Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

shame these colours and configurations were never made by Corgi

Great work! Let's not call them 'Fake Corgis'.  Let's call them something like 'Catalogue Corgis'

Of course your photos had to show these again!

I'd love to have a crack at these but don't have the eyes or patience any more.  Other excuses are available.  Here are some pre-production genuines:

One as an open top

Another with canopy, having unique windshield which takes the clip fitting for the canopy

[flat4alfa]

42 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

That Crown Vic is definitely a Chevy Caprice....

Agreed.   It's wanting to be a 1991-96 gen-4.  You just can't miss that lardy arse

Or should it be ass.

[eddyramrod]

Hey, don't diss that ass!  In the restored-police-car community Over There, the Bathtub Caprice (as it's known) is really well respected.  Apparently it was one of Chevrolet's best police offerings.

[FakeConcern]

39 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Agreed.   It's, 1991-96 gen-4.  You just can't miss that lardy arse

Or should it be ass.

 

35 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Hey, don't diss that ass!  In the restored-police-car community Over There, the Bathtub Caprice (as it's known) is really well respected.  Apparently it was one of Chevrolet's best police offerings.

Never mind all that-what is the make of the model?

[flat4alfa]

Oh, there is no ass diss 

One of my very own bucket list cars is the ‘sister’ bathtub Buick Roadmaster, that has DOUBLE HEIGHT ASS

[eddyramrod]

2 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Oh, there is no ass diss 

One of my very own bucket list cars is the ‘sister’ bathtub Buick Roadmaster, that has DOUBLE HEIGHT ASS

Herr Junkman had a Roadmaster sedan a couple of years ago...

[Jon]

10 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

The Corgi Juniors Ford Escort (Mk3) first produced 1981, with some early production distributed by Ford

 

There was a blue mainline (which is much less common) that along with the range going forward did away with the black grille / bumper detail and has the earlier brown interior

But I think your example would be post-1984 receivership as has a lighter brown interior and shares tampo print with the 1989 Weetabix promotional

Your blue example isn’t common, the overwhelming majority with the XR3i tampo are in the red.

(Perhaps it might have been a tad cynical dressing up as XR3i with no other changes made - having no spoiler / body kit.  But the resurrection through management buyout honourably retaining the GB production meant little money for development)

Notice your blue one wears the original wheel style, whereas the Weetabix red has the style seen on the 1986 BP garage promotion

This Escort casting did not survive the Mattel 1989 buyout as it was not seen as part of the subsequent move to Chinese production as Auto-City range for 1991

TL;DR- ok I’ll give you a couple of quid for it, if only to compare alongside the 1986 Matchbox XR3i Cabriolet in blue, with similar graphic!

I've just wasted spent a metric shedload of time navigating my Flickr account (now all but defunct, since I stopped paying for Pro, as it was solely there as a holding place for images in my spotting thread, which in itself is now hideously unfashionable (and I seemed to have stopped spotting interesting stuff)), to find some images of stuff I sold 14 years ago.

Behold an item that might help date @sutty2006's Escort, should anyone be able identify the box era:

Perhaps @Bren might be able to assist? I'm sure he collects boxed Corgi Juniors.

And a couple of other Escorts that I had at the time and sold on:

 

I think this might be a bit of a rarity, judging by previous comments on here?

Note the red front indicators - presumably a cost cutting measure! And yet it has RS Turbo-esque wheels, which I don't recall being used on other castings.

I always found it strange that the front ends of the Mk3 hatch and vans were entirely different castings. Would've been nice to have a Juniors van version, too.

[bunglebus]

So it is...

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

3 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Hey, don't diss that ass!  In the restored-police-car community Over There, the Bathtub Caprice (as it's known) is really well respected.  Apparently it was one of Chevrolet's best police offerings.

Still not as good as the crown vic

[Datsuncog]

10 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

He took his Chevy to the levy, but St George’s was dry

Funnily enough, a similar but not identical no-name Caprice did show up at the market a few years back.

Mildly* customised.

Ooh dat glitter.

Signature diamanté earrings for spotlights and half a litre of UHU mark it as the work of Norn Iron's answer to George Barris, but in miniature.

No clue about the manufacturer on the base.

No clue about the driver either.

Truly a mystery machine in so many ways.

[cms206]

21 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

The Corgi Juniors Ford Escort (Mk3) first produced 1981, with some early production distributed by Ford

 

There was a blue mainline (which is much less common) that along with the range going forward did away with the black grille / bumper detail and has the earlier brown interior

But I think your example would be post-1984 receivership as has a lighter brown interior and shares tampo print with the 1989 Weetabix promotional

Your blue example isn’t common, the overwhelming majority with the XR3i tampo are in the red.

(Perhaps it might have been a tad cynical dressing up as XR3i with no other changes made - having no spoiler / body kit.  But the resurrection through management buyout honourably retaining the GB production meant little money for development)

Notice your blue one wears the original wheel style, whereas the Weetabix red has the style seen on the 1986 BP garage promotion

This Escort casting did not survive the Mattel 1989 buyout as it was not seen as part of the subsequent move to Chinese production as Auto-City range for 1991

TL;DR- ok I’ll give you a couple of quid for it, if only to compare alongside the 1986 Matchbox XR3i Cabriolet in blue, with similar graphic!

I have had this one in my collection for a while...

... which despite the odd wheels, never seems to have been apart. Don't think I've seen another this colour, they all seem to be jade green.

[Tenmil Socket]

29 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Funnily enough, a similar but not identical no-name Caprice did show up at the market a few years back.

Mildly* customised.

Ooh dat glitter.

Signature diamanté earrings for spotlights and half a litre of UHU mark it as the work of Norn Iron's answer to George Barris, but in miniature.

No clue about the manufacturer on the base.

No clue about the driver either.

Truly a mystery machine in so many ways.

😱

[Tenmil Socket]

10 hours ago, bunglebus said:

So it is...

 

I think the front of the van casting is too thin whilst the hatch is too fat if you know what I mean?

 

[Datsuncog]

Also had a parcel touch down from Ana's Hot Wheels Sales yesterday, by strange coincidence.

Having been stung badly some years back trying to buy and sell diecast via Facebook, I've given it a swerve up until now.

But I've been unsuccessfully looking for that big Matchbox '64 Lincoln in the shops for months now, so for the sake of £2.50 I reckoned it was worth the savings to my sanity and shoe leather.

It really is a cracking toy, too - black with subtle silver accents around the windows and wheel arches. Classy.

The very beige HW Premium Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 from a few years back is one I wasn't aware of, but it's superb in terms of detailing and appeal. It's remarkably heavy as well.

It cost a little bit less than Premiums are generally priced at on the pegs at Smyths or The Entertainer too.

I bought a whole load of blue and white Escort Mk1s back when they were first released in about 2015/2016 - but sold them all on and forgot to keep one for myself.

Now remedied, nearly ten years on, and at a fairly moderate price too.

I happened to be in Poundland over the weekend too, and was surprised to see loads of recent case stuff in a big dump bin, including stacks of Escort RS2000s, Japanese stuff, VW Bays etc.

At £1.50 a throw, there really is no point paying scalper prices because there's always enough to go around eventually...

[egg]

Un CogBox est arrivé! Cheers as ever @Datsuncog!

[quicksilver]

12 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

 

Never mind all that-what is the make of the model?

Looks like an early Hongwell/Cararama. The wheels are the same style as my smaller scale version which also has no name on the base but appeared in sets with Hongwell-branded models.

 

[egg]

First thing I've done with my DC haul is remove the paint from the base of the Morestone Bug with brake fluid, already feels better - no before shot, soz, but it was covered with same thick paint as the rest of the body. Need to sort the wheels if poss next.

[bunglebus]

Think the wheels are metal too so it won't care about stripper - on fact 100% metal, no glazing either

 

[egg]

7 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Think the wheels are metal too so it won't care about stripper - on fact 100% metal, no glazing either

Did you take yours apart can you remember, bit delicate with these morestone push on bases?

[bunglebus]

Yes I did but I can't remember how! Think I thought you had to drill what looks like a rivet out but that doesn't actually hold it together

[egg]

45 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Yes I did but I can't remember how! Think I thought you had to drill what looks like a rivet out but that doesn't actually hold it together

crap pic, but managed to lever off without incident.

[junkyarddog]

Another recent fund is this Matchbox Toyota Celica Supra in different Livery to the norm.

I don't know why,but 70s/80s Japanese cars always catch my eye.

"You should call it yer Japs eye M8!"

😲

[Bren]

16 hours ago, Jon said:

I've just wasted spent a metric shedload of time navigating my Flickr account (now all but defunct, since I stopped paying for Pro, as it was solely there as a holding place for images in my spotting thread, which in itself is now hideously unfashionable (and I seemed to have stopped spotting interesting stuff)), to find some images of stuff I sold 14 years ago.

Behold an item that might help date @sutty2006's Escort, should anyone be able identify the box era:

Perhaps @Bren might be able to assist? I'm sure he collects boxed Corgi Juniors.

And a couple of other Escorts that I had at the time and sold on:

 

I think this might be a bit of a rarity, judging by previous comments on here?

Note the red front indicators - presumably a cost cutting measure! And yet it has RS Turbo-esque wheels, which I don't recall being used on other castings.

I always found it strange that the front ends of the Mk3 hatch and vans were entirely different castings. Would've been nice to have a Juniors van version, too.

The blue junior looks mid to late 80's.

[flat4alfa]

Alrighty

Indentify the Corgi model on a Tuesday game

[bunglebus]

Is #4 a Corgi? a Fiesta of all things?

Anyway #10 is the East African Safari Volkswagen 1200, sans rhino

[flat4alfa]

49 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Is #4 a Corgi? a Fiesta of all things?

Anyway #10 is the East African Safari Volkswagen 1200, sans rhino

Yes, #4 is model no.  VA12502, the Alan Curnow Tricentral 1980 class winner car.  It's a 2011 Corgi range publicity photo

 

#10 is a winner!  Rhino was away on a film set with Jim Carrey on the day

 

[bunglebus]

#15 Is the Back to the Future DeLorean

[bunglebus]

#45 is the 490 Volkswagen Breakdown Truck - intrigued by #41 unless that's another Vanguards

[flat4alfa]

@FakeConcern You're going to like this

Remember a good few pages back there was the former 'Cleemput collection' Hot Dog Mini Van prototype

Seen on the Cleemput estate sales table photo, year 2000.  Also seen in the Great Book of Corgi book too.

But anyway, take a look what's was in the same lot, next to the prototype Lancia Gamma Coupe.  Yes, a Commer Van, but not just any old colourway.  It is a prototype Rally Service Van with WHIZZWHEELS

Based on the Corgi 508 Commer 'Holiday Bus', with side windows filled in, roof rack removed and skylights also filled

 

Also fitted with a tow hook

Food for thought, etc

 

[flat4alfa]

25 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

#15 Is the Back to the Future DeLorean

#45 is the 490 Volkswagen Breakdown Truck

intrigued by #41 unless that's another Vanguards

Yes to both.

I think the Beetle must be a Lledo Vanguard carried through rebranded.  I hope that doesn't mean there is yet another variation of Beetle you need to find, sorry about that