Shite in Miniature II

[danthecapriman]

Short MOT on this lil’ bastard but I’m assured it’s a good rig that drives like a train!😄

 

These Vanguards hidden treasures versions seem less expensive than the normal releases for some reason. Although to be fair, some of the rust paint looks a bit pants!

[danthecapriman]

Allegro was with a Consul taxi in poverty stricken citizen spec.

[Split_Pin]

The Allegro would look better with just a bit of weathering and a yellow wing!

[danthecapriman]

Just now, Split_Pin said:

The Allegro would look better with just a bit of weathering and a yellow wing!

The base model is nice, but the rust effect looks like someone just dipped a brush in brown paint and slapped it on rough. Not the best finish at all, but maybe that’s why they go cheaper?

Maybe a candidate for a repaint in future though. Possibly into blue like my grandads old one.

[bunglebus]

Popped into Bluewater Entertainer, they must have had 15 boxes of Hot Wheels under their display table, all had been rummaged through but that's not to say there was nothing left...

[Bren]

Postman brought this. A majorette I have not had before - I was envious of my junior school mates who had this.

I think it's only the second toy saab I have owned - I have a boxed matchbox sonnett but that's it saab wise.

[Lord Sterling]

OK, so been to Cora, and this is what they have:

1/64s:

1/18s:

I was very tempted by both the 635CSi and Aston Martin DB5 but although I can afford them, I've other stuff to pay for so don't want to leave myself without.

Solido also had some 1.43 cars, again, I was tempted by the M3:

Loved these Vespas, cheap too:

Eventually I settled on these 2:

I'd not seen a new release Mercedes 450 SEL by Majorette, I know they did a slightly poor proportioned one in the 80s (as I have one)

I was very tempted by this Porsche too but model buying was getting a tad OTT.

 

[bunglebus]

Just how many of those 60th anniversary Majorettes are there?

[Tenmil Socket]

Spotted this on the Liverpool Echo website but don't know how to link it.

[Datsuncog]

On 13/04/2024 at 15:39, Split_Pin said:

Some Action Drivers sets, I thought @Datsuncog may like to see these.

Cheers for that - very good to see!

Those are Action Drivers Epic Construction Yard sets - 2023 range releases, and will set you back at least £60 over here, if you can find any in the shops (I've only seen them online).

Surprised that Macy's stocked no basic Hot Wheels - unless there's just not enough margin on them, to justify the necessary shelf space in a big city store?

FAO Schwarz is meant to be pretty good as an experience, though I believe the Selfridge's store on Oxford Street in London has one of their concessions these days. No idea what they might stock to tickle our collective fancies...

Hope you're having a good time stateside, at any rate!

[Lord Sterling]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Just how many of those 60th anniversary Majorettes are there?

1 Citroen van as pictured, the Merc 450 Inourchased and the rest were red Corvettes with tampos and fairly modern Toyota 4x4 again with tampos.

[MiniMinorMk3]

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Short MOT on this lil’ bastard but I’m assured it’s a good rig that drives like a train!😄

 

These Vanguards hidden treasures versions seem less expensive than the normal releases for some reason. Although to be fair, some of the rust paint looks a bit pants!

Yes the Hidden treasures are not treasures at all. They are a good source for spares for other versions and then you can make them look more scrap than they already are.

The Allegro I had had less brown on it. I guess it was hand painted in the factory.

The weathered Land Rover is the same, with the dirt being inconsistent

I always thought the Marina was one of the better attempts with the coat hanger aerial and the dirty windscreen.

There are a couple of versions of the Transit

The Austin A30 Van is pants with the rust effect being were there is no actual seam.

The Sunbeam has a primered rear wing and what looks like a coated new wing. The roof rip is rubbish.

Reliant Supervan is waiting to be painted yellow like the one from Peckham. Extra points for Tax in Post on the screen.

Minor Pick Up with pealing red oxide primer

And finally the worst of the lot, the Minor Saloon resto that's half under a cover and guarded by a cat.

If you want an even cheaper source of parts then the Boy Racer series can usually pick up cheaply, and all the parts are shiney already.

 

Vanguards and Corgi have tried just about every angle over the years to sell some diecast, but these two series were scrapping the bottom of the barrel for me.

[Datsuncog]

Forgot to flag this up when it arrived last week.

The rather delayed March 2024 release from Corgi Model Club - the #236 Austin A60 Cambridge Driving School Car.

I've been looking forward to this one.

A chod-tastic choice of subject matter, and really well executed.

Also a fine reminder of the days when a prospective driver was let loose in one of these vast understeering boats with huge overhangs fore and aft, rather than a nice compact Micra with power steering.

The steerable wheels are, of course, the main feature - but it's also a lovely rendering of some prime BMC grey porridge.

Hard to know whether the design impetus was to model a driving school car, or whether it was to create a miniature Cambridge, but the steering was added at a later stage of design for fear it'd be too dull for kiddy tastes otherwise.

The L plates front and back are highly visible, anyway - and the casting was never modified or used for any other Corgi release. 

The student and instructor figures inside add a further dash of realism.

While, inside the box, are replicas of some educational matter:

There y'go - a highly abridged 'Junior Highway Code', plus some handy European language vocab.

Still, pretty exciting stuff. It's kinda nice that Corgi continued this theme through the '70s with the Corgi Driving School VW Beetle (including cones), and into the 1980s with the 1/36 scale Triumph Acclaim/ Honda Ballade proclaiming the same.

Box looks enticing, too.

And the usual facts and figures info card.

At least these cards are easy enough to store, rather than the floppy A4 sized leaflets masquerading as a magazine which accompanied similar partworks sold through newsagents.

But stay!

I happen to have a moderately knackered original here too.

In terms of colour and detail, it's a good match.

Just the underside colouration is a bit different.

Marvellous. Love it.

[Lord Sterling]

5 hours ago, cms206 said:

Have we had this yet? Coming this year to a Matchbox retailer near you soon.

Kin 'ell, is that a wierdly propotioned Frontera at the back of the cut 'n' shut Fiesta with a suspiciously looking Polo G40 rear side window?

I know Matchbox did a fairly decent one way back in the 90s but I didn't like the colour, it was white with some rubbish looking brown paint to look (badly) like dirt.

[danthecapriman]

43 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Yes the Hidden treasures are not treasures at all. They are a good source for spares for other versions and then you can make them look more scrap than they already are.

The Allegro I had had less brown on it. I guess it was hand painted in the factory.

The weathered Land Rover is the same, with the dirt being inconsistent

I always thought the Marina was one of the better attempts with the coat hanger aerial and the dirty windscreen.

There are a couple of versions of the Transit

The Austin A30 Van is pants with the rust effect being were there is no actual seam.

The Sunbeam has a primered rear wing and what looks like a coated new wing. The roof rip is rubbish.

Reliant Supervan is waiting to be painted yellow like the one from Peckham. Extra points for Tax in Post on the screen.

Minor Pick Up with pealing red oxide primer

And finally the worst of the lot, the Minor Saloon resto that's half under a cover and guarded by a cat.

If you want an even cheaper source of parts then the Boy Racer series can usually pick up cheaply, and all the parts are shiney already.

 

Vanguards and Corgi have tried just about every angle over the years to sell some diecast, but these two series were scrapping the bottom of the barrel for me.

Funnily enough, my thoughts on both those series’s is the same! They are a bit shit really!

But, on the other hand they can provide a slightly cheaper way to bag a Vanguard’s model to use as repaint material, which was pretty much my intention with the Allegro. 
I wonder if the rust paint would wipe off with a dab of thinners on some tissue? Maybe I’ll test it on this one before I strip all the paint.

Wasnt there a hidden treasures Granada mk1 too?

[andy18s]

16 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

Kin 'ell, is that a wierdly propotioned Frontera at the back of the cut 'n' shut Fiesta with a suspiciously looking Polo G40 rear side window?

I know Matchbox did a fairly decent one way back in the 90s but I didn't like the colour, it was white with some rubbish looking brown paint to look (badly) like dirt.

I think it's a Chevy of some description but I can't remember the name right now.

That Sunbeam you picked up is nice and in an unusual colour.

If you ever want to move it on...lol 

Edit. I think it's supposed to be an early 2000's  Chevy Blazer 

[danthecapriman]

22 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Forgot to flag this up when it arrived last week.

The rather delayed March 2024 release from Corgi Model Club - the #236 Austin A60 Cambridge Driving School Car.

I've been looking forward to this one.

A chod-tastic choice of subject matter, and really well executed.

Also a fine reminder of the days when a prospective driver was let loose in one of these vast understeering boats with huge overhangs fore and aft, rather than a nice compact Micra with power steering.

The steerable wheels are, of course, the main feature - but it's also a lovely rendering of some prime BMC grey porridge.

Hard to know whether the design impetus was to model a driving school car, or whether it was to create a miniature Cambridge, but the steering was added at a later stage of design for fear it'd be too dull for kiddy tastes otherwise.

The L plates front and back are highly visible, anyway - and the casting was never modified or used for any other Corgi release. 

The student and instructor figures inside add a further dash of realism.

While, inside the box, are replicas of some educational matter:

There y'go - a highly abridged 'Junior Highway Code', plus some handy European language vocab.

Still, pretty exciting stuff. It's kinda nice that Corgi continued this theme through the '70s with the Corgi Driving School VW Beetle (including cones), and into the 1980s with the 1/36 scale Triumph Acclaim/ Honda Ballade proclaiming the same.

Box looks enticing, too.

And the usual facts and figures info card.

At least these cards are easy enough to store, rather than the floppy A4 sized leaflets masquerading as a magazine which accompanied similar partworks sold through newsagents.

But stay!

I happen to have a moderately knackered original here too.

In terms of colour and detail, it's a good match.

Just the underside colouration is a bit different.

Marvellous. Love it.

That’s lovely. Really well done when compared to an original.

That A60 was one of my biggest frustrations as a youngster though! I wanted a standard car not one with the big red thing on top and those cast in L plates really were a let down as they were impossible to get rid of without grinding the thing down. 
Im sure that would have sold well as a standard car too if Corgi would have done it.

Reminds me, I’ve still not finished my original one I’m converting into what Corgi should have done…

[bunglebus]

54 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

If you want an even cheaper source of parts then the Boy Racer series can usually pick up cheaply, and all the parts are shiney already.

These two series were scrapping the bottom of the barrel for me.

I like the boy racer ones, especially the replica of Steve Green's Cortina

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

11 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Funnily enough, my thoughts on both those series’s is the same! They are a bit shit really!

But, on the other hand they can provide a slightly cheaper way to bag a Vanguard’s model to use as repaint material, which was pretty much my intention with the Allegro. 
I wonder if the rust paint would wipe off with a dab of thinners on some tissue? Maybe I’ll test it on this one before I strip all the paint.

Wasnt there a hidden treasures Granada mk1 too?

Yes there was a Mk1 Granada, Rover P6, Triumph Stag, Vauxhall F-Type Victor, Triumph Dolomite and an Austin 1800.

Also a boy racer Transit in kind of Pepsi colours

[bunglebus]

3 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Kin 'ell, is that a wierdly propotioned Frontera at the back of the cut 'n' shut Fiesta with a suspiciously looking Polo G40 rear side window?

I know Matchbox did a fairly decent one way back in the 90s but I didn't like the colour, it was white with some rubbish looking brown paint to look (badly) like dirt.

The Frontera? They made the 3 door A under one of it's other names, the Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard Amigo

Here's an old custom to represent the one my ex wife had

 

[Split_Pin]

40 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Forgot to flag this up when it arrived last week.

The rather delayed March 2024 release from Corgi Model Club - the #236 Austin A60 Cambridge Driving School Car.

I've been looking forward to this one.

A chod-tastic choice of subject matter, and really well executed.

Also a fine reminder of the days when a prospective driver was let loose in one of these vast understeering boats with huge overhangs fore and aft, rather than a nice compact Micra with power steering.

The steerable wheels are, of course, the main feature - but it's also a lovely rendering of some prime BMC grey porridge.

Hard to know whether the design impetus was to model a driving school car, or whether it was to create a miniature Cambridge, but the steering was added at a later stage of design for fear it'd be too dull for kiddy tastes otherwise.

The L plates front and back are highly visible, anyway - and the casting was never modified or used for any other Corgi release. 

The student and instructor figures inside add a further dash of realism.

While, inside the box, are replicas of some educational matter:

There y'go - a highly abridged 'Junior Highway Code', plus some handy European language vocab.

Still, pretty exciting stuff. It's kinda nice that Corgi continued this theme through the '70s with the Corgi Driving School VW Beetle (including cones), and into the 1980s with the 1/36 scale Triumph Acclaim/ Honda Ballade proclaiming the same.

Box looks enticing, too.

And the usual facts and figures info card.

At least these cards are easy enough to store, rather than the floppy A4 sized leaflets masquerading as a magazine which accompanied similar partworks sold through newsagents.

But stay!

I happen to have a moderately knackered original here too.

In terms of colour and detail, it's a good match.

Just the underside colouration is a bit different.

Marvellous. Love it.

This was my most played with car out of all the ones that were given to me by my dad and uncles. It even fitted on my Marchbox Play Track. My example is now on a Corgi Transporter!

[Lord Sterling]

4 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

The Frontera? They made the 3 door A under of it's other names, the Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard Amigo

Here's an old custom to represent the one my ex wife had

This is the one I had. Mustard mitt, your one looks great.

[cms206]

30 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

Kin 'ell, is that a wierdly propotioned Frontera at the back of the cut 'n' shut Fiesta

Nissan Terrano is it not? Novacar did a similar one in the 90s I'm sure.

[Surface Rust]

I did my own version of a hidden treasure Allegro quite a few years ago. It was for a mate and was a cruel reminder of his own car, languishing at the bottom of his garden!

And the real thing:

I actually did it from memory as I didn't have the pic, and I wish I'd spent more time getting the green slime right!

[MiniMinorMk3]

28 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I like the boy racer ones, especially the replica of Steve Green's Cortina

 

The development of the Steve Green Cortina

 

[FakeConcern]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

That’s lovely. Really well done when compared to an original.

That A60 was one of my biggest frustrations as a youngster though! I wanted a standard car not one with the big red thing on top and those cast in L plates really were a let down as they were impossible to get rid of without grinding the thing down. 
Im sure that would have sold well as a standard car too if Corgi would have done it.

Reminds me, I’ve still not finished my original one I’m converting into what Corgi should have done…

I had wondered what happened to this and was going to ask, but you beat me to it!

54 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

This was my most played with car out of all the ones that were given to me by my dad and uncles. It even fitted on my Marchbox Play Track. My example is now on a Corgi Transporter!

The one I had as a kid was a swap and I liked parking it and generally steering it around, but the L plates and huge red wheel always bugged me. I sold it on here last year!

Talking of the steering Corgis, I also had the VW polizei car but had really wanted the orange rally version in the shop window. Unfortunately the shop only had the former for sale so that's what I got for my birthday.

[danthecapriman]

18 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

I had wondered what happened to this and was going to ask, but you beat me to it!

It’s actually in white primer now with the base painted, but I couldn’t make my mind up about colour(s) so it’s been sat on the bench in the shed for ages!

I will make my mind up tomorrow and paint it. No excuses!

[sheffcortinacentre]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Forgot to flag this up when it arrived last week.

The rather delayed March 2024 release from Corgi Model Club - the #236 Austin A60 Cambridge Driving School Car.

I've been looking forward to this one.

A chod-tastic choice of subject matter, and really well executed.

Also a fine reminder of the days when a prospective driver was let loose in one of these vast understeering boats with huge overhangs fore and aft, rather than a nice compact Micra with power steering.

The steerable wheels are, of course, the main feature - but it's also a lovely rendering of some prime BMC grey porridge.

Hard to know whether the design impetus was to model a driving school car, or whether it was to create a miniature Cambridge, but the steering was added at a later stage of design for fear it'd be too dull for kiddy tastes otherwise.

The L plates front and back are highly visible, anyway - and the casting was never modified or used for any other Corgi release. 

The student and instructor figures inside add a further dash of realism.

While, inside the box, are replicas of some educational matter:

There y'go - a highly abridged 'Junior Highway Code', plus some handy European language vocab.

Still, pretty exciting stuff. It's kinda nice that Corgi continued this theme through the '70s with the Corgi Driving School VW Beetle (including cones), and into the 1980s with the 1/36 scale Triumph Acclaim/ Honda Ballade proclaiming the same.

Box looks enticing, too.

And the usual facts and figures info card.

At least these cards are easy enough to store, rather than the floppy A4 sized leaflets masquerading as a magazine which accompanied similar partworks sold through newsagents.

But stay!

I happen to have a moderately knackered original here too.

In terms of colour and detail, it's a good match.

Just the underside colouration is a bit different.

Marvellous. Love it.

The messrina needs knock kneed front end for the full effect.

[Datsuncog]

More rubbishy diecast disposals coming up in three, two, one...

 

 

[danthecapriman]

As promised, the old Corgi A60 is painted!

I still couldn’t decide on colours. I very nearly painted it maroon with white stripe, but having tested the paint colour first I wasn’t convinced. 
But, to be honest the colour scheme corgi used was nice. It was just the L plates and roof wheel thingy that bothered me so I decided in the end, if it ain’t broke… or whatever!

So,

Lada Adriatic blue with a gloss white stripe. The blue will tone down a bit once it dries. 
The stripe was a bastard to mask up well. A combination of fairly rough casting edges along what would be bright trims on the real car and this particular car has some pretty heavy chips and dings in the same place so the tape was hard to cut where they were. But, it’s a toy that’s been played with over the past half century plus so what do you expect!

The good thing is though I can disguise the wavy edges between blue & white by painting in the bright trim which Corgi didn’t do. That’ll have to wait a few days though as the blue needs to harden off.

There is a bit of a ding/damage to the boot lid too which I didn’t fix, and a slight - very slight! - bend to the roof… but it’s an old toy!

Not sure if I’ll find a replacement front solid axle for this or just glue the original steering wheels in the straight position. 
Obviously the steering mechanism won’t be getting refitted so the steering wheels will just flop around independently of each other if I don’t glue them.

I still think Corgi missed a trick not releasing this model later, maybe by altering the tooling to remove the L plates and fill the hole in the roof, and punt it out in various colour combo’s but what’s done is done I guess! We’ll never know!