire Cossie in Northumbria Police livery.

And here's one for the Vanguards fans, a decertified plain police Sierra ready for some code 3 action.

What’s the story behind the de-certifying?

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

What’s the story behind the de-certifying?

I've had a few de-certificated Vanguards over the years. I think they are over production of the limited number. They do not have a numbered certificate, obviously, and they have the sticker on the box. Sometimes they also have a hole punched in the box were the sticker is placed.

MG ZT

Austin Centenary Set

[Tenmil Socket]

6 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I've had a few de-certificated Vanguards over the years. I think they are over production of the limited number. They do not have a numbered certificate, obviously, and they have the sticker on the box. Sometimes they also have a hole punched in the box were the sticker is placed.

MG ZT

Austin Centenary Set

Ah right, thanks. I did wonder about the sticker. 

[bunglebus]

Chap on another forum sent me this for the cost of the postage 

Will I ever build it? Who knows.

These were included to fill gaps in my collection of magazines that I'm supposed to be selling

[MiniMinorMk3]

22 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Chap on another forum sent me this for the cost of the postage 

Will I ever build it? Who knows.

 

 

I had that kit, I built the stock version in Ruby Red to match the 1963 Beetle I had at the time.

[FakeConcern]

4 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I had that kit, I built the stock version in Ruby Red to match the 1963 Beetle I had at the time.

Is that the model or the real thing!

[flat4alfa]

POSTLADY etc

[MiniMinorMk3]

37 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

POSTLADY etc

 

That Amazon is nice.

40 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Is that the model or the real thing!

It's the real car. From the sunny side. Taken on Ashdown Forest during the summer of 1990.

 

[flat4alfa]

POSTMAN, etc

[Dick Cheeseburger]

7 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

POSTMAN, etc

What make is the Econoline? Love that. CA camper is lovely too. Seeing this massive buyage makes me feel better about my lack of control with diecast buying... And the green security van? 

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, Dick Longbridge said:

What make is the Econoline? Love that.

Econoline is the James Bond Collection partwork model by IXO

https://www.chezbois.com/non_corgi/Partworks/57237.htm

It was a £10 must have in 1:43

Scarce find, too.  Well everything seems scarce when I get interested.

[bunglebus]

17 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Majo CX is a very nice colour. Redline is very cool, what's the model name?

Last two customs are interesting, I'm awarding myself a shite point for recognising the Pixar Cars wheels

[flat4alfa]

16 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

CA camper is lovely too

It is the Hachette 1/43 Bedford CA Dormobile Camper Van, boxed new.  By IXO

It was annoyingly cheaper than getting hold of this Spot-On Tonibell Ice Cream Van example in complete condition.  It was overpainted and awful - BUT FFS I ACTUALLY WON ONE - so dunked it quickly to mask the pain, then primered and coated before it could argue back.  Not got around to putting it back together just yet, might do that shortly if I can drag myself away from the laptop.