Shite in Miniature II

[eddyramrod]

55 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I spotted the phrase a few weeks ago on a Facebook diecast group.  It seemed obvious that the OP had either fallen victim to Autocorrect, or simply mistyped without help!  But the result is what matters, it tickled me and is now my default term for the stripping bath.

[flat4alfa]

13 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Good luck finding the steering wheel

Got one!

It quite naff, as being loose, it just slots into a spot inside but gets dislodged as you try to drive the thing

[flat4alfa]

There were two types, plain black plastic, or with a white rim decoration

[Dick Cheeseburger]

11 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Yes it would be Hee-ah-chee

Funnily enough, the way it is commonly pronounced in Japan (including advertising) mimics the English world pronounciation:

Toy-oh-da Hiy-ays-er

I always assumed it was pronounced as if you're introducing yourself to this bloke:

 

[bunglebus]

Entertainer Bluewater have lots of stock

Blue Volvos and Mister Twos aplenty

[bunglebus]

BuM also well stocked with nothing I want, lots of battered cards in the dump bins

[eddyramrod]

No Protons then?

[sierraman]

Might check out Entertainer but ours only has the basics in. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

18 hours ago, andrew e said:

So I went to a model railway exhibition today, and amongst the smell of BO and general social awkwardness, I stumbled on a few bargains, how does a £1 each for the following sound

Norev 205 is a sweet little thing, even if it needs a bath and the wheels are little awkward .

 

 

Nice selection for a £1 each. I think the wheels on the 205 look good for a 1.9 GTi.

17 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Hiace finished:

 

 

A very nice pair.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

No Protons then?

I've seen a few lately - didn't know they were still required.

Looked in Smyths, TK Maxx and Home Bargains afterwards, found nothing. Could have gone inside Lakeside for Entertainer and Hamleys but Monday is never a good day to hunt so I came home.

Entertainer had several of these

I think the next time I rearrange my display cabinet it'll be these Matchbox premium vehicles that get released from their blisters

 

[sierraman]

I like that Mustang, what others did they have? 

[eddyramrod]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I've seen a few lately - didn't know they were still required.

I think someone said they had one they would hold for me, but I've forgotten who that was.  There are three or four people kindly holding boxes for me so it could have been any of them, or someone else!

If "we" do manage to work out who it was, then please, accept my apologies.  I'm not getting any less forgetful as time goes on.

[bunglebus]

30 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I like that Mustang, what others did they have? 

I can't really remember - moderns that didn't interest me essentially. Might have been a Defender too

[sierraman]

I’ll drop by later and see if they have any I like. 

[bunglebus]

Things you didn't know you needed to know #35

The Matchbox Snow Trac comes with the name either cast in or as a decal - but there are two different size decals too

[sheffcortinacentre]

8 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I've seen a few lately - didn't know they were still required.

Looked in Smyths, TK Maxx and Home Bargains afterwards, found nothing. Could have gone inside Lakeside for Entertainer and Hamleys but Monday is never a good day to hunt so I came home.

Entertainer had several of these

I think the next time I rearrange my display cabinet it'll be these Matchbox premium vehicles that get released from their blisters

 

My fave wouldn't mind one of those.

[Datsuncog]

Some Moving Parts in the Belfast branch of The Entertainer last week:

They only had multiples of these four models: the Pagani and modern Corvette aren't quite my style, but the Toyota Land Cruiser very much is. Ford Ranger's not bad either.

Not super-cheap at £4.20 a go - especially now I've learned a local independent toy shop has some from this range for £2.99 - but I'd be tempted to go back for the Land Cruiser.

I'm still on the lookout for a Hot Wheels Proton too - despite managing to discover cars from the 2024 A-case in a few locations, the interesting stuff has invariably already been filleted at the point I rock up.

Last week I trailed through three branches of B&M, three branches of Home Bargains, six branches of Poundland, a branch of Smyth's, a branch of The Entertainer, four Tesco stores, two Sainsburys stores and two Asda stores.

One Tesco, one Asda and one Home Bargains had some from the latest case, but despite some fairly determined hoking, there were no Protons and no VW Transporters to be seen.

But then I felt a similar despondency last year over the Series 2 Land Rover, the Datsun Bluebird wagon and the Alfa Sprint - and now there are loads of these everywhere. So I daresay I'll be drowning in Protons by the end of February.

B&M were still rocking the 2023 Q-case, though appeared to have found a fairly ancient selection of the Orange & Blue 53rd Anniversary cars dating back to 2021.

Blast from the past, and no mistake...

[sierraman]

Checked our local Entertainer... none... just the crap they had in October last year...

[bunglebus]

Seen several blue Trainspotters too. I'll grab one and a couple of Protons if I see more

[Spottedlaurel]

9 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Some Moving Parts in the Belfast branch of The Entertainer last week:

They only had multiples of these four models: the Pagani and modern Corvette aren't quite my style, but the Toyota Land Cruiser very much is. Ford Ranger's not bad either.

I'd certainly be interested in a Land Cruiser if you see another one please.

[bunglebus]

Only tattered Hot Wheels in Asda - and these

[Jon]

My phone broke last week, which has resulted in me buying a new one, which for some unfathomable reason is flipping massive. 

Anyway, technological aversion aside, I wanted to check out its image taking abilities, especially since it has 3 separate lenses on the back...

I chose this nifty French Dinky R4, bought from @dugong a few months back:

Seems it does funny things to the colour temperature, when LED lighting is involved. I'll give it its dues, a lot of digital cameras seem to really struggle with orange shades, so coupled with LEDs, I expected there'd be some issues.

 

I'd say this is more representative of its true shade:

(Forgive image quality - most of these images are screenshots to rectify orientation, as I took many of them with the phone upside down)

 

Tested some extreme back-light:

And then I got all trademark art-wank, as I noticed a lovely hard shadow on the kitchen floor, from the window above ^

 

I should point out that this is a repaint, which has been nicely executed, with only the merest hint of wobble in some of the silver details.

 

There's an odd chip here and there too but it doesn't bother me.

 

Nice to have a French Dinky in the collection. Would definitely like to expand the numbers at some point.

 

Thought this one came out nicely.

 

Then I requisitioned a blue plastic storage tub and a grater from the washing up pile, to come up with this contrived effort.

Anyway, barring the bigger size, this new phone seems to take an acceptable photo for a bunch of middle aged blokes to peruse, so I guess that's a positive.

I'll just need to sew some bigger pockets to house it...

[bunglebus]

I did a buy using some of my Asda cashpot vouchers

[MiniMinorMk3]

Time to finish the ToTip Lancia 037.

Front end finished. The lamp covers were a pain. Trying to get the flat decal to stick to the convex surface, lining them up so the script was horizontal and then waiting for the initial dry seamed to take forever.

Top side complete.

Starting on the right.

Right side done.

Now for the left.

Done.

After the Pioneer Lancia I decided to have a go at bending the wipers so that they would fit on the correct side. I got one done but had a disaster with the second, it snapped in two, with the broken piece disappearing for ever in my dark carpet.

Oh well, time to break out the Tameo photoetch ones that I have.

First thing is to bend them into shape so the arms and blades are correct...

then paint them with a drop of matte black.

Whilst the wipers were drying it was time for the door mirrors. When I had the silver out for the mirrors I also put some on the wheel centres o tone done the plasticky chrome.

And then on with the wipers.

All finished.

 

Next up is one of the most iconic of cars and liveries.

[MiniMinorMk3]

PS If anyone is looking for the wipers then I get them from Grand Prix Models.

Product Search (grandprixmodels.com)

I've been getting stuff from them for years. Beware, clicking on their website can loose you a lot of time.

[bunglebus]

10 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

PS If anyone is looking for the wipers then I get them from Grand Prix Models.

Product Search (grandprixmodels.com)

I've been getting stuff from them for years. Beware, clicking on their website can loose you a lot of time.

Any recommendations on filler/pulley? I've been using Revell Plasto but I seem to always get holes and bubbles appearing in it.

This flippin' MK1 Escort is fighting me, terrible casting lines and some damage I needed to fill - but for some reason the primer hasn't adhered and just flakes off

So now I've had to strip it which means doing all the filler work again.

The Dinky I did before was also terrible which is why I ended up making it look deliberately ratty

[sierraman]

Has anyone noticed prices of Matchbox have gone giddy again on eBay? Boxes of literally broken crap are going for mad money. 

[flat4alfa]

15 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

found a fairly ancient selection of the Orange & Blue 53rd Anniversary cars dating back to 2021.

Blast from the past, and no mistake...

I went a bit around the twist chasing those

Something about the colour.  Of all the Anniversary Series since 2018, this was the one that got me.  I avoided all the others so very well too.

The one never achieved was Gazella R, which was THE CHASE CAR, but quite glad as it glaringly (pun) didn't fit and looked more like a B&Q spanner set promotion

Then I found out it was a Ryu Asada re-jig on a previous casting Gazella GT by Dmitriy Shakhmatov.  The 'Orange and Blue' series was 2021.  Ryu Asada died March of that year, so more than likely a tribute. 

But, time has passed and I am now cured.

Or was I.  Found this one same colour at a car boot some time later.   From the 50th Anniversary year, name is Rise 'N Climb .  So it felt like compensation.  Settled, then.

But then looking into it I now find there was a Bone Shaker in that set too!!  Arse! - THAT should have been the Chase Car

Anyone got one of those spare?

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Any recommendations on filler/pulley? I've been using Revell Plasto but I seem to always get holes and bubbles appearing in it.

This flippin' MK1 Escort is fighting me, terrible casting lines and some damage I needed to fill - but for some reason the primer hasn't adhered and just flakes off

So now I've had to strip it which means doing all the filler work again.

The Dinky I did before was also terrible which is why I ended up making it look deliberately ratty

I’ve had one so far with a similar problem. No matter what I did - cleaned repeatedly, degreased it with spirits etc etc the primer just wouldn’t stick. 
In the end I sprayed it with acid etch primer, left over from doing real cars! That got the bugger! It’s etched to the surface and stuck fast after that, then I just went over the etch primer as normal.

[andy18s]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I did a buy using some of my Asda cashpot vouchers

I hate to ask how much those cost...