Shite in Miniature II

[sierraman]

37 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Did you know the film Duel went straight to TV and was not initially released at theatres?  That's because is was one of four films that Universal Television signed the young Steven Spielberg for.

Steven Spielberg never amounted to much after Duel 😛

‘How can he go so fast!!! He’s got some some souped up diesel, I just can’t take it at 80-90mph’ 

[Split_Pin]

Remember that low-riding Lesney Minor from St Georges a few weeks ago?

Here it is now:

I straightened the baseplate to raise the ride height and I still need to paint that. I only had black available but as a kid I badly wanted the first civilian issue of the Corgi Classics Minor in black. Although I was actually more pleased with the 2nd civilian release in trafalgar blue I've always liked Morris Minors in black so this was a comfortable choice.

[bunglebus]

Entertainer delivery day - but despite having two new cases come in, the manager has said not to put them out until he returns on Saturday? Very odd. N cases anyway which I've seen, but you never know what might be lurking inside them.

BuM had put a few more Matchbox out so I have a spare orange Opel fruit if anyone's in need 

[danthecapriman]

All this talk of Big Rigs. 
One of my favourite American trucks, International Transtar from Corgi.

Great looking rig! 
Theres another version of this in blue with a trailer load of crushed cars on, but they seem to command a premium for some reason.

[AndyW201]

2 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

All this talk of Big Rigs. 
One of my favourite American trucks, International Transtar from Corgi.

Great looking rig! 
Theres another version of this in blue with a trailer load of crushed cars on, but they seem to command a premium for some reason.

I have the crushed car version,  lovely model.

And it's UK equivalent, the Brian Harris ERF EC , 

Both a bit knackered now, they've both shed a few bits thanks to falling off the display unit a few too many times but I like to get them out occasionally and have a fondle.

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

‘How can he go so fast!!! He’s got some some souped up diesel, I just can’t take it at 80-90mph’ 

The word goes that Spielberg chose a lo-comp slant six Valiant on purpose, so it would show his weakness.

Red was chosen to make the car stand out at the dusty film locations

Three cars were used, all wrecked on the set.  The odometer on the in-car shot showed just 5800 miles.  One of the Peterbuilt trucks survives.

[sierraman]

18 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

The word goes that Spielberg chose a lo-comp slant six Valiant on purpose, so it would show his weakness.

Red was chosen to make the car stand out at the dusty film locations

Three cars were used, all wrecked on the set.  The odometer on the in-car shot showed just 5800 miles.  One of the Peterbuilt trucks survives.

Supposedly there may* be another one somewhere, it was hauled out of the ravine and taken to a nearby scrapyard owned by the oil company that sold it them. The surviving truck was used for the later 1974 scenes and the school bus push. 

[cms206]

Ten quid in Morrisons, surely worth that all day long?!

[junkyarddog]

I bought this down at heel oddity a few weeks back.

Any ideas on manufacturer?

Quite a nice casting despite the damage.

Renault Fregate. 

Made in France. 

 

[flat4alfa]

14 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

Any ideas on manufacturer?

Quite a nice casting despite the damage.

Renault Fregate. 

Made in France. 

That was done by CIJ, mid-fifties

They re-did the casting and base a few times, including clockwork motor on one release

https://autojauneblog.fr/tag/renault-fregate/

[yes oui si]

One of our elderly neighbours gifted Jr_oui_si some old rammel:

They're currently being used to rescue some hazelnuts. 

[Datsuncog]

12 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I mean, Old Man Van Cleemput reckons Corgi punted out some 220,000 of them between 1976 and 1979, but I've never seen one before.

That'll teach me to go posting stuff in a state of near-sleep in the early hours of the morning - the correct production years are October 1973 up to the 1978 catalogue year, and total sales in that time for the Mack Tank Transporter are listed at 219,000.

4 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I wonder if the Cleemput figure of 220k included the tankers and containers since 1971 ?

Nope, those are all listed separately:

#1152 Mack Truck with Gloster Saro Articulated Petrol Tanker (Esso/ Exxon) - October 1971 to 1976; total production - 326,000 units

#1100 Mack Truck with Trans Continental Trailer (orange/black or white/yellow) - November 1971 to 1973; total production - 65,000 units

#1153 Mack Priestman Crane Truck (red/yellow) - June 1972 to 1974; total production - 135,000 units

#1106 Mack Container Truck (ACL - yellow/red) - July 1972 to 1977; total production - 313,000 units

So, in total, that's over a million of the Mack R-series cabs being churned out of the Swansea factory in six years, before the Ford Transcontinental cab took over.

I'll have to dig out my Juniors version for a quick big 'n' little comparison - if I still have one...

[MiniMinorMk3]

21 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Apparently, there’s a rare version of the mk2 Cortina with the original brown paint but with the later wheels as the blue version had. 
There’s one on eBay at the moment for £shitlots

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354915769097?hash=item52a2a0db09:g:gdkAAOSwXbNkOqhA&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0A4i54wc0g754P62ihNT1oxBL2M3r35es1K27%2FXDWTsv%2FEt1MOSaOenwHNLUGPm%2Ftk%2B%2B%2BbtR3UwRCVqE1WHwkfKGoE5DcFPSvJpCqb0anBI7rQIwsV3O5KIoMxJC7C8GKUgOdP99ON%2F%2BzEYT41O%2FUKD6MU2YbfRKQWW9tFYNS6rsO2aTCPVtrygb5AL43KP9iJ1tAsRXtM4MyV6eDbUhgtMJfDxEG3Eh78irBwLpU2doRugjtSU8QoYHHC%2FMItlzzbyBtDd4aCPw%2BYIc1Y9qFyo%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4Tek6jaYg

 

Vectis had an auction back in 2021 that had 12 of those early Cortinas. They sold for between £140 and £200 plus commission, so that Ebay one is a bit over priced, especuially as it is in play worn condition.

Matchbox Sale featuring The California Early Moko Lesney Collection (vectis.co.uk)

[Datsuncog]

Although - here's a Corgi Mack variant I don't think anyone will have:

The Mack R was considered as a base chassis and cab to carry the venerable Holmes wrecker body in the mid-seventies - although ultimately the Berliet was selected for the production version.

This prototype is believed to be unique - but someone has it, somewhere...

[flat4alfa]

That was a daft decision...

Even as a child I disliked that Berliet.  It seemed so old and weedy with gopping headlamps.  Even today, I had one from the Dolphinariam set (incomplete) in a job lot and put it straight on 'bay

The Mack would have been the better choice?  It could have gone straight up against the Matchbox Peterbuilt wrecker

Granted, they were a few years apart, however the Berliet casting dated from 1975

[flat4alfa]

#Calling all Cogs

[Split_Pin]

I've wanted one of those Macks for a while. It's far superior to the Siku casting.

[flat4alfa]

11 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I've wanted one of those Macks for a while. It's far superior to the Siku casting.

THEY DID WHAT

Not another to worry about...

Arghhh..

[flat4alfa]

17 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I think I’ve got a red one somewhere.

There is a red one here.  Bit knocked about but everything is there and it is 40+ years old

Thought I could pair it up with one of the caravans.  Tintin agreed

Can't say it is my favourite casting, front is a bit chunky like Siku Granadas, therefore CBA to get any more colours like this little lot

[egg]

2 hours ago, yes oui si said:

One of our elderly neighbours gifted Jr_oui_si some old rammel:

Very nice, a whole fleet of Pickfords vans, and the merryweather fire engine with its original ladder, which is pleasing!

[Split_Pin]

42 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

THEY DID WHAT

Not another to worry about...

Arghhh..

Sorry, I thought you all knew 😂

[yes oui si]

14 minutes ago, egg said:

Very nice, a whole fleet of Pickfords vans, and the merryweather fire engine with its original ladder, which is pleasing!

Will take some better photos when they've gone to their keek. 

[155V6]

I had a quiet day at work,so found a Smyths & went in to see if they had any Hotwheels premiums which I keep seeing mentioned.I couldn't see any at first,but then I found them locked away at the end of an aisle

No Sierras or Capris to be found.I was tempted by the Alfa 155 & truck,but the livery is wrong on the car & the truck is too small as well as Japanese?

Rally set was quite nice,but a bit pricey for me

I came away empty handed,so called in at a charity shop on the way home & came away with these two

Fiat X1/9 is a colour I didn't have,Nova is an early version with a glazed rear window

[danthecapriman]

20 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

There is a red one here.  Bit knocked about but everything is there and it is 40+ years old

Thought I could pair it up with one of the caravans.  Tintin agreed

Can't say it is my favourite casting, front is a bit chunky like Siku Granadas, therefore CBA to get any more colours like this little lot

I feel about the same about them. It’s not terrible but the front ends a bit chunky, and something about the D windows is a bit off. 
But, it’s the only small scale Mk2 Crapi isn’t it?

Corgi did the Mk1 & Mk3 as Jr’s. Matchbox did the Mk1. Any more?

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

That was a daft decision...

Even as a child I disliked that Berliet.  It seemed so old and weedy with gopping headlamps.  Even today, I had one from the Dolphinariam set (incomplete) in a job lot and put it straight on 'bay

The Mack would have been the better choice?  It could have gone straight up against the Matchbox Peterbuilt wrecker

Granted, they were a few years apart, however the Berliet casting dated from 1975

Again, I’m with you on the Berliet! Never liked it much. The bottom discharge dumper trailer it came with is good though, so that’s usually why I get them, then pair that trailer with a Ford H or Mack tractor unit. 
I always thought a Berliet was a very poor choice, especially for a British company to make since they were not at all common anywhere apart from France. Surely a British truck or something much more common like a Volvo would have made more sense?

[155V6]

12 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I feel about the same about them. It’s not terrible but the front ends a bit chunky, and something about the D windows is a bit off. 
But, it’s the only small scale Mk2 Crapi isn’t it?

Corgi did the Mk1 & Mk3 as Jr’s. Matchbox did the Mk1. Any more?

Polistil Mk 2

Siku Mk 1

Schuco Mk  2

[flat4alfa]

Welly did a 1:64 to look out for

[yes oui si]

[flat4alfa]

Going back in time, Norev Mini-Jet, assuming you were asking of similar scale ~1:64 

Ford Capri 1700 GT, which means under that bonnet (if it opened) would be the V4

[Split_Pin]

Gonny quit it with these 70s Ford's! I'm having a senior moment about that Polistil MK2 Capri! Cor!